Hulstria and Gao-Soto

[Martinulus]

Tenkoun's "Super José" takes gaming world by storm


Copies of Super José are quickly sold out, leading to huge queues

Syakusen, Mitrania - Fast-growing Gao-Showan games developer, the Tenkoun Corporation, has scored a new hit which according to game reviewers may well become a classic in the fast-growing Gao-Showan games industry and internationally. The game, entitled Super José, is a platform action game in which the player, controlling the eponymous main character, must save the Bulb Kingdom from an infestation of evil rabbits and their associates and rescue the beautiful Princess Blossom. Through various powerups, including so-called "fire peppers" which allow Super José to throw fireballs at his enemies, instead of having to stomp on them to defeat them, Super José can get various special powers.

Another reason for the game's popularity is its light-hearted and humorous style. "In a time that many games are criticised for violence, a game with a character like Super José stomping on the heads of giant rabbits in a colourful world has special appeal," said on reviewer. This is particularly apparent in the main character: somewhat of an anti-hero, José is a Draniano gardener who somehow inexplicably ends up in the fairytale-like Bulb Kingdom, wearing a stereotypical outfit of overalls and an old-fashioned cap in colourful green. To add to the charm, the character speaks in a low-pitched voice with a comical mock Draniano accent, with several catchphrases such as "'ere comes José!", "Jeronimo!" and "Olé!". To add to the effect, in the few scenes of the game that include dialogue, José's dialogue is never displayed on the screen but always replaced with comic effect by gibberish mimicking Draniano phonology.

The spiritual father of the main character, Moto Miyageru, explained his choice for a Draniano at the press conference. "At first we wanted to go with 'Super Ludwig', but we decided it didn't resound well and the panel studies confirmed that," he explained. "And then we came across this character and we thought: this is funny." Rumours say that the character of Super José was based on a Draniano-descended caretaker at the company headquarters, but the company refuses to discuss the private details of its staff, insisting the character emerged out of a creative process.

Copies of the game are to be shipped worldwide for a global release, including to Dranland. Goo Jong-Moon, the president of Tenkoun's Dranland branch, thinks the Dranish population will also be endeared to the character, in spite or because of the comical Draniano accent of the main character. "I think they will, like the Crownlanders, be able to laugh with Super José and grow to love the character and the game." Sales forecasts for the Dranish game are comparatively high.

Buoyed by the game's initial success, Moto Miyageru announced at the same press conference that a sequel would be developed, entitled Super José 2: the Brothers José, in which José's little brother, Super Alejandro, will make his first appearance, enabling multiplayer gameplay.

[Alain Delors]

Hulstrian Liberals Enter Politics
June 20, 3563


Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer

After Hosian and Social Democrats, a third political camp has emerged in Hulstria & Gao-Soto, in line with the general trend toward more political diversification. The Liberale Volkspartei (Liberal People's Party), led by 42-year-old journalist and publisher Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer who is known as the editor of the liberal political magazine Journal der Freiheit (JdF), has officially registered as a political party and intends to contest the elections next March.

"The numerous positive responses and encouragement I received to my writings during my time as a freedom-minded journalist have convinced me that there is an enormous liberal potential in our nation that deserves political representation", Lamann-Spitzer said at her first press conference as LVP leader, which she held at the provisional party headquarters, the former offices of the JdF, where she was also flanked by her two deputies, millionaire and industrialist Markus Fahrengold (38), and Janina Stadtmann, 34, a diplomat who for several years has worked at the Hulstrian embassy in Dranland.

Lamann-Spitzer revealed that the LVP so far managed to gather around 800 members, with a strong upward trend. "We have a rather ambitious plan: until the end of the year, we will establish branches and functioning operating structures in all Crownlands, and offices in all major cities until the election", she told reporters. While the chairwoman declined to comment on her party's finances, it is widely believed that Fahrengold provides for most of its expenses, including a large-scale billboard campaign that is currently being put up in Kien aiming at increasing the LVP's name recognition.

The party's provisional manifesto meanwhile does not reveal a lot about the LVP's ideology: apart from "a truly freedom-minded vision for our grand nation" it also includes a line about "commitment to democracy, tradition and our national identity", implying that the party might fit well into the centre-right mainstream of Hulstria, although with a more market liberal focus than the HDV.

Despite Lamann-Spitzer insisting that "we're not libertarian radicals or laissez-faire fanatics", the LVP has already been labeled neoliberal by observers and pundits, a term which the chairwoman rejects. "We're not neoliberals, we're not social liberals, we're not classical liberals - we're simply liberal, I'm not going to encourage factionalism by using such divisive terminology."

Despite the LVP leader's refusal to specify her party's ideology, insiders have suggested that while Lamann-Spitzer herself is relatively centrist, the people behind her are secretly pushing into different directions. Fahrengold, with his big business background, is said to be eager for massively reducing bureucracy, regulation and taxation, while Stadtmann is reportedly less enthustiastic about shrinking the state, instead focusing on civil rights and social issues.

If the LVP manages to gain representation in the Reichstag in next year's general election, many expect it to perform better in urban and suburban upper-and middle-class areas than in the country, where the HDV dominates among farmers and rural citizens. In any way, only time will tell which role the party is going to assume in Hulstrian politics.

[Alain Delors]

Lamann-Spitzer Wins Seat in By-Election
July 3, 3563


Newly-elected MdR Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer

Only a few weeks after the party's official registration, the LVP has gained representation in the Reichstag via a stunning by-election victory in Kien West, which occurred after the incumbent HDV MdR had announced his resignation following ill health early this year. While for months it seemed like the HDV's replacement candidate, Hans-Jörg Struber, would be a shoo-in without even a single challenger, the last-minute decision of LVP leader Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer to contest the seat shook up the race considerably. As a result, one socialist candidate, Rainhard Ahrendt, and one Independent, Rudolf Spaengler, also joined the field in what eventually became a rather heated contest.

While Struber focused on attacking left-winger Ahrendt who initially looked as the most hopeful opposition candidate, Lamann-Spitzer launched a spirited campaign funded by her deputy, industrialist Markus Fahrengold, which focused on appealing to the bourgeois upper middle-class residents of Kien West, which is one of the most vibrant business districts of the capital. A suggestion that delighted the bourgeois electorate in particular was the LVP leader's promise to push for a reduction in the top tax rate on income, which is currently 50%, down to 45%.

In the end, the results looked as follows:

Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer (LVP): 38.55%
Hans-Jörg Struber (HDV): 34.96%
Rainhard Ahrendt (Socialist): 19.46%
Rudolf Spaengler (Ind.): 7.03%

Lamann-Spitzer herself seemed overwhelmed by the result, declared herself "immensely humbled, immensely honored" and also admitted that she was "rather surprised" by her upset victory against the candidate of the dominant party. As the sole non-HDV member of the Reichstag, the LVP leader will have a hard time running up against the majority. De jure she will also receive her first official title as Oppositionsführerin (Leader of the Opposition), leading a caucus of one. It is thus seen as unlikely that she will attempt to provide fundamental opposition to the HDV - instead, observers believe that Lamann-Spitzer will actively try to establish ties with the HDV's market liberal wing, which could be a link for a hypothetical future coalition of the Hosian Democrats with the Liberals.

Fahrengold Invites HDV Liberals



In a move aimed at increasing the party's membership (which has shot up to 10.000 members following Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer's by-election victory) and potentially also its parliamentary caucus, LVP vice-chair Markus Fahrengold, who is also the major donor to the Liberals, has openly reached out to members of the HDV's market liberal wing, saying that "those with a broader definition of economic freedom are very welcome to come over to our side."

Fahrengold has meanwhile been named as the chairman of the LVP branch in Hulstria Crownland, where he will run for the office of Ministerpräsident. Already he is stepping up publicity efforts by expanding the billboard campaign in Kien to other cities in the region, including Pfathzburg, Phonix and Luthur. Given that the HDV has traditionally found Hulstria Crownland a different environment to succeed, the LVP is given a small outsider chance of winning the election there by optimistic members.

[Reddy]

Riera Addresses HDV Faithful At Annual Conference
November 3563


Taoiseach Carmen Riera at the HDV Conference

Dranish Taoiseach Carmen Riera was the foreign guest speaker at the HDV's November conference, addressing hundreds of the party's delegates. This came after the Hulstrian Staatsminister Klaus Michels' own sppech and attendance of the Dranish Hosian Alliance's own conference last year in October. Riera was in high spirits and delivered a speech reflecting this mood.

Can you feel it friends? I feel it, I feel it, I feel it! The spirit of Eliyahu is in here, for what else could have protected and defended and enriched these twin empires for so long, under the stewardship of this wise movement. A movement that puts values first, a movement that sees all as equal and a movement that cares for the fate of each Hulstrian and Gao Showan’s soul. The HDV is a blessing from the very hands of God, a gift to the two empires and an asset to all Dovani.

Radical winds are blowing in not just in Hulstria and Sao Goto but in our own Dranland as well, forces obsessed with the supremacy of state and those obsessed with unlocking the harmful effects of the untethered market, both seek to pull down the durable, centrist and consensual policies that have served Hulstria and Gao Soto for so long. Beware the radicals, friend and fight off the twin challenges you will face in a few months for now when the people reaffirm their support for the centre. Resist these challenges not for the sake of holding office only but to defend people from the chaos that extreme ideologies bring. Remember that day in September. The future is the past and the past is the future!

You have every weapon you need for triumph in 3563. A wise leader in the person of Staatminster Michels, a long glorious history and the affection of the masses. Hosians of Hulstria and Sao Goto, lift up your manifestos, march and seize your rightful victory. For in the end, the Lord only helps those who help themselves and I’m confident He has done all He can for His party, the remainder is in your hands. We in Dranland shall pray and hope only for the best. Whatever should happen in March, the HDI remains the greatest glue between our movements and it remain so. Thank you and stay strong!

After her speech, Riera was joined on the stage by Staatsminster Klaus Michels and other prominent HDV politicians as the standing ovation roared on. The next morning the Taoiseach met Staatsminister Michels and his Foreign Minister Klaus Heinsberg and the trio discussed a number of issues include tensions between Dranland and Egelion and she got a briefing on the disagreement between the host nation and the Indralan Empire. She also paid a courtesy visit to the offices of the LVP and the HSP but as her aide, Marianna Gomez noted, 'the chemistry was just not there but the meetings went reasonably well.'

[Alain Delors]

LVP Lines up in Crownlands
November 20, 3563

The LVP seems to be keeping up with its promise of establishing branches in all five Crownlands until the end of the year. Today, LVP leader Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer hosted a press conference at the new party headquarters, which was recently opened and resides in a noble urban villa located in Lamann-Spitzer's Wahlkreis of Kien-West.

Speaking to the press, she announced that the LVP had indeed managed to establish functioning local branches in all Crownlands, already equipped with local party headquarters, staff and adequate funding. "We are on a very good track with regards to next years general election, although there is still a lot of work to do", Lamann-Spitzer said. Her deputy, industrialist Markus Fahrengold, even gloated that "everything is working smoothly, expect us to romp home with at least 20% next year". This statement was quickly relativized by a cautious chairwoman, who cautioned that "we would be humbled if the voters delivered a couple of seats to us. As a completely new party, we are aware of the truth that lies in the old saying that the first step is always the hardest."


The leadership duo then announced the names of the local LVP leaders. In Hulstria, it had been announced as early as July that Fahrengold himself will lead the local branch and also run for the post of Ministerpräsident.


In Hilgar, the LVP will be led by Kenzaburo Hirayama, 56, a professor of economics from Miyako and former pharma-lobbyist, who is currently the highest-ranking Gao-Showan in the party. Contrary to the vast majority of members, he is notably an atheist and republican, but he has said that these issues are not his top priorities. Instead, he has announced that he will advise the LVP primarily on economic reform. It is likely that he will align with the neoliberal wing around Markus Fahrengold.


In Mitrania, the LVP has landed a surprise coup with the nomination of Anton 'Toni' Hirschbichler, 52, a farmer and forester who runs large-scale agricultural and forestry operations in Wiesental, which is a green, yet secluded valley in eastern Mitrania, close to the Schnee-Berge mountain chain. It is assumed that his role will be to outweigh the LVP's image as a generally urbanite party and appeal to rural voters. Stoderer will run for Parliament directly in his geographically large, yet thinly-populated Wahlkreis, but will also be on the party list since it is unlikely that he can single-handedly break the HDV's dominance in the area. Stoderer will probably become one of the proponents of his party's conservative wing, which is ideologically perhaps closer to the right-wing of the HDV than to the mainstream of the LVP.


In Kuratha, the LVP will be led by Eduard Riegelberg, 62, a judge from Marchau who will contest the Wahlkreis of Marchau-Zentral. Riegelberg will most likely become justice critic if he wins a seat, but it is unknown where he stands ideologically. He has, however, long been known and frequently criticized for his 'soft' rulings and might thus align with the small social liberal faction.


In Budenlar, school principal Carolina Windisch, 36, will chair the local LVP branch. A resident of Labsburg and activist for increasing the role of charter schools, she is believed to have advised Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer on the Bildungsverbesserungsgesetz she introduced to the Reichstag in which she demanded allowing charter schools to be run for-profit, which was opposed by the HDV.

Campaigning has not yet actively started, however the hyperactive LVP deputy leader Fahrengold took a shot at the conservatives and also the Dranish Taoiseach Carmen Riera, who, at the HDV conference, had recently called on voters to "beware the radicals", obviously taking an indirect swipe at the LVP and the HSP. "I'm not intending to be mean, but it says so much about these conservatives that they have to invoke the name of Boh in every second sentence to justify their policies. Ours, in contrats, can be argued for with reason. Boh-given reason, of course, but we need no constant praying to secure our electoral fortunes. We have the cash, you know." Fahrengold's comment was once again relativized by the overly cautious party leader Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer, who insisted it was meant as a joke.

[Martinulus]

(OOC: Er... when will people learn? Boh (fully "Boh-Gospodi" (roughly "the Lord God")) is the name of God in Deltarian. It has no place in discourse elsewhere, especially not in Luthoran and SPC discourse. In North Dovani, I imagine people will refer to "God", maybe "Elyon", or "the Lord")

HDV Herbstparteitag '63 at Kien

Riera Speech talk of the day at HDV Conference

Morinaga Yoshiro, Health and Social Services Minister and Chairman of the Miyako Group of Gao-Showan Kamist and Daenist Hosian Democrats, responded to the speech given to the Conference by Carmen Riera, Leader of the Dranish Hosian Alliance and Taoiseach of Dranland. "Oh, Riera's speech?" he told the Hulsterreicher Rundfunk Stiftung/Hozo Zaidan Mikuni, the independent public news broadcaster. "I wouldn't have put it that way myself, you'll understand, but I agree with the sentiment that the centre in the Crownlands must hold against both the atomism of the market and overreaching the boundaries of the state. That is what Riera wanted to tell us, and you won't find a Hosian Democrat here who disagrees."

Kamist members attending the Conference were conspicuously silent during applause for Riera's outspokenly Hosian opening paragraph, and it has become the talk of the day even among the Hulstrian Hosian members of the Party, who do not often see such religious fervour in their leaders. They did enthusiastically applaud after Riera's speech, though many told the press that they were uncomfortable with strident Hosian rhetoric and glad that such was not daily fare in leadership speeches.

Albrecht Kerrlich, the Minister for Food and Agriculture and great-grandson of the controversial ultra-conservative Ameliorate MdR, Manfred Kerrlich, was more enthusiastic about the speech. "Some help from up there is always appreciated," the MdR for Ruhfeld and Bauerland in Kuratha commented in his usual witty fashion with a grin on his face. Although less conservative than his great-grandfather, Kerrlich is on the conservative and religious wing of the HDV, although with an open mind.

Michels: "Gemeinsam geht's besser!"


HDV Leader and Staatsminister, Klaus Michels, received a standing ovation from his party faithful after a speech in which he emphasised community values

Klaus Michels set the tone for the day, however, in a speech strongly emphasising community values. In his address to the Conference, which is reprinted below, he thanked Riera for her speech. Apart from thanking his Dranish colleague, Michels quickly adopted his usual moderately passionate tone more reminiscent of the HDV and spoke of building a better society.

You caused quite a stir, Carmen, but thank you for being here all the same. I am sure that with you and all our friends in Dranland praying for wisdom and strength in the coming campaign, all of us - Hosian and non-Hosian - will feel blessed.

Hosianisch-Demokratische Freunde,

I will say this: there can never be a definite answer to the question posed by our faith in a changing society. We do not have that definite answer; we will always have that sense of justice, that question posed of us whether this is the society that we want to see. And occasionally, we will have to say "no". No, a society in which men are free without values is not the society we wish to see. We subscribe to the view that no man is an island, that no man should be an atomised individual.

A society in which the basis of supporting families is income, not the equal love every parent bears for their children, is not the one we wish to see. We are not paying parents to subsidise those who cannot pay for their children with child benefit. We are making a statement, Hosian Democratic friends! A statement that the family is our foundation, the place where values are born and people care for eachother where needed, that all families are equally important in our society, no matter whether they're rich or poor! And we will do more, encouraging the function of the extended family to help throughout our life cycle.

A society in which the profit of a business model is placed before investment in our children is not the society we wish to see. A for-profit focus in our charter schools will lead to nothing but a scramble for greater profit margins, while every pfennig we - as a society and as parents - spend on our children's education should be an investment in them. And if that investment isn't enough, I have got a message for you: we should invest more, as is our duty, instead of looking to others to invest. And we, as Hosian Democrats, will be the first to propose greater spending and reforms for greater excellence should they be needed.

A society in which the state lets loose the market is not the society we wish to see. Some benefits of business are too immaterial to be immediately replaced by the market without disruption after bankruptcy. Some would forbid even the most necessary interventions in our economy. When the banks get into trouble and people stand a chance to lose their hard-won savings, then we need to protect their savings, not leave them standing in the cold. That's what Michael Takata did during last century's banking crisis, and that's what we must allow ourselves to do. It's the humane, pragmatic thing to do.

Sometimes, we can answer that question with "yes, but...". And that's when we can be proud of ourselves. We can be proud that we have stewarded this land of two peoples, united and free, provided it with stable, consensual and moderate government, for all our existence. We can be proud that we have consolidated the gains of the September Revolution, protected the Constitution, our freedoms and our values. And yes, we can be proud that we are exporting that heritage across Terra through an activist foreign policy.

We have built in Hulstria and Gao-Soto a society where where you're going, not where you come from, counts. Yes, that is what we want to see, but we can always do better in promoting mutual respect and championing both our cultures. From the Gao-Showan video game industry Anne Nishimura is doing so much to promote worldwide to the sights of this beautiful and grand city we convene in today, we can be proud of our land of two peoples. In our next term, we will continue promoting Hulstria and Gao-Soto abroad and at home, building on the many things that are good in our society.

Hosianisch-Demokratische Freunde,

I say: welcome to Frau Lamann-Spitzer and her Liberals, and I heartfeltly hope for a good cooperation and a great electoral result for her, in the interests of the multi-party democracy that was so dear to my great-grandfather and every HDV leader since. We can find much we agree on, and I hope that that will become the basis for a long and fruitful cooperation in the Reichstag, for next term and all the terms to come.

But Freunde, we have our mission. To defend, with all who wish to join us in and outside this party, the values these Crownlands were built on. Community, pluralism, democracy, freedom with values. To build a society that comes closest to realising our joint dreams, the society reflecting our most heartfelt beliefs. So many call us the natural party of government. It is not a compliment; it is an enduring mission to take our responsibility in government when we're called to do so, and keep performing as people expect of us.

Today we embark on the most challenging election campaign in a long time, Freunde. Each of us has a story to tell about Hulstria and Gao-Soto, where we came from, where we are and where we should be going. For us, it is the story of gemeinsam. Let that be the word in all of our hearts as we hit the streets.

So let's go. Let's build a better Hulstria and Gao-Soto together, starting with a great performance at the ballot box next March. Let's build a Hulstria and Gao-Soto where everyone contributes, where everyone can contribute and where community spirit gets the space to flourish.

That is the strength of our nation and of our party: Gemeinsam geht's besser.

Michels's speech announced the HDV's election slogan: Gemeinsam geht's besser (in Luthoran: We're better together, in Gao-Showan Issho ni sugurete iru). He also appealed to the rich history of his party, referencing old and successful creeds such as Leah Schiffer's freedom with values and the Septembrist watchwords "a land of two peoples, united and free".

[Alain Delors]

OOC: If Boh is wrong then we've been using the term falsely in Dranland the whole time... thanks for correcting me!


LVP Unveils Election Manifesto
December 27, 3563


Secretary-General Heinfried Lanschitz

The LVP leadership today released its first ever election manifesto, penned by Secretary-General Heinfried Lanschitz, who introduced it to the general public today. Apart from a general call for deregulation and privatization, it also enshrined the demand for legalizing for-profit charter schools as well as transforming child benefits into an exclusively means-based payment, something the HDV is staunchly opposed to. As an alteration of the HDV's famous "freedom with values" slogan, the LVP manifesto calls for "values with economic reason", arguing that "we support family values, but it is simply nonsensical to redistribute the wealth of rich people to themselves via a universal child benefit policy, which creates unnecessary bureaucracy."

Regarding taxes, the LVP aims to cut the top tax rate from 50 to around 45 percent, "to incentivize private-sector investment", as Lanschitz explained. Taxes for the upper middle class (currently 30 percent) could also be cut according to Lanschitz if a general sales tax of around three percent was introduced, which he says would "lead to a better, economically more efficient balance of tax burden between income and consumption."

On issues of law and order, the manifesto comes across surprisingly tough for a liberal party, calling for allowing local governments to impose curfews during a state of emergency, as well as legalizing privately funded gated communities. "Security is a key element of liberal policies", Lanschitz argues, "becauses it serves the protection of private property and individual freedom." The LVP also calls for making prisoners do some kind of mandatory work in prison, claiming that "anything else would not be fair to law-abiding taxpayers."

On ecology and agriculture, the LVP calls for privatizing forests by selling them to farmers and foresters, although this would not be a major change to the status quo given that forestry is already subcontracted by the government. Nonetheless, Lanschitz says that "it would be better if those who work the land also owned it." On farming, the Liberals seek to replace the current green subsidy policy with one aimed at supporting low-income farmers regardless of the methods they use.

Social issues and civil liberties have been largely left out, except for a few low-importance policies such as ending the formal illegality of adultery, easing adoption regulation and liberalizing private gun ownership under certain conditions. However, Lanschitz says that "civil liberties are just as important to us as economic freedoms - freedom is nothing that can be divided into different sections."

Observers nevertheless say that the LVP's 3563 manifesto is remarkably moderate for a new party, with some claiming that it would have been more effective if the party did actively highlight its differences with the HDV and start to polarize. However, after the embrace of Staatsminister Klaus Michels of the Liberals at his party conference, chairwoman Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer opted for a less confrontational tone, to the dismay of her deputy Markus Fahrengold.

At the moment, all major factions (mainstream liberals, neoliberals, liberal-conservatives and social liberals) seem to have unanimously given their consent to the manifesto, even if the left-liberals around deputy leader Janina Stadtmann and Kuratha's LVP leader Eduard Riegelberg are said to be dismayed over the law-and-order section. This demonstrative unity may end as soon as the LVP's parliamentary caucus has been elected - then, according to insiders, factionalism will play a greater role, especially if the LVP wins an unexpectedly large number of seats.

Meanwhile, what remains unknown is whether the LVP will nominate a challenger for Governor-General Ludwig Bildermann (HDV). While Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer has implied it may not be doing so by calling Bildermann "a decent man and worthy representative of our nation", her deputies Fahrengold and Stadtmann are reportedly lobbying for an own candidate. A decision will be reached until early February, Secretary-General Lanschitz said.

[Alain Delors]

LVP Wins 35%


LVP leader Lamann-Spitzer votes in Kien-West.

The LVP has had a successful first election as it took 35.12% of the popular vote across Hulstria & Gao-Soto, becoming the official opposition party and also the only party represented in the Reichstag apart from the HDV, which won 64.8% and continues to dominate Hulstrian politics - but it fell short of the 2/3 majority narrowly, meaning that it will have to work with the Liberals on constitutional matters. Since both parties are constitutionally conservative, this factor is, however, considered unimportant.

After the first exit polls had been released on national TV, LVP leader Lamann-Spitzer was received with frenetic applause at the liberal election festivities in Kien-West, where the party had rented the fancy ballroom of Hôtel Bristol. While she remained humble in the light of her impressive result, she could not hold back her jubilant mood entirely, declaring that "we have surpassed even the most optimistic expectations, and that's a huge credit of trust the voters have delivered to us. What we can safely say by today's results is that liberal thinking is alive and well in Hulstria, and that the voice of individual freedom will be heard in the Reichstag louder and more often from now on!"

In her own Wahlkreis of Kien-West, the LVP leader came close to an absolute majority, gaining ten points compared to last year's by-election result, up to 48.6%. Her strongest challenger trailed with 34.9%. Most other LVP grandees won seats as well, with the notable exception of deputy leader Markus Fahrengold, who will become Opposition Leader in the Landtag of Hulstria and Prof. Kenzaburo Hirayama, who stunned observers by winning 53.79% in Hilgar and thus becoming Ministerpräsident, the first liberal politician in decades to rule a Crownland.

In Budenlar, the LVP also came close to defeating the HDV, falling short of a majority by a little more than 2%. Carolina Windisch, the local leader, will, however, not lead the Landtag opposition, as the former charter school teacher and principal will enter the Reichstag, likely as liberal education critic.

Notably, the LVP campaign failed completely in Mitrania, consolidating the party's urbanite image. The nomination of farmer Anton Hirschbichler did not raise the Liberals' electoral fortunes in Hulstria's agricultural Kornkammer. Hirschbichler declared himself disappointed, but announced that he would continue to lead the party in the Crownland if the leadership allowed him to do so.

In the Reichstag, Lamann-Spitzer will now lead a caucus of 224 liberal MdRs, and serve as parliamentary chairperson as well as as Oppositionsführerin. Janina Stadtmann, MdR from Flieder, will be her deputy and foreign affairs critic. Secretary-General Heinfried Lanschitz (MdR for Thague) will become opposition chief whip and Internal Affairs critic. Judge Eduard Riegelberg, MdR from Marchau, will become justice spokesman. All other frontbench positions will be filled in the next weeks.

Turnout in the 3564 was relatively high for a largely two-way contest (the HSP campaign did hardly garner attention) at 78.49%. Observers say that this is a proof for the Hulstrian electorate's overall solidly centre-right leanings. It remains to be seen how HDV and LVP will work with each other in the upcoming tenure. By not nominating a challenger for Governor-General Ludwig Bildermann, the Liberals have already set a conciliatory tone.

[Martinulus]

LVP enters Parliament amidst HDV triumph


Staatsminister Klaus Michels, ready to go back to work in the Imperial Diet complex

Kien, Hulstria - The 3564 election, much anticipated as the most competitive in the recent history of the Crownlands, has resulted in a triumph for Staatsminister Klaus Michels and his Hosianisch-Demokratisches Verbund. Coming out on top in all Crownlands except Hilgar, the Hosian Democrats took a convincing 65% of the vote and 419 seats in the 643-seat Reichstag. In addition, Governor-General Ludwig Bildermann won re-election virtually unopposed as the Liberals refused to run a candidate against him, giving him their tacit support.

In a surprise result, the Liberals came out on top not in the expected competitive Crownland of Hulstria, which the HDV managed to swipe in an upset that surprised even them because of their traditional weakness there, but in the traditional HDV stronghold of Hilgar in Gao-Soto. For the first time in its post-Septembrist existence, the HDV has won more seats in the Empire of Hulstria than in Gao-Soto, possibly because of the wearing off of what many referred to as the "Kurosawa effect" which was caused by the HDV's strong associations with Septembrism and thus indirectly with the popular Okatoris. According to The Chronicle's political editor, this is because the opponents could be seen as neither very Hulstrian-dominated (like the FGP) nor explicitly Republican (like the SDAP and VB), which has normalised political competition in the Crownland, with the HDV close behind.

Competition in Mitrania was far from normal. Despite the best efforts of the FVP in nominating a rural farmer, the HDV won all Reichstag seats in the Crownland and an overwhelming majority in the Landtag. Analysts have speculated that the FVP in Mitrania was too much "HDV-lite" and that election studies showed that given the choice, the Crownland's rather conservative and rural population preferred the "real deal" of the HDV, while in the urban center of Graaffsberg-Syakusen, the agency of Science and Technology Minister Anne Nishimura on behalf of the booming video game industry centered there won more urban votes for the Hosian Democrats.

The Crownland of Budenlar was another key battleground this election. HDV support in Budenlar is centered in the rural areas and the wealthy suburbs of the capital of Labsburg, where the LVP made inroads into the suburban and urban vote. The presence of Vize-Staatsministerin Anne Nishimura on top of the HDV's Budenlar list and in her safe seat of Labsburg St. Martinus (the old sub-urban stomping grounds of HDV legend Hosianne von Metten) probably tipped the scales for the HDV.

Klaus Michels appeared ever more confident of his new mandate as the night went on, and shortly after the Hosian Democrats passed the 322 seats needed for a majority, he gave a speech with a triumphant smile to match the jubilant mood among the party faithful at the victory celebrations at 15 Henriettastrasse. "I congratulate, first and foremost, the hundreds of new Liberal colleagues we have the honour of welcoming to the Reichstag next term," he began. "But tonight, it seems, is our night as well as theirs. Together, we have proven that We're better Together. Thank you for all your hard work; now it's up to us, all of us elected tonight, from Ludwig" - at this point Michels was interrupted by cheering and a spontaneous chorus of "for he's a jolly good fellow" (OOC: or its German equivalent) - "I'm sure he'll thank you for that! All of us elected tonight, from Ludwig to all the representatives in the Imperial Diet and the Land Diets, to work with you to repay the trust we have received. Tomorrow, we -" At this point, Michels was again interrupted by his crowd, who started cheering and indicating that they wished to celebrate more. "Okay, tomorrow we'll go to work again. You can celebrate somewhat longer if you like, you deserve as much. Thank you and good night!"

[Alain Delors]

Lamann-Spitzer Names Frontbench Team
July 27, 3564


Opposition Leader Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer (LVP) speaking to the Reichstag.

Oppositionsführerin Aurelia Lamann-Spitzer (LVP) today presented her Schattenkabinett by naming spokesmen for all remaining frontbench positions (Internal Affairs, Justice and Education have already been filled). "The voice of freedom will be articulated by a formidable, competent and diverse team", she said at a press conference at the Liberals' parliamentary offices.


R. Aoyama
Finance: The finance slot was supposed to be awarded to deputy party leader Markus Fahrengold until he chose to contest the Landtag elections in Hulstria Crownland, which the LVP expected to win but lost by a big margin to the HDV, surprisingly winning Hilgar, a traditional Hosian Democratic stronghold, instead. Fahrengold thus had no choice but to take the role of Oppositionsführer in Hulstria. The vacancy in the fiscal spokesman post will be filled by Richard Aoyama, 43, a corporate executive who is an MdR for Hikyuu-zyou (Hilgar). He will be the only member on the Liberal frontbench with a Kunihito background, but Gao-Showan LVP politicians are more influential in the Crownlands, especially in Hilgar where one of them is the country's only liberal Ministerpräsident. Aoyama's main task will be to work out a tax proposal that will reduce the burden on income, especially for high and middle earners.

Defence: Ladislaus Markhof, 40, has been a Lieutenant Colonel in the Hulstrian armed forces for several years and has additionally worked as a foreign policy analyst for the Weltkurier, a weekly foreign policy magazine. He is MdR for Anderinch (Kuratha) and can be counted among the law-and-order-liberals around Secretary-General Heinfried Lanschitz, who covers Internal Affairs.


J. Stadtmann
Foreign Affairs: Janina Stadtmann, 35, is the youngest LVP frontbencher. The MdR for Luthur (Budenlar) is a diplomat who for several years has worked at the Hulstrian embassy in Dranland (she is fluent in all three Dranish languages). She is the most leftist of the LVP leadership circle, but her social liberalism is shared only by a small minority of Liberal MdRs.

Infrastructure: Ulf Hinteregger, 37, is an architect and urban planner by profession, who was involved in several major housing projects realized in his hometown, Pfathzburg, which he represents in the Reichstag. Having worked in the private sector for most of his professional career, he is a firm believer in privatization and greater market-orientation regarding infrastructural services and aligns with the neoliberal wing of the LVP.


Dr. F. Hechl
Health: Dr. Franz Hechl, 65, is a cardiologist from Flieder and an MdR for the surrounding suburbs. He has also been an executive in several health-related companies, such as insurance providers. He is the oldest frontbench member but jokingly remarked that "I intend to remain an active politician for 20+ years. I may be old, but I am a doctor and I know what kind of drugs I must swallow to keep myself going." Despite his health care background, he holds some unorthodox views and is a proponent of liberal smoking laws and supports decriminalization of most recreational drugs.

Science: Prof. Johannes Schnauder, 58, is a mathematician, university professor and MdR from Hilgar who has taught at numerous prestigious universities at home and abroad. He has also written on political philosophy, theology, literature and various other subjects. While his portfolio is low-key, he is considered an influential ideologue in the LVP and a proponent of the classical liberal/libertarian wing.


J. Stangassinger
Food and Agriculture: Josef Stangassinger, 62, is a farmer and MdR from Kuratha. His frontbench nomination came unexpecetedly as it could not be forseen that the Mitranian LVP would fail to win enough votes, leaving Anton Hirschbichler, who was originally supposed to take the agriculture portfolio, without a seat. Stangassinger, like Hirschbichler, is a conservative and comes, as insiders joke, "from the HDV wing of the LVP." His trademark demand is forest privatization, a policy through which the LVP hopes to garner more rural support.

Environment: Wilhelm 'Willi' Kreuzeder, 46, an MdR from Kuratha's rural part, is a biologist and engineer. He has participated in several business ventures based on renewable energy, most of which were unsuccessful. He has recently grown more sympathetic of conventional sources of energy, and, together with the liberal economic spokesman Georg Wintersfeld, proposed to abolish government-imposed pollution standards.

Trade and Industry: Georg Wintersfeld, 39, is a MdR from Kien who has worked as an investment banker prior to his political career. He is a sharp neoliberal who supports massive deregulation and large-scale tax cuts. On social issues, however, he is said to be more conservative than most in his party. He is a confidant of deputy LVP leader Markus Fahrengold.