by CTerry » Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:42 pm
Defeated EPP takes stock
At an extraordinary conference in January 2848 EPP members blamed the party leadership for the party's recent losses, its recent incapability to unite the diffuse coalition of ideological currents under its umbrella. Edward Burton a 20 year old party activist from Caille said: "I don't remember a time before EPP rule. When I was born the EPP was the majority party. The EPP has done so much good for this country. It has looked after the poor and reduced inequality, steered a realistic, progressive path in foreign policy, promoted a healthy economy, reduced taxes while raising health and education budgets but in the end it wasn't enough. The EPP became stoic, elitist, disconnected, it became the party of the establishment, but now it has been thrown out of the establishment, now it must become something new."
Many members cited victory in the Presidential elections by a huge margin as evidence of the EPP's continued capability to rally a mass section of the electorate. Nonetheless Egelian President Sarah Sharpe promised to step down at the end of her term, despite her renewed mandate. Despite this being her second term Sharpe cited the need for a 'generational shift' in the party's leadership, and the requirement for a new generation of leaders.
Much argument within the EPP now lies in what kind of party to be. Whether to remain a mass catch-all party of the centre-left attempting to broadly reach out to all groups, a project that, with the fragmentation of Egelion's political scene now seems unlikely, or whether to aim for a new party base.
Reverend Ian Jones of the party's Christian Left faction has been particularly vocal in voicing the need for, in his words, "A party based on the true word of Christ. Not eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, not persecution of homosexuals, but a party based upon forgiveness, and love of one's neighbour. A party that supports stewardship of the Earth, International Brotherhood, Subsidiarity, national Solidarity and forgiveness."
Others are opposed to this view. "If the Christian Left platform takes over the party, I'll leave." Says Samantha Carr, 25 from Libertaria. "Its not like there wouldn't be a place for me in the SDLP. I joined a party that was tolerant of religion, that believed in religious freedom. I didn't join a party that WAS religious, even if some of the party members desired that. For me, if the Christian Left wins, the EPP dies that day. Perhaps it already died, in October, and now we are just dealing with how to bury the corpse of something that was once so great, and now is gone."
It is not uncommon to hear statements like this at the EPP congress. The mood is stoic. Whereas previous EPP conferences had been filled with triumphialist rhetoric, national anthem sing-a-longs, and declarations of solidarity the mood here is depressed. The party activists seem lost. Everyone has an idea of what went wrong. The party went too far to the right, it went too far to the left, it lost its radicalism, it became occasionally unpredictable. For these activists the EPP defeat cuts right to the heart of who they are. Many cannot remember a time before EPP rule. For many the EPP IS Egelion, a vote for them a sign of patriotism. Now Egelion has betrayed it. Or was it the EPP that betrayed Egelion. Whatever arises out of this congress will not be anything like what came before.