SDV: Here are the results of the primaries that took place earlier today. There were nail-bitingly close races such as the one in Saint Pierre for the Socialists and in Romain for the Party of June. We can (sadly) report that Harry Pratchett has dropped out of the Party of June's race. With me to discuss her departure is Harry himself.

Harry Pratchett: Thank you for having me on the show.

SDV: So your party's Primary focused on the division between the left/right camps of the Party of June and the divide over the EPA. Can you overcome your differences with the other candidates to endorse one of them?

HP: That's a very difficult question, my party has great candidates running for the European Council. However, I think the real threat in Europe is the hegemony of the EPA. There are so many Councillors that are in it, it basically controls the Council. I have to endorse Georges as he's the only one who will try to break up the cartel that is the EPA.

SDV: What did you think about Firoux's comments today?

HP: I don't exactly have a problem with what the EPA is doing, it just can hinder Councillors' ability to speak out about issues that are important to them. The EPA can also ram through legislation which isn't necessarily fair.

SDV: What drove you to drop out?

HP: I'm 12 delegates behind Jiurju and I really don't want to split the anti-EPA vote in this Primary. At the Conference, my delegates will be going to Fakhoury.

SDV: Thank you for coming on the show.

HP: Thanks for including me.

SDV: There are still more than 50% of delegates to be voted on, Super Tuesday is next week where the rest of Icholasen's major 3 party's members will vote on who they want to represent their parties and represent us in the European Council. For the Party of June there are 170 delegates left, for the NAP there are 79 left, and for the Socialists there are 42. All is to play for.

SDV: Now, we’re talking to either an angel, or a devil, depending on your point of view. It’s Councillor Edward Firoux. Welcome to the show.

Edward Firoux: Hi! Thank you for having me, Stephanie. It’s always a pleasure to be able to chat with you.

SDV: A lot of people in the Party of June dislike the EPA, does this bother you? Do you think their critiques are valid?

EF: I think concerns about the status quo, and whether the status quo works for them, are valid concerns among some members of the PoJ. However, I disagree with the notion that the EPA represents or seeks to protect the status quo. The EPA is not a monolithic entity - we’re a collection of like-minded Councillor representing bold, progressive and pro-European values. Whether it’s passing bills on marriage equality, democratizing the EU’s insitutions, banning capital punishment, support legislation for clean water and a clean environment, the EPA has sought to make the lives of everyday people better and to make sure that those in Europolis are working for the people and not for any special interests. We’re the opposite of the status quo.

SDV: Do you know who you might endorse yet, or is it too early to say?

EF: It’s definitely still too early, Stephanie. We’ve only just seen the outcome of the first primary, which was held today. I will say that the Party of June has quite the strong field of contenders. I also have a very good working and personal relationship with some of the other independent candidates. I’m watching this all play out just as intently as you are.

SDV: Another issue in the primary so far has been the cannabis legalisation. Most candidates who support the bill don’t support bringing it back to the Council. What are your thoughts on this, would you consider working with a pro-cannabis Councillor to legalise cannabis across Europe?

EF: That’s a very good question. I would support such legislation, but only if it was much more comprehensive than what was previously passed by the Council. Originally, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of legalizing cannabis across the EU, despite supporting legalization in Inquista, because I felt that the issue was too divisive. However, a plurality of the EU member states supported cannabis legalization across the EU anyway, and we passed a bill on the matter. Cannabis was legal across the EU for over a year. During the period of time in which the EPA stepped back from the Council, the European Liberals repealed the cannabis law. In my opinion, once we decided to legalize cannabis, it was a decision that we should have stuck by. It makes no sense to legalize cannabis one moment and then to lock up Europeans for possession of cannabis a year later. So, now, I do support EU-wide cannabis legalization. However, we need to include more comprehensive measures on drug control measures, to keep it out of the hands of young children and to educate people on the consequences of driving under the influence.

SDV: You mentioned the marriage equality bill, is there any other LGBT+ legislation you’d like to see in the Council?

EF: I would like to see the European Council work on legislation to protect LGBT rights in the workforce. We need to update our Universal Declaration of Human Rights to ensure that sexual orientation isn’t an allowable discriminatory factor when it comes to firing or hiring workers. Furthermore, I would like to establish legislation concerning hate speech, which includes not only protecting sexual minorities from hateful defamation, but also people of cultural and ethnic minorities.

SDV: We’ve discussed people you may endorse, is there anyone you’d condemn in the current primary lineup?

EF: I wouldn’t say that I condemn anyone. I’m a massive proponent of reaching across the aisle to work with people that I have deep political differences with. Progress cannot be achieved without a truly united front, which must include a cooperative and reconcilliary effort between all people. No one should be left behind or be alienated. As a foreign European, it’s also none of my business to say who Nicoleiziains shouldn’t vote for. Nicoleiziains should vote for whoever they want to. I will voice my concern, however, for some of the specifics things Prudence Crumplebottom has said in regards to gay marriage. Marriage is a right that every European should be entitled to, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. I believe that we should look forward and not backwards.

SDV: What are your thoughts on Whiteford’s reforms and the Whiteford administration more generally?

EF: I think reorganizing Icholasen’s nine dominions into the four nations of New Nicoleizia, Romain, Portland and Regina is a massive step forward in recognizing the cultural and historical significance of each nation, and it provides each nation with a united political avenue to advocate for their concerns. This change will help promote the interests and protect the identities of each of Icholasen’s distinct nations. I also believe that a Presidential system will refine the current state of checks and balances within Icholasen’s political system, bringing it more stability but also more accountability.

SDV: Thanks for coming in! Be sure to come back so that we can get the perspective from the mainland!

EF: Any time, Stephanie! I’m always happy to chat with you. From one elite to another, thank you for having me.

SDV: Here are the results of the Primaries that took place in Portland earlier today. Obviously today's news in Saint Regina has outshined the primary here, but there's some interesting results.

Crumplebottom didn't perform very well here, even though she and many others thought she'd do very well in this kind of region. Trudoucul's lead may be short lived as there are 43 Primary seats available on Thursday which could destroy or vindicate her small lead over Crumplebottom. Bennett has just now dropped out of the race.

Everyone in the Party of June is within one point of each other, with Fakhoury only just coming up on top and Bellevue just one behind. What will be more important when the time to vote comes, EPA membership or left/right divides?

Follin won the Socialist primary, if only by a few percentage points, it's going to be a slow slog for the Socialist nomination as no one is likely to drop out.

The outcome of these primaries is too close to call, but we should know who is running by next Tuesday.

Tune in on Thursday for the results of the Romain and Saint Pierre primaries, and then for SUPER TUESDAY on Shrove Tuesday next week.

Whiteford Passes Major Constitutional Reforms

Whiteford has managed to pass her reforms to reform Icholasen's outdated 9 Dominion model, after working since the election in 2017 to change up the Nicoleizian political system. Whiteford's reasoning for this is there are 4 nations in Icholasen, not 9. The new system makes Romain, Portland, and Regina their own Dominions, incorporating the coastal cities and removing north/south boundaries. The same number of Nonet seats will be given to the Dominions as now. Regina will have a massive 4 Nonet seats up for grabs. The Nonet will now be elected in cycles with 2 groups. One being elected in 2020 and the other in 2022 for a 5 year term. For the Lower House, (the Sénat) elections will now take place every 3 years, with the newly re-merged Dominions voting in 2 blocks. One will start in 2020, and the other in 2022.

Another major departure is that Icholasen will now be a Presidential system, with the executive having no base in the legislature. Whiteford has said that "this change critical as the Korojaunu (Head of Government) needs a separate mandate because Icholasen, rightly, has a fully proportionally representative Lower House. This rarely produces majorities and with a Presidential system, we can have both proportional representation and strong governments." The Korojaunoaul (presidential) mandate will last 4 years, the first election taking place in 2021.

On the Dominion level, FPTP will be used as this is where local citizens have a chance to raise their concerns about local issues. The elections will happen every 5 years in cycles and the Dominion Assemblies will keep using the Westminster system to elect their head of government.

These changes will come in gradually as the terms start their cycles in the next couple of years. This ambitious legislation aims to democratise Icholasen even further, giving Nicoleizians the opportunity to directly elect even more people to represent them.

The timetable of elections for the next decade:

And the geographical regions that will be voting:

Whiteford hopes that these first reforms to the political structures of Icholasen since 1995 will increase federalism, democracy, and healthy regional pride (with the Six Nations coming up!) . Cynics say Whiteford only wanted a Presidential system as she cannot hope to command the support of the Sénat for much longer, but others say that a Presidency is even more democratic. There was clearly a political appetite for the reunification of the nations of Icholasen into one body, as people often complained that their nation was not unified no matter what nation they belonged to.

SDV: It is the day of the Portland primary. Voters are going to the polls and their votes are fortunately being counted as they come in to be revealed at 8pm. We of course don't know any concrete results, and we're having conflicting exit poll predictions. So as we have plenty of time until the results at 8pm, let's go to the Dominion profile of Portland, with Franky Harrison.

Franky Harrison: Thank's Stephanie.

FH: Portland has 17% of the Party of June's delegates needed to win, 21% of the NAP's and 20% of the Socialists', so it is a significant number of delegates that all the candidates running for the candidacy will want to get. But what is Portland like as a Dominion? It is one of the non-urban Dominions and it is quite rural in places. You might recall that Eilidh Whiteford's onion farm was in this region.

Also in this region are mines and industry, which is why the Socialists get a lot of support here, with a relatively large unionised workforce. Many are predicting Françoise Follin's green economic plans for Europe will rub the wrong way with some union leaders in industry here. However, there are many young Socialists across Icholasen who identify with the more environmental side of Socialism, it just depends if they will come out in this Primary.

For the Party of June, Portland represents the change from the left-right dichotomy that dominated Icholasen's post-Communist politics. Portland, that was a swing-Dominion between the NAP and the Socialists became predominantly Party of June in 2015 and then in 2017. Portland is the home of many left-wing Party of June Senators, and the party in the Dominion support Whiteford almost rabidly. The Dominion assembly is mostly Party of June, however the local party works with the Socialists as they do not have a majority.

And finally for the NAP, their constituency here is mostly older people who might prefer Crumplebottom to Trudoucul as the people here are more conservative NAP members, conversely to North Regina, for example, where the NAP party is larger and more liberal.

Françoise Follin

SDV: Françoise Follin joins us now in the studio for a quick interview about her plans for Icholasen in the European Council. Welcome Madame Follin.

FF: Hello, it's good to be here.

SDV: Firstly, I'd like to ask why your opponent, Mr Smoks believes the EU is such a nefarious organisation.

FF: I think some of his critiques of the European project are valid, sometimes the EU can get in the way of our Socialist ideals. However I think it's much better to work within the system we have in front of us to affect change on a European level.

SDV: Speaking of the European level, would you as a Councillor work with the EPA? This seems to be a big issue in the Party of June's primary.

FF: I think myself and Councillor Firoux have similar goals. His Safe and Accessible Water Act is exactly the kind of legislation that I think needs to be done on the European level. What my opponent seems to not understand is that there's much more we can achieve with constructive participation in the institutions that we're a part of, than by obstructing these institutions' work.

SDV: Would you join the EPA?

FF: Probably.

SDV: You mentioned the Safe and Accessible Water Act and how you'd like to see more legislation like it. Could you provide some examples?

FF: Other bills that would provide basic necessities, and from that we'd move onto bigger things. Providing all Europeans - all humans - with the basic needs of life is a Socialist value that I want to spread to all corners of Europe.

SDV: And what about the environment? Your opponent thinks that coal mines should be reopened with unionised workers down in the shafts to solve unemployment in rural Portland. Do you agree?

FF: I'd like to move on from that old type of Socialism that relied on there being a tangible means of production to take back control of. Now, the means of production aren't as evident as in the past - the internet has changed our lives and our relationship with capital. Smoks wants us to move back to days gone by. It's not the 1970s anymore -- but that doesn't mean we can't listen to The Carpenters and smoke a joint once in a while. And to answer your question about the environment: I, along with colleagues in the Senate, advocate a green new deal. We can transform the economy, produce high paid unionised jobs by investing in Green industry and by doing that we will become carbon neutral before 2050.

SDV: What is one way in which further European integration could benefit the average Nicoleizian union worker?

FF: I think that by integrating more with the European Union, via a European green new deal for example, we will see investment across borders and the creation of many new unionised jobs. Wind turbine factories with parts being assembled in different countries with specialised, unionised jobs could be a reality if we pursue this programme of action. I recognise that globalisation has created unemployment in some areas of Icholasen, but by further integrating with the EU we can provide more and higher quality jobs.

SDV: How does European Integration affect the daily life of a Nicoleizian? Do you think this impact is equally beneficial for all Nicoleizians or only special groups?

FF: I think that it doesn't yet impact us enough, despite there being the powers there for us to help people in Icholasen and across Europe. I'd like to see the reduction of unnecessary voltage in vacuum cleaners, the removal of energy inefficient light bulbs from shelves across the EU. Providing savings both in the cost of light bulb, electricity and of course savings in our carbon budget. We can do so much more within the framework of the EU. I think that some Nicoleizians have benefited more from European integration than others, particularly the rich. By electing me as Councillor I will work to stop the rich controlling the European Union and I will work hard to make it work for the ordinary Nicoleizian.

SDV: Thank you Françoise for joining us in the studio.

FF: Thank you for having me.

SDV: Today we have with us in the studio one of the Party of June's leading candidate for the European Council, Victoria Bellevue. Welcome to the studio.

Victoria Bellevue

Victoria Bellevue: Thanks for having me on the show.

SDV: So, I think what our viewers would most like to know is where you position yourself compared to your competitors in the Party of June primary.

VB: I position myself as a pro-EPA and centre-left Party of June candidate. I want us to work with our European friends and allies to make Icholasen more connected to Europe, and also to make Europe more just.

SDV: Would you describe yourself as being in the Whiteford camp?

VB: Absolutely, I don't think anyone in our party is outside her camp. Just because some people disagree with her about some left/right issues doesn't mean that our party is divided.

SDV: And so onto the main issues of this election: European issues. I'm going to ask you a few yes or no questions. Firstly, do you support Europe-wide marijuana legalisation?

VB: I do. However I would not bring it back up for debate as I feel that this is not the most important or productive thing for us to be getting on with in the European Council.

SDV: And what about gay marriage legalisation?

VB: Yes I support that legislation. Unlike marijuana legalisation, I think the human rights of LGBT+ people across Europe is of the utmost importance.

SDV: And finally would you say your loyalties would be divided between the EPA and the Party of June?

VB: Absolutely not. Some in my party think that that's impossible, but I think that it's possible to serve in two teams. I don't understand how people can be multilateral in all ways except party politics.

SDV: Thank you for answering those questions. Now let's move onto your interlocutors. Firstly, let's talk about Georges Fakhoury. He's your closest opponent in the most recent opinion polling, as we can see now on the screen.

SDV: Fakhoury does not support Nicoleizian Councillors being part of the EPA and is on the right side of the Party of June. Do you accept that if he won that would vindicate the right of your party in this referendum on Whiteford?

VB: I don't accept that that would vindicate that side of the party as I feel they're already included and their opinions are valid. Our Cabinet represents the interests of everyone. I'd say I'm just as pro-Whiteford as Fakhoury is, as we're both members of a party that she leads. I also don't know to what extent this Primary a referendum on Whiteford, all our candidates are fighting for her.

SDV: And Harry Pratchett who is on your side economically (also to the left of the party) but he disagrees with you on EPA membership. What would you say to him to convince his supports to side with your position and not his?

VB: I'd say that the EPA doesn't hold all of the power over our decision-making and we can express our opinions within it. It does not affect the primacy of the Party of June to be part of the EPA.

SDV: And then finally Fiona Jiurju. She has gone on record saying she supports the privatisation of rail services in Icholasen. Do you agree with her?

VB: Absolutely not, I think it would be a mistake to privatise the railways. They're an important part of our plan to get Icholasen carbon neutral by the year 2050, and we can't trust private companies to sustain unprofitable routes that save people car journeys that burn more fossil fuel per person.

SDV: Are environmental issues something you'd like to bring to the European level?

VB: Absolutely, I'd like to propose some preliminary legislation for European carbon neutrality when I arrive in Europolis.

SDV: Thank you for coming on the show Madame Bellevue.

VB: Thank you for having me.

SDV: With one week until the first Primaries, the Socialists have already whittled it down to only 2 candidates with 2 dropping out before the first Primary vote. The first candidate is Tisheau Smoks, the former First Minister of New Nicoleizia who is running on the anti-EU ticket. Standing against globalisation of markets and government. Smoks argues that the European Union inhibits Icholasen's rights to nationalise industries and to commit to other Socialist policies, though there is not much actual evidence to support his claim. On the other side is Françoise Follin who is pro-EU as a means to put Socialist measures into action, proposing ambitious policy for the EU Council. Unlike the NAP's or the Party of June's Primary candidates, the two Socialist candidates disagree about EU integration and participation. Here to discuss is political commentator Georgia Brown.

Georgia Brown: Thanks for having me on the show.

SDV: Welcome. First I'd like to discuss the major differences between candidates in the parties.

GB: As we've seen the two Socialists are clearly divided, but in the NAP it's a bit more complex. Crumplebottom represents the old guard of the party that is very socially conservative. However, Trudoucul represents a more socially liberal form of Euroscepticism. She wouldn't vote against the Gay Marriage bill because of the content, she would vote against it because she believes the decision should be taken in the respective countries of the EU.

SDV: And the difference between the candidates in the Party of June is that they oppose Europarties?

GB: Yes it's mostly that, it's a very minor policy difference. However, people will vote along the lines of what caucus of the Party of June these people come from. We have a 2 from the left, and a 2 from the right, with opposing views on the EPA. There is intense factionalism within the Party of June as it is the largest party in Icholasen - each faction is almost as big as the Socialists or the NAP in terms of Senate seats.

SDV: And so where will Poppy Carlton-Romanov come into this?

GB: She will definitely take votes away from the Party of June in the first round of voting and will make it much harder for the Party of June to get their person into the second round.

SDV: Thanks for coming on the show.

GB: No problem.