Elthic News Media
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Four candidates finalized for presidential race
Wirt Harland, Melissa Chai, Lorraine Devi and Freddie Abbey will battle for the presidency in the upcoming elections on July 7th.
The ballot for the presidency has been finalized and is waiting for its voters on July 7th.
With only four candidates, down from five in 2022, the presidential ballot is the shortest since 1988. Women also dominate the ballot, Wirt Harland being the sole male candidate listed. This ballot also marks the first time since the Yosainese occupation that no independent candidate gained enough support to appear on the ballot.
Wirt Harland
Wirt Harland, running for the new Progressive Conservative Party, has made crime and security the focus of his campaign, as Elthize bears one of the highest crime rates in the European Union. The former Labour senator has the support of two more parties: the Democrats for Elthize and the Business Party. While Harland enjoys popularity in Elthize, his incompetence in the position of Internal Affairs Commissioner has led some voters to question his abilities.
Melissa Chai
The current mayor of St. Lucas is popular in her city, and her promises of social security and civil rights also have a lot of supporters in the rest of Elthize. Supported by the UnitedLeft alliance (where her party Democratic Socialists of Elthize resides), Chai managed to gather even more support after Zoe Allen, the leader of Congress for Social Democracy, unexpectedly endorsed her a week ago. Chai is considered to be Harland's main rival in the presidential elections, and polls suggest it is going to be a close race between the two.
Lorraine Devi
After assuming leadership of the new, hard-right Harmony political party, Lorraine Devi aims to appeal to former Grimwald voters who perceive Harland as too liberal. It is uncertain whether this strategy will be successful, but it is expected to garner a substantial number of votes at the very least.
Freddie Abbey
Freddie Abbey, leader of the new Moderates party, has been a surprising wildcard in the election. Instead of aiming for a seat in parliament as expected, she's taking a gamble by running for president.
The presidential elections will commence on the same day as the parliamentary elections on July 7th, following the resignation of Greenwich Grimwald.
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Elthize goes to the polling stations to cast their vote
The polling stations will remain open until 6:00 PM
July 7, 2024 - 10:00 AM
The day of the general election has finally come, and Elthics cannot wait to get the vote out, as thousands wait in assigned voting locations, which are mainly schools, universities sports centres, and community centres. This is the first time since 2004 that an election will be completed on the same day in Elthize, so the pressure is higher than usual both for workers and voters alike.
The voting period coincides with extreme heat, as temperatures surpass 30°C. As a result, political parties have created their own guidelines for staying safe in the heat while waiting to vote. Some parties have gone the extra mile: The Moderates, for instance, are distributing free water and snacks to their members in the days leading up to the election. The UnitedLeft coalition has also initiated a similar program, which is not restricted to their supporters.
Some provinces like Montgomery or Port Nelson have faced criticism for failing to protect workers from unemployment if they fail to come to work to vote in the election.
In the town of Garland Valley, Port Nelson, Max, 22, expressed his frustration, saying that his father almost missed the vote: "He works as a cargo driver from 8 AM to 6 PM, and he wanted to wake up at 7 AM, but he couldn't. If it hadn't been for my mother, who unusually couldn't sleep that day, he would not have had the chance to vote. He would risk getting fired if he left his shift, or even asked permission to vote. I don't understand how this isn't a guaranteed right in Elthize. I don't know why the Port Nelson government doesn't allow my father to vote."
The voting period began at 7.00 AM and will continue until 6:00 PM. The first results will be revealed at 8:00 PM. It is expected that the votes will be counted in about two to three hours, meaning the election is expected to be concluded by 11:00 PM at the latest.
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July 7th, 2024, 8:00 PM
BREAKING: First results from the 2024 election
Welcome to LNN! I'm your host Elodie Giulietta, and I'm joined by one of LNN's most beloved hosts, Emilie Marie-Louise, as well as The Tribunal journalist Janice Kyou. Ladies, I hope we're having a fantastic night, as the first results of the 2024 election roll in. I should mention that since the exit polls just started opening about thirty minutes ago, many races are too early to call. And with that, I'm going to give it to Emilie. Take it away, darling.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Thanks a lot, Elodie. Let's start from The Midlands, our smallest province, where there's a close race between the Moderates and the United Left coalition for one seat in the new 52-seat parliament. The Moderates are ahead by about four to five hundred votes, but the seat could change hands at any moment. The Midlands is one of the three provinces that have one seat in the parliament, the other two being Northern Counties and Liamville.
Janice Kyou: Now, I do not want to sound like I am ridiculing people who live in these provinces, but I like to call these seats "bonus seats" or "tiebreaker seats". There is only one seat, so there is no other seat to distribute, meaning it's a winner-takes-all situation. In the case where two parties have the same amount of seats in other provinces, these seats, as I said, act as tiebreakers.
Elodie Giulietta: Well, we can see that both in Northern Counties and Liamville, the Moderates are ahead as well, in fact in Northern Counties the fate of the seat seems to be sealed, really.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Wow, that's a lot of wins for the Moderates, it seems like.
Elodie Giulietta: Again, too early to tell, and we're talking about single seats here.
Janice Kyou: Absolutely, the parties' performances in the bigger provinces will dictate what kind of role they will play in Elthic politics until 2027. For instance, St. Lucas has been allocated eighteen seats, which is more than one-third of the total. After that, it's Montgomery with nine seats, and Forecoaster with one seat less.
Elodie Giulietta: In St. Lucas, as expected, the left-wing parties are ahead, Congress for Social Democracy is first, with the UnitedLeft coalition following it. In Montgomery, meanwhile, far-right Harmony is ahead, with Moderates and Progressive Conservative Party battling for second place. We see a much more competitive vote share in Forecoaster, where we can't tell who will win, but for now, PCP is ahead.
Janice Kyou: Yeah, things do not look good for the right at the moment. It seems like no one could fill in the shoes of Greenwich Grimwald. Fascinating.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Speaking of President Grimwald... Let's look at who will seemingly replace him. We can see that Melissa Chai is in a very comfortable lead, with around thirty-four percent of the votes counted, compared to just twenty-two percent of the votes counted for Wirt Harland, and he could lose that second place at any given moment to either Freddie Abbey, who is around twenty percent, or Lorraine Devi, who is around eighteen percent.
Elodie Giulietta: Oh wow.
Janice Kyou: Yeah, this is Harland's worst nightmare. He couldn't convince the more conservative voters of Grimwald because of his Labour past, and couldn't convince the more liberal voters of him because... I guess it was his incompetence as Internal Affairs Commissioner?
Emilie Marie-Louise: Really? Do Elthics care about the politics of the European Union? I know I don't.
Janice Kyou: Based on personal experience, eh, I don't think so, but it's also that Abbey is far more charismatic than Harland is, so there.
Elodie Giulietta: I mean, we weren't expecting the CSD to back Chai, were we?
Janice Kyou: Nope. That move came from nowhere.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Okay, I have to cut you guys off as it seems like the race has been called for Southern Counties, with both seats won by UnitedLeft. Meti Adebayo and Rebel Kofi are set to become members of the parliament.
Janice Kyou: Two out of fifty-two, nice. By the way, both of these seats go to the Elfiz Party, which has participated in a general election for the first time in decades.
Elodie Giulietta: Good for them.
Janice Kyou: The seats will go to Meti Adebayo, who was an ambassador to Leagio, and Rebel Kofi, a former EU councillor who resigned two days ago to run for this seat.
Emilie Marie-Louise: That's great. We now have to take a break, we'll continue giving you the latest updates from Forecoaster after that.
Janice Kyou: Alright.
Elodie Giulietta: Make sure you stay tuned, we will have more people here for analysis as time goes on.
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July 7th, 2024, 8:45 PM
Chai ahead in presidential election, CSD leads in parliamentary election
Alright, you're watching LNN again, and I'm your host Elodie Giulietta. Here with me are our very own Emilie Marie-Louise, as well as The Tribunal journalists Janice Kyou and Alfred Ingham. You're familiar with Kyou by now, and Ingham was supposed to be here with us from the beginning, but sometimes life has different plans. Once again, I hope we're having a great night, ladies... and the single gentleman (laughs)
Alfred Ingham: (amused) Elodie, let's keep my personal life out of this, alright?
Emilie Marie-Louise: (laughing) Oh my God, okay, okay. Yeah, alright, it has been about half an hour since we last gave you guys an update, and since then more races have been announced: for one, both seats in Marchand have been called for Congress for Social Democracy as the party gets fifty-five percent of the vote in the province.
Elodie Giulietta: Not as shocking as I think it should be.
Emilie Marie-Louise: After that, we can safely assume that in all provinces where there is a single member assigned to them at the parliament, that is Northern Counties, The Midlands and Liamville by the way, Moderates have won, so that's three extra seats for them. We also earlier called the race in Southern Counties to be over as both seats go to the Elfiz Party in the UnitedLeft coalition. In Ackerson, meanwhile, both Congress for Social Democracy and the Progressive Conservative Party will likely get one seat each as they battle for the first place, though Democrats for Elthize is in third place and is quite close to both, so they can get the second seat, too. Maybe.
Janice Kyou: Can you tell how many seats are DfE projected to win as of now?
Elodie Giulietta: Yeah, we can, it's... One. Just one seat in Forecoaster. I'm assuming that's the seat of the leader Merrill Kooben.
Alfred Ingham: No, Kooben ran in Montgomery, actually.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Oh, wow.
Janice Kyou: Yeah, I mean, we weren't expecting DfE to get more votes than, say, PCP, but knowing how close Kooben was to Grimwald, the expectations were higher than 1 out of 52.
Elodie Giulietta: I mean, we also have Liam Zachary and his Business Party? Can we see how they're doing as well? Alright, there we go.
Janice Kyou: Three seats total.
Emilie Marie-Louise: One each in St. Lucas, Montgomery and Port Nelson. Yeah, right now, it is not looking good for the right.
Alfred Ingham: I mean, it was obvious that it would happen: Immediately after Greenwich Grimwald withdraws and calls for an election, The Third Option is dissolved, and all these politicians are trying to fill his shoes, and that causes a lot of chaos. I mean, when we talk about Grimwald, we're talking about someone who managed to get votes from different factions of the right, and that's not an easy task. Here, you can see that the centre-right vote was split between Moderates, PCP, DfE and Business, and Harmony is getting a lot of votes because they cater to the far-right, and, you know, no other party does that.
Emilie Marie-Louise: We haven't talked about Harmony yet, but we can see that they will likely receive three seats, all from Montgomery. And what's also really interesting is that Lorraine Devi, their presidential candidate, is doing significantly better than her own party. What's up with that?
Janice Kyou: I mean, we can say that Harmony did not leave as good an impression outside Montgomery as Devi herself did, and she tried really hard to show herself off as a charismatic leader who could get things done, and we can say it paid off.
Alfred Ingham: Uh, there's also the fact that a good chunk of people who voted for Grimwald in 2022 did not trust Wirt Harland, as he was a member of the Labour Party, now Congress for Social Democracy. So they decided to vote for Devi, who was the only other right-wing alternative.
Elodie Giulietta: Well, nonetheless, she's still in last place, and Chai still has a very comfortable lead over all of them, though I feel like, if she is elected, which will probably happen, she needs to be very careful about, um, the right getting it together and possibly beating her, right?
Alfred Ingham: I think the worst-case scenario for her would be the Moderates uniting with PCP, but I don't think that's likely. I'd argue the Moderates would try to push the government, which is more likely to be left-wing right now, more into the centre. That will most likely be the case as CSD and UNL together do not have enough seats for a parliament majority.
Elodie Giulietta: It's important to note that the right-wing party cannot secure a parliament majority, even with the Moderates, without including Harmony. I don't think there will be much enthusiasm for including them within any other party in that hypothetical coalition, such as PCP, the Moderates, DfE, or Business.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Speaking of parliament, I think we can, for the first time, give a projection on how the parliament will look like... Now, once again, these numbers can change, nothing is finalized yet, but here it is, regardless, here's the projected seat distribution in the Parliament as of right now:
Party Amount of seats Percentage Congress for Social Democracy 17 26.28% Progressive Conservative Party 11 18.51% Moderates 10 17.03% UnitedLeft alliance 7 15.13% Harmony 3 9.07% Business Party 3 6.50% Democrats for Elthize 1 6.33% Elodie Giulietta: And for those who voted for UnitedLeft, here's the seat distribution among the parties of your alliance:
Party Amount of seats Elfiz Party 3 Green Party of Elthize 2 Democratic Socialists for Elthize 1 Communist Party of Elthize 1 Emilie Marie-Louise: And finally, here's a breakdown of the votes in the presidential election right now:
Candidate Percentage Melissa Chai (CSD, UnitedLeft) 35.64% Wirt Harland (PCP, Business, DfE) 24.25% Freddie Abbey (Moderates) 21.32% Lorraine Devi (Harmony) 18.79% Elodie Giulietta: Exciting times! Now, we should be done by about 10 PM, but it seems like the fate of the election has been sealed. We now take a short break once again, but we will return, so don't go anywhere, we will do further analysis with more guests and do some future predictions.
Alfred Ingham: Stay tuned!
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LIVE: Melissa Chai addresses the crowd
The joint CSD-UNL candidate has been called the winner of the presidential race
July 7, 2024 - 9:20 PM
Ainsworth Park, Downtown St. Lucas. A crowd of about five thousand people applaud Melissa Chai as she walks onto the stage with her husband, waving for them. The crowd is waving flags for Congress for Social Democracy and the UnitedLeft alliance, with some waving Elthic flags or pride flags. The crowd is ecstatic, keeping on clapping, waiting for Chai to finally say a word.
"Hello, St. Lucas!"
Chai shouts before being drowned out by applause once again.
"Wow. Thought you guys would feel a little sad now that I won't be your mayor... Do you really want me to go to Forecoaster!?"
The crowd roars with applause once more, with chants of "Melissa! Melissa! Melissa!" being heard from some members.
"Well, alright, let's calm down... But seriously, if you went there, you ought to tell me some good restaurants there, you know? I've never heard good things about what Forecoaster people eat."
Laughter can be heard from the crowd.
"Alright, that's enough humour for now, let's get down to business, you know the deal: I have been elected as the new President of Elthize! We made it!.. After twenty-two years of right-wing incompetence... We are finally free. WE'RE FREE!"
The crowd roars and claps with utmost cheer. The happiness cannot be contained within Ainsworth Park, either. People are in their balconies around the park watching the scene with glee. More people start to join the crowd in the park, too. The Melissa chants start again.
"And of course, tonight, we have nothing to do but celebrate. But tomorrow, well, I think you'll celebrate, but I won't be able to participate. I will be very busy, as I prepare my travel to Forecoaster and finally start building the Elthize we deserve."
"I want to thank those who believed and voted for me, those who campaigned, door by door. I want to thank Zoe Allen and the Congress for Social Democracy for putting her trust and endorsement for me, the UnitedLeft alliance for nominating me, I also want to thank my party, the Democratic Socialists for Elthize, I want to thank my beautiful husband, my children, and the rest of my family for their support, and once again, I thank you, Elthize, for giving me this opportunity to be your next president. I will make sure that this love you give me will pay off... with dividends! I assure you! Thank you, and have a good night!"
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July 7th, 2024, 9:40 PM
Chai called winner in presidential election, the left ahead in parliamentary election
Welcome back everyone, we've witnessed our president-elect's first speech. You're watching LNN, we are covering the elections for this year. I'm Elodie Giulietta, and with me are our very own Emilie Marie-Louise and William Berwick, he's a new addition, we also have The Tribunal journalists Alfred Ingham and Janice Kyou. Here are the updated results shown on the screen now:
Party Amount of seats Percentage Congress for Social Democracy 16 25.59% Moderates 12 17.57% Progressive Conservative Party 10 18.80% UnitedLeft alliance 7 16.14% Harmony 3 9.35% Business Party 3 6.14% Democrats for Elthize 1 6.41% Elodie Giulietta: And, once again, those who voted for UnitedLeft, here's the seat distribution among the parties of your alliance:
Party Amount of seats Elfiz Party 3 Green Party of Elthize 2 Democratic Socialists for Elthize 1 Communist Party of Elthize 1 Elodie Giulietta: We can safely assume that the seat distribution in the parliament has been finalized and there will be no changes after this, so we will show you a breakdown by province later on. But first, here are the current results of the presidential election:
Candidate Percentage Melissa Chai (CSD, UnitedLeft) 37.20% Wirt Harland (PCP, Business, DfE) 23.70% Freddie Abbey (Moderates) 21.25% Lorraine Devi (Harmony) 17.85% Elodie Giulietta: Now, what do we make of this picture? What do we think will follow after this election?
William Berwick: Good question.
Alfred Ingham: (chuckles)
William Berwick: Well, just a reminder for our viewers: the new Elthic parliament consists of fifty-two seats, so a party or coalition needs twenty-seven seats to have a majority. So it is quite unfortunate for Melissa Chai, a member of the Democratic Socialists, that the Congress for Social Democracy and her own UnitedLeft alliance cannot form a majority on their own.
Alfred Ingham: They are four seats short of a majority, for those wondering.
Emilie Marie-Louise: So, Will, you weren't here for this, but Alfie claimed earlier that the Moderates would rather push the left-wing government into the centre than work with PCP. Do you think that would be the case?
William Berwick: The president is Melissa Chai, and she holds veto power. Therefore, she will definitely veto any policy she disagrees with. In this scenario, it is not important which party the Moderates will align with, as the president will be the one making deals to pass laws and get things done.
Janice Kyou: I mean, even if the Moderates aligned with the right, they couldn't make up a parliamentary majority on their own, anyway. Not without Harmony, and I don't think Freddie Abbey would touch that party with a ten-foot pole.
Alfred Ingham: I mean, still, you'd need the support of the Moderates to pass laws. I guess the president has some legislative power, but it only takes you so far. You need the parliament, and you need the Moderates.
Elodie Giulietta: True.
William Berwick: I didn't deny that, I said that if that were the case, it would be the president trying to convince them to pass laws.
Emilie Marie-Louise: I think you guys are forgetting that Chai's party, Congress for Social Democracy, only has one seat. She has to make deals with CSD too.
Janice Kyou: Yeah, let's not forget that. Chai's job is gonna be harder than Grimwald's ever was.
Elodie Giulietta: So, for those wondering, we can take a look at where the DSE took their only seat, to no surprise, it's St. Lucas, and here's the graphic for that province:
Party Amount of seats Percentage Congress for Social Democracy 7 32.95% UnitedLeft alliance 4 22.88% Progressive Conservative Party 3 15.75% Moderates 3 15.48% Business Party 1 4.90% Democrats for Elthize 0 4.31% Harmony 0 3.55% Party Amount of seats Elfiz Party 1 Green Party of Elthize 1 Democratic Socialists for Elthize 1 Communist Party of Elthize 1 William Berwick: I was expecting Business to perform better, to be honest.
Alfred Ingham: Yeah. Both Business and DfE were on around five to seven percent in the local polls. This is a bad loss.
Janice Kyou: Can we see Montgomery too? Is Harmony ahead still?
Elodie Giulietta: Yes, they are, and here's the graphic for that:
Party Amount of seats Percentage Harmony 3 29.25% Moderates 2 21.92% Progressive Conservative Party 2 19.92% Congress for Social Democracy 1 10.45% Business Party 1 7.76% UnitedLeft alliance 0 4.24% Democrats for Elthize 0 3.27% Emilie Marie-Louise: Looks like a wrap in Montgomery. Harmony is very popular there. Is there a reason for that?
William Berwick: Well, I do have my reasons, but I don't think people will be happy if I say them, so, using logic, I think it's that people there are dissatisfied with Grimwald but hated the idea of voting anything left of him.
Alfred Ingham: I mean, they only got a little less than thirty percent of the vote. Not like it's a crushing victory for them.
Janice Kyou: I wouldn't underestimate it like that. I think they're gonna do better in 2027, especially if the rest of the right doesn't get its act together. I don't even know why Harland didn't try to get an electoral alliance with them, like how he got them to endorse his presidency.
Elodie Giulietta: I think that they'd be concerned about Harmony further attacking them for siding with a former Labour senator.
Alfred Ingham: I don't think that was a concern at all. I think the main reason was that both parties saw themselves as the successor of Greenwich Grimwald, so they trusted themselves enough to run on their own.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Then why didn't they run a presidential candidate on their own and endorse Harland instead?
Alfred Ingham: Well, I have no clue. I can guess, though, that they were expecting to have about ten to fifteen seats together and pressure Harland to follow their policies and ideology. But it failed. I expect that these two parties are gonna merge into one before this year ends and try to contest the councillor seat in Europolis, whenever that election happens. Then we'll see how they will perform in 2027, alongside Harmony.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Sounds plausible. Anyway, can we see Forecoaster?
Elodie Giulietta: Right, so, Forecoaster is going to be the last province we'll show, we have enough time to discuss, but after that, we'll take a break once again:
Party Amount of seats Percentage Congress for Social Democracy 2 22.50% Progressive Conservative Party 2 20.62% Moderates 2 18.53% UnitedLeft alliance 1 12.85% Democrats for Elthize 1 9.45% Business Party 0 6.80% Harmony 0 6.73% William Berwick: Who took the UnitedLeft seat?
Elodie Giulietta: The Greens.
William Berwick: Ooh, alright. I'm gonna be honest, I think this alliance was not good for them. They would win more than two seats if they ran on their own.
Janice Kyou: Yeah, no. Absolutely not. Winning more seats alone wouldn't give them a say in the government. They thought ahead, and now they'll be in the government.
Alfred Ingham: I should mention here that Chai promised at least one member of her cabinet to be a member of the Green Party, so there you go.
William Berwick: Two out of fifty-two... In the National Assembly, mind you, they had 15 out of 250.
Alfred Ingham: Wouldn't that equate to, like, three seats in the current parliament? Mind you, the new parliament is elected in a very different way, too. This is not a good comparison.
William Berwick: I'd say sole numbers talk better than percentages or ratios.
Elodie Giulietta: Right. I think this is a good time to cut right here and go for a break, then we'll look at Brownell, Port Nelson, and other provinces. We'll be back.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Don't go anywhere!
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BREAKING: Wirt Harland concedes defeat
The PCP candidate congratulated Melissa Chai on her victory
July 7, 2024 - 9:50 PM
The presidential candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party, Wirt Harland, has conceded defeat to his rival, Melissa Chai, in the city of Forecoaster. "I have reached out to Melissa Chai and congratulated her on her victory, and I wish her great success at the Presidential Palace," Harland stated to a sober crowd of around two thousand, in the headquarters of his political party.
"While the picture drawn in this election looks bleak for us, it is nothing we cannot bounce back from. The Elthic people have made their demands loud and clear, and it is now our mission to follow them, shape our policy, and build trust. That will start tomorrow. Even as opposition, we will continue to work for Elthize and the Elthic people."
"I would like to thank those who voted for me, those who campaigned day and night. I would like to thank my party, the Progressive Conservative Party, I would like to thank Merrill Kooben and Liam Zachary, leaders of Democrats for Elthize and Business Party respectively, for supporting me. And finally, I would like to thank my family and my close friends, for sticking with me throughout this whole journey. My love for you all is endless."
Harland came second in the presidential race with 22% of the votes, far behind expectations and Melissa Chai, who many analysts considered to be her main rival. She received 38% of the vote.
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July 7th, 2024, 10:30 PM
Chai wins election, final results announced
Alright, once again, welcome back, you're watching Local News Network or LNN. I'm Elodie Giulietta, joined by Emilie Marie-Louise, and William Berwick, as well as The Tribunal journalists Janice Kyou and Alfred Ingham, and our final guest, Francis Elvin, connecting to us from the city of Brownell. He is a member of the Moderates, he had formerly been the leader of The Nationals and has been elected for a seat in the parliament from the Brownell province. For those who have missed us, we will now show you the table where you can see how the fifty-two seats in Forecoaster have been distributed:
Party Amount of seats Percentage Congress for Social Democracy 16 25.26% Moderates 12 17.25% Progressive Conservative Party 10 18.30% UnitedLeft alliance 7 16.14% Harmony 3 9.35% Business Party 3 6.20% Democrats for Elthize 1 6.35% Elodie Giulietta: And, for UnitedLeft, here's the seat distribution among the parties of that alliance:
Party Amount of seats Elfiz Party 3 Green Party of Elthize 2 Democratic Socialists for Elthize 1 Communist Party of Elthize 1 Elodie Giulietta: And now, the results of the presidential election. Keep in mind that these are not official results, there are still ballots to be counted, so things could change, but at this point, we're talking about decimals in the percentage of vote share.
Candidate Percentage Melissa Chai (CSD, UnitedLeft) 38.14% Wirt Harland (PCP, Business, DfE) 22.76% Freddie Abbey (Moderates) 21.35% Lorraine Devi (Harmony) 17.75% Elodie Giulietta: Now, before going on another break, we have observed the seat distribution in St. Lucas, Forecoaster and Montgomery. For those that have missed that, I am going to put them on screen now and in the meantime, ask you, Mr. Elvin, the obvious question: What direction do you think your party will go after these results? Will you side with PCP and Harland or will you side with CSD and President-elect Melissa Chai?
Francis Elvin: Well, first of all, I would like to thank our supporters watching us at home, you've made this possible, you've made your voice heard, and I cannot wait to represent this beautiful province next week. Now, it is not up to me to have the final say on what we will do from now on, our leader, Freddie Abbey, will decide on what path our party will take.
Elodie Giulietta: Well, we are aware of that. But could you tell us what would you desire? What path would you take if you were in the shoes of Freddie Abbey?
Francis Elvin: Well, I would not follow party lines but rather draw a strategy which will have the Moderates getting their policies passed, or a compromise favouring our side, I'm sure Abbey will do the same, but, again, she's not here, and only she can tell where we will go from now on.
Elodie Giulietta: That's great, Mr. Elvin, I would like to congratulate you and your party on your victories. Have a great night.
Francis Elvin: Thank you.
William Berwick: Well, those were quite the non-answers.
Emilie Marie-Louise: I suppose he can't say as much as he could at The Nationals given that he's just an MP now.
William Berwick: Yeah.
Elodie Giulietta: Yes. Putting that aside, we were examining the results by province, and uh, we left off at Brownell, coincidentally, we will see that province on our screens now:
Party Amount of seats Percentage Congress for Social Democracy 2 34.37% Progressive Conservative Party 1 22.36% Moderates 1 13.10% UnitedLeft alliance 0 12.60% Democrats for Elthize 0 10.39% Business Party 0 4.10% Harmony 0 1.97% Elodie Giulietta: I assume we don't have much to say about these results.
Alfred Ingham: No, I mean, this is pretty much what we were expecting from Brownell. That's a remarkable performance from UnitedLeft, though.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Elvin better be careful with his seat... It is not a safe one.
William Berwick: Oh, come on, Emilie. Since when did Elthics vote for the MPs instead of the party itself? We don't have first-past-the-post. We have proportional representation.
Janice Kyou: Bingo. Elvin doesn't matter here. If he loses that's because people hate the Moderates, not Elvin himself. Or at least, that would be the best-case scenario for him.
Elodie Giulietta: Yeah, true.
Alfred Ingham: Unless you're in Liamville, The Midlands or the Northern Counties... Sure.
William Berwick: That's because there are not enough seats, and they don't have enough population to get a second one. Did you know that President Grimwald was officially planning to have fifty seats, but The Midlands and Northern Counties couldn't get a seat, so he had to add two more?
Emilie Marie-Louise: Wait, is that true?
Janice Kyou: Not officially confirmed, though the sources behind that rumour were apparently close to Grimwald, so that's that.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Why fifty-two seats, anyway? I feel like that's kind of a low number, no?
Alfred Ingham: You can say that it's a low number, yes. When you compare the ratio of MPs to the population under this new system, it is on the higher side. 1 MP for about 84,000 people. I guess it wouldn't hurt to increase it to, say, 60 by 2027... Really, the only reason Grimwald could have made these reforms is to make the government pay salaries for fewer people.
Elodie Giulietta: Yeah, I'd say that's the reason, too. I'm assuming we are ready to see Port Nelson now:
Party Amount of seats Percentage Moderates 1 24.07% Progressive Conservative Party 1 19.84% Business Party 1 15.46% Congress for Social Democracy 1 12.07% Harmony 0 10.70% UnitedLeft alliance 0 8.25% Democrats for Elthize 0 8.11% Janice Kyou: Surprisingly competitive.
Alfred Ingham: Wow, Harmony really came close to winning a seat here.
Elodie Giulietta: They missed it by about two thousand votes, for those wondering.
William Berwick: Yeah, being the fifth largest party in the fifth largest province is quite inspiring. Must be lovely to know that, had it not been for Montgomery, you would be in last place with no seats. Like, let's be real here, these people are done for. They are not beating this. We are not seeing this far-right resurgence that I'm sure certain people in the media will fearmonger about.
Janice Kyou: Uh-huh, I'm sure someone will clip this part of the broadcast for a rainy day on Twitter.
William Berwick: They can wait. I'll see how the party that came last place in six out of eleven provinces will take over this country. Maybe then they'll put out some laws targeting passive aggressiveness. Then you would finally go to jail.
Alfred Ingham: Woah.
Elodie Giulietta: Okay, no.
Janice Kyou: Whatever, your statements will age like milk and you know it deep down.
Emilie Marie-Louise: Alright, let's calm down, please. Now, I am going to show Ackerson, Marchand and Southern Counties, in that order:
Ackerson
Party Amount of seats Percentage Congress for Social Democracy 1 23.56% Progressive Conservative Party 1 23.41% Democrats for Elthize 0 19.32% Moderates 0 13.60% UnitedLeft alliance 0 12.93% Business Party 0 4.26% Harmony 0 2.11%
Marchand
Party Amount of seats Percentage Congress for Social Democracy 2 55.69% Progressive Conservative Party 0 20.35% Moderates 0 7.47% UnitedLeft alliance 0 6.93% Democrats for Elthize 0 6.04% Business Party 0 2.11% Harmony 0 0.48%
Southern Counties
Party Amount of seats Percentage UnitedLeft alliance 2 50.01% Congress for Social Democracy 0 16.10% Harmony 0 11.12% Progressive Conservative Party 0 5.10% Moderates 0 3.14% Business Party 0 1.02% Democrats for Elthize 0 0.96% Party Amount of seats Elfiz Party 2 Green Party of Elthize 0 Democratic Socialists for Elthize 0 Communist Party of Elthize 0
Emilie Marie-Louise: And here are the provinces with one seat:
Liamville
Party Amount of seats Percentage Moderates 1 24.94% Progressive Conservative Party 0 20.45% Congress for Social Democracy 0 14.17% Democrats for Elthize 0 12.78% Business Party 0 10.13% UnitedLeft alliance 0 8.65% Harmony 0 7.95%
Northern Counties
Party Amount of seats Percentage Moderates 1 32.14% Progressive Conservative Party 0 20.14% Congress for Social Democracy 0 15.44% Harmony 0 13.37% UnitedLeft alliance 0 8.65% Democrats for Elthize 0 5.07% Business Party 0 4.09%
The Midlands
Party Amount of seats Percentage Moderates 1 25.70% UnitedLeft alliance 0 21.88% Progressive Conservative Party 0 15.80% Harmony 0 13.59% Congress for Social Democracy 0 12.60% Democrats for Elthize 0 4.32% Business Party 0 3.72%
Elodie Giulietta: For the last time, here's the overall result of the parliamentary election. Now, as we show that again, ladies and gentlemen, what are our final thoughts?
Emilie Marie-Louise: I think I'm content. I don't have much to say.
Alfred Ingham: Well, for me, this is a sign that people are tired of ultra-liberal economic policies. It has been twenty-two years of austerity, budget cuts, and setbacks never seen before in the history of this country. I believe this election would've happened earlier, had it not been for Grimwald suddenly getting the right together. And now that he's gone, the right is scattered again.
Janice Kyou: This election, as in an election where the left would have won? Do you think that would've happened earlier?
Alfred Ingham: I mean, let's not forget that Grimwald was very close to being defeated by Harland in 2018. After that, it was inevitable that he and his party would fall. Running in 2022 was a ridiculous stretch, but he did it anyway.
Janice Kyou: Huh, okay. I wanna add to that by saying that this was an election preceded by significant reforms. I don't think a lot of people had time to adjust or how to tactically make moves to get the most seats, including certain politicians. I feel like this election should've been called at a later date, like in the autumn because of this, another reason being the weather, oh my God it's so hot it makes me want to die... But yeah. I think things will settle by 2027. But until then, we'll enjoy the first left-wing government in two decades.
William Berwick: (laughs) Yeah, the weather is hot, isn't it? Not a good call on Grimwald's part. Anyway, these three years, in my opinion, are going to be very interesting for Elthize. I can't wait to talk to you about them on LNN.
Elodie Giulietta: I'm sure you will talk about them with great enthusiasm, Will.
Alfred Ingham: Yeah, of course.
Elodie Giulietta: Alright, that is a wrap from us here at LNN. Thank you very much for watching, and putting your trust in us. In the coming week, we will deliver the developments following this general election, but in the meantime, we're done. So again, thank you. Have a great night, no matter the results, and take care of yourself.
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"WE ARE ON THE BRINK OF ANOTHER TRAGEDY", PRESIDENT CHAI CLAIMS
by Alfred Ingham - August 19, 2024
President Chai did not mince her words during the parliamentary discussion on gun control. Image credit
President Melissa Chai's opponents did not hesitate to question her proposed gun control plans at this morning's meeting in the Parliament. The plans include a "buy-back program", meaning the government will compensate its citizens for destroying or delivering their firearms back to the government, as well as stronger checks while buying firearms, and banning certain weapons from civilian use.
"These laws are an essential part of solving the crime and safety problem in this country," President Chai declared. "Every month, every week, we wake up to the news that more lives have been taken away by people with heavy rifles that they have no business holding. Every day, we are on the brink of another tragedy. And it is cruel that we are desensitised to this. Murders should not be a common part of Elthic life."
While there are no official statistics, Elthize is predicted to be one of the countries with the highest gun ownership in the European Union, with civilian gun ownership having a history dating back to the start of The State of Elthize and accelerating following the Yosainese occupation. In the last decade, guns have become one of the most controversial topics in Elthize, with an increasing amount of people calling for regulations to be put in place.
Currently, there is no restriction on firearms coming from the national government in Forecoaster, leaving the responsibility to the provinces, which are quite divided on the issue. Provinces such as St. Lucas and Forecoaster have already placed strict restrictions on firearms, while others, notably Montgomery and Southern Counties, have not.
Because of the divided laws, weapon smuggling between provinces has become commonplace. Three years ago, Martha Krystoff, Governor of St. Lucas, had directly blamed Montgomery's relaxed laws for the gun violence in St. Lucas. "Somehow, we are not on the same page together when it comes to preventing gun violence. We can do our best whenever we can, but when the neighbour next door ships the guns used to kill your people, there's not much you can do," she said during an interview with local media.
Freddie Abbey, leader of the Moderates and an MP for St. Lucas, said that she would support the measures, but demanded clarification on whether the right to self-defence would be protected. This statement was endorsed by Wirt Harland, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, as well as Merrill Kooben and Liam Zachary, leaders of Democrats for Elthize and Business Party respectively.
Zachary, who is also an MP for Forecoaster, also opposed the buy-back program, instead demanding a general amnesty for all gun owners and not seizing the weapons unless they are involved in crime.
Elfiz Party, which was a part of the UnitedLeft coalition, expressed caution about the new laws. Meti Adebayo, the leader of the party, warned that the policies could be used to disproportionately police the Elfiz, bringing further clashes between the indigenous populace and law enforcement. Meanwhile, in a joint statement with Hunter Vance, Governor of Montgomery, Lorraine Devi, leader of the Harmony party, opposed the plans, claiming that Chai is "incapable of reducing crime without intervening in personal freedoms".
The bills are still being debated in the parliament, with various amendments on the way. Due to the heavy discussion around the issue, they are not expected to become law this year.
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Why the true population of Elthize is impossible to find
Freddie Bonnay - October 1, 2024
As of 2024, the population of The State of Elthize was estimated to be around 4,828 million, according to the Ministry of Interior. The number, however, came with a very important warning that the numbers were not "exactly accurate".
When asked how many people lived in Elthize in 2019, then-president Greenwich Grimwald replied: "I don't know. I assume it's about five million?" The estimates at the time were around 4,2 million people. When the same question was asked to Archie Franklin in 2010, who was president at the time, he outright refused to comment.
So, why is Elthize's true population impossible to find?
The estimates
We first need to look at how Elthize's population is estimated. According to the Population Bureau in the Ministry of Interior, the estimates are done "using data concerning population such as provincial censuses, various population clocks, as well as birth and death rates".
While the ministry has stated earlier that the numbers were not "exactly accurate", that doesn't mean it doesn't trust its estimates- far from it. Patrick Hill, who was the Minister of Interior Affairs at the time, stated in a 2018 interview that the numbers were "as accurate as they could get". When asked whether or not he trusted the estimates, then-president Grimwald said: "There is no reason not to."
While it is correct that our population estimates come from trustworthy sources, they are still estimates, not exact numbers. In addition, not all provinces do censuses, and population clocks have their own negatives. But also, why make it this difficult? Is it not possible to make this process simpler, or, heaven forbid, have a national census or a registry?
Attempted changes
Did you know that the last time Elthize ever had a national census was in 1947?
No, that is not an attempt at satire. Despite the Elthic government attempting to do another census since at least the 1970s, all attempts have been unsuccessful. The last time there was a serious attempt to take a census was in 2008, under the presidency of Archibald Franklin, who, ironically, blocked the president before him from taking one.
When former president Gloria Dietrich attempted to construct a census system in 2000, it was the Liberal Democrats that blocked it, citing high costs and privacy concerns, two of the most popular arguments against taking a census. Additional opposition came from the left of Labour (Dietrich's party), who had more concerns about how census data could be used to manipulate election outcomes.
Franklin was planning to finally get a census going for Elthize by 2010. Unfortunately, he shot himself in the foot in 2009 by defunding all parts of the government so much that he caused a whole economic crisis, and Elthics, notorious for being monolingual, finally learned a little bit of Latin, declaring the following years anni horribiles. And with that, no census ever took place.
"We tried nothing and we're all out of ideas!"
A couple months before Elthize joined the European Union, a forum post of a man from St. Lucas that went viral.
The man, who remained anonymous and kept as little personal information on his post as possible, claimed that there was no proof that he existed at all. In the post, he claimed that his parents refused to give him any proof of documentation, be it a birth certificate or an ID card, declaring them "unnecessary". In the comments, he cited his parents' hatred for the government, which he dubbed "irrational".
A couple days later, Joshua Bridges, the Provincial Minister of Social Affairs for St. Lucas, announced that they were aware of the situation and that the law enforcement had taken immediate action.
Bridges also gave further information about the case, stating that the man who made the post, pseudonymously referred to as Michael, had recently turned into an adult at the time of making the viral post. Bridges claimed that Michael had not been aware of his dire situation until he attempted to apply for a university.
Around the same time, former president Greenwich Grimwald gave an interview with NET, telling the journalists that changes to counting our population was unnecessary: "We have the most advanced technologies that help us count our population, with great accuracy. We need to stop pretending like the year is, like, 1997, we just do not need a hand-counting."
This would not be the first time Grimwald would announce that he had given up on improving the issue. In 2014, the year he was elected president, he announced that all discussion regarding an accurate population counting were "halted forever".
Michael's case, however, is not an outlier. Last year, Matthew François, former leader of the Greens, estimated that there were around 35,000 people who were born in Elthize that were "entirely undocumented". François did not shy from adding that this fact carried grave consequences:
"These people are invisible. They don't exist. They have trouble getting in schools, they cannot get jobs, they cannot register a business, they cannot even travel properly. Most of these people are stuck in cults, either motivated by religion or political ideology. The incompetence of the ruling coalition and President Grimwald is simply unacceptable. We need to save these people."
The last decade or so has seen all provincial governments in Elthize put up structures to deal with this problem. The national government stayed quiet, however, as usual, leaving it to the provinces to fix debilitating problems.
Is there hope?
During a press conference a week ago, President Melissa Chai stated that her government was preparing legislation to establish a national census agency. It's unknown how long will it take for it to pass in the Parliament.
For the last twenty-two years the right was in office, whether it be Franklin, Grimwald, or some other charlatan, they have practically broken all functioning parts of the Elthic government, except for the parts that managed their salaries.
There is nothing more embarrassing than a country that does not know how many people it has within its borders. There is nothing more shameful than knowing that in Elthize, thousands of people have their lives wasted away in cults that they cannot get out of. There is nothing more mortifying than the fact that there are thousands of people, like Michael, that have their agency stripped away from them because of government incompetence.
The question of why it is impossible to find the true population of Elthize can be answered with one word: Apathy. Our government did not care. I wish there was a better, more nuanced answer than this, but there isn't.
Apathy has ruined this country, neglecting it, leaving it to rot. Our current president Melissa Chai has an opportunity to take care of everything that has been neglected for the last two decades. I hope she does not waste it.
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"BRING BACK ORDER": BERNARD LEE LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN, PROMISES TO BRING BACK DEATH PENALTY
by Janice Kyou - October 18, 2024
As the councillor candidate for Harmony, Lee promises to bring a repeal motion for the 2017 Capital and Unusual Punishment Act. Image credit
Lorraine Devi, leader of the Harmony Party, has announced Bernard Lee as their candidate for Elthize’s upcoming election for its seat on the European Council. Lee, a former leader of the For The People (FTP) party, launched his campaign with a bold promise: to repeal the Capital and Unusual Punishment Act and making way for Elthize to reinstate the death penalty, which was abolished in 1972.
“Our streets have become warzones while the leftist government does nothing,” Lee declared at a rally in Forecoaster, where his candidacy was announced. “Our justice system has been weakened. We need to take control back, repeal the misguided Capital Punishment Act, and bring back real punishments, including the death penalty.”
The Capital and Unusual Punishment Act, passed by the European Council in 2017, mandates the abolition of capital punishment and prohibits member states from imposing death sentences or engaging in "unusual punishment," defined as degrading or intentionally painful treatment. This act overrides national laws, meaning that any country joining the European Union, as Elthize did in 2022, must comply with its content.
Lee also took aim at Europolis, the capital of the European Union where the European Council is located. “Europolis is dead,” he said bluntly. “They don’t understand the reality we face here in Elthize. Our people are paying the price for their decisions. If Europolis won’t act, then Elthize must. Progressive judges won't save us.”
In response, Wilko Moreland, the joint councillor candidate for the Congress for Social Democracy and the Green Party of Elthize, criticized Lee's remarks on social media: “This is ridiculous fearmongering. Crime in Elthize has been on a downward trend since we joined the European Union. Additionally, the CSD-UNL government has made significant investments in crime prevention programs since it took office, more than twenty years of right-wing governance since Archie Franklin. Bernard Lee should be ashamed of himself—if he has any dignity left, which I doubt.”
Moreland also commented on Lee’s push for the death penalty: “The death penalty doesn’t work. It’s a relic of the past. Our ancestors, after witnessing the horrors of occupation, rightly abolished this murderous practice. We need a justice system that’s fair and humane, not a return to genocidal punishments.”
Wirt Harland, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, warned about the potential consequences of reinstating the death penalty during a community meeting in Montgomery. “It is clear that capital punishment is unacceptable in the European Union. If Elthize tries to bring it back, we’ll face serious consequences and international stigma. This plan would isolate us from our neighbors and allies. It's not acceptable.”
It is unknown how the reintroduction of the death penalty would proceed, assuming the unlikely repeal of the Capital and Unusual Punishment Act. Currently, only Harmony supports the idea of bringing back death penalty, with all other political parties in Elthize with parliamentary presence rejecting the proposal. Additionally, bringing back the death penalty appears to have limited support among the public: according to a June 2024 poll by the Technical University of Forecoaster, only 28% of respondents agreed with the statement, “The death penalty would be an effective solution to Elthize’s crime problem.” In contrast, 41% disagreed, while the rest were undecided or did not answer.
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Moreland and Lee advance to the second round of councillor elections
The results come as a shock victory for the far-right Harmony party
November 1, 2024
In a shocking twist, Bernard Lee, the councillor candidate for the far-right Harmony Party, has placed second in the councillor election. Lee, who has run on a campaign of abolishing the 2017 Capital and Unusual Punishment Act, received 21.92% of the vote, surpassing centre-right candidate Michelle Cavalier by just 770 votes. He won in Montgomery, claimed Northern Counties and the Midlands, and made unexpected gains in Forecoaster and Port Nelson.
In first place was Wilko Moreland, the candidate for the Congress for Social Democracy and the Green Party of Elthize, with 22.03% of the votes, just 855 votes ahead of Lee. After the results were announced, Moreland addressed supporters, urging all parties in Elthize to “stand against the threat of far-right politics.” Moreland dominated in the left-wing strongholds of St. Lucas, Marchand, and Brownell, as well as succeeding in Ackerson, Elthize’s northernmost province.
With no candidate reaching the 40% needed to secure a victory, Elthize will hold a second round of voting, with Moreland and Lee on the ballot.
Candidate Political party Amount of votes Percentage (%) Status Wilko Moreland Congress for Social Democracy, Green Party of Elthize 173,814 22.03% Advanced to second round Bernard Lee Harmony 172,959 21.92% Advanced to second round Michelle Cavalier Progressive Conservative Party, Democrats for Elthize, Business Party 172,189 21.82% Eliminated Damon Albert Moderates 145,762 18.46% Eliminated Pamela Akamatsu Democratic Socialists for Elthize, Communist Party of Elthize 114,521 14.52% Eliminated Aminata Ejiro-Tolbree Elfiz Party 88,653 11.22% Eliminated Love Nygaard Independent 53,019 6.71% Eliminated
Michelle Cavalier, supported by the Progressive Conservative Party, Business Party, and Democrats for Elthize, expressed her disappointment on LNN, saying she found the result “heartbreaking.” She added, “Well, it’s hard not to get emotional when it's this close.” as she learned she’d miss the chance to represent Elthize in Europolis. Regardless, she received the most votes in Forecoaster.
With three of the seven approved candidates endorsed by UnitedLeft parties, rumors sparked about divisions within the alliance. Pamela Akamatsu, candidate for the Democratic Socialists of Elthize and the Communist Party of Elthize, took fifth place with 14.52%. She explained that UnitedLeft parties “peacefully agreed” to field separate candidates.
On social media, Akamatsu, who is of partial Yosainese descent, claimed that bigotry has affected her campaign. “It’s a knife when a good chunk of the country you’ve lived your whole life doesn’t consider you ‘Elthic enough’ to be its European councillor,” she posted on social media. Despite her fifth-place finish, the combined support for DSE and CPE came close to UnitedLeft’s share from the general election earlier this year (14.52% vs 16.31% respectively). The last candidate of an UnitedLeft party, Aminata Ejiro-Tolbree, who represented the Elfiz Party, won 11.22% of the vote and carried the Southern Counties.
Damon Albert, the interim councillor and candidate for the Moderates, placed fourth with 18.46% of the vote, winning Liamville and Port Nelson. Following the results announcement, he immediately endorsed Moreland. Meanwhile, Love Nygaard, a popular TV personality and the only independent candidate to gather enough support to be on the ballot, finished last with 6.71%.
Map of the 2024 councillor elections (first round). Red = Moreland, Purple = Lee, Blue = Cavalier, Orange = Albert, Dark Red = Akamatsu, Gray = Ejiro-Tolbree. Nygaard did not win any province or district.
There was a significant drop in turnout compared to 2023 councillor elections, with only 22.7% of the available voters voting in this election, compared to 52.2% last year. The drop in turnout is attributed to the relative inactivity in the city of Europolis and the European Council. "There is no point in electing someone to an institution that has effectively stood still in the past twelve months. Congratulations to our future paycheck stealer," said Frances Irving, a former journalist for The Tribunal.
The second round of the councillor elections will take place on November 8th. The elected councillor is expected to hold his position until July 4, 2027, the latest date when the next general election can be held.
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Lee eats dust as Moreland receives more than 80% of the vote
A red sweep commenced in the second round of the councillor election
November 8, 2024
Wilko Moreland has earned a decisive victory against Bernard Lee in the second round of councillor elections, securing a resounding 80.16% of the vote, while Lee trailed behind with just 19.84%. Moreland won in every single province, including the Harmony stronghold of Montgomery.
The results follow an unexpected outcome in the first round of the elections, where Lee, who was the candidate of the Harmony party, outperformed expectations, narrowly placing second. He surpassed Michelle Cavalier, who was endorsed by three different centre-right parties, including the Progressive Conservative Party, and gained a spot on the second round of the election, which commenced today as neither him or Moreland received more than 40% of the vote.
Candidate Political party Amount of votes Percentage (%) Wilko Moreland Congress for Social Democracy, Green Party of Elthize 847,564 80.16% Bernard Lee Harmony 209,776 19.84%
In response to Lee's shock success, Moreland called on all political parties and politicians to rally against Lee and endorse him instead, which was well-received as major parties and alliances, including the Progressive Congressive Party, Moderates and the UnitedLeft alliance, all either endorsed or supported Moreland. In an even more unexpected move, President Melissa Chai commented on councillor elections, which marked the first time a president ever commented on such elections. While Chai stopped short of directly endorsing Moreland, she told Elthics to "vote carefully".
Turnout increased significantly from the 22.7% seen in the first round to 30.42% in the second, but it still fell short of the 52.2% turnout recorded in the 2023 councillor election. Many analysts believe that the relative inactivity in Europolis and disillusionment with EU institutions contributed to the lower turnout. Local political analyst Juno Harriman commented, “Elthics still do not know how much influence Europolis has on their day-to-day lives, and many question the need for involvement in European politics at all. Lee’s campaign likely mobilized anti-Harmony voters, but interest in Europolis overall has taken a hit.”
Map of the 2024 councillor elections (second round). Red = Moreland, Purple = Lee.
Following his victory, Moreland thanked his supporters in Forecoaster, saying, “Tonight, Elthize has chosen a path of unity and progress. I’m honoured to have your trust and look forward to representing this country in Europolis.” While conceding defeat, Lee declared that "the fight is not over": "They are scared of us. You can see it in their faces. You can see it in how they backed up the socialist candidate immediately after we succeeded. Rest assured we will be breathing down on their necks!"
Moreland is expected to travel to Europolis and assume his office within the coming days.
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President Chai calls for United Duchies inclusion in EMUzone
The United Duchies had submitted their bid to join the Finisterre Treaty in August 2021.
President Melissa Chai has called for the Bank of Europe to approve the United Duchies’ bid to join the Treaty of Finisterre, which would expand the EMUzone to include one of EU’s largest economies.
During an interview with Radio and Television of the City of Forecoaster (RTCF), Chai emphasized the economic and political benefits of expanding the use of the European Monetary Unit (EMU), urging the Bank of Europe to move forward with the application from the United Duchies.
When asked about Elthize's transition from the florin to the European Monetary Unit (EMU), Chai admitted that she was initially opposed to the change, but now considers the issue "settled." She said, “I support us having our own independent monetary policy... However, there’s no reason to switch currencies over and over again. We use the EMU now, and it seems to be working great for a lot of Elthics.”
Chai went on to express her support for further expansion of the EMUzone: “I think we should take every opportunity to expand the availability of EMU. It is meant to be a common currency, after all. The United Duchies, for example, applied to join years ago, but the Bank of Europe hasn’t responded yet. I think it’s a missed opportunity. They are one of the largest economies in the European Union, and their inclusion would bring more legitimacy. I don’t know what’s taking [the Bank of Europe] so long, honestly.”
Currently, the EMUzone includes Spain, Inquista, Icholasen, Vayinaod, Fremet, Leagio, Montenbourg, and Elthize. Elthize is the only country that joined after the treaty was signed in 2020, becoming a member in January 2024.
United Duchies had applied to join the treaty in August 2021.
In their application, Prime Minister John Peter Key stated: "As major trade partners of both Spain and Inquista, we feel this is in the interests of both the Finisterre Treaty and the United Duchies by reducing barriers and increasing market stability by removing conversion issues."
However, there has not been a response to this application since. When asked by the BBC, the Bank of Europe declined to comment.
It is assumed that the United Duchies are kept out of the treaty largely due to their strained diplomatic relationship with Spain, the treaty’s architect and host of the 2020 summit where the treaty was signed. These circumstances has fueled speculation that the Duchies have effectively been blacklisted from the treaty.
"Spain sees the United Duchies as its main rival, alongside Reitzmag, of course," claims Greg Hensley, an economist based in Brownell. "Both countries have varying political agendas and views on how the EU should function and has clashed numerous times in the past. It is not hard to see why Spain would use the EMU as a leverage in foreign affairs."
Victor Langford, another economist from the University of Montgomery, meanwhile, disagrees, believing that there are serious concerns about whether the Duchies would follow the principles of the Treaty of Finisterre.
"Implying that Spain acts maliciously with the EMU is downright a conspiracy theory. The United Duchies doesn’t have the same stability as countries like Spain, Inquista, or even Elthize," Langford explains. "The EMUzone is more than just about economic ties; it's also about trust and working together. If a country is constantly in conflict with other members, it could weaken the entire system."
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Elthize introduces border controls with Leagio
Regular border checks are introduced for the first time since 1982
November 27, 2024
In a press conference, Joanne Bird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that further security and regular border checks would commence at the Elthize-Leagio border, making it the most strict it has been since at least 1982, when border controls were substantially relaxed following a summit between Elthic President Alika Mbanefo and Leagioan President Atticus Frank.
Bird, who insisted the decision was not made lightly, stated the measures were implemented to reduce crime and catch criminals more easily. “Criminals often escape to Leagio and our area of jurisdiction,” Bird claimed. “These measures will end this situation.” Bird emphasized that no single event prompted the change but pointed to “concerning trends” the government had been monitoring. She did not elaborate further, drawing some skepticism from observers.
Bird, who is also a member of the Congress for Social Democracy, also ensured that these new measures will not affect trade between Elthize and Leagio, nor will it stop travelling between the two nations. "Note that the border measures we are applying are seen in force all around the European Union, and are nothing extraordinary."
The free border agreement between Elthize and Leagio were a byproduct of the November 1982 summit between the two countries, at the city of Tullion. The agreement effectively eliminated all border controls and allowed free travel between the two countries. However, public criticism of the agreement has grown over the years, with some arguing it contributes to unregulated movement and criminal activity. These concerns have been amplified by political and social groups calling for stricter border policies.
The government’s recent push for stricter borders surprised some, given President Melissa Chai’s historically left-leaning, progressive stance. In a 2018 interview with Radio St. Lucas, as a mayor, she advocated for “free borders” and unrestricted travel, trade, and immigration.
Bird defended the move as legally sound, citing provisions in the 1982 agreement that allow either party to unilaterally suspend or modify the terms under various concerns such as national security. However, the duration of these measures, as well as the potential strain that they will put on the relations between the two nations, remains unclear.
