OOC: Hope this is all kosher. This is my first time doing RP in Particracy and I think I understand the rules, so sorry if I missed something.
A Republic is BornNew Republican Majority Rocks Talmorian Politics, Rattles the EconomyWith the 4390 elections, Talmorian voters chose to end the ironclad rule of the National Democratic Party and delivered a government which has rocked the country's political system, ending its age-old connection to its monarch, upending the country's place on the world stage, and wreaking an already troubled economy with deep uncertainty about the nation's future.
A Team of RivalsWhile the election results in Talmoria were dramatic, they were only so in relation to the regular order of things. Prior to 4390, the National Democratic Party controlled every seat in the Majalisar and had effectively built its political system. Even in losing many of those seats to a slate of new competitors, the NDP did not do appreciably worse than the two largest parties - the Progressive Republican Party and the All Talmoria Congress of Socialists. But while voters did not go to the polls to express displeasure with the NDP, they did embrace a radical departure from its governance. In place of the former NDP government, the National Republican Unity Coalition has formed. Consisting of the liberal Progressive Republicans, the far left ATCOS, and the far right Black Bloc, the NRUC was formed along narrow lines - to end the reign of the Empress of the Esinsundu Empire, to severe Talmoria's ties to that empire, and to end the war in Medina. The NRUC delivered on those goals quickly, ordering an immediate ceasefire with Medina, abolishing the monarchy, and reforming the political system. But as elections approach in 4393, some citizens have become concerned about the government's ability to govern beyond those goals.
Of particular worry is the Talmorian economy, which has responded negatively to the sudden instability within its political system. After going steady under the long-term governance of the NDP, the results of the 4390 elections caused Talmorian investments to plummet. And while investors have rallied somewhat with the government's efforts to preserve trading relations with the remaining Esinsundu Empire and the likely peaceful resolution of a standoff between Talmoria and the monarchy by the Justice Ministry, analysts worry about the long-term implications of Talmoria's new political reality. "There is very little common ground between the parties," one said to reporters. "The Progressive Republican Party and the National Democratic Party are both the closest to the center, but their views on the monarchy and philosophies make them a difficult - but doable - fit. And even less common ground exists between the other parties. We've seen very little legislation to help the economy come out of this session of the Majalisar, and outside of Republicanism the government has been unable to agree on even the most routine matters. Investors aren't just concerned about the now - they're concerned about the possibility that ten years from now that this Silent Revolution may render the country ungovernable."
Cultural observers agreed, with one noting the sudden and almost violent deposition of the monarchy could open deep wounds that would be hard to heal. "The original resolution put forth by the coalition called for, in effect, the violent overthrow of a monarch who was beloved by many - if not necessarily most - Talmorians. On the other side, there is definitely an element of the far left and, to a lesser extent, the far right that will not be satisfied by a peaceful resolution. These people may never reconcile, and it is hard to see who can mediate and bring them together." The source continued. "The loss of the Empress is the loss of a neutral figure, one who could stand up in times of crisis and demand that Talmorians and their representatives come together. With the loss of that figure, Talmorians will need to make a new way forward. And none of the new parties seem interested in setting aside politics in such a manner." The scholar pointed to the example of Monika Davidson, the country's current President who has already announced that she will not seek another term in the now-ceremonial Presidency and will instead seek a seat in the Majalisar and lead the Progressive Republican Party's efforts there. "There is simply too much to be gained from dividing Talmoria," the source finished. "For anyone to bring it together."
A "Global Reset"Despite a lack of direction in domestic functions, one area where the NRUC has made advances is in foreign policy. Shortly after the government announced a ceasefire in Medina to discuss the terms of peace between Talmoria and Medina, Talmoria's new Foreign Minister Albert Steiner gave a speech at the University of Talmoria's Bintuko Campus laying out the broad strokes of his vision for Talmorian foreign policy. The meat of his comments came from an excerpt of the speech in which he called for a "global reset" - an easing of long-standing hostilities intended to build a nation with "many friends and few enemies."
When many nations speak of foreign policy, they speak of it in terms of obligations - of things that we must do either for our own interests, for the interests of those whom we have chosen to champion, or simply against the interests of those whom we have chosen to deplore. As surely as a nation must have allies and brothers in arms, as this view goes, it must have enemies and those whom it acts against. This mindset is, I believe, a relic of an imperial past - a relic of a monarchical mindset which sees the human condition as a set of duties to be performed and responsibilities to be fulfilled. That nations are fit to be commanded by men, rather than to command themselves. But Talmorians are, now more than ever, a free people no longer bound by obligation, by history, by polity, or by a king or queen. We must no longer act out of obligation which we cannot afford. It is time that we set aside our enemies, our rivalries, and our concerns for matters which are not of import to us in faraway lands across borders which are not our own. Instead, the Talmorian nation must act only for itself and must be a nation with many friends and few enemies. The ceasefire in Medina is a global reset for Talmoria, not just of our rivalries but of our alliances. And I believe that in the coming months and years we will find our friends as diamonds in the rough."