Plessur is now facing an important general election. It has been decided that other nations can conspicuously vote for their choice of party to run Plessur.
In its short history, Plessur's politics have been dominated by the Liberal Party, which has governed the nation for all of Plessur's history apart from two non-consecutive terms. Plessur's predecessor state was the People's Republic of Rhaetia, a nationalist and communist dictatorship that suppressed the nation and led many to reject Rhaetian nationalism, which still remains partially taboo. The Liberal government aimed to create an extremely liberal nation devoid of nationalism or large governments, leading many to dub them as the 'anarchist' party of Plessur. With the recent economic decline, its popularity has waned and there is an increasing chance of a new party coming to power at this election.
The major issues of the day are:
- Rhaetian nationalism; should Plessur's policies, laws and institutions refer to Rhaetia as a nation and treat it as such? There are other ethnicities in Plessur that dislike Rhaetian nationalism.
- Size of government; many say that the government's tiny size has reached a limit and the government should halt rolling itself back. Others commend this and want it continued.
- The economy and Plessur's standing in the world; many see these as linked and say Plessur must open up to the world if it is to succeed. Others see the Liberal policies of opening up economically as disastrous and the cause of Plessur's current economic problems.
The parties up for vote are:
Liberal Party Current party in power. Seeks to hold a midway position in the Rhaetian debate, dabbling in Rhaetian nationalism minimally and seeking to create a Plessur common identity. Wants to continue rolling back the government, though not too far, and wants Plessur to be a greater figure internationally. Insists that its economic policy is working well.
True Democracy Currently the largest opposition party. It held power for two non-consecutive terms within the last two decades. It seeks to eliminate Rhaetian nationalism and make a national identity for Plessur. It is divided on a number of key issues, such as government size and international standing. Its stated aim is to bring "true democracy to Plessur and thus create a fairer society". Its popularity has plunged ever since its government record was revealed, as well as the scandal where the government was bribed into allowing a criminal financial company to take economic advantage of Plessur's (and world) market with its money laundering schemes.
Socialist Party Third largest party, it stated aim is to revive Kollist thinking - the ideology behind the People's Republic - and revise it in an effort to glean its positive policies and get rid of its totalitarian aims that haunted the People's Republic. It wants to see a resurgence of positive Rhaetian civic nationalism and says that we can learn from the horrific mistakes of the past. It has been criticised for being too nostalgic of the People's Republic, but has gained a lot of popularity recently.
Rhaetian People's Party This historic party ran the brutal People's Republic with its Kollist (see above) ideology, which combines extreme nationalism and totalitarian communism. It now states that the time for a second Kollist revolution is ripe and that a new People's Republic would be better and more successful than the last one. While not directly referring to past mistakes, it states that times now warrant a return of "better implemented" Kollist policies. These include economic isolationism, larger government, and political neutrality. Suprisingly, this party has been gaining significant popularity over the last few months.
Alternative for Plessur A relatively new party, this party seeks to rebuild Plessur with a "new way of thinking". It believes that those who fear large government are simply "untrusting and anti-society" and those who adhere to Kollism as "consumed by jealousy and hatred for those who work harder and are more successful than themselves". It promises to reshape Plessur's politics and economics to bring about success that Plessur has been waiting for. It dismisses the issue of Rhaetian nationalism as "irrelevant in the face of greater issues" and the idea that government should be small as "counter-productive". Many see this new party as the party of hope. Others claim it is almost Putinist in its thinking.
Saephian National Party This party's primary aim is to achieve greater autonomy, or possibly even independence, for Plessur's large German-speaking ethnic minority, the Saephians. It opposes Rhaetian nationalism after the years that Saephians were persecuted under the nationalist regime of the People's Republic of Rhaetia. It supports the actions of the Liberal party in cutting down government, though not to the extent of anarchism. It strongly supports the idea of a Plessur identity and Plessur's growing involvement in the world around it. According to the party leader, her party stands for civic nationalism and will help the rest of Plessur too, whether it enters into a coalition or just an informal agreement with other parties.
Please vote on the poll and then post a list of the parties in your order of preference. Please feel free to comment your thoughts on this election and the parties.
The result of this is not the be-all and end-all of the election, but the result will be on the lines of the results.
