Valruzia

[Aethan]

"Yeudis in Valruzia shall renounce or be expelled"

Outrage for the words of one of Workers' Vanguard deputies in Sejm

August 5678

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A tense session of the Valruzian Sejm on Thursday was abruptly suspended after Mieszko Janiszewski, one of the three deputies from Workers’ Vanguard, declared that "Yeudis in Valruzia shall renounce or be expelled". The statement, made during debate on the Religious Expenditure Regulation Bill, immediately sparked outrage across party lines and among members of the Yeudi community.

Janiszewski's remarks accused Yeudi organizations of "undermining the moral unity of the working class through separatist and cosmopolitan agendas". He argued that Valruzia must "preserve ideological purity" and avoid "fragmentation of socialist values by sectarian loyalties".

"Valruzia cannot serve two gods: the people and profit. Those who put creed above country should make a choice: loyalty or departure."

Janiszewski said, drawing brief applause from the two other members in parliament of his own party but immediate condemnation from the rest of the chamber.

The Communist Party of Valruzia, leading the ruling coalition, swiftly condemned the remarks. The government spokesperson described them as "a shameful echo of dark times".

"There is no place for hate or exclusion in the Republic of Valruzia. The Yeudi community, like any other, is part of Valruzia’s social fabric and our own society. They are loyal members of our nation, and they serve our nation".

Our Homeland, the Yeudi-interests party which represents much of its population in Valruzia, was the first to demand disciplinary measures against Janiszewski. Its leader, Jacek Pawlak, called the remarks "an incitement to religious persecution, unbecoming of a democratic state". 

"This is the consequence of the policies of previous governments. At first, the KPW and many other parties in this chamber attacked us and even called some of us "foreign agents", and now you see where this dangerous path leads to. This is intolerable. We are talking about more than 14 million rightul Valruzian citizens. MORE THAN 14 MILLION, I repeat. How can they call themselves "patriots" and say such a blatant attack on their fellow countrymen?"

NO deputies walked out of the chamber in protest shortly after the incident, prompting Marshall of the Sejm Oliwia Liszka to suspend the session for security reasons after verbal attacks on the floor of the chamber.

The new leader of Forward Valruzia, Fryderyk Konik, called for a destitution of Janiszewski, citing Article 19 of the Parliamentary Conduct Act, which forbids hate speech and "rhetoric incompatible with the spirit of a democratic and plural society". However, other parties such as Sovereign Valruzia or the far-right Valruzian Alliance, known for its anti-Yeudi stance too, have remained silent on the issue.

RA leader Marcin Borkowski, a former senior member of the KPW, defended Janiszewski while avoiding a direct endorsement of his words. In a statement released from Sztolniaty, the party’s headquarters, Borkowski framed the incident as a "reaction against moral decadence and the erosion of revolutionary values".

"Our comrade’s concern is the spiritual health of Valruzian socialism. The working class must resist both capitalist greed and liberal moral decay, and above all, we must put an end to this drug called "religion"".

The Workers’ Vanguard, founded in 5677 after splitting from the KPW, combines far-left economics with social conservatism and self-described as "socialist patriotism" – an unusual mix that has drawn criticism from most parties. 

The Union of Yeudi Communities of Valruzia issued an open letter calling for Janiszewski's immediate suspension and for the RA’s rhetoric to be "investigated as systemic religious incitement". The statement was endorsed by several secular organizations, as well as by GiP leadership and independent intellectuals. 

Many, however, have seen how the tone in the Sejm has become strained since the split between the RA and the KPW, and attribute this to the former's need to "make themselves seen and attract attention" ahead of the upcoming elections in 5680, which according to early polls will see Workers' Vanguard gaining over 5% of support across the nation.

Asked by the media outside the Sejm after his words, Mr. Janiszewski did not retract from them.

"I said what I said, and rightfully so. It was about damn time somebody said it. Religion has no place in our nation, or in any nation that wants to thrive. It is a cancer that we must take out. And Yeudism is no less than that."

Chancellor Nowik himself has addressed Janiszewski's words, calling them "disgusting" and "reprehensible".

"To think that he was once a member of our party... what can I say, I'm glad they have gone on their own, because we will not endorse or accept such kind of words or behaviour. Parliament should have the full weight of its rules on him".