Frislandia Votes 2016
On May 12, 2016, Frislandians will head to the polls to elect 209 members to the Stadþing, or Parliament. There are eight major parties currently holding and running for seats in the Stadþing. Seats will be allocated based on a system of first-past-the-post that includes multi-member constituencies. Voters are asked to read the party descriptions before voting, and nations wishing to endorse a party are encouraged to post statements of support below.
Political Compass
Centre Bloc - An Zentra
Leader: Suna Willsen (Prime Minister)
Current Seats: 65/209 (Government Coalition Leader)
Ideology: Liberal Conservatism, Classic Liberalism
Political Position: Centre to Centre-Right
During its 12-year tenure in government, the Centre Bloc has done away with many tariffs and cut corporate taxes modestly, as well as taxes on higher incomes. In recent years, Willsen's government has cut education and healthcare spending in favour of balancing the budget. It has nevertheless pursued moderately eco-friendly policies, providing subsidies for wind power and beginning some phasing out of oil subsidies. The Centre Bloc itself purports to favour gay marriage, but no moves beyond the recognition of civil unions have been taken due to opposition from their coalition partners. The party's position on abortion is somewhat ambiguous, and its members are regularly divided into pro-life and pro-choice wings. (The policy currently upheld by the party and the government coalition prohibits abortion past 3 weeks, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is threatened.) Though there is internal discord on the issue, the Centre Bloc has maintained marijuana possession's position as a state crime.
Social Democrats - Na Soxaldemokrated
Leader: Murrta Ó Tuathail
Current Seats: 58/209 (Official Opposition)
Ideology: Social Democracy, Left-Liberalism
Political Position: Centre-Left
The SDP has intensely criticised the the Centre Bloc coalition's handling of the 2008 economic crash, instead proposing deficits and infrastructure spending to better pull Frislandia out of recession in the long term. The party promises to cut all oil and gas subsidies within four years, while maintaining and expanding green energy subsidies. Apart from a small pro-life caucus, the Social Democrats are universally in favour of legalising abortion regardless of circumstance. The party also favours a nation-wide legalisation of gay marriage. Murrta Ó Tuathail and most prominent members of the party have also stated their support for nationwide decriminalisation of marijuana, with regional governments deciding whether or not to implement full legalisation.
Christian Democrats - Na Kristian Demokrated
Leader: Korridwen Kristiansdottir
Current Seats: 32/209 (Government Coalition)
Ideology: Christian Democracy, Social Conservatism, Paleoconservatism (disputed)
Political Position: Right-wing
As the second-largest party in the ruling coalition, the Christian Democrats have spearheaded many of the government's tax-cutting initiatives, deregulation of the manufacturing and banking sectors, crackdowns on organised labour, and further restriction of abortion. There is a split within the party as to the environment, with a swathe of the membership still not believing in man-made climate change. The official party line is that the economy should be the primary consideration in developing environmental policy, though national parks should remain preserved and off-limits to extraction. The Christian Democrats take some of their hardest stances on moral issues, seeking to maintain prayers and religion classes in public schools, Christian symbols in government and public places, and the United Frislandic Church as the state religion. They oppose all forms of gay marriage and civil unions, and are for the most part opposed to abortion in every or almost every circumstance. They also take a hard line on criminal justice, pledging to stiffen mandatory minimum sentencing laws and re-instate capital punishment for 1st-degree murder and rape. The Christian Democrats also favour a yearly cap on immigration.
Red-Greens - Na Gorr-Verded
Leader: Sigurð Kergwed
Current Seats: 27/209 (Opposition Coalition)
Ideology: Eco-Socialism, Left-Libertarianism
Political Position: Left-wing to Far-Left
The Red-Greens formed in 2004 from a coalition of small labour, green, and anarcho-communist parties. The party favours collective ownership of natural resources by local communities, with the government providing subsidies for communal farming initiatives. They would also eliminate college tuition, expand the universal healthcare system to include dental care, and make large investments in infrastructure, paid for by large tax hikes on multinational corporations and high income earners. They are full supporters of gay marriage and adoption, and pledge to strengthen anti-discrimination laws to ensure fair treatment of LGBT+ individuals in the workplace. They also support unconditional, quality access to abortion. The Red-Greens unequivocally support marijuana legalisation and the commuting of all sentences served on account of possession. They also pledge to lower the voting age to 16.
Confederation of Regions - Konfederasion na Broved
Leader: Yan Legwen
Current Seats: 12/209 (Opposition Coalition)
Ideology: Federalism, Green Politics
Political Position: Centre to Centre-Left
The Confederation of Regions is sometimes seen as a one-issue party, that issue being decentralisation of the state and the adoption of a more truly federal model of government. It does, however, have a number of definite stances on other issues, especially the environment, calling for a ban on all further fracking and for the expansion of national parks. On social issues, the party's members tend to hold a range of views, though the party constitution states that regional governments should be allowed to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples that will be recognised nation-wide, and that the national ban on marijuana should be lifted while leaving regional governments to decide on full legalisation.
Frislandian National Front - Frisneg Fronta Nasionta
Leader: Geir Þorvalson
Current Seats: 7/209 (Government Coalition)
Ideology: Alt Right, Ultranationalism, Third Way Economics
Political: Centre economically, Far-right socially
The Frislandian National Front is a fairly new movement, the heir to the various ultranationalist and neo-fascist parties that were present in Frislandia in the mid 20th century. The FNF combines conservative or reactionary positions on issues of racial and women's rights with tough policies on criminal justice - they promise to ban non-white immigration, "recognise the traditional family as the basis of Western society," and re-instate the death penalty for murder, rape, treason, drug trafficking, and conspiracy against the state. They would reform the education system to remove what they call "postmodernist falsehoods designed to instil shame about the history of the white race". They oppose all forms of homosexual union and activity, abortion under any circumstance apart from deformity of the child, and marijuana possession.
Communist Party - Frisneg Komunist Parti
Leader: Aslaug Yonsdottir
Current Seats: 5/209 (Opposition Coalition)
Ideology: Marxism-Leninism, Proletarian Internationalism
Political Position: Far-left
The Communist Party is the only partly to explicitly propose establishing a one-party state, though they state that individual representatives would still be chosen democratically and would be able to vote as best served their conscience and their constituents. The party advocates a planned economy, with government control of all major resource industries at communal ownership of agriculture. The Communist Party's stances on moral issues are broadly progressive, favouring homosexual civil unions (but not marriages, as they believe that the religious institution of marriage should be abolished), and the right to an accessible, safe abortion. On marijuana, the party does not agree with legalisation or decriminalisation, though they pledge to significantly reduce sentences for those caught in possession of small amounts of cannabis.
Free Democrats - Saur Demokrated
Leader: Anton da Costa
Current Seats: 1/209 (Government Coalition)
Ideology: Minarchism, Neo-Liberalism
Political position: Far-right economically, Centre socially
The Free Democrats were created by Anton da Costa in 2013 as a breakoff faction from the Christian Democrats. The party advocates the abolition of many national departments, including energy, environmental protection, education, and health. Da Costa supports the abolition of all tariffs and corporate taxes, and the passing of a 10% flat tax on individual incomes. With regards to social issues, the Free Democrats favour a nationwide legalisation of gay marriage and decriminalisation of marijuana, though Da Costa personally considers all abortion to be unethical.
