Daily JournalThe Daily Journal, or Dagbog in Davostani and Dagbók in Skjöld, is a predominantly center-left news organization, largely centered around digital and print media. The Daily Journal mainly reports national and global political news, and occasionally entertainment.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________19 April 4697Philip Ludvigsen steps down as DFP leader, party sees surge in further progressivism in primariesWith the decade-long term of the Demokratisk Folkepartiet's founder and leader, Philip Ludvigsen coming to an end by way of his stepping down as leader, citing a desire to focus on more personal matters and more local politics, The primaries that were launched following his resignation have seen a surge in more progressive thinking, in an already socially-liberal party.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After having lead the party for a decade since it's founding in 4687, Philip Ludvigsen announced earlier this month his intentions to step down from the leadership of the Demokratisk Folkepartiet, citing a desire to focus more on his personal life and more local politics. "There's definitely been a lot of good our party has done," Ludvigsen stated in a television interview last week. "Democracy has returned, we've braved the storm of instability that came with that, and our party continues to introduce legislation with freedom at it's core. Our nation is now at a watershed moment, but I feel that I wanted to focus more on my own life outside politics. I've been absent from home for quite some time — practically living out of my office during the height of our country's instability with those Satanailist groups. I have a wife and two daughters to look up to, share the world with, and I think that's where I fit best nowadays. Alongside focusing on more... Local politics. Less heat than national, I'd say [Ludvigsen laughs]."
With the vacancy that has now been created by Ludvigsen's resignation, the office of Leader was temporarily held by the DFP's Chairman, Johannes Thøgersen. His first act was the announcement of both primaries for the office alongside normal party elections, the first of such since the party's founding. With the deft handling of authoritarian Satanailist groups who sought violence against the government for the past few years, the general elections for the DFP saw a surge in more left-wing factions competing for the dominant force behind party doctrine. Eventually as the last votes were counted, the general elections resulted in a firm victory for the social democratic faction, headed by Oda Hemmingsen, a Kivonian-born Davostani of both Skjöld and Davostani ancestry. Hemmingsen also put forth her candidacy for leadership of the DFP, contesting a fairly short field of candidates before also securing the post.
A staunch social democrat, she spoke at length about the future of the party, specifically with regards to domestic and foreign policy for the nation at large. Key takeaways included an emphasis on improving national infrastructure via the construction of new roadways alongside the revamping of older ones, the overseeing of hefty reconstruction projects in Davostan, a drive to firmly establish a new economy for the nation, and a commitment to forge new economic alliances with major nations of Terra. Most interestingly was Hemmingsen's statement of cooperation with the United Greens faction, specifically with the focus to pursue more green energy policies and to possibly reach 100% sustainable energy in the coming decades. Hemmingsen also discussed the desire to formally see Article III of the Protection of Democracy Act repealed, which reinforced the powers of the police, alongside allowing intervention in their operations by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Most interestingly of Hemmingsen's speech came at it's conclusion — Where she discussed the strong desire to see official law be crafted which preserved the religious freedoms of Satanailist groups so long as they were not tied to the previous regime or are supportive of it. "Whilst it was believers in such a faith that instigated terrorism in our nation, and sought to undermine our democracy, we must recognize that these were only a select few of the Satanailist-practicing populace of our nation," Hemmingsen stated. "Their views are exclusive to only themselves—The rest of them have a solemn right to see their religion be allowed to be practiced without fear, their traditions, customs and culture also upheld by national law. With myself at the helm, you can make sure such rights are formally granted to these religious groups, so long as they are peaceful in nature, and were not tied to the previous theocracy."
Ludvigsen (center) confers with DFP lawmakers in this undated photo.Oda Hemmingsen sits as head of the city council of Vermillion,
her previous office prior to becoming a member of the DFP,
and subsequently, it's social democratic faction.