Elthic News Media
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Liamville man arrested over plotting an assassination on Grimwald
by Frances Irving - September 8, 2022
Greenwich Grimwald at the Third European Leaders Summit in Europolis. September 4, 2022. (image credit)
(OOC: To avoid confusion, this event took place after the 3rd European Leaders Summit ended. It will not affect that RP, but will affect RPs going forward.)
Elthize was shocked Tuesday morning (September 6th) to learn that a man from Liamville was arrested for planning an assassination against President Greenwich Grimwald. The failed assassin was identified as 39-year-old Matthew Chucks, and he is currently in police custody, awaiting charges. The assassin is expected to receive at least nine years in prison and to be charged with, but not limited to, violating local gun control laws, attempted murder, terrorism and plotting to harm a high-ranking Elthic politician.
According to police reports, Chucks had travelled from Liamville to Harry's Island on September 1st with a private boat to ensure that his weapons, a hunting shotgun and a bayonet knife, were not confiscated. He knew Grimwald was planning a three-day vacation with his wife, Imogen, on Harry's Island, which was a favourite vacation spot for Elthize politicians in the 1980s and 1990s, and travelled ahead of time to ensure he didn't arrive late. After that, he used Homegetter, an app for short-term rentals in Elthize, to rent a property near the Montgomery Hotel, where he predicted Grimwald would stay.
Thankfully, things did not go in his favour.
On September 4th, the day Grimwald was supposed to take a flight to the island, Grimwald was unexpectedly invited to a European Leaders Summit by Internal Affairs Commissioner Kevin Cotilla, and had to delay the entire vacation to travel to Europolis. (As of today, this vacation has been cancelled.) Chucks, who was still on Harry's Island at the time, was enraged and went on a rampage inside his house, screaming, shouting and even shooting his shotgun to the roof. Thankfully, no one was injured during this incident, but it was enough to make his neighbours call the police. After the local police arrested Chucks, they confiscated his weapons, which were illegal on the island. (In Elthize, provincial and local governments can make their gun control laws, which can be more restrictive than national law.) Shortly after his arrest, Chucks had confessed his intent to assassinate Grimwald during interrogation, which failed, all thanks to an unexpected invitation.
The attempt received widespread condemnation across the political spectrum. Alfred Phillips, head of the Crimson, which Chucks was a member of, disapproved of the attempt and stated that Chucks' membership has been suspended indefinitely. Michael Jenkins, head of the Labour, stated that they "denounce any kinds of politically motivated violence". Francis Elvin, head of The Nationals, called the attack "vile and uncivilized". Bernard Lee, head of For The People, claimed that "Violence is never the way to go, ever. I offer my condolences to President Greenwich Grimwald and his wife."
Michelle Teel, spokesperson for Grimwald's party The Third Option, stated that Grimwald was unharmed, and has safely returned to Forecoaster, alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs Oscar Crofton. She also said that Grimwald was "distressed and traumatized by the series of events and has cancelled most of his public appearances for the foreseeable future". In a rare public statement, First Lady Imogen Grimwald has told that she and her husband were now seeking therapy. So far, President Grimwald has not made a public statement regarding this incident.
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Elthize now meets requirements to join the EMUzone, says Minister of Finance
by Frances Irving - September 9, 2022
El Castillo de San Carlos in Finisterre, Spain, where the Treaty of Finisterre was signed in October 2020. (image credit)
Elthics received wonderful news this morning when Finance Minister Tobias Walters announced that Elthize has fulfilled all of the requirements to become a signatory to the Treaty of Finisterre, meaning that the country can now join the EMUzone. He further stated: "We are now confident that our nation will enter the EMUzone well before President Greenwich Grimwald's deadline of January 2024."
The EMU, an acronym for European Monetary Unit, is a currency that was established with the Treaty of Finisterre in October 2020. The signatories are Spain, Inquista, Vayinaod, Fremet, Montenbourg, the United Dominions of Icholasen and Leagio, which was previously an observer state that joined the treaty in April this year. The agreement focuses on the economic cooperation between European states and was a breakthrough moment in economic integration within the European Union.
The use of the EMU within Elthize has been a discussion topic since January 2021, when President Greenwich Grimwald said that Elthize would use a "special circulation status" with the EMU, accepting the currency alongside the florin. Grimwald claimed that this move would improve tourism in Elthize, which is a prominent sector in our economy. The move was approved by the parliament, despite some opposition regarding the move's reality.
Since then, the EMU has been considered a de facto legal tender in Elthize. While the EMU is not the currency of Elthize by law, many shops and stores accept the currency alongside the florin. It is observed that many Elthics are ready for an eventual transition to the EMU. The process is also approved by many: According to the Polling Institute of Elthize (PIE), a survey conducted on the EMU in April 2022 found that 56% of those interviewed agreed that the implementation of EMU would be beneficial to their lives. This number is expected to be higher today, as Elthize gets one step closer to adopting a common monetary unit.
It was expected that President Greenwich Grimwald would announce an exact date for the transition from the florin to the EMU in the coming days, though this is uncertain now, due to Grimwald's current recovery from a very recent assassination attempt. He still has not made a statement regarding that incident.
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September 13, 2022 - 09:27 AM
St. Lucas considers mandatory humanities classes
"We want to ensure that our children grow up to be decent people," says Governor Martha Krystoff
We are back with another story. My name is Emilie Marie-Louise and you are watching Good Morning Elthize, live from Forecoaster.
We are living in an era where young Elthics are becoming more aware of social issues and have a particular interest in solving societal problems. Lawmakers in St. Lucas seem to be aware of this fact and want to capitalize on it by introducing mandatory humanities classes in the province's school curriculum in the next school year.
The members of the provincial parliament in St. Lucas have been discussing the possibility of mandatory humanities classes, starting in fifth grade and ending in eleventh. The bill was co-written by Paula Mannheim, a Labour member of the St. Lucas Assembly and Matthew Okungwe, Provincial Minister for Education in St. Lucas. Okungwe had this to say regarding why he wrote the bill: "Our children, our students, live in a vastly different era than we do, where they can access channels of information that we could never imagine in our childhood, without restriction. And because of this, they need significant guidance."
Mannheim also spoke about the bill: "Our intent with this bill is not to restrict our kids' freedom of opinions or information, but rather to have them make more informed decisions, to ensure awareness, and, most importantly, to reduce reactionary behaviour. Humanities classes will ensure that our students are not led by irrational anger when looking at the world around them. It will make sure that whatever people are doing in the future, they will always have other people in mind, and it will motivate them to do good."
The bill also has the full support of the Governor, Martha Krystoff: "We want to ensure that our children grow up to be decent people, have a basic understanding of human decency. In a perfect world, this would be taught by parents, but, unfortunately, not all parents are created equal, and some children do not have the opportunity. Schools should act as institutions to help parents on topics where they might be lacking in knowledge. It's the best way to ensure children are fulfilled with life and go into adulthood in the best way possible."
The bill is expected to pass the Labour and Green-dominated legislature of the province. While most have no issue with the program, some are sceptical, like Bill Withers, an New Democracy member of the assembly: "The definition of humanity is hugely subjective. I am concerned that the governing parties of St. Lucas, Labour, The Greens and the Socialist Alliance are planning to enforce their definition of humanity and human decency to attract new and young voters and to use morality to guilt trip them to vote for them. That is very concerning."
As stated previously, the bill is expected to pass the legislature and become law. Right now, I have two experts with me to discuss this law, ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Marcell Kirchner, a professor at Forecoaster University, and Bella Morwell, an English teacher of thirty-two years in St. Lucas. Folks, do we agree with what assembly member Bill Withers has said regarding this bill?
Marcell Kirchner: Well, yes, I think it is a valid concern. Paula Mannheim says that she wants to reduce reactionary behaviour in children, like, what do we think that means?
Bella Morwell: It means that she wants to ensure that our children are open-minded, understanding and compassionate. Reactionary behaviour is the opposite of this, reactionary people look at everything new and different with an irrational amount of suspicion.
Marcell Kirchner: That is correct, yes. But I still share the same concerns with Withers, I feel like there should be supervision to ensure that humanities classes remain apolitical, void of political influence.
Bella Morwell: I'm sorry, but I think it is wrong and ridiculous to imply that there is anything political regarding humanities or human decency.
Marcell Kirchner: That is not what I meant.
Bella Morwell: Well, you are implying it, saying that it should be void of political influence, and I'm wondering, are humanities classes inherently political or is it that some parties do not follow-
Emilie Marie-Louise: Thank you. Thank you, I have to interrupt now, I have another question to ask now, which, I should've asked first, let's talk about that: What are your general opinions regarding this bill?
Marcell Kirchner: Well, I am not opposed to humanities classes in grade schools. While I may be not content with the way Lucasian schools manage it in their curriculum, I think it is an important skill to learn.
Bella Morwell: I think it's marvellous, it is what our children needed. Humanities is dismissed by many people. It is considered useless because, in their minds, it cannot make money at all. And we think that just because something is not profitable, it is useless, and now we have young people who are capitalists, do not think about anything but themselves and their inventions are detrimental to humanity.
Marcell Kirchner: That sounds like a generalization.
Bella Morwell: And I guarantee you it is not, it's these young people who make these dystopian inventions that they believe are for the greater good, but in reality, it is one of the most harmful things ever.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Alright. Mr Kirchner and Mrs Morwell, thank you. I'm glad you guys took the time to come on here and share your opinions regarding this bill. We will now be having an ad break and return to you with more news across the country.
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September 14, 2022 - 12:15 PM
Brownell announces 90 million € artist fund
The fund will help starving artists by offering basic income
Good afternoon. I'm your host Elodie Giulietta, and you're watching Twelve News, live from Forecoaster. We're going to start our program with some news from the Brownell province, which has set 90 million Euros or 150 million florins aside to support its struggling artists. The program is expected to provide a basic income for thousands of people and bring new life to Brownell's famous creative industry.
This morning, Governor Rowan Holmwood of Brownell announced an artist fund for all artists that live in Brownell and make under eight hundred florins (600 €) a month.
For decades, the province was known for its comics and animation industry, which produced numerous Elthic masterpieces, some of which are known all around the European Union. However, since the 2000s, the business in Brownell has been in a fierce rivalry with the emerging animation companies in St. Lucas, the majority of which have larger budgets and superior technology.
While Brownell is known for its animation industry, Governor Holmwood assured that the fund will cover all types of artists, including actors, musicians, illustrators, poets and many more. "Our province's image was built by artists. It's the least we can do to support them in making ends meet. It's our answer to the ever-growing competition; we want to nurture and attract new talent to Brownell," said the governor.
"Berkeley "Berk" Zauner, a retired animator, had this to say regarding the fund: "Studios here are already higher paying, and more unionized and you have equal standing with your supervisors. Unfortunately, we've seen in recent years that studios in St. Lucas have seized all the credibility. Working in St. Lucas is just seen as more hip and fashionable these days. I just hope this is one of many steps we take to make our industry far more competitive."
*The fund includes a basic income of 500 florins (300 €) per month for all artists in the fund. In addition, the provincial government will take funding requests for creative projects and fund approved projects for up to 170,000 florins (100,000 €).
To participate, the applicant must have lived in Brownell for at least eight months and make less than eight hundred florins (600 €) a month. In addition, depending on the artist's profession, they must either have at least one finished work or must have participated in a creative project in the last five years.
There you have it. Artists in Brownell will be able to submit their applications for the fund until December 14th. The fund will accommodate two thousand artists, with half of the spots reserved for young individuals aged sixteen to thirty, and 750 of the total 2000 spots dedicated to women and non-binary people.
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Elthize to switch to EMU on New Year's Day, Grimwald declares
Grimwald made his first public appearance after a failed assassination attempt (image credit)
In an address to the nation in his first public appearance in two weeks, Grimwald announced that Elthize would switch to EMU on January 1st, 2023.
The announcement comes a week after Finance Minister Tobias Walters announced that Elthize had now met all the requirements needed to join the EMUzone.
The EMU, the acronym for European Monetary Unit, is a common currency authored by the Treaty of Finisterre in October 2020. The treaty was signed by seven countries: Spain, Inquista, Vayinaod, Fremet, Montenbourg, Leagio, and the United Dominions of Icholasen. On September 9th, Elthize became the eighth signatory country after getting unanimous approval from all other signatory states.
While Elthize will officially switch to EMU on January 1st, 2023, the currency has already seen widespread use in the country. On January 1st, 2021, Greenwich Grimwald announced that the currency would enter a "shared circulation status" alongside the florin. Since then, the EMU has been accepted in many places, from small shops to big box stores. In addition, some banks in the country have already started accepting the EMU alongside the florin as a domestic currency.
"I took this office eight years ago. Ever since then, my priority has been strengthening the connection between Elthize and the world. And we made significant progress this year. Elthize became a member of the European Union under my administration and now will use a currency that will become a worldwide standard in the coming years," President Grimwald stated while speaking to the crowd in the city of Forecoaster.
"We are future-proofing our systems, our institutions, our country, leaving the next generation a better Elthize. The EMU is a small part of this vision," he continued.
While Grimwald did not address the assassination attempt, audience members found him to be more energetic and confident than he usually is while giving speeches.
Grimwald's endeavours regarding the EMU are supported by the Elthic public: According to PIE's most recent reports, more than two-thirds of the Elthic public thinks positive of using the EMU as a currency.
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Finance Minister Walters announces the abolition of VAT on basic necessities
by Frances Irving - September 24, 2022
This morning, Finance Minister Tobias Walters revealed a plan to eliminate value-added tax (VAT) on basic necessities, such as groceries, drinking water and hygiene products. The plan covers a wide range of products that are defined as "necessary to keep the physical well-being of a person". Some of the products included in the 500-item long list are fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and meat, as well as sanitary products like pads, tampons, and toilet paper.
"With abolishing taxes on essential products, we plan to ease the weight of the cost of living for Elthics," Walters stated. "Poverty and income inequality remain a problem in many areas of Elthize. While this will not solve the problem completely, it will be valuable, especially for the lower middle class and the unfortunate."
Currently, there is a value-added tax of 7%, applied equally to all products. According to the plan published by Walters, from 2023 onwards, the VAT on basic necessities will drop to 3,5%, and in 2024, it will be gone completely. To counter this measure, the VAT on products and services that are not considered basic necessities will be raised to 12% in 2023. In addition, there will be a VAT rise on a set of luxury products, though details regarding that were not announced by Walters.
The plan was not a part of President Greenwich Grimwald's 2022 reelection agenda. However, it is believed that the plan was influenced by the popularity of the progressive tax, which is a tax system that involves higher taxes on higher income, during the 2022 elections. It is believed by political analysts that The Nationals' support of progressive tax was the reason why they won fourteen seats in the Elthic Parliament, more than anyone else. On the opposite side, New Democracy, which didn't support the plan, lost ten seats in the National Assembly.
The plan is expected to be sent to the Elthic Parliament for discussion in the coming weeks.
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Councillor Zachary will run for Prime Minister if the position is restored
Zachary announced his intent to run for PM in an interview with Europolis journalist Charles Janvier. (image credit)
During an interview this Monday, Councillor Liam Zachary announced that he would be running for Prime Minister if the following year's referendum restores the position.
In the interview, Zachary talked about his political career, his career as a councillor, and his plans for the future.
"I'm well past the phase of getting used to Europolis by now," Zachary told Janvier. "I mean, the weather is more chill here than in Forecoaster. Like, I forgot to wear my sunscreen for a week while working here, and, when I just realized it, I was shocked that I wasn't sunburnt to death. Elthic sun is unforgiving, especially for white guys like me."
Coming from an upper-middle-class family who was involved in Elthic politics for generations, Liam Zachary had a quick start, being elected as a member of the National Assembly in 2012, at the age of 18, then a member of Liberal Democrats. Following the 2012-13 corruption scandal, Zachary switched to The Third Option and won re-election in 2014 and 2018.
"I wasn't the greatest assembly member, to be fair... But being at the centre of politics in any country teaches you a lot," Zachary claimed. "I also want to thank our president, Greenwich Grimwald, he helped me a lot to get where I am today. It's a privilege to work with him to better our country."
In 2019, President Greenwich Grimwald appointed Zachary to be the third and last Minister of Membership to the European Union, a ministry specifically created for Elthize's membership to the European Union in 2016. In March 2022, he was declared the joint candidate for European Councillor, backed by The Third Option and New Democracy. He won the elections with 36% of the vote, taking office on April 15, 2022.
"Right now, we are working on a neutrality motion for the State of Elthize. I'm constantly in contact with Foreign Affairs Minister Oscar Crofton and various parliament members about it. We are considering introducing the plan to President Grimwald in November and to the European Council sometime in January. I'm excited."
When asked about the 2023 reform referendum, Zachary announced his intentions to run for prime minister: "If Elthics and our president open the doors for me, I will try my hardest to get that job. It would be an honour to be in that position."
On February 9 and 10, Elthize will go to the polls to decide whether to enact various political reforms, including the restoration of the position of prime minister. The position was abolished in 2007, also in a referendum, initiated and supported by former President Archie Franklin. Before 2007, prime ministers were often selected by the leader of the party that received the most votes in elections, who would then become president.
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For fifteen years, Elthize has become more and more unsafe. But why?
- This year, Elthize's crime rate has climbed from 53,3 to 59,2 per 100,000 inhabitants
- Since 2006, the crime rate has been gradually increasing
- The reason cited is a decrease in funds for police and social security services under the Franklin administration
Freddie Bonnay - October 3, 2022
Did you know that, in some areas of Elthize, you have as high as a 50% chance of being killed before you die of old age? Or that, according to the Polling Institution of Elthize (PIE), violent crime rates in the country have increased twelvefold since 2006? Or that robberies have increased as far as twentyfold in some provinces since 2010? In St. Lucas, even the Mayor puts up advisories on so-called "no-go zones". Some of these zones are essentially independent republics where Elthic law has no hold. This crime crisis, talked about rarely, if ever, in Elthic media, has been rotting our streets, neighbourhoods, cities and Elthic society at large, for decades. Here in this article, we will be talking about its origins, the reasons why it's happening, and how can we solve it.
Why and how did it get so bad?
It all started after Archibald "Archie" Franklin got elected in 2002. After Former President Gloria Dietrich died in office under suspicious circumstances, which are still discussed in Elthize today, Liberal Democrats (today known as The Nationals) were eager to take the government from Labour. And they succeeded: Labour nominated Roy Harper, who had served as Dietrich's predecessor from 1992 to 1997. Unfortunately, this did not work for them because Harper was rather unpopular in Elthize at the time, LibDems trashed him to death in whatever media they controlled, and some Elthics viewed Franklin's personality to be stronger than Harper's, which, for them, made him a better leader. Because of all this, Franklin crushed him, receiving 55,2% of the vote, a hard achievement in a country whose political system is as divided as Elthize. (For comparison, Grimwald received 43,3% of the vote in this year's presidential elections.)
A hardline liberal that was "tough on all kinds of tax", Franklin's first job was to slowly but surely abolish almost all kinds of welfare, which were established by ten years of Labour governance, from 1992 to 2002. One of Franklin's biggest campaign purposes was to reduce national government spending "to the point where it's negligible". He couldn't manage this before being ousted out of office (which we'll get back to), but he was somewhat successful: When he took office in 2002, the government spending to GDP value was 38.5%. In 2011, it dropped to 22%. By his supporters, Franklin was hailed as the ally of the working class, lifting the weight of taxation off of their shoulders. But he went to the point where basic services would barely function. This included privatizing everything, and defunding everything that couldn't be privatized... Including the police.
Everything is barebones!
Defunding the police is not a new concept in Elthize. From the 60s up until Benny Kalzer's presidency in the early 80s, one of the most contentious topics in Elthize was whether or not law enforcement was getting too much funding. When Kalzer, who was on the defund team, was elected president, many Elthics were worried that previous governments had spent much too much money on the police in the name of security, which, to put it bluntly, intimidated communities, particularly impoverished, mostly non-white ones. Kalzer took advantage of this concern, as it was in Kalzer's interests to defund the police, because he too was a fan of lowering taxes, just like Franklin. However, there was a key difference: Kalzer knew that if he wanted to defund the police, he had to find alternative ways of preventing criminals, preventing chaos.
So, starting in 1988, after spending his time slowly reducing funding for law enforcement for six years beforehand, he quietly started funding social programs for impoverished communities and neighbourhoods all around Elthize. It was unusual, and certainly not seen from your average Liberal Democrat, but it showed signs of working. However, this also led to his downfall for many reasons: It made him unpopular among his voter base, who were mostly upper-middle-class people, concerned with their tax money being spent on "the wrong people", and when Labour promised far more extensive welfare, his commitment was just not seen as enough. In addition, while his plan was working, it wasn't working fast enough for him to win an election. Not being able to strike a great balance, as well as other unrelated things that made him more disliked, Kalzer was voted out in 1992, with Roy Harper replacing him.
Why does this matter? Well, Franklin, seeing all this, decided to take it one step further, by almost completely abolishing all national funding for law enforcement and social services in 2009. He left it to the provincial governments to handle, who now had to increase their taxes to ensure they had enough money to get the services working, which was deeply unpopular and caused a crisis in many cities. At the time, Franklin called it a "short-term effect", stating that everything would be fine for at least a year. He was wrong. Very wrong.
Let the chaos commence!
If there was a list of anni horribiles for Elthize, 2009, 2010 and, to an extent, 2011, are on that list. Hell, the early 2010s were just bad times to be an Elthic. Provincial governments, who were shocked and unsure of what to do with Franklin's sudden decision of simply cutting the national funding in half, suffered, not being able to fund their services, such as healthcare and fire departments. With the rising bills, inflation and the complete loss of the social security net, people protested, angry at all kinds of government. They walked towards the Elthic Parliament and the Presidential Palace in Forecoaster. As a response, the government shut down all the highways to the capital city. In Montgomery, the provincial parliament was burned down. In Florence, angry protesters badly injured then-governor Kristina Garleen. She later resigned. In Brownell, things were so bad that a curfew was applied, for the first time in Elthic history. It is said that, at its peak, more than a quarter of the country participated in these protests nationwide.
By the end of 2009, the rage had slightly died down, but was still present, with clashes ongoing. Inside, there was huge pressure against Franklin. Even his party's MPs were rioting against him. In November 2011, the Elthic parliament issued a vote of no confidence. He survived, though barely. After his survival, many LibDem MPs resigned, resuming their careers as independents, including future president Greenwich Grimwald. Even New Democracy, who are usually tolerant to be in coalition with anyone, was questioning whether or not they should stay.
What's the worst that could happen?
And then 2012 came.
The streets were filled with rage, and so was Forecoaster. In July, there was a general election. Somehow, after all of what we mentioned, the LibDems were still in majority, but barely. Their time of towering over Labour was long gone, as the two parties were neck and neck. New Democracy, their former partners, refused to continue. He tried to look to the independents, but they despised him, as most of them were formerly Liberal Democrats. In October, Franklin gave up on forming a coalition, saying that he would continue with a minority government.
And then disaster struck. In November 2012, everything about Archie Franklin was leaked. His messages. His acceptance of bribery. His offshore bank accounts. His photos. Everything was shown to the public to see. People saw how he spent billions more than needed on infrastructure projects just to feed his rich supporters even further. His research on how he could escape Elthize if stuff hit the fan. Everything. Archie Franklin, who was already hated, was now a disgraced, despised man.
In July 2013, Franklin was officially kicked out of Liberal Democrats. But the damage had already been done. The police, or whatever was left of it, arrested dozens of LibDem politicians, their relatives and their close friends. Even Liam Zachary, our current councillor, who was just eighteen at the time, was briefly arrested. (He wasn't charged with anything.) They couldn't touch Franklin, who still had presidential immunity. A couple of months later, In October 2013, Greenwich Grimwald, who was still an independent MP, created the New Liberals Party, renaming it The Third Option in January 2014.
The Blue Wave of 2014
While Elthics wanted Archie gone, they weren't necessarily complaining about his policies. Before his draconian measures in 2010, his liberalization programs were wildly popular. There was a hole to be filled, as Elthics were looking for someone that offered similar policies but not to the extreme. This is where Greenwich Grimwald came in. He positioned himself as a classical liberal that practically opposed everything Franklin stood for. He, at the age of 66, wildly toured across Elthize, reaching hundreds of locations, ranging from cities to even small villages.
And it paid off: He had won, reaching a great majority in the parliament, thanks to more and more LibDem MPs jumping ship to Grimwald’s party. Meanwhile, LibDems were now just a small, insignificant party. By 2014, they had fewer MPs than the Socialist Alliance. Franklin, meanwhile, had already fled to Inquista, hiding from extradition back to Elthize for two years before dying in 2016.
In Grimwald's defence, he had reverted the radical changes that Franklin had done in his first three months in office. At this point, however, it wasn't enough. The societal and material damage from Franklin's reckless spending cuts was so deep that radical changes were necessary for Elthize to recover. But they didn't come. After all, Grimwald and Franklin were cut from the same cloth, they were LibDems for decades. Grimwald spent far more money on recovering Elthize's reputation, labelling it the best country for big business (The Duxburian Union would like to have a word), and making Elthize a "world country"- A country where everyone is welcomed no matter what they are... Unless they're poor, then they're at the mercy of their provincial governments, who are so underfunded they can barely find workers. In Grimwald's eyes, they're welcome as long as they're not desirable and a burden to the government.
Is there a solution?
With the current government? No. We need to vote them out, of course, but this goes beyond politics. This is about what Elthize stands for as a nation. The hyper-individualism that we adopted at the start of the 21st century works against us in every corner of our lives. We let greediness lead us, we elect liberals that cut more and more, to the point where there's nothing to cut anymore. As long as we save a couple of cents from taxation, we don't care about what happens to anyone else.
We make fun of those who dare to long for healthier communities and discredit those who believe that it is possible to eliminate crime, hunger, and homelessness in Elthize, all because we believe in the minuscule odds that we will be swimming in riches someday. We trust the rich and their fake philanthropy, we trust the companies and conglomerates who we think do good for the country, more than our starving neighbours, our struggling friends, and our loved ones in crisis. So yes, there are solutions, but the permanent ones involve us radically changing our lives and our way of thinking.
Fixing our nation, Elthize, starts with fixing ourselves.
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According to the opposition, the people should vote on Elthize's neutrality
by Janice Kyou - October 3, 2022
Matthew François, leader of The Greens, speaking at the Conference of Major Green Parties in Saint Romain, Icholasen, September 2022. (image credit)
A new discussion topic in Elthic politics is on the horizon: Should Elthize officially be a neutral nation? The discussion sparked once again after European Councillor Liam Zachary stated in a Europolis interview that he was working on a neutrality motion for the country, alongside other Elthic officials such as Foreign Minister Oscar Crofton.
"I am quite busy, actually. Right now, we are working on a neutrality motion for the State of Elthize. I'm constantly in contact with Foreign Affairs Minister Oscar Crofton and various parliament members about it," said Zachary in an interview with Europolis journalist Charles Janvier.
According to Article VI of the Constitution of the European Union, a state can trigger a neutrality motion to have its commitment to neutrality recognized by the European Union. A neutrality motion needs a supermajority to pass, meaning it requires 75 per cent approval from the European Council.
To avoid the same difficulty that Ruthund had with its neutrality motion in 2020, which fell short of the requisite approval with only 71%, it appears that the Elthic administration is gathering support from other nations. According to Spanish news reports, President Greenwich Grimwald had sought confirmation of support in a "hypothetical neutrality motion" at the Spanish-Elthic summit in June, to which the Spanish side replied positively. Currently, it is expected that Elthize will not face opposition in the European Council in the case of a neutrality motion.
However, there is criticism from the opposition, regarding how this neutrality progress is done. The most common criticism is that the people do not have enough say on this important decision. Matthew François, head of The Greens, criticized the government on Twitter: "How pathetic is it that Grimwald won't even bother for a referendum on a decision that will shape our country's foreign policy for years, if not decades? First, he elects ECoJ by himself, now he does this. How bothersome!"
Michael Jenkins, head of Labour, retweeted François' tweet, further adding: "What we are witnessing today is the erosion of Elthic democracy and Elthic will. Grimwald must stop taking reckless liberties on himself and instead collaborate with the other branches of government to secure further consensus on important decisions."
It is unclear if President Grimwald would call a vote in parliament on the neutrality motion before submitting it to the European Council through Councillor Zachary. In the interview with Janvier, Zachary noted that he would meet with the president in November to discuss the neutrality motion. He also stated that the motion would be submitted to the European Council sometime in January.
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Kendall Hudson, ambassador of Elthize to Leagio, resigns
by Janice Kyou - October 7, 2022
Hudson talking to interviewers in Tullion, Leagio, shortly after the Supreme Court decided on Gresham v. Elthize, August 2022. (image credit)
Kendall Hudson, ambassador of The State of Elthize to the Commonwealth of Leagio, announced her resignation immediately this Friday morning.
Kendall Meti Adebayo-Hudson, 42, was appointed by Foreign Affairs Minister Oscar Crofton on June 4, 2022, and assumed office the day after. Before being appointed as an ambassador, she was elected as an Independent member of the National Assembly in this year's elections. During her time, she saw The Unitees crisis, where the Supreme Court declared all restrictions towards The Unitees unlawful.
Hudson, like other Elthic politicians, reacted to the Supreme Court decision negatively, calling it "naive and odd", and ensured Leagioan politicians that the decision would "not put a dent to Elthize-Leagio relations".
In her resignation letter, Hudson stated that her decision to resign was entirely personal and without outside pressure: "Overtime, I started to understand that I was not satisfied with my current position in my career. Because of this, I will be resigning from my position as the Ambassador of Elthize to Leagio, effective immediately," she wrote in a public announcement in her blog.
She made certain that her hiatus would not be permanent: "Please be aware that I am not retiring. When my conscience is ready, I'll come back." The sudden departure, granted by Crofton the same day, surprised the Elthic people, and several theories have already been made to explain Hudson's resignation.
The position is now vacant, and it is unclear who will fill it. Crofton is expected to name the new ambassador next week.
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Pressure mounts as Elthics seek neutrality in the February vote
More than two-thirds of Elthic voters want a say in Elthic neutrality, according to PIE
October 10, 2022
Over the last couple of days, we've seen the Grimwald administration slowly pushing for Elthize to be a neutral nation. A possible neutrality motion is in the works and is expected to be submitted to the European Council as early as January next year. Furthermore, In November, Councillor Liam Zachary, alongside Foreign Affairs Minister Oscar Crofton, is predicted to meet up with President Greenwich Grimwald next month to discuss the neutrality motion.
However, not everyone is happy with the recent push for neutrality, including opposition figures, but also many Elthics, who seem annoyed that they don't get a say in it.
"If Grimwald thinks that the neutrality motion is so popular, let's put it to the referendum in February! We'll see how well it fares," yelled Labour Party leader Michael Jenkins at a parliament session. The move was met with loud claps from the opposition, and loud boos from the government coalition.
According to the Polling Institution of Elthize (PIE), 68% of the polled agreed that it would be wrong not to decide Elthize's neutrality with a referendum. In the case of a referendum, however, Elthics have not made up their mind yet: 29% of the surveyed showed support for the neutrality proposal, while only 11% were against the idea. The rest didn't know or refused to answer.
Janice Kyou, a journalist at The Tribunal and a political expert, wrote this on her blog: "It is very clear that a referendum on neutrality today would have abysmal turnout. This is because most Elthics have no idea what neutrality means, what it means for their country to be a neutral state, and what consequences would it carry for Elthize going forward if it chooses to become one."
She further elaborated on an interview with NET: "Any party, politician, corporation, or individual... can easily dominate the neutrality debate right now... It's a wide-open field. We have to remember that this is still a relatively new issue in Elthize. Therefore, It would be a mistake, in my opinion, to include it in the February referendum. The proposals in that referendum had been argued for months and years. This isn't the case with neutrality."
Regardless, a bill to amend the 2023 referendum and add a neutrality proposal was submitted to the Elthic parliament and is expected to be discussed in the coming days.
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Neutrality amendment on referendum rejected by National Assembly
An amendment to add a neutrality question to the 2023 referendum was rejected 130-118
October 14, 2022
This morning, the proposal to add a neutrality question to the 2023 reform referendum was rejected in the National Assembly, with a four-vote difference. The proposal was submitted by Labour assembly member Basil Osborne and was put up for voting after days of debate.
The proposal was defeated 130-118, with 68 of The Third Option's 73 assembly members, and 30 of New Democracy's 40 assembly members voting against it. Also, 10 of 11 assembly members of the Socialist Alliance, all 5 assembly members of The Crimson and For The People, all 3 assembly members of the Christian Cultural Movement and four of twelve independent assembly members voted against the measure.
All assembly members of Labour and The Greens voted for the measure. Furthermore, two independent MPs abstained from voting. Only 5 of The Nationals' 15 assembly members voted against the proposal, which some political experts comment as another signal of The Nationals distancing themselves from the ruling coalition, and President Greenwich Grimwald.
The proposal to add a neutrality question to the referendum comes after Councillor Liam Zachary's announcement that he would submit a neutrality motion for Elthize. According to Zachary, the motion will be discussed with President Grimwald in November and is expected to be submitted to the European Council in January.
The rejection of the proposal is a blow to Michael Jenkins, head of Labour and leader of the opposition. It is expected that a similar bill will be submitted to the Senate by a Labour or Green senator, where the bill may circumvent the National Assembly.
While the proposal to add a neutrality question to the referendum was rejected, the idea remains popular with the Elthic public: According to the Polling Institution of Elthize (PIE), 68% of those questioned thought that it would be incorrect not to have a referendum on Elthize's neutrality.
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Kito Orji to be the next ambassador to Leagio
by Janice Kyou - October 18, 2022
Orji at a press conference of The Third Option, July 2016. (image credit)
This morning, Minister of Foreign Affairs Oscar Crofton appointed Kito Orji to be the next Elthic ambassador to Leagio, after eleven days of a vacancy in the position, which started due to the previous ambassador, Kendall Hudson, unexpectedly resigning after four months due to personal reasons.
Born Mikkael Kito Orji on December 12, 1970, he initially aspired to be an electrical engineer at William Lee Marchand University in Montgomery. There, he achieved an undergraduate degree. At the age of 25, he began an unexpected political career as a city council member in Festholder, a small town of 35,000 residents on the outskirts of the Montgomery metropolitan area.
In the 2002 and 2004 elections, he ran unsuccessfully for the Liberal Democrats' assembly seat. Shortly after his defeat in 2004, he moved to Port Nelson and returned to his old job, until returning to politics as a local commentator in 2010. During the 2014 elections, he ran for assembly again, this time as a member of The Third Option. He was successful this time and was elected to the National Assembly until December 2016, when he abruptly resigned. Orji revealed in 2020 that he had to resign from the position due to serious health issues that have now been resolved. (Orji did not reveal what type of disease he had at that time.)
"I have full confidence that the excellent Mikkael Kito Orji will make the perfect ambassador for Elthize to Leagio and the excellent successor to the honourable former ambassador, Kendall Hudson. I have no doubts that Mr Orji will strengthen the already firmly established relations between the two countries even further," Crofton wrote in his appointment letter.
Former ambassador Kendall Hudson also congratulated Orji on her blog: "I am extremely glad that he finally has the position he deserves, after overcoming so many struggles and many, many years of hard work. I hope that his time at Tullion will finally give him some stability."
Orji is expected to arrive at Tullion and assume office tomorrow morning.
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Senate to not vote on neutrality amendment proposal
Amendment to add a neutrality question to the 2023 referendum will not be discussed in the Senate, says Speaker
October 23, 2022
This afternoon, Speaker of the Senate May Hobbes announced that the neutrality amendment proposal would not be put up for discussion in the Senate. The proposal would add a proposal on whether Elthize should be neutral in the 2023 reform referendum. The exact proposal, submitted by Labour MA Basil Osborne, was defeated 130-118 in the National Assembly, and it was expected for a senator to put a similar bill into the Senate. However, when Labour Senator Erle Thrussell proposed the bill for consideration of discussion, it was rejected, and vetoed, by Hobbes.
"I don't think this is a topic important enough to be discussed in the Senate right now," said Hobbes, explaining her decision to NET. "Likewise, it is not important enough to attempt to override the National Assembly's decision." Hobbes continued, stating: "We are acting too early, I think. I believe that we can have a more healthy discussion, once more about the neutrality plans of the President and the Councillor are revealed."
Councillor Liam Zachary and President Greenwich Grimwald are expected to meet up sometime in November to discuss a potential neutrality motion in the future.
The veto initiated by Hobbes was condemned by opposition figures as an undemocratic move. Matthew François, head of The Greens, stated: "It is tragic to see a rejection of democracy so stubborn. What does the President exactly fear?"
Others, however, praised Hobbes' decision. Francis Elvin, head of The Nationals, replied back to François: "How can we talk about democracy when the decision of a proper assembly is rejected? This circumvention is laughable. To be honest, the Senate should not even have the authority to send laws to the President on its own."
While the motion would have a better chance of passing through the Senate, many political experts say that it would be vetoed by Greenwich Grimwald anyway, making it pointless.
"It's no use. I mean, I didn't agree with that route, I feel like the decision of the National Assembly should be final. Grimwald would have vetoed it, but it's more about making a statement if that makes sense. It's important to at least show disapproval," Basil Osborne told NET.
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Greenwich Grimwald "not keen" on neutrality motion, close sources report
by Frances Irving - November 10, 2022
President Greenwich Grimwald alongside Senator Merrill Kooben, January 2020.
(image credit)
Yesterday morning, Councillor Liam Zachary landed on Forecoaster to meet with President Greenwich Grimwald to discuss a possible neutrality motion for Elthize, which, if passed through the European Council, would make Elthize a recognized neutral state by the European Union. Being a neutral state has its benefits: Most notably it gives a state legal protection from a declaration of war and further trust in peacekeeping missions. While Zachary seemed confident that he would be able to convince Grimwald to support his motion, things didn't go as well as he hoped.
According to sources close to the Presidential Palace, the President was "not too keen" on the idea of neutrality, and found it "useless and redundant".
"Do we need this? Do we really need this?" Grimwald allegedly asked Zachary, who was apparently distressed.
Grimwald also disagreed with the fact that the neutrality motion would bring in more business opportunities, in fact, he thought the opposite, reportedly stating that neutrality would cause distrust in relations between Elthize and other countries. "You need to avoid picking a side," he apparently declared.
This signals a U-turn from Grimwald himself as well, as he asked various countries, including Yosai and Spain, whether they would support an Elthic neutrality motion. In fact, Grimwald had very similar ideas to Zachary's just a couple of months ago. In a summit with the Yosainese government in late May, Grimwald stated that Elthize would remain neutral, joining neither Telum nor ECON, to not harm the Elthic economy. Grimwald also made comments on foreign policy, stating that he "didn't want to see anyone side-eyeing his country".
So far, it is unknown what motivated Grimwald to change direction on foreign policy, though neutrality seems to be off the table... But is it? Not according to Kelly Meghan, a notable journalist at the Elthic Affairs newspaper.
"Zachary's idea is not good for Grimwald and his ideals," states Meghan. "I mean, let's make this clear first: Grimwald does support neutrality. I don't expect him to move toward either ECON or Telum. However, I also don't expect him to move toward being a recognized neutral state."
"Grimwald and Zachary have conflicting ideas on Elthic neutrality. Grimwald would not want Elthize to be a recognized neutral state by the European Union due to all the responsibilities that come with it. The most important part is that being recognized as neutral by the EU would significantly limit potential military cooperation in the future. That is a huge concern for any leader, not just Grimwald. It can massively limit what can you do in the name of national security. I think what happened is that Grimwald finally read the fine print on neutrality, that's why he's opposed to it right now."
When asked about her own opinions on neutrality, Meghan called it "unnecessary". "I don't think we have a special case that requires us to be officially neutral. Surprisingly enough, I agree with Grimwald, we can just exist. We can not pick a side as long as times are not extraordinary. That's enough for most people. Even if we became recognized as neutral, it wouldn't last."
Zachary is expected to go back to Europolis tomorrow morning.
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Ministry of Health orders markets to take canned Czech products off their shelves
The order comes after a botulism outbreak in the country
November 15, 2022
Health Minister Noelle van Hassel has demanded a stop to all sales of canned products made in Czech Slavia following a botulism outbreak there.
According to the state-run Czech News Agency, fifteen people fell ill in the small Moravian town of Moravský Krumlov after showing symptoms of botulism, such as weak muscles, nausea and difficulty breathing. They have been transported to a hospital in the city of Brno and all have reported eating canned potatoes or products containing canned potatoes.
"Effective immediately, we demand all markets take canned produce made in Czech Slavia off the shelves to prevent a health crisis in Elthize," van Hassel expressed. "These products carry the risk of being contaminated with toxins made from the bacterium of Clostridium botulinum. The disease that these toxins cause, botulism, can be fatal."
Following the 1994 cholera outbreak that happened in Elthize, the Ministry of Health has been given powers to issue orders to various industries, ensuring the safety of Elthic people. Not following these orders is punishable, with the sentence depending on the size of the offence, ranging from three to twenty-one years in prison. Corporations may be fined millions of florins, as was the case in March 2018 when thirty-two companies were fined 118 billion Ꞙ in total after knowingly selling food contaminated with E.coli five years prior, causing a small-scale outbreak.
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Next European elections to have a "none of the above" option
The directive was approved by President Grimwald and will be in effect for the upcoming European Union elections
November 17, 2022
Yesterday, two motions have passed through the Senate regarding the European elections in Elthize, both of which were approved by President Greenwich Grimwald this morning. Speaker of the Senate May Hobbes called the bills a "safety mechanism", while Grimwald said that the legislation was "a step in the right direction"
The first change will add a "none of the above" option for races that have more than one person competing in it. With this, the voters will have the option to vote for no candidates, if they do not wish any of them to be part of the European Commission. If the choice wins the vote, then the country will simply dismiss the voting process for that race specifically.
The second change, concerning unopposed races, will add a vote of approval for the sole candidate. The ballot will ask the voters whether they would like to see Elthize vote for the unopposed candidate. If the candidate receives higher than 50% of the approval, Elthize will vote for the candidate. If not, it will dismiss the voting process entirely.
The support for the changes can be seen across the political spectrum, with some, like Leader of The Greens, Matthew François, stating that the changes should also apply to national elections in Elthize, though it is unknown if the ruling coalition has a plan for that now.
Some journalists have argued that the changes are a reaction to candidates in the next European Commission election, where both candidates for the Premier Commissioner are highly controversial. Patrick Baitfemme of Blue Croatia, a country well-known for its misogyny deeply rooted in its culture, is well-known for his radically patriarchal statements, made in The Locker Room podcast, while Annelise Bauer of Istkalen is well-known for her attacks on politicians, mostly European Councillors, using chemical weapons and clay knives. NET has found a warning that was issued after she escaped prison in December 2021.
The warning reads: "Ms Bauer is a known violent criminal, and was responsible for two attacks on the Council, on both occasions attempting to stab a number of Councillors, succeeding once. She was also responsible for an attempted chemical attack on the Council chambers, involving a concentrated white powder which directly resulted in the hospitalization of two Councillors and their eventual resignation, as well as an extended physical assault on Councillor Mizrachi-Roscoe of the United Duchies, who she repeatedly bit, stabbed, and threw the named white powder on, resulting in his hospitalization for over a month."
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NET seeks increased funding for the next EuroVoice contest
The state-owned broadcaster says more funding for EuroVoice will boost the country's image. (image credit)
NET requests extra funds from the Elthic government to help it compete in the EuroVoice Song Contest.
Vic Tenson, the president of the National Elthic Television (NET) has announced that the broadcaster is seeking additional funds from the Elthic government to help cover the participation costs of the EuroVoice Song Contest.
Tenson stated that Elthize's participation in EuroVoice will help boost the country's image in the European Union.
"EuroVoice is a great soft power tool, it's not something we should ignore," says Tenson, who is also the head of the Elthic delegation for EuroVoice.
Since its founding in 1979, the NET has seen significant budget cuts, particularly during former president Archie Franklin's rule. Since the late 2000s, NET mostly focuses on broadcasting news, the Elthic Parliament and other aspects of the government.
NET handled Elthize's debut in the contest's last edition, held in Trondheim, Fremet. It was the channel's first attempt at entertainment in fifteen years. The entry, Wolf Alice's "The Last Man on Earth", received a modest yet disappointing eighth place.
"I think we did the best we could, especially with the limited budget we had," says Eleanor Maitland, who worked on staging and costumes of Wolf Alice's performance. "But when you're counting the pennies to not go over budget, there's not much you can do."
The lack of funds affected the viewing quality of the show. The NET broadcast was repeatedly interrupted by advertisements. In addition, the internet broadcast of the event was blocked at NET's request. These actions garnered significant criticism on social media.
Regardless of the issues, NET promises that it will send an entry to the next edition, set to be held in Zeevorde, Ineland after the country won the contest with Clara Luciani's "Le reste".
"We will be there, and we will do our best to represent our country," claims Tenson, who also announced that Elthize's entry will be announced next Monday, on November 28th.
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Fringe candidates lead Elthic voters to write-in candidates
In a surprising twist, Greenwich Grimwald won the most votes in the Premier Commissioner race
December 7, 2022
The most recent European elections have been exhausting for all of us. After the premier race boiled down to two candidates, both extremists on different ends, with neither incumbent running for re-election, the next European Commission seemed rather apocalyptic. However, this doesn't seem to be the case, after various nations across the European Union decided to give the "write-in" option a chance, including Elthics.
"Yeah, I don't like any of the candidates," says Lianne, a middle-aged woman from Holloway who tells us this is her first time voting in a European election. "I'm really only here to ensure that the misogynist doesn't win."
Lianne here refers to Patrick Baitfemme of Blue Croatia, the infamous misogynist who had a mental breakdown during the Commission debates, held in a random Europolis street. Luckily, she has nothing to worry about, as he only received a little over five per cent of the Elthic vote. The winner, in a shocking twist, was President Greenwich Grimwald.
"My parents always talk about how great of a leader Mr Grimwald is," says Matthew, a teenage boy from Forecoaster who said this was the first election where he was old enough to vote. "I think he should consider governing the European Union as well. My dad says he lifts weight off the poor by lowering the taxes." When asked about his family's financial status, Matthew stated that his father was a "well-off" real estate agent.
Grimwald, who won over the other write-in option, the incumbent premier Jean-Claude Juncker of Spain, by only a thousand votes, said that he would be declining the position in the case that he won. "While I will not be assuming office even in the rare circumstance that I win, I am grateful for the Elthics for having confidence in me," he said in an address to the nation.
The real winner of the premier commissioner election was the "none of the above" option, which was included for the first time after Grimwald approved the Senate's decision to do so. The choice got 444 thousand votes, accounting for thirty-four per cent of all the votes.
In the Internal Affairs Commissioner election, incumbent Kevin Cotilla of Leagio, who did not seek a re-run, won by winning 31.6% of the vote. Foreign Minister Oscar Crofton, another write-in option, placed second, getting 19.6% of the vote. Meanwhile, Tarek Al-Wazir of the United Duchies, the only candidate for the position, got around a hundred thousand votes for him and five hundred thousand votes against him.
The abnormal disapproval ratings for Al-Wazir are assumed to come from the fact that the IAC ballot did not have a "none of the above" option, as Al-Wazir was the only candidate that was not a write-in, which was something that was protested, both in his home country, the United Duchies and by Al-Wazir himself, who called it a "sham election". Speaker of the Senate May Hobbes announced that this flaw of the new electoral reform would be discussed in the next Senate session.
While the election results were considered "official and binding", the legal ambiguity of the write-in ballots puts the validity of this election to question. The European Court of Justice, now led by Chief Justice Dayo Mwangi, is expected to resolve the dispute in the coming weeks.
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A conversation with Wirt Harland, Elthize's first commission candidate
- Wirt Harland, who was a member of the Senate from 2009 to 2022, has declared his candidacy for the next EU elections
- Harland, 52, was the opposition's presidential candidate in 2018 and one of the most outspoken supporters of Elthize's EU membership
- Known for his moderate politics in his party, Labour, Harland says he will focus on strengthening democracy and unity within the European Union
Freddie Bonnay - December 25, 2022
After the European Court of Justice nullified the out-of-the-ordinary commission elections that happened in November, another election race has immediately begun. While Elthize didn't have a candidate for the previous commission elections, it has a candidate today: Wirt Harland, former senator and presidential candidate.
Harland told me that he planned to run for elections in February after the four-month term of the commission elected in November would expire. However, things did not go to plan. The November elections were riddled with chaos: One of the candidates had several criminal charges and the other candidate was a downright misogynist. The latter would later have a mental breakdown during the debate, which was held on a random street in Europolis. The candidates barely got any votes, with countries opting to write in the incumbents: Jean-Claude Juncker, the Premier Commissioner who is running for a second term this time, and Kevin Cotilla, the Internal Affairs Commissioner that hasn't announced anything yet.
From accidental senator to famous politician
I strolled around Harper Park, an upper-class neighbourhood in southeastern St. Lucas, to find the house of the man himself: Wirt Harland.
For most of us Elthics, Wirt Harland is not an unfamiliar name. He rose to prominence in 2009 after being appointed as a senator. Yes, appointed, not elected: Harland was aiming to be a member of the National Assembly, which he succeeded to do so in the 2008 elections. However, the sudden death of Senator Wallace Michalski meant that the Labour Party had a vacant spot they were responsible to fill.
After passing around six or seven tree-lined streets, my phone finally cheered the words: "You have arrived!". Meanwhile, Mr Harland was waiting for me, the interviewer, on the third-floor balcony of what seemed to be a recently constructed condo. He left the balcony, presumably to unlock the outside door to let me in.
The year he was selected to fill the late Michalski's position was one of the most tumultuous times for Elthize in recent times. After then-president Archibald Franklin announced that the government would cut almost all social programs and leave their funding up to the provinces. He was gravely opposed to the decision, going as far as calling it "total annihilation of the state". In the next few years, he would be known as the loudest voice demanding the impeachment of Archie Franklin.
Conflicts of the past
I walked inside the building after pushing its outside door that loudly clicked a couple of times, indicating that someone was trying to open the door from the inside. The elevator appeared to be out of order, so I took the stairs to get to the third floor. Surprisingly, despite this being the first time I got to interview him, I was not nervous at all. He opened the door, we did the usual greetings and went inside his rather minimalist home. He told me that this is his second house, bought shortly after it was built a couple of years ago, confirming my thoughts.
"Excuse me if it looks like a mess... I'm packing some things up before going on the debate and the rallies and whatnot," Harland tells me. I, of course, tell him there's no issue.
Harland was one of the key figures in the vote of no confidence issued against Franklin on November 2011. While the vote itself failed, the constant press surrounding Harland was enough to make him one of the most prominent figures in the opposition at the time.
"It still surprises me that Franklin survived that vote," Harland remarked. By this time we had sat down for the interview, with our drinks, mine a glass of water and his a cup of plain black tea. "I mean, a lot of LibDems were dissatisfied with Franklin. I guess it's because a vote of no confidence would trigger an election, which could've destroyed the LibDems."
He paused for a while and continued: "But then, here's the thing: In the 2012 elections, they still held a majority in the parliament! Granted, it was a minority government, as everyone hated them enough to not come close to a coalition, but you'd think that they'd be decimated."
His last words reminded me of something he had stated in the past, causing me to interrupt him right after the end of his sentence: "Mr Harland, if I recall correctly, around three years ago you made a speech where you blamed that situation on your party's incompetence."
"Yes, I have," Harland immediately replied, before taking a sip of his tea. "It wasn't around three years ago, though, it was in 2013. I frankly considered leaving Labour at that time because of how appalled I was at Maria Franke's leadership. If Jenkins didn't take the leadership off her I would've left."
Harland spoke Franke's name like it was derogatory. As if it was shameful to be her, the one who was the leader of Labour from 2009 to 2014. Franke's leftist and socialist-adjacent ideals clashed directly with Harland and the rest of the moderate wing of the party, who sought to take the parliament off the Liberal Democrats' hands in 2012.
"Labour truly deserved better than that," Harland continued, now more annoyed than ever. "It upsets me. I'm still enraged about it even after a decade has passed. In an environment where people were seeking alternatives to vote, aside from Franklin's LibDems, Labour couldn't catch any of them because of Franke's sheer incompetence. And we still allowed her to lead us to the 2014 elections, where, after we got utterly defeated by Grimwald, we finally realized that we should've picked up someone new."
As a presidential candidate
Harland has some credibility when it comes to competence: Despite his decade-long service as a senator, he was the main presidential candidate of the opposition back in 2018, backed by Labour and Greens. While Harland was not endorsed by the Socialist Alliance or The Crimson like most candidates that preceded him or his successor this year, Matthew François, he was still closer than any other candidate to beating Greenwich Grimwald.
"There was like, what, less than one percent difference between me and Greenwich? Matthew couldn't manage that," Harland grinned. "And I did it at a time when [Grimwald] was more popular. People perceived him as a liberal reformer that would pick up where Archie messed up, and he won based on that. And, again, I managed to get only thirty thousand votes less than him four years later."
Harland continued after taking the last sip from his cup: "There are a lot of out-of-touch politicians I still have to advise in Labour because they have no clue what the people want. I'm serious."
"Could you give me an example?" I interjected after trying to drink the water in my glass, not realizing it was empty.
"I mean, Labour's position regarding EU membership would be a great example. Instead of asserting that we would join, we took this weird neutral stance where we wanted a referendum. Why? All the polls show the same thing: Around two-thirds of Elthics want Elthize to join the EU. Why did you need a referendum at that point? Oh, right, to please the clumsy left that gets less than five percent of the votes. When are we gonna understand that their ideas are not popular?"
"We could've structured our EU membership in a way where we could've promised to make sure it would benefit the middle and the lower class. We didn't do that. We still are stuck in our ways that don't even work anymore." After saying that, Harland got up to refresh our empty cups.
Harland's plans as a commissioner
After sitting down with another glass of water for me and another cup of black tea for himself, Harland continued without missing a mark: "With my candidacy to the commission, I'll have far less association with my party, which is mostly a positive thing."
This remark took me by slight surprise. "Could you elaborate on that, if you don't mind? Does that mean that your candidacy isn't supported by Labour?" I asked.
"Sure," Harland replied. "No, that's not what it means. My candidacy is financially backed by Labour, and Jenkins will talk to The Greens to see if they would be happy with endorsing me as well." He took a sip of his tea and continued: "That means that I'll have more freedom for my political agenda, without much compromise."
"And what would be that political agenda, Mr Harland? What are you planning to offer to the European voters as an Internal Affairs Commissioner?"
"First of all, I want to reform the election process that the EU has for its commission. The commission elections we had this November were an utter disaster, and, if we want people to take the European Union seriously, we need to have a more foolproof electoral system."
He continues: "My first reforms will concern the unopposed candidates. We will have an approval voting process for them, where, in other words, there will be a referendum on whether the member states want the lone candidate in the position or not."
"If the candidate gets enough votes, they get elected. If they don't, a special election is immediately held, with the failed candidate barred from entering. These special elections will not start until there are at least two candidates, and I wanna take that precaution to ensure that we don't have these special elections over and over again."
"Second, I want to make sure that people who are asking to be in the executive body of an institution as big and significant as the European Union are fit for the job. Can you believe that a woman as insane as Bauer managed to get into the elections?" I don't say anything and nod approvingly as Harland references Annelise Bauer, the Istkalener who ran to be Premier Commissioner in the previous elections and had several attacks on councillors under her belt.
"Exactly," he continues. "That is why you need to make sure that the candidates don't have criminal charges and are mentally fit for the job. And I want to make sure that is the case when I'm in the office."
"The other important thing is that I want to make changes to the way the European Council functions. More specifically, I want to add a three-fifths or sixty percent approval rule on the bills that affect a country's internal affairs."
"Could you elaborate on what you mean when you say internal affairs?"
"It's about laws that would affect how a country functions inside its borders. So that would be the country's civil law, government structure, and school system, just to name a few."
"Wouldn't this slow down or block the passage of needed reforms and laws that could benefit the average EU citizen?"
"I would argue that this benefits the average EU citizen as this way the bills passed would have more credibility and better longevity. It would encourage the councillors to be collaborative, to reach out and convince other councillors why they should vote for their bills. It would force them to be competent and compromising as they now have to listen to the opposing side if they want to see their bills pass instead of just relying on which ideology has more power in the council. Yes, fewer bills will pass, but the bills that pass will be of higher quality."
"And it's not like it's not possible to pass bills that would benefit Europeans greatly without much controversy: The Banning of Conversion Therapy Act of 2020 is a great example of this. It solidified the EU's support for its LGBTQ+ community by banning make-believe practices against them that did more harm than good. But what's relevant here is how competent the councillor behind it, Kent Evergreen, was. He managed to amend the bill in a way that made sure that there was nothing to be opposed to. He was such an expert at wording things, and that's what helped the bill not only pass but pass with no votes against it and thirteen votes for it. That is unheard of. It is a great example of what I'm talking about."
"I've mentioned something about being competent, compromising and collaborative... Well, I guess those three words would describe me, my political career and this commission campaign."
"But you said that you were aiming for less compromise in your commission campaign."
"Less compromising with my political party, yes. Not with the Europeans, not with the member states. I will listen to all of them, all of their opinions, regardless of whether they voted for me or not. I'm not here to push an ideologically-driven agenda, I'm here to accomplish what's best for the Union and what's best for its citizens. I won't do foolish outcries when I see the unfair, I will work on a solution, as I always have as a senator."
"Mr Harland, from what I'm assuming with your promises, you don't seem to be a fan of integration in the EU."
"I mean, there's actual integration, and then there is federalism sold as integration. I can't say I'm a fan of the latter. That's what I'm trying to prevent with my reforms. A good chunk of the European Council doesn't seem to be aware of the cultures and the circumstances some member states are in. The recent prison bill from the Czechs are a great example of this. They want a country whose entire prison system consists of private prisons to change within months, putting extra weight on the Elthic government. The Duxburian Union also has a similar issue [with the bill]."
"Mr Harland, I have one last question, and it is about how are you considering to handle the situation in Svarna Surya."
"Well, it seems like the war is gonna start anytime soon, hell, before I could take office, probably. The best outcome I could ask for is an swift end to the war, a definitive treaty and the start of the country's transfer to its citizens. If I take the office, I'm ready to help. Always."
After that, we both got up to say our goodbyes. I wished him good luck in his rallies, he said it was a pleasure to have me here. I left, and the first thing I realized was that the elevator had started working again. Huh.
