NET
Wirt Harland announces Progressive Conservative Party
The party, defined as a centrist one, will run for parliamentary elections in July
February 14, 2024
Returning from Europolis to St. Lucas yesterday, Wirt Harland acted quickly to reveal his plans for the upcoming months. Having previously announced his candidacy and resignation from the Congress for Social Democracy (CSD, formerly Labour) weeks ago, Harland revealed his new party, which would compete in the next parliamentary elections this July: the Progressive Conservative Party.
"Here, we are turning a new page in Elthic politics," Harland addressed the crowd in the first rally for the party, organized in St. Lucas. "Here, we are planting the seeds of a movement committed to protecting the welfare and prosperity of the people of our country."
In the same press conference where he stepped down as Internal Affairs Commissioner, Harland also revealed that he was leaving the Congress for Social Democracy party, which he'd been a part of since 2006, serving as one of its members for the National Assembly from 2008 to 2009, and as one of its senators from 2009 to 2018. He was the joint presidential candidate for the Labour Party and the Elthic Green Party in 2018, where he lost to the incumbent Greenwich Grimwald by a small margin.
"There's something beautiful about today being Valentine's Day, as we announce a party, a movement that loves you, the Elthic people!" Harland continued, his words followed by loud cheers.
PCP
Pictured: the logo of the Progressive Conservative Party, unveiled at the first rally in St. Lucas.
During his tenure in the Labour Party, Harland positioned himself as a moderate politician, putting a clear barrier between himself and the more left-leaning members of his party. The Progressive Conservative Party, where he was elected as the leader, is expected to follow this principle, scooping up centrist voters.
In the rally, Harland stressed the importance of security, adopting a tough-on-crime stance: "I have said this in 2018, and I will say it once more: Grimwald has failed to keep Elthics safe. Crime keeps on rising, we keep losing our people, our kids to preventable murders... In certain areas, our people can't keep property, and the government has remained silent. Luckily, we still have a chance to fix this, to make things right, and I have never stopped believing the Elthic people."
Despite his seemingly poor performance as Internal Affairs Commissioner, Harland remains popular in Elthize. A recent NET poll found that 52% of respondents agreed that a Harland presidency would be beneficial for the country.