The leader of German political party “The Pirates” apologised to supporters at a conference in the city of Bochum for the fierce infighting that has caused a plunge in popularity.

The party was thrust onto the political stage after their shock success in four state elections, however their support has dropped from 13% to under 5%, the threshold needed for it to enter parliament at next year’s federal elections.

The Pirates chose their name after being accused of downloading copyrighted information and material from the internet. They believe that everything should be available publicly.

What started out as a campaign caught other parties by surprise. Despite their current difficulties, their popularity threatens to change the political landscape with their main support base coming from the left therefore possibly helping Angela Merkel’s conservatives in the 2013 elections.