SENATOR KERSTIN VISITS INQUISTA
Saint Dominico, Inquista - August 21, 2020 | Dr. Maria Kerstin, a senator from Leagio and candidate for Premier Commissioner of the European Union, has visited Inquista this morning.
Drawing a crowd of approximately 850 people, the Leagioan senator laid out her Premiership plans to a chorus of adoring supporters. The senator's plans include policies on economic development, plans to expand the healthcare benefits of low-income Europeans, and a commitment to keep Europe's institutions as they are.
The senator, who has a PhD in economics from the University of the Commonwealth in Tullion, is widely seen as a capable economist in her home country. Since 2018, the Senator has served as the Chairman of the Senate Committee of the Economy in Leagio, and sponsored the recent Eastern Economic Development Act that that helped reverse the effects of the country's economic crash in April. She has also spent her term tackling economic corruption, successfully fought to reduced college prices, and made her voice known as a progressive champion of civil rights causes.
Senator Kerstin's background in economics and and her strong record as a legislator are highly appealing qualities to many Inquistans. Her plans for economic development have been well received, and her reassurances that Inquista will not pay even further into the European budget was met with a joyous exhale. The Leagioan senator went to great lengths in her rally to combat recent statements made by Pravoslaviyan mogul Dragan Trympov, who alleged that the senator would increase the budget contributions of Europe's largest states. Senator Kerstin reassured Inquistans that this would not be the case, and that the budget contributions would remain the same.
The Leagioan senator also reassured Inquistans that she favours keeping Europe's legislative institutions the same, particularly in regards to the European Council. Despite that Inquista would stand to be one of the greatest benefactors of a proportional European Council, Speaker Edward Firoux, the Council Speaker and Councillor for Inquista, has adamantly pushed for each EU member state to receive equal representation without discrimination as to their size or population. A strong and plausible working relationship between a future Premier and the Speaker, who is extremely popular in Inquista, is considered a crucial consideration among Inquistan voters. Many Inquistans will likely feel further assured by the senator's stances on the European Council.
While Senator Kerstin's visit to Inquista was warmly and enthusiastically received, and will surely raise her current popularity in the country, it was still not without some controversy.
The Leagioan sentaor is currently embroiled in a minor sexism row, which stems from the senator criticizing a misogynistic meme that she falsely attributed to the campaign of Walter Cocx, an Inimican candidate for Premier Commissioner. In her first rally in Leagio, Senator Kerstin took aim at Cocx by stating that, "men like Walter Cox thinks that Europe is a men's only region that women have no place in the field of politics."
Senator Kerstin's remarks come following the distribution of an internet meme. The meme, which says that "Europe has had enough of weak female Premiers" and that Europeans should "say no to 4 more months of estrogen-fueled decision-making", also stated that "Europe needs more Cocx". The meme itself is widely believed to have originated in Inquista, after being posted onto the r/goblincave subreddit by a user known as goblin420.
Walter Cocx was quick to release a statement that made it clear that the meme has no connection to his campaign. CBC Inquista reached out to the Cocx campaign for a comment. Cocx's campaign team told CBC Inquista that, "my opponent's publishing of this fake misogynistic poster, which is a completely unacceptable and disgusting piece of work, is below the standards the peoples of Europe expect of their Premier. My record on women's rights is clear: from the increase in maternity leave I established in my province, to making this type of leave fully paid by the state, to establishing five women's safehouses across my jurisdiction, I have always stood up for women. The fact my opponent dares to share this type of fake news shows, if anything, that she simply sees women's rights as a complete and utter joke."
While some Inquistans criticized the senator for falsely spreading the meme, while others defended her. One notable defender was Bishop Karinn Lallana, who told CBC Inquista that, "Women endure and hear these sort of comments all the time. Whenever I make a passionate point, I will always hear men mutter something about my estrogen under their breath. I don't blame her for thinking this meme was a real campaign ad, because comments like these are very much common place. Instead of tearing another strong, competent woman down, how about we use this as an opportunity to combat the fact people are still making grossly sexist and misogynistic memes online, and that this garbage is still considered 'humour'?"
