Kalopia

[Aethan]

Green light for a new government
Early elections give parliamentary majority to a coalition between the FDK, The Unbowed, DS and the PDP


Antigone Zografou, leader of The Unbowed, in the meeting between the prospective coalition partners

The early elections have provided a good scenario for the opposition to United Kalopia: an absolute majority for a future government made up of the FDK, The Unbowed, DS and the PDP.

After the call for elections as a result of an unsuccessful result last month, with the inability of the parties to form coalitions that would add an absolute majority due to the crossed vetoes between PATRI.S and The Unbowed and the isolation of United Kalopia, these new elections, in in which both United Kalopia and PATRI.S have lost seats, have been key for a change of government to take place.

With Mr. Kyriakos Demakou confirmed again as President of Kalopia after receiving the support of the FDK, DS and the PDP and facing the candidate the PATRI.S with the support of United Kalopia, the first joy of the election night came to the headquarters from The Unbowed.

"The creation of this common front around Mr. Demakou has been essential to face the threat posed by the entry of the extreme right into our institutions, and we have achieved this because Mr. Demakou is a figure that does not arouse suspicion both sides of the political spectrum, and who is seen as a figure of broad consensus, United Kalopia laughed at us, called us "cowards" for opposing an early election thinking that maybe they could also take the Kalopia Presidency, but It was his arrogance and his attempt to make partisan use of a figure like the Head of State that has been his undoing,"

says a senior official of The Unbowed.

After knowing the electoral result, Mrs. Zografou, the leader of The Unbowed, contacted the leadership of the FDK to inform them that they would not oppose a coalition government with the PDP and DS "as long as the most harmful aspects of the Change Kalopia for good" bill" approved by PATRI.S and United Kalopia, and which, among other "barbarities", outlawed homosexual marriage and adoption, abortion, sex change, euthanasia, and penalized blasphemy. With the FDK's compromise, The Unbowed's intention was to support an FDK-DS-PDP coalition government from outside, but DS went ahead by bringing to parliament a government proposal with them included in the government.

"Although we would prefer to stay out of a government like this and give our parliamentary support from outside, it is urgent that this government headed by PATRI.S be renewed, so we have decided to vote in favor of it."

But for the moment, the citizens of Kalopia remain in a tense wait since the PDP, the smallest party in parliament but whose votes are essential for this government to move forward, has not yet ruled on its final decision, and if does not do so in the coming months, the government proposal will fail.

The priorities of this new government, if approved, should be the amendment of all the damage done by PATRI.S during last legislature, as well as putting an end to the Solentian conflict, that is damaging not only their own but much part of Eastern Majatra

[hifkhi]

An Interview of our leader:Aniketos Stavrallisis

Interviewer:Good morning Mr Stavrallisis,I'm honoured to have an interview with you.

Stavrallisis:Good Morning

Interviewer:My first question is why did you support the Cabinet Proposal by the DS

Stavrallisis: Although this government may the have the same opinion on all topic and we all agree that the far-right can't be in the government.Moreover,I don't see any reson not to agree on the proposal ,this is for our democracy,future and sustainable growth of this country.

Interviewer: As our election result is not satisfying do you consider to step down as our leader?

Stavrallisis:I understand that a lot of people want me to step down,but I hope everyone give me one more chance,I will step down if most of the supporter wants me to step down, I will do so.

Interviewer:this is the end of our interview,Thank you for coming.

Stavrallisis:Thank you

[journey.]

ELEOPOLIS - Renowned journalist, columnist, and TV presenter Sabriye Akalay has announced the founding of a new political party dedicated to fighting for the rights of ethnic minorities in the country. The announcement was made at a convention held in an auditorium in Eleopolis this week.

Akalay, who has been a prominent voice on issues of minority rights and social justice, said that the new party would be called the "Party of Ethnic Minorities (Κόμμα Εθνικών Μειονοτήτων)" and that it would be open to people from all ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds who share its values and vision. In her speech, Akalay emphasized the need for greater representation of ethnic minorities in politics and decision-making processes. She argued that, despite progress in some areas, there were still many challenges facing minorities in the country, including discrimination, marginalization, and lack of access to opportunities. "KEM will be a voice for the voiceless, a platform for those who have been excluded from the political process for too long," Akalay said. "We will work tirelessly to ensure that the rights of all minorities are respected, protected, and upheld."
Akalay, who is of Majatran descent, is known for her hard-hitting journalism and outspoken criticism of the government's policies towards minorities. She has been a frequent target of harassment and intimidation by authorities but has remained steadfast in her commitment to human rights and social justice.

The launch of KEM has been welcomed by many in the minority community, who see it as a long-awaited opportunity to have their voices heard and their concerns addressed. Some observers have also noted that the party could potentially challenge the dominance of established political parties, particularly in regions with large minority populations.

It remains to be seen what kind of impact KEM will have on the political landscape, but its founding is a significant development in the ongoing struggle for minority rights in the country. As Akalay said in her closing remarks: "We may be a new party, but we are not a small party. We are a party with a big vision and a big heart, and we are here to fight for what is right."

[dimitran]

Halil leads democratic coalition government and renounces PATRIS
Former MFA of Petropoulos government becomes Prime Minister of FDK-Unbowed-DISY-PDP coalition government



After the consecutive elections of 1958 that lead to a shocking win of the Far Right, FDK increased its power by 3.4m voters compared to 1954 and came 2nd. This came after the decisive step of Halil after the first election to support the candidate of the Left for the presidency and lead a democratic movement against the far right. As a result, the left-of-center parties agreed to take part in a government with FDK lead by Halil. This became easier after PATRIS sided with the far right rejecting the "democratic invitation" of Halil. The former government partners FDK and PATRIS have now turned to enemies with Halil renouncing the coalition government in which she was Minister of Foreign Affairs. During a speech in the parliament she stated:

(...) PATRIS had chosen side... it is the wrong side of history. We feel ashamed for your stance. We feel ashamed that we coexisted in the same government for 4 years. At the same time, however, we are glad that the people have started to realize what your party stands for and this is why you keep falling in polls. The visible face of fascism is United Kalopia. The hidden face of fascism is PATRIS. This government might not be coherent. We do not even have a common policy to agree on. But we agree that Democracy must be saved in any way and we have mutual respect for each other.

Niarchou makes public statement to apologize to Kalopians
Former President and Prime Minister Dimitra Niarchou addressed to the Kalopian people yesterday in an effort to apologize for her ties with PATRIS. Niarchou admitted it was a mistake to accept PATRIS support at the election, especially after PATRIS passed a bill that outlawed abortion. She stated that she fully supports Fani Halil and the coaltion government of FDK-Unbowed-DISY-PDP, until the democratic stability is restored in the political system. She said that the goal should be to bring back a moderate system with democratic parties that disagree but also respect each other. In the end she asked Kalopians to put their disappointment and anger aside and vote for Democracy at the next election ousting the fascists from the parliament.

[dimitran]

Troupis leads FDK to bring back Democracy in Kalopia
The new leader of FDK promises to cancel the illiberal reforms of the Far Right and lead the next coalition government with left-of-center parties



The new leader of FDK and current Leader of the Opposition Giorgos Troupis, who is also a political scientist, is leading the party to the next election promising to cancel most of the reforms passed by the far-right government of United Kalopia and DISY. Troupis also invites the rest parties of the Opposition to agree on a common democratic agenda in order to shape a coalition government after the next election. He claims that the next government must be coherent and have specific goals in order to be successful and not just "a coalition against the far right". Troupis says that FDK is willing to make some steps towards the Left, but the rest parties have to make some steps to the Right so that a compromise is found for better days in Kalopia.

Halil for President
Following the tradition of FDK to support former party leaders for the presidency, Troupis will propose former leader Fani Halil for the President, considering her success in keeping the party in teh core of Kalopian politics during difficult times and leading the democratic front against teh Far Right. Troupis is expected to ask other parties to support Halil's candidacy.

[Aethan]

Victory of the opposition!
Early elections, seen as a "plebiscite" by the UK-DISY government, places opposition parties with a majority to form new Cabinet


Mrs. Zografou during the debate of the Justice and Civil Liberties Bill

After the holding of early elections in Kalopia, in which the current coalition government between United Kalopia and DISY has lost its parliamentary majority in favor of the opposition, the leader of The Unbowed has responded to the words of senior members of United Kalopia, who have called on the population to mobilize before the imminent coalition government between all the opposition forces.

"United Kalopia wanted these elections to be a plebiscite on their government - and they got their results. Both governing parties lost votes and representatives. There were two options in these elections: whether the UK-DS government or the opposition parties, that each one with their ideology, they are united in the opposition to the filofascism of the Xenokosta government, having a mere puppet Prime Minister directed by United Kalopia. Accept your election results, in the same way the parties opposing the ultraconservative government are accepting the re-election of Mr. Mpakolas as valid, whether we like it or not"

said Mrs. Zografou.

Her words come up about the motivation behind the call for early elections. After the 5265 elections, in which United Kalopia stayed close to an absolute majority but failed to achieve it, a coalition government was expected among the rest of the forces. However, surprisingly DISY decided to disassociate itself from the opposition, reaching a government pact with United Kalopia with which they would obtain the presidency of the Government. This act did not sit well with the ranks of the opposition, especially since DISY considers itself a "centre-left" party, far removed from the radical proposals of United Kalopia. However, the legislative proposals approved by this coalition government revealed the conditions of the pact: in exchange for the presidency of the government - and nothing more, since the rest of the ministries went to United Kalopia - DISY voted in favor of the United Kalopia's legislative proposals, far removed from what is acceptable for a party considered progressive.

However, the problem came with the "Justice and Civil Rights Bill", a legislative proposal that, if approved, would have been a serious attack on democracy itself in Kalopia, since, among other things, it ended judicial independence by granting the Ministry of Justice the power to appoint magistrates, legalized capital punishment, gave special powers to the police, allowed torture and the collection of DNA from the entire population, or made homoparental adoption illegal.

Faced with this proposal, the opposition came out in a rush to attack the government, and especially DISY, for "having made a pact with the devil". However, the proposal was doomed to failure, since when making constitutional changes, it required the favorable vote of 2/3 of the parliament, and the coalition government had only 168 of 300, far from the 200 necessary for it. After the foreseeable failure of the law, the Council of Ministers agreed "to go to the polls early, after the passage of all bills, in response to the opposition's agitation", establishing that with the following electoral results "we will see who the people will approve and who they will disapprove". In an act unfit for a Head of State, the President of Kalopia himself, Giorgios Mpakolas, also from United Kalopia, announced that "the next parliament becomes revisionary, so that in the next parliament we can revise certain provisions of the Constitution, according to the program of the United Kalopia".

With this horizon, the opposition as a whole - the PDP, The Unbowed, the FDK and KEM - agreed on the leader of the FDK as a consensus candidate for the Kalopian Presidency.

However, and despite close to the election in the first round with 48% of the votes, Mrs. Halil lost in the second round against Mr. Mpakolas, re-elected as Head of State. But the coalition government did not suffer the same fate, and after these elections, it has now lost the absolute majority it enjoyed in Parliament, with United Kalopia losing 18 of its 142 seats and DISY almost half its representatives, going from 26 to 16. In this way, the opposition obtained an absolute majority, and it is expected that in the next few hours the new government proposal will be approved by which the PDP will lead the next coalition executive with the rest of the opposition forces.

"It will be a long time before we forget DISY's stab in the back to the working people and leftists of this country,"

said Mrs. Zografou, who will become the next Finance Minister and has already warned that she intends to reverse the most harmful changes of the previous government.

[journey.]

ELEOPOLIS - The recent elections in our country have been historic, with the "coalition of democratic parties" coming out as the clear winner. After three years of far-right EK and centrist DISY governing together, the people have spoken, and they have shown that they want a change in leadership. 5269 elections were called early by the EK-DISY government, who wanted to test the public's approval of their policies. The result became a clear message that the people want something different. The "coalition of democratic parties" is made up of FDK, PDP, The Unbowed, and KEM. They are now the majority in the Parliament and have the mandate to govern the country. The largest party in the coalition is EK, followed by FDK, PDP, The Unbowed, and KEM. DISY, the smallest party in the Parliament, and EK are now in opposition. The victory of the "democratic forces" is a result of their clear message of change and unity. They campaigned on issues such as healthcare, education, economy, democracy, and a promise to work together for the better of the country. Their victory shows that the people are tired of divisive politics and want leaders who can work together for the common good. The coalition now has the opportunity to implement its policies and bring about the change it promised.

KEM spokesperson Sabriye Akalay told I Protoselida that her party is proud of finally having the chance to change Kalopia for the better, and help minorities in receiving better representation. "We're talking about KEM getting justice and culture ministries so that it will help us implement our ideas. It is a shame that we're the smallest coalition partner, but we're still equal with all our members, and I'm sure this government will work for the better of our country, reversing EK fascist and authoritarian policies". Talking about DISY, Akalay remembers her being furious about DISY's betrayal of its own ideals. "They [DISY] participated in our coalition against far-right EK-PATRIS government, they introduced and voted for the progressive bills, for then just to betray that all, and for what? To go down in history as a centre-left, or rather just centrist party that governed with the far-right fascists?"

Following the coalition accords, PDP former leader, Aniketos Stavrallis will lead the cabinet, FDK leader Giorgos Troupis will lead the foreign affairs ministry, Anypotakti general secretary Antigone Zografou - finance, which already sparked criticism from EK, calling future minister "communist who is ignorant of economics", and Akalay of the KEM, who will take ministry she knows the best: education and culture. One of the key challenges for the new government will be to bridge the divide between the different political parties and work towards a common goal. Another challenge will be to build trust with the people, who have become disillusioned with politics in recent years.

[Aethan]

Change in leadership of The Unbowed
After more than two decades and with the poorest results for the party, Antigone Zografou has stepped aside


Mr. Samaroglou speaking during the parliamentary debate on the new Cabinet

The drums of war had been beating for some time. Despite having led the Bright Dawn heir party for over twenty years, Antigone Zografou now leaves as the only leader of The Unbowed unable to have risen to the presidency of the Kalopian government.

Although it is true that the political situation of the last decade is not comparable to previous ones, the truth is that under Mrs. Zografou the party has not managed to rise above 13% of the vote, coming from times when the only doubt was to know if The Unbowed would be in first or second place in the elections. Lack of political initiative, too much similarity to other political parties or ideological lapses can be found behind the poor results of the party, which in the last elections has garnered just over 11% of the vote.

Immediately after knowing the electoral results, Mrs. Zografou appeared at the party headquarters at the national level to announce that she would present her resignation as general secretary of The Unbowed the following day and the call for primaries to choose her successor, who would have to be commissioned. to face his first big decision with the results of the last elections.

The one chosen by the militants was Tilemachos Samaroglou, a naval engineer little known to the general public, but well known within the party for belonging to and leading the most radical wing of The Unbowed. After his election, the first decision he had to face was the formation of the new government, once the UK-DS coalition once again lost its parliamentary majority.

With a negotiation already underway and a proposal brought to parliament by the FDK, Mr. Samaroglou took the podium to announce that they would vote against the FDK-A-KEM-PDP coalition government, but would support a new coalition government proposal that excluded The Unbowed from the equation. According to sources consulted, Mr. Samaroglou wants to gain momentum to rebuild the ideological skeleton of The Unbowed, which he considers "tremendously damaged by the two decades of Mr. Zografou's leadership", and believes that for this it is necessary for the party to isolate itself from the government functions and present its own initiatives, in such a way that it does not harm the rest of the progressive forces and at the same time allows it to differentiate itself from them.

"Don't be fooled. The Unbowed is by no means extinct. We just have to go back to the beginnings of the party, to the ideological base of Bright Dawn, which is what the citizens need. We have to be faithful to our ideology, and above all, confront and debate with the forces that want to destroy our coexistence and divide the citizens of our nation into stagnant and unattainable social classes"

Mr. Samaroglou now has three years ahead of him before facing a new general election.

[journey.]

ELEOPOLIS - 4 years after another EK-DS government, "democratic forces" got the slim majority again, with the FDK-KEM-A-PDP alliance winning >52% of the popular vote, compared to <48% for the EK-DS alliance, with both alliances winning roughly equal numbers of seats in the parliament. However, this time the situation is different. Tensions between EK-DS and FDK-KEM-A-PDP have never been higher, with the heated debates, intense campaigning, EK-DS alliance seeking to discredit the KEM party and its ideals through a series of aggressive attacks in the parliament and the media, even trying to ban its name, reasoning it under the "violation of national interests of Kalopia", which was then perceived as "authoritarian" and "fascist" by the KEM and A leadership.

Dritan Cani was elected the party's spokesperson in May 5274 and had to face massive repressions and act decisively. Cani declined to obey "fascist" laws and called for protests. A general secretary Zografou proposed a coalition between two parties for the election, to avoid any legal prosecutions and problems, to which KEM responded positively. Coming to election day, tensions seemed to quiet down, but not disappear completely.

For once in a long time, "democratic forces" actually were the alliance for democracy, opposing authoritarianism from the EK-DS government. And in the end, luckily, it was the FDK-KEM-A-PDP alliance that prevailed, thanks in part to their strong performance in urban areas and among younger voters. The new government will now face the daunting task of governing a deeply divided country and addressing the many challenges facing Kalopia, including economic inequality, social unrest, and environmental degradation. However, A new leadership announced they won't take part in the new government, citing "rebuilding momentum to rebuild the ideological skeleton of The Unbowed", in order to bring A to the former glory of its predecessor - ARIZA. Therefore, the Troupis minority cabinet with the support of A will be introduced before the investiture vote.

[Aethan]

The Unbowed and the Midlife crisis
The party celebrates 60 years of life immersed in an ideological debate to win over the voter


Current General Secretary of The Unbowed, Tilemachos Samaroglou, during a meeting session in Parliament

Opinion piece, by political scientist Kostas Variakis

How can it be that a key party in the return of democracy to Kalopia is plunged into near irrelevance in today's political landscape? This is the question that haunts the heads of many leaders and officials of The Unbowed party, which, once again, has not managed to surpass 10% of votes in the last elections.

What for some would be considered a feat, for The Unbowed is a new electoral defeat, in a cycle from which they do not seem to know how to get out. The party has been 30 years without placing one of its own as Prime Minister, the same amount of time since the last time they managed to take over the government of any of the regions that make up Kalopia, and no one seems to find the key to reverse this situation.

History, however, tells a different story from what it seems to be. It is true that ARIZA, the party to which The Unbowed is the direct heir, is widely recognized by history and by the citizenry as the party that managed to bring democracy back to Kalopia. However, it is not true that the party maintained broad electoral support, especially in its last decades of life. As can be seen in the attached graph, in the last decade of ARIZA's life the party was already in the doldrums, and that is precisely why its secretary general, Herakles Anastakos, saw the need to re-found it, to keep ARIZA's legacy and history untouchable and launch a new party with no strings attached. This is how The Unbowed was born, and in its first two elections it obtained well over 50% of the votes. However, as time has gone by, and with minor exceptions, the party has gone back to the line that ARIZA followed, although the latter did maintain a certain territorial dominance until the end of its time: to become the party of the purist left-wing citizenry, but without the capacity to penetrate the middle and upper sectors of the population, or the rural areas. If The Unbowed wants to become the voters' favorite choice again, it has to abandon maximalist positions and moderate its discourse towards an area where more citizens can see themselves represented. However, this entails some risks: Will citizens trust a party that has made such a sharp shift in its ideology? Would the party then maintain the support of those who identify themselves more to the left ideologically speaking? And above all, would it be worth betraying the principles that one has always defended in order to win more voters? These are the questions that should be on Mr. Samaroglou's mind right now. Now, one more legislature in the opposition, time will tell.


Electoral support for the last years of ARIZA (yellow) and The Unbowed (red)