Ben Polidori, one of the three Pirate Party MPs elected in October, has announced his decision to withdraw from the party "with immediate effect".

Polidori, who was elected in the northern constituency for the first time last autumn, said the party's functioning was behind his decision to resign.

In his resignation letter Polidori said the small parliamentary team disagreed on topics such as management and making decisions, leading to an unstable atmosphere of conflict. He claimed the party did not prioritise transparency or a democracy of participation.

Polidori added that he plans to remain within the Chamber of Deputies as an independent MP, leaving the Pirates with just two MPs – Sven Clement and Marc Goergen – as was the case with the previous parliament.

The party secured their third seat in the Chamber in the last elections with Polidori gathering 6.7% of the vote share. The 34-year-old came first on the Pirates' list in the north with 4,800 votes, ahead of Emir Badic and Céline Achhammer. He also serves as a councillor on Vichten municipal council.

Sven Clement and Marc Goergen react to news

Polidori's announcement is said to have caught his former colleagues by surprise - Sven Clement told the party he had only found out an hour prior to the announcement and Polidori had not notified Clement himself.

Marc Georgen called it a sad decision, although he admitted that in the past the party management had been somewhat lacking. However, Goergen said he and many others had worked to revise the party statutes instead of choosing to leave.

The impact of Polidori's decision will be felt on those employed by the party, as his resignation means the Pirates will lose a third of their budget in future.

The party committees will now meet to advise on how best to proceed. Goergen and Clement will have to bear in mind that a political mandate can only be obtained with the help of a party. It is clear that Polidori cannot be forced to return the mandate to the party, but they feel it would be better to clear the way for the next person in line to offer them the chance to do what could not be done.