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31/12/2020
The New Year Debate!
Two months ago, the unthinkable happened: the Academic Party (AP) was split into two. The secessionist party, the Secular Pacifist Party (SPP), transformed from a group of disagreeing senators into a whole political movement, acquiring half of the AP senators in the process. The party is presenting a whole different political agenda, advocating for a return to the earlier policies of the deceased Emperor.
The political instability caused by the secession has been finally put behind, and thus a new era of politics presents itself to the Fregantese State as the Senate is now housing three major parties. The leaders of these parties were invited to participate in a new year debate, where they will present their ideas for the future of the FE.
Academic Party: Jean-Martin Fleuchaim
Secular Pacifist Party: Feridas Damadou
Fregantese Centre-Left Coalition/Fregantese Social Democratic Front: Matthias Kowalczyk
Mediator: “Ladies and gentlemen, before you is the three leaders of the three most influential political movements of the Fregantes Empire. In this special broadcast, they will give their respective perspectives in certain topics concerning foreign policy, administration, trade, and much more. So, without further addition, here is the first issue: What are your party’s foreign policy objectives in near future? We will start with you, Chancellor Fleuchaim.”
Fleuchaim: “Thank you. The objectives of the AP are simple: Preserving the current success. The FE might not be a power on the world stage by herself, but through the URT and the DEU, her vision is widespread, her diplomats are respected, her reputation is remarkable and the institutions she founded are operating within and without with huge success. Thanks to the EIM and the DEU policies like the PFZ, our country is prospering like never before in her history. With the URT, we have ensured everlasting peace in the Balkans, and made two reliable allies. It is the goal of my party, and my government, to keep this success going on and on.”
Mediator: “Mr. Damadou?”
Damadou: “The issue of foreign policy is one of those areas that the SPP fervently disagrees with the AP. The URT is militaristic in its nature, and it was an act of last resort. Its predecessor, the Imperial League, was founded by us to ensure that a threat like the Danubian Federation never rose to threaten us again in the Balkans, but it was us who threw their own safety by intervening in the first place! We got ourselves in this mess, tried to fix it with an alliance, and when that alliance became too big, too unstable, when it was viewed with extreme suspicion, and when it started to collapse, we tried to save it by merging with the Italians and the Austrians. If we didn’t abandon our sacred neutrality, we wouldn’t be in this artificial conglomerate! We are advocating for the FE to leave the URT, to declare unconditional neutrality and switch back to our old currency, the Alforia. Lastly, we want to see a normalisation in our relations with South America. The Transatlantic tension is because of Espalsio, Italy, ADE and Zackaroth. The FE has no personal offense in regards of South America.”
Mediator: “Thank you Mr. Damadou. Mr. Kowalczyk?”
Kowalczyk: “The FCLC has always been sceptical about the URT, but we generally view it as “acceptable and necessary”. There is merit in the Chancellor’s words, the URT, alongside with the DEU, is giving us broader access to the world, especially in terms of commerce and diplomacy. Plus, unconditional neutrality might put us into danger, since Eastern Europe is relatively unstable, and the Bismarck Doctrine is “politely ignored” by everybody. We need to be involved in international affairs to ensure our safety and prosperity. Also, I would like to point out something that was forgotten by Mr. Damadou. Europe. The FCLC supports European unity in all forms, and we must do our best to contribute to this goal. We need to aid Poland as much as we can, through investments, sending professionals and a trained workforce and providing advisors to their central government.”
Mediator: “Okay, onto the next subject; Economy and Commerce. Chancellor?”
Fleuchaim: “The AP will preserve the free market economy, but it will also enforce the regulations with the necessary zeal. We will encourage the growth of our information technologies industry and expand our ports to enlarge our commercial capacity. We value the MCG as it is the institution helping us in creating the fiscal plans for us and the URT. It is equally our objective to further integrate green energy technologies to our economy, and help export these technologies. We also do value the EIM and the URT for ensuring free trade with our neighbours, and expanding our commercial reach with new projects.”
Damadou: “The SPP shares similar views on our domestic trade and economic policy. We wish to stimulate economic growth, to see further investments pouring into our vital industries and the integration of green energy. However, we are highly sceptical of the merits of the URT and the EIM-DEU. For example, the PFZ is considered to be an important progress in agricultural policy, but it has also taken the effective negotiating position of the government in price negotiations. We propose staying in the EIM, but not taking part in the DEU projects like the PFZ or the Common Currency Reserve. In addition, the MCG is, in shadows, what the OPDA was to the Ottomans. It has the final say in our commercial policy, in the value of our currency, which actually doesn’t belong to us. In the case that the SPP is elected to power, we will ensure that the MCG will be gone.”
Kowalczyk: “While we support our position in the EIM, and our inclusion in initiatives such as the PFZ, we think that the current regulations aren’t enough. The FE claims to be a welfare state, and we need to make sure that we honour this claim. Suspicious activities by companies have been taking place in Preveza for one and a half year, and yet no decisive action has been taken. We are risking the lives of our citizens along with the safety and the fairness of our market economy. We also want to see more union activity. We will openly cooperate with the Confederation of Fregantese Syndicates whether we will be in government or not. The Thessaloniki protests were a huge success and we need to see more movements like it.”
Mediator: “And we have reached our third and final topic: The Patriarchy of Athens. The Patriarchy’s latest actions created great controversy within and without of the FE. What are the views of the parties?”
Fleuchaim: “The AP, and my government think that the actions of the Patriarchy doesn’t concern the state. So far, they haven’t broken any laws, haven’t started an international crisis or haven’t meddled in state affairs. They seized the leadership of the Orthodox world, but that has nothing to do with the government, nor with the average citizen. It is our preference to leave the church be.”
Damadou: “We find the actions of the Patriarchy to be very concerning. It is an institution within our borders, and it has remained calm and quiet for decades. What has led it to these actions of power acquisition? Why the Patriarchy is suddenly following a foreign policy of its own? And during and before their council many clergymen have been reported to have met with state officials in greater frequency. The Patriarchy is following an unknown political agenda, and it is trying to use our state’s political resources to achieve its goals. This act undermines our secular way of life! The Patriarchy must be subjected to supervision and rendered incapable of pursuing an international agenda!”
Kowalczyk: “We too believe that the actions of the Patriarchy to be suspicious, and that the institution should be supervised by the state, but effectively barring them from taking action abroad is too much. The Orthodox Church as a whole is an international organisation, and we should respect the Patriarchy’s connection to the broader Orthodox community. We do propose however, that the supervision include a fiscal report of the Patriarchy’s budget, so that we can be informed about the organisations actions in greater detail.”
Mediator: “Well then. Thank you all again for your contribution, and thanks a lot to our audience who remained civil until the very end of the debate. The New Year Debate is now over. Happy New Year!”
