Le Temps Economiques: What does Stonemason's departure mean for the coalition, and her legacy?The unexplained illness of Premier
Margaret Stonemason carries with it none of the connotations of communistic 'illness'. Mysterious illnesses have on occassion been the tool for the removal of a party leader, without suffering the propaganda defeat of a party turning inwards on itself; to the contrary, Stonemason - "The Iron Lady" - remains vastly popular with the majority of her party members.
Yet her standing down from the Premiership within the last year of the coalition's term is no less symbolic than the 'illness' of an unpopular Communist leader. While popular within her own party, Stonemason had become too much of a liability for the coalition. Her ruthless pursuit of free-market reforms, often to the distaste of her coalition partners
Father St. Martin of the PRN and
Charles Chevalier of the MRN, has made her many enemies within government.
The massive deadlock over the
Privitisation and Enterprise Bill, resulting in the PRN's and MRN's voting against their coalition parner, forced Stonemason to become reliant on the opposition PRT and PM in order to push through the reforms, and her sway within the coalition was significantly weakened. This represented the extent to which her leadership was incredibly divisive, and also losing its influence.
Despite the coalition's insistence they were working adequately as partners, the orchestrated resignations of
Pierre Buchard, Education Minister, and
Robert Wiese, Transport Minister, symbolised the end of the "iron grip" Stonemason had previously held over the reigns of the coalition. Even St. Martin, leader of the PRN, came out on the offensive, issuing a stark warning that, "If the KCP does not wish to work with the coalition partners...their agendas will be afforded no protection or preferential treatment by the remaining parties."
"Stonemason had pushed too far, too fast over the economy," insists
Prof. Henri Lechart, Head of the Political Science Dept. at L'université de Sovalt. "Her dominating personality, and personal charisma, had extended beyond its reach this time, and really was the beginning of the end for her."
While Stonemason received outstanding polling figures in comparison to the other coalition party leaders, often leading St. Martin and Chevalier by a margin of 10 points, backroom plotting secured her removal, and the selection of the more moderate
Tom Quick in her place.
Quick, a more orthodox member of the KCP, lacks the flair Stonemason possessed, but is also less bullish in his leadership style.
Alexander Montague, KCP Defence Minister, says, "Quick is much more of a people person, and alot more pragmatic. Stonemason was really ideological, she wanted to make laissez-faire economics into a mantra for Kanjor. I think Quick is more willing to compromise - that's why he was chosen."
Despite this, and despite the KCP's retaining the Premiership, where does this leave Stonemason's legacy of the last term?
"Stonemason was a social conservative and an economic radical, a laissez-faire conservative," says Montague. "Quick is more of a libertarian: small state, socially liberal, economically liberal. He will not be so willing to defend the Church and will be seeking to implement a more tolerant social policy. While he may be more accomodating over the economy, I think the coalition will have a new battle over social policy after the elections."