Lourenne

[lihokan2]

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82' Election Results
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General Election Results

The UpL has again won the general elections, as well as control over 2 of the 3 metropolitan authorities in Iztapalata and Grande Valois. Among those elected is firebrand Grande Valois mayor Maxime Rodine and current high chancellor Ingrid Boudet, who was top of the UpL ticket for Royal Assembly. As the general election is set in stone, Rodine has began work on not only his second term as mayor, but also launching a possible challenge against Boudet in 85'. An internal party coup is boiling and many in the party has taken sides. While the two's ideological differences are still to be seen, Rodine's people-based politics stressing on mass movements contrast greatly to Boudet's intra-party politics.


La Valois Pushes forward Train Station Regeneration works

And the nation has once again been set focused on Grande Valois and its grand infrastructure projects. Following the proposal of train station regeneration proposed by the previous PR government, the city has created the 'Train Station Quarter' to create a second Central Business District for the city, utilizing the improving high speed rail connections, as well as strengthening internal connectivity to the area. However as the city faces great budget shortfall from the Free Economic Zone construction, which is allegedly running over-budget and over-time, many criticize the city hall's insistence on going forward with another 'budget blackhole', fearing that it would become a white elephant infrastructure vastly outsupplying what the city's economy demands.

[lihokan2]

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City Hall Announces Sustainability Plan
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Urban Plan for Sustainability

Today, the Iztapalata City Hall announced the Urban Plan for Sustainability (UPS), setting out main policies to contribute to Iztapalata's goal of becoming Lourenne's green capital by 4600. The four main policy areas set out are increasing green space around the city, developing alternatives to cars, connecting the new and old cities, and managing air pollution. To achieve these goals, future urban development in Iztapalata will shift from the current plans of sprawl into increasing density in the intermediate area between the new city core and old city center. Mass transit and bike paths will be planned across the dense urban core and radiate outwards, with a metro system connecting different parts of the city. Electronic road pricing and municipal tax on car usage will reduce the incentive to use private vehicles, and a hefty pollution charge will be put in place. All the revenue from these plans will then finance a shift to 100% renewable energy power generation within the city, removing the city's main source of air pollution, coal and oil power plants.

Mayor Adrienne Delaunay is joined today in the announcement by Grande Valois Mayor Maxime Rodine, who has praised the plan and called for mutual cooperation between the economic and political centers of Lourenne, to together build a nation that is prosperous and sustainable. He also stated that changing the nation begins with its major cities, expressing wishes to create a coordinating council between metropolitan areas. High Chancellor Ingrid Boudet also sent her statement to the city from her office, praising the efforts of the plan as a 'successful showcase of what we can achieve through greater devolution'.

[lihokan2]

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Maxime Rodier Launches Campaign
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Maxime Rodier at the Announcement

Yesterday, Grande Valois mayor Maxime Rodier (UpL) announced his creation of the Campaign for Political Change (CCP), an independent group that aims at creating momentum for change in the Unis pour Lourenne party. He is also joined by heavyweights such as Iztapalata mayor Adrienne Delaunay and finance minister Francois Laurent. In the announcement, he launched his platform for national regeneration, calling for a 'great infrastructure revival', calling for new high-speed rail lines, highways and economic zones to be created across the nation. He drew heavily on his experience as the mayor of Grande Valois, with his pledge to make the city rich expanded to making Lourenne the 'most prosperous on Terra'.

However, his platform also invited controversy by abandoning the environmentally-friendly platform of the party, calling for an 'economy first' approach to the environment. It also reversed the more internationalist and liberal approach of the party to raise the issue of sovereignty, immigration and national pride. It is seen that in battle for UpL leadership next year will be fought on these issues, and the members are already hotly debating. While many members are drawn by Rodier's message of economic development and charisma as mayor of Grande Valois, some have criticized him for not focusing on his actual job as mayor, and in fact often mismanaging city policies, with videos of him not being able to answer questions by city councillors being viewed millions of times online.

[Applehead3]

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Mayor candidate Jacques Coreau prepares for general election

GRANDE VALOIS- Grande Valois former mayor and once again candidate for mayor is preparing for a contested election in two months in which he will be facing off against incumbent mayor Maxime Rodier. "Mr. Rodier cares little for our beautiful city, he only cares about boosting his national image so he can overthrow Ms. Boudet as party leader of the UpL," Mr, Coreau said that this morning at a rally in downtown La Valois criticizing Mayor Rodier for focusing on his national image rather than actually performing well in his job as mayor of the largest city in Lourenne.

Mr. Coreau vows to put people first rather than solely the economy first as supported by this statement from the rally "Rodier pushes for 'economy first' while neglecting to consider that we need an economy that works for everyone, not just those like Rodier who sit comfortably at the top of the pyramid." Coreau vows to divert funding away from Rodier's FEZ and shift it to revitalization programs to help areas of the city whose economies have lagged behind the main areas of the city. This includes continuing the Quartier de la Gare that Rodier's and Coreau's administrations both pursued.

Coreau is counting on his program proposals and the national standing of the PR to help him secure his election victory and stop Rodier from achieving a third term in office. "Rodier prefers to embroil himself in party politics and national politics, its time this city has a mayor that focuses on local policy and issues."


Candidate for mayor Jacques Coreau at a rally in downtown La Valois

[lihokan2]

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Electoral Reform Consultation Begins
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Independent Commission for Electoral Boundaries


Proposed Electoral Boundaries

Just as the General Election campaigning starts, a new round of political reform has begun in Lourenne. The Independent Commission for Electoral Boundaries announced its plan for the 4588 General Election today, calling for the creation of 'Mixed-member proportional representation' for 45 royal assembly seats allocated to local constituencies, with the remaining 180 national proportional representation lists. The Commission believes that the system will allow better local representation and cater to the needs of specific communities in the nation.With the consultation beginning today until the end of the year, the Independent Commission will be receiving opinions from the people and finally submitting legislation to the Royal Assembly under government assent. However, being an UpL-intiated policy, many fear that if the party loses its majority this year the reforms will eventually go nowhere.

[Applehead3]

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UpL defeats PR once again in the 4585 General Election





Iztapalata- The UpL has once again stood against the challenge of the PR continuing with their massive 61 seat majority in the Royal Assembly. The UpL continues to control the majority of independent metropolitan authorities. Experts are not sure whether or not the PR can pull ahead and possibly beat the UpL in the 4588 General Election or if they will continue with the ongoing stagnation the party is facing nation-wide.

OOC: The population of Iztapalata was found by dividing the population of La Valois by 2.5, if anyone has any issue with populations or any else about this post please let me know and we'll work something out. The percentages were found by finding the average of the UpL's share of the vote in Carolleux and Outannaise for La Valois, the UpL share of the vote in Carolleux for Iztapalata and the PR's share of the vote in Jôviant for Eroncourt. The number of votes (not percentage) for metropolitan authorities are inaccurate, it will be fixed next election if I do the news report for said election.

[lihokan2]

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Maxime Rodier to become Next Leader of UpL
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UpL Leadership Election Results

Following PR's decision to call snap elections, the UpL's party Central Executive has decided to agree to the proposal, and brought forward at the same time the Leadership Election for the party. While expected by many to be a move to cut short Maxime Rodier's upward momentum in the past years, the election has landed a small victory for Rodier. With his 'economy first' and nationalist agenda, as well as his track record as two-term mayor in Grande Valois, Rodier has won the support of a majority of the party membership, ascending to the top of the UpL. This also means that Rodier will for the first time stand for High Chancellorship as well as the Royal Assembly, which he has no experience in leading or even participating. While many supporters have hailed this as a positive change to ensure the continuity of UpL leadership, Ingrid Boudet has warned members, saying that 'Rodier is a good politician, so good he can transform a party in its spirit single-handedly, to a point of no return. We must preserve the spirit of our party as a progressive movement for justice and equality.'

[lihokan2]

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Lourenne Decides 4587
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Local Constituencies Results

Maxime Rodier's first election has been defined by a large slip in vote share, as the campaign is criticized by many in the party as 'loosely organized' and 'chaotic'. As PR wins its first seats in Louives, expanding the party further to the north, UpL has also lost one electoral division in Valois East, which was expected to be one of the party's strongest precincts especially with the 'Rodier effect'. While UpL defended the mayor's office of Iztapalata and Grande Valois, it has still failed to take Eroncourt under a resource-intensive campaign. While the party may be facing bad news, Maxime Rodier himself was elected into the Royal Assembly with the largest majority nationwide in the Coruma South (O6) constituency with 77% of the vote.

[Applehead3]

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UpL majority shrinks as PR begins to catch up





Iztapalata- The UpL has faced a large slip in the popular vote nation-wide with the PR making its biggest gains in recent years. Now, with the election of Maxime Rodier as leader of the UpL and the next High Chancellor of Lourenne, will the UpL continue to stay ahead of the PR or will it lose its grip on national politics.

OOC: Parties that don't have seats that propose at least one proposal during the previous term will be included in the first image.

[pSp]

Conservative renaissance as the Action Nationale is formed


Le Duc de Lambord-Montpelier, the Party President.

Iztapalata was abuzz with rumour today as the Lourennais press corps was treated to what possibly amounts to a historic moment in politics. After decades in the wilderness, it would seem as if the disparate forces of the right have finally gotten their act together to stage a comeback; from the podium of the main concert hall of the Iztapalata Palace of Culture, Henri, Duke of Lambord-Montpelier, descendant of the noble house of Clouthon, announced the creation of a new party by the name of Action Nationale. He stated that "for too long, liberalism and socialism have tormented the Patrie, left her weak and exposed to her enemies, ruined her culture and waged war on the Holy Church. The values that uphold our society, those of loyalty, decency and fidelity, have been denigrated and undermined; duty has been scorned, faith mocked, and radicalism promoted. No more, I say! Today, the true spirit of Lourenne awakes from its slumber, ready to fight for what is right! Vive le Roi!"


Emblem of the new party

Analysts consider this new formation a reaction to the UPL-PR duopoly of the past years, which has left some conservative voters feeling unrepresented. A second, crucial factor is thought to be the gradual electoral progress of the Parti Républicain, which has alarmed many supporters of the monarchy, who do not necessarily trust the commitment of the leftist UPL to defend the Royal House.

Other observers have, however, also pointed to the surprisingly unabashed, almost reactionary policies of the Action, which go beyond those factors, pointing in particular to its talk of not just protecting the monarchy, but also of expanding its powers and prerogatives beyond its current, rather ceremonial role. This may indicate the rise of right-wing anti-Parliamentarism as a budding force in Lourennais politics.