Kalopia

[Aethan]

Alexandros Metrotis concedes defeat but warns it is "far from over"

Kalopian Spring candidate loses second round of Presidential elections against Phalanx candidate, but government "remains strong"

The Kalopian Herald — February 5731

HELIOS – The 5730 elections in Kalopia left a political landscape that was curious, to say the least. While following the legislative elections the two parties with the most votes—the populist-conservative Phalanx and the populist-progressive Kalopian Spring—reached an agreement to form a coalition government in just a few weeks, the outcome of the presidential elections painted a different picture.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the two parties had agreed to support each other in the event that either of their candidates advanced to the second round. However, a surprise emerged on election night when it was announced that, after all the votes had been counted, both Antonios Lakaridis (Phalanx) and Alexandros Metrotis (Kalopian Spring) had advanced to the second round after securing 47.8% and 27.8% of the vote, respectively. Suddenly, the two parties in the governing coalition became rivals.

Although the government has tried to distance itself from the presidential elections by framing them as "a separate issue" from the day–to–day governance, both presidential candidates have not hesitated to go on the offensive over the past two months, with the Phalanx candidate even claiming that he chose Phalanx because the other parties were "too socialist," "too Ahmadist," or "too effeminate," and the Kalopian Spring youth wing using social media to post memes criticizing Lakaridis’ language, his TV persona, or his ownership of "5,000 homes".

With Mr. Lakaridis receiving the endorsement of the Majatran Socialist Ba’athist Party—Wantuni Region—which did not field a candidate in the first round—and Mr. Metrotis receiving the endorsement of the Kalopian Democratic Party—which placed third in the first round—a close race was expected, and that is exactly what it turned out to be.

At midnight, when the vast majority of ballots had already been counted and it was clear that Antonios Lakaridis had become the new mayor of Kalopia with 58% of the total vote compared to his rival’s 42%, Alexandros Metrotis appeared before his supporters to make a statement.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate the winner of the presidential election, Mr. Antonios Lakaridis," he began, despite some boos from the crowd. "Obviously, we would have preferred a different outcome, but for a party like ours, which was founded just a few months ago, we can be proud of the results we’ve achieved—not only in these presidential elections, but also in the legislative elections. Furthermore, we’ve managed to turn the tide and win in two regions, Mossavi and Thalassa, which voted for my opponent in the first round. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart to each and every one of you".

While some expected the populist candidate to make some attempt to reject the election results or contest the results at certain polling stations, Mr. Metrotis acknowledged that, although “some have failed to play fair,” the elections were undoubtedly a "healthy exercise in democracy, without a shadow of a doubt".

"Let there be no doubt that we will return, even stronger than before. This is far from over" he concluded his speech, to the applause and cheers of all the supporters gathered at the hotel where the Kalopian Spring candidate had decided to follow the election results.  Some internal sources point to Wantuni Freedom (HaN)'s decision not to endorse either candidate as one of the reasons Mr. Metrotis was unable to overturn the election results. "To them, a Phalanx candidate and ours were the same. We'll see if they don't regret their decision to call for a boycott" says a senior party official.

For now, with the government up and running and a new head of state in office, it remains to be seen what direction Kalopia will take during this legislative session, as the first measures have already begun to be passed by parliament.

[Kubrick]

People's President Elected

President-elect Antonios Lakaridis (51) at his inauguration.

4 February 5731, Helios, Kalopian Republic
The people have spoken and Kalopia has a new president. TV celebrity and real estate moghul Antonios Lakaridis will serve as head of the republic for the next four years. A strong campaign effort in Siphina and Sessoid saw Lakaridis maintain his essential lead as voter turnout lowered and Metrotis steadily gained ground. The debate between the two last week broke viewership records on the public channel. While both candidates were newcomers they behaved like seasoned politicians, dodging awkward questions and offering quick rebuttals like machineguns when cornered. A small slip of the tongue and stutter by Alexandros Metrotis saw him mercilessly mocked by the online campaign team of Lakaridis, who used the footage to paint him as incompetent and barely cognizant. The campaign strategy was broadly condemned and Lakaridis avoided speaking about it at every turn when questioned by journalists, only complimenting Metrotis for his performance in the debate and calling him a "worthy foe in the arena".

President-elect Lakaridis was inaugurated at noon today, officially becoming President Antonios Lakaridis. The first head of state of the restored Kalopian Republic after the short years of political deadlock. The Phalanx bloc in parliament was quick to act and proposed a series of constitutional amendments, some to protect the liberties and rights of citizens but also some that would greatly expand the duties of the office of president. Right now, the role is mostly ceremonial with the head of state overseeing the central bank and a few other menial tasks. The office has always been utilised more in a role of a dignitary to send to foreign places. This is not how Antonios Lakaridis envisions his next four years, which is something he also made clear during his campaigns. The constitutional amendment proposed by Phalanx would see the head of state being able to issue executive orders and to veto certain proposals. Now, parliament would maintain the ability to override any such measures, but it would transform Kalopia in a republic with a more executive president that has to cooperate with the first minister and the cabinet.

Opposition groups have warned against the amendments, stating them to be a slippery slope towards a dictatorial republic. Phalanx chairman Nestoras Panatos has strongly condemned such criticism. He claims the amendments will instead make Kalopia more democratic. "The President would become a part of a process of checks and balances, he checks parliament, parliament checks him. The citizens elect both in elections. Not to mention the civil rights expansions this amendment offers, I think they [read: Phalanx representatives] have done an excellent job in drafting this proposal." Whether Phalanx can muster the two-thirds support to pass the amendments has yet to be seen, some sources state Kalopian Spring is in favour but so far they have declined to comment. Even then other parties would have to support to reach the threshold, creating a scenario where Phalanx would have to negotiate with the Wantuni parties. But before all that the party will first enjoy a party to celebrate their new President.

Αλήθεια (Alítheia), or Verity in Luthorian, is a Kalopian middle-market tabloid owned by Dimos Kappakis, a media tycoon aligned with the Phalanx party.

[Aethan]

Minister of Health resigns amid controversial abortion bill decision; promises to challenge current party leadership

Theseus Moraitou says he cannot support new bill "in good conscience" and tells abortion supporters he "got their back"

The Kalopian Herald — April 5731

HELIOS – Only 5 months into the new government of Kalopia between the Phalanx and Kalopian Spring, and we already see its first infight. Following the rejection of minister of Health Theseus Moraitou's healthcare expansion bill, which proposed to fund abortion for low-income earners and completely overhaul Kalopia's current private healthcare model towards a fully-public one with small and heavy-regulated private clinics, the senior coalition partner of the Phalanx announced that they would introduce a revised version of the bill, keeping the healthcare system change but further restricting abortion rights instead of expanding it – the current legislation allows for abortions up to the first trimester, whereas the Phalanx's proposed abortion law only allows it for medical emergencies.

After Kalopian Spring was left alone in their support for the minister of Health's proposed bill, the parliamentary group was left with the decision whether to support the reformed version of the bill, which included the main core of the idea – the restoration of a fully-functional public healthcare system – but amended the law in the opposite direction as first intended regarding abortion rights. In the end, the parliamentary group decided to vote in favor of the bill after determining that, in any case, "the reform was going to move forward", having secured the support of all other parliamentary groups, but with a commitment to try to reverse the part of it that Kalopian Spring consider "harmful" to women's rights.

However, this decision has not been to the liking of the Minister of Health, Mr. Moraitou, who has announced his immediate resignation from the post after stating that he cannot, "in good conscience, defend and implement a reform in which [he] does not believe"

"The hollow promise that every effort will be made to reverse the situation is nothing but empty words. The damage has already been done, and all the women of Kalopia will suffer as a result. Members of Congress, and especially the women among you, abortions will continue to take place in our nation whether we like it or not, whether we support it or not. It is up to us to decide whether, because of decisions like today's, they will be performed clandestinely and thousands of women will put their lives at risk every year because this country's healthcare system has failed them" the now former minister stated and, after confirming the reform would pass, went to the Kalopian presidential office at the end of the plenary session to tender his formal resignation.

"We were supposed to be the only progressive option in the country, the only hope for thousands and thousands of citizens who are counting on us to build a better life for themselves and their families. The decision to vote in favor of a law restricting abortion betrays those ideals and those voters, and it will likely come back to haunt us"

Although none of the remaining 25 Kalopian Spring lawmakers has publicly expressed support for the now-former minister, some of them have privately expressed sympathy for his decision and agree that the decision to vote in favor "was not well thought out". Mr. Moraitou, for his part, has stated that he will not give up his seat but will instead use it to defend the ideas of all those who voted for a progressive and populist movement, and he has announced that in the upcoming party leadership elections he will challenge Yorgos Stavriades, the party's founder and current secretary-general, for the position in order to build "a true alternative".

[Zanz]

Ministry of Justice Reforms act promises "tyranny unknown" say minority-rights advocates
April 5731

Amid a slew of legislation due to complete voting in parliament in June is the Ministry of Justice Reforms act sponsored by Phalanx Minister of Justice Spiro Koureas. The act has the support of all but 14 MPs (Wantuni Freedom / Renewal) and seems therefore destined to pass.

Minority-rights activists in Siphina and Wantuni, however, note that the act's provisions, which would expand the powers of local police disperse crowds at their discretion and allow the government to restrict certain speech deemed "harmful to the public", could serve as the basis for a renewed campaign against ethnic and religious minorities in Kalopia.

Experts note that in these provinces police forces are made up disproportionately of ethnic Kalopian officers. Arrests of minority ethnic and religious groups are similarly disproportionate relative to state populations. Experts believe that the Koureas reforms will further this divide and put minorities at risk.

"Tensions already run extremely high in some areas", said Stefania Tripoglou of Rights for All, a group in Wantuni. "Allowing ground-level police such decision making power is likely to pour gasoline on the flames."

[Aethan]

"Yes to more local autonomy; no to religious extremism rule" says Education minister as Education reform moves to Parliament

Eduation minister Stefania Tantaloti criticizes latest comments by "minority-rights advocates" as she puts forward a comprehensive education reform

The Kalopian Herald — May 5731

HELIOS – The populist government of Kalopia, currently holding 67 of the 100 seats of the Kalopian parliament, has more than enough majority to pass legislation on its own, without having to rely on the rest of parties present in the legislature. And one of those reforms, put forward by the ministry of Justice led by Phalanx minister Spiro Koureas, has seemingly angered some so-called "minority-rights advocates" within Kalopia, as they claim its reforms could be used as a "renewed campaign against ethnic and religious minorities in Kalopia".

Now, Education minister and KA deputy Stefania Tantaloti has hit back at the allegations, accusing those who are pointing fingers at the government of “religious extremists” and “regionalist and separatist parties’ activists”

“Kalopian Spring says yes to local autonomy, because we believe that for some issues within our nation, the closest a representative is to its people it’s the better to gain knowledge of how things work and how things can be solved; but we say no to religious extremism rule. This so-called “minority rights advocates” would do better by doing research and see how other minorities, such as women, lgbt people or similar, would be treated if we allowed minority religious groups to cop the power in our country. Kalopian Spring is the closest ally regionalist parties such as Wantuni Freedom will find in the government, but they can’t expect us to support that, under the guise of “protecting minority rights”, we allow religious extremism to be in charge of some regions in our great country. That’s a no. In fact, it is precisely Wantuni Freedom perhaps the one that might need to take an inside look, since other regionalist parties such as the Ba’athists have supported the criticized bill”

The minister has also taken her time to defend her new Educational reform law, which aims at making college practically tuition-free and extend the public higher educational system to vocational schools, put a limit on charter schools and banning segregation nationwide. “This reform is good for our nation, and I can’t see how anyone could vote against it”

Asked about the decision of his party colleague and former Health Minister Theseus Moraitou of resigning over the abortion reform, the minister has said that she “shares his colleague concerns” but that Kalopian Spring will keep working to restore wider abortion freedoms.

[novarei]

1st Party Congress Hosted in Helios!

Fifty years after Herakles Demetrios founded the first Action Group in Helios, his movement has been carried to its logical political culmination.

Helios, July 5731 - The First Party Congress of Dýnamis has opened in Helios, drawing delegates from Action Groups, youth circles, artistic societies, student associations, and citizens across the Republic. Fifty years after the visionary Herakles Demetrios founded the first Action Group, the movement has reached its necessary political form. What began as the discipline and training of the body and the self has become a movement for the ascent of society as a whole.

Addressing the Congress, Director-General Hektor Nikandros declared that the old order had turned human life into waste. He condemned inherited privilege, closed institutions, idleness, credentialism, and the habits of mediocrity that prevent individuals from rising to the full development of their capacities.

"Society does not merely oppress from above,"

Nikandros said.

"It obstructs from every side. It places the child in poverty, the worker in exhaustion, the artist in neglect, and the capable person beneath a ceiling of inherited power. Nothing is natural about burying talent. Nothing is natural about smothering potential."

Nikandros described Ordered Dynamism as the political completion of Demetrios’ teaching. Demetrios had taught that the first work is the self. Nikandros told the Congress that the second work is the clearing away of every social force that prevents the self from becoming formed.

"Self-improvement without order becomes bourgeois vanity,"

he said.

"Ordered toward the common work, it becomes revolution. We do not seek equality in decay. We seek the abolition of every artificial barrier to ascent, so that hierarchy may at last arise from merit, discipline, service, and demonstrated capacity."

Winning lineup of the Demetrios Fitness Competition, held in parallel with the First Party Congress.

Political Secretary Ajax Mavros, judging the Demetrios weightlifting and bodybuilding competition held alongside the Party Congress, delivered a long statement following the naming of the Demetriad. He praised the competitors as visible examples of discipline, formation, and ascent, and called on members to reject softness, inactivity, and private ambition detached from service.

"The bourgeois political system does not seek to challenge,"

Mavros stated.

"It seeks to pacify. But challenge is the dialectic by which the person achieves ascent. The Action Group is not, by its nature, comfortable. It is uncomfortable. It is an engine of formation, an engine of change, and an engine of dynamism."

Mavros argued that the body is the first visible proof of discipline, but warned that strength without service can decay into vanity. The formed body, he said, must be joined to the formed mind and directed toward the common work.

He then quoted from Demetrios’ essay You Could Be Brilliant. But You Are a Coward.:

"Pessimists always pretend to think of themselves as realists. They speak as if defeat were merely the sober conclusion of an intelligent mind. But pessimism is paralysis. It is not clear sight, but the failure of courage, only thinly masked by intelligence. They call themselves realistic because, for them, defeat is realistic. They cannot imagine victory, so they dismiss it in advance, and then mistake the limits of their own spirit for the limits of the world."

The Congress affirmed the central principles of Ordered Dynamism: the body as the first material of discipline, education as a necessary and equal partner to physical formation, productive work as the measure of contribution, and social ascent as the proper end of politics. The delegates declared that the task of Dýnamis is not to become another party of administration or managerialism, but to remake society so that the person may rise.

Faster toward progress. Upward to ascent.

[Kubrick]

President Purge: Lakaridis wishes minorities would "vanish"

By Mastoor al-Safi and Fatima Ibrahimi - 17 November, 5731
The President of the Kalopia, Antonios Lakaridis, has expressed radical views in private about the minorities of the Republic. Wantuni Dawn has come into the possession of an audio file wherein Antonios Lakaridis makes several statements that are the opposite of the image his office is trying to portray. Before his ascendancy to the highest office of Kalopia many doubted if he would be able to do a proper job, the real estate mogul was not known for his tact and had no previous experience in public office. Contrary to these expectations his first one and a half year in office went swimmingly, with the President only issuing two executive orders. One that was praised by many, as Lakaridis abolished the limit to social benefits. The other executive order received mixed reactions, though legally sound and deemed effective at combating the housing crisis it did open a window for collusion and corruption. Nonetheless, there have been no slip ups, his appearances portray a man with restraint and decency, and policies are generally well-received. On the outside the President seems like a capable man with a moderate tone, someone that cares for the less affluent and wishes to actively improve Kalopia. Behind the scenes however, the situation is entirely different.

For a while now rumours have been circulating that the situation in the Presidential Manor in Helios is not as portrayed in the media. A high turnover in staff, tantrums and outbursts from the President, racist speech, and intimidation of those opposing 'the course'. Proof of these rumours never surfaced and the spokespeople surrounding the President always staunchly deny the allegations. Lakaridis himself often dismisses the claims as "blatant fake news" and "clear attempts to undermine the administration". However, this situation has now changed as evidence has come forward of the alleged racist talks. On October 20 the President visited the opening of a new football stadium in Parnakleida, where he met with the home team, FC Parnakleida Polemistés and their board of directors. The President cut a ribbon, gave a short and praising speech about sports, community, and the importance of these spaces in society as well as the government's role in enabling them. Afterwards, he met with the public and fans before retreating for a business dinner with the stakeholders, players and managers of the football team. After this dinner the session became fully private, as the players and most of the directors left. Once alone with the investors, with wine flowing freely, the talk became more open.

During this time the President uttered several sentences about governing Kalopia that shocked a few people in the room. One of them was brave enough to record the interaction. At some point, this was after several other alleged racist comments, the President states that "governing [Kalopia] is a nightmare, you got us [Kalopians], the Wantuni's [Majatrans], they behave most of the time, but don't get me started on those Sipho car thieves [Siphinans] or even the Istochniaks, they're like the Wants [Majatrans] but weird - you know? And God, those Turjaks, might as well have a herd [sic] of Jelbics tramping around bringing the value of your house down. They're the worst renters you can get, always skint and leave the houses dirty - like they live outside in tents. But, I suppose that's how they are. Would be a lot easier to run this country if they all vanished and it was just us, you wouldn't get all those annoying minority parties either. Don't get me started on Abdul [mr. Maalik el-Khalili, HaN party leader] and his ilk - useless sods." When asked by another guest if this meant he would condone deportations, remigration, or even genocide the President burst out in laughter. Shortly after another person at the table, identified as presidential chief of staff Aristidis Cosmakos, changed the subject. Lakaridis made several attempts to explain himself, but never retracted his statements and even admitted that "making Kalopia more homogenous" was "tempting". Wantuni Dawn reached out to the President's office, they at first denied to comment but later sent a statement declaring the recording AI generated. The President's spokesperson Zoe Kappatou said the President distanced himself from this "fake news frame presented by a mediocre media outlet".

Wantuni Dawn (فجر وانتوني / Γουαντούνι Αυγή) is an investigative outlet primarily focused on the challenges facing Kalopia's minorities.

[Aethan]

Kalopian Spring brazes for impact as internal elections are on its way; party doing "damage-control" over Presidential remarks' leak

Former Health minister eyes leadership of the party whilst KA cabinet members put distance between the government and the HoS

The Kalopian Herald — December 5731

HELIOS – President Lakaridis' remarks about Kalopian minorities – labelled as "false and AI generated" by the presidential team – have started a fire within the nation that the government is trying to put out. Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandros Metrotis, who was Lakaridis rival in the 5730 Kalopian presidential elections, have been "extremely busy" dealing with embassies around Terra asking for clarifications about what did the President actually meant, if he meant it at all, with his remarks. Meanwhile, Kalopian Spring leader and current minister of Trade and Industry, Yorgos Stavriades, seemingly has instructed its cabinet members to put some distancies in all public appearances between the HoS and the "excellent labor" the current coalition government is actually doing.

"We are not the Head of State, nor we give him any confidence and support. He is an independent figure over which only the Parliament holds power. We are focused in our labor of building the best Kalopia for all" was everything minister of Science and Technology, Venizelos Speropoulos, said when asked about the controversy. But not everyone has kept it quiet: former minister of Health Theseus Moraitou, who resigned over the controversial abortion restriction bill "he couldn't agree with", has been fast to speak up and condemn President Lakaridis words, calling them "unfit" for a figure supposed to "represent all Kalopians equally". "Difference is what makes us great" he said "We all have different backgrounds, but we are all Kalopians and an attack on one is an attack on us all. President Lakaridis words are not just unfit for such a role, but are also potentially dangerous for our country and society". 

In fact, Mr. Moraitou has called for Phalanx, President Lakaridis' party, to condemn the president words as an act of "reparation".  But for Mr. Moraitou, there's something else in this: next month, Kalopian Spring will celebrate its 2nd National Congress, where Yorgos Stavriades hoped to retain the leadership of the party he founded and that now, it's turning more a more into a close race between both figures, with Theseus Moraitou gaining ground over the past weeks. Both candidates claim the placement of the latest electoral poll – which positions Kalopian Spring as the country's largest force at the expense of a sharp fall of its coalition partners – are a result of each one's policies, and both believe that the election of the other candidate "would negatively affect the party's prospects". Next month, party members will decide who gets to keep leading them, but for the moment, Mr. Stavriades has assured that the government coalition with the Phalanx is "as strong as ever", despite poll numbers indicating that the government would heavily lose its majority in Parliament – from 66.67% of the vote it obtained in 5730 to merely 32.6% of the combined vote – being unable to revalidate the majority. Some internal sources believe that keeping the current populist government at any cost is not worth it, but others have pointed out that staying in friendly terms between both parties is what has allowed Kalopian Spring to pass some of its bills presented to parliament despite the opposition of the rest of the parliamentary arc. "It's true that ruling together with a conservative–populist party is not the ideal for a progressive–populist party" said an internal source "but despite some of our legislation failed to pass in the Parliament due to the opposition of our coalition partners, we will keep fighting and pushing for it to be approved soon. And despite of that, we have managed to push for some other legislation that otherwise would have failed to be approved, thanks to the good relationship and compromise of this government. So it's a difficult position".

[Kubrick]

Phalanx splits with President Lakaridis

Chairman of the Phalanx, Nestoras Panatos, at the members' assembly.

9 January 5732, Helios, Kalopian Republic
After the recent revelations about the private opinions of Antonios Lakaridis the support for the President has been brought into question by several sitting representatives as well as local councillors, with the national board being petitioned to hold a members' assembly on the pressing issue. Founder and chairman Nestoras Panatos eventually relented, after previously denying to comment on the situation. During the assembly, which was mostly held in private during voting sessions, the party members discussed the ongoing situation and mr. Lakaridis place within the Phalanx. A bloc of party members eventually submitted a no confidence motion in the vice-chairman, a role Lakaridis had been given to give him an official position within the party structure. According to insiders this proposal was accepted almost unanimously. One of the more progressive representatives, Mihail Zorbilis, was then pushed forward to replace him. This voting session took longer, but he was eventually voted in as the new vice-chair of the party, giving the more moderate wing of the party a voice within the national board.

At first high profile party officials, like First Minister Thanopoulos, remained rather quiet. But the usually restrained and stoic bureaucrat at one point requested to address the assembly. In an emotional speech the head of government, who several years ago was already critical on appointing Lakaridis as the presidential candidate, lambasted the careless nature of the President, his horrid views on Kalopia's minorities, and the anti-democratic way of working he applies within the Presidential Manor. The speech was ended with a carefully chosen sentence that openly doubted whether Lakaridis was a good match within the party, or that he perhaps should be elsewhere. The moderate and progressive blocs did not wait long to enter an official motion to expel the President from the party. During the closed voting session, that took up to an hour, it was eventually decided that Antonios Lakaridis would have his Phalanx membership revoked. One painful detail is that Phalanx already signed off on running Lakaridis as presidential candidate again in early October 5731, shortly before the now infamous audio file was recorded. It will be up to Lakaridis himself to decide whether he will actually run. The office of the President and his personal spokesperson refused to comment on the current situation and developments.

Αλήθεια (Alítheia), or Verity in Luthorian, is a Kalopian middle-market tabloid owned by Dimos Kappakis, a media tycoon aligned with the Phalanx party.

[novarei]

39th  Demetrios Fitness Competition

The 39th Demetrios Fitness Competition crowned a new Demetriad in Helios this week, as Andreas Kallistos of the South Helios Iron Hall took the overall title.
Held in parallel with the First Party Congress of Dýnamis, the competition drew particulalry large public attention this year, though organizers emphasized that the Demetrios Fitness Competition remains an independent annual sporting event. Hosted by the federation of Action Group Gyms competitors came from across the country, and a handful of international guests as well. Though almost all action groups are now affiliated with Dýnamis, with many of the gym members, or leaders also serving as delegates in the party congress.  

The party congress brought thousands of Dýnamis members to Helios, giving the competition its largest audience in years. Organizers said ticket demand exceeded expectations, with spectators filling the venue early in the day.

Kallistos won the Demetriad title after placing first in the heavyweight bodybuilding division. The 28-year-old competitor was given his title by former 3 time Demetriad Ajax Mavros, himself one of the of handful of senior Dýnamis figures formally involved in the event. Mavros praised the competitors, and Kallistos in particular, for their discipline and said the Action Group gym tradition remained one of the clearest inheritances from Herakles Demetrios.
The Demetrios Fitness Competition was founded in 5693, the year after Herakles Demetrios died, by a group of physical culture clubs and early Action Group gyms in Helios. Demetrios, better known as an artist, essayist, and founder of Dynamism, had a major influence on the country’s physical culture movement. His belief that “the first work is the self” helped connect bodybuilding, posture, training, and aesthetic discipline into a broader culture of self-formation.

In its early years, the competition was a small memorial event held among Action Groups that had been directly influenced by Demetrios’ lectures and writings. Over time, it grew into one of Kalopia’s most recognizable physique contests adding many other competitions and contests. While it has never reached the scale of the largest international bodybuilding championships, it has developed a strong reputation. 

For Kallistos, the win marks the biggest achievement of his career so far. “It is not just about being the biggest man on stage,” Kallistos said. “You have to show control."

- Andreas Kallistos

“I remember being a young kid and looking up at pictures of prime Demetrios,” Kallistos said. “My dad trained with him. He used to tell me that Demetrios would never let men become tunnel-visioned about being the biggest. Everything was about balance and proportion, not only on stage, but in life. He would say, what is the point of having all this muscle if your home life is a wreck, or you have no friends, or your weird or something? He made the gym into a community that helped men become fuller people.”

The next Demetrios Fitness Competition is expected to return to Helios next year, though organizers said they are considering a larger venue if public interest continues to grow.

- Hektor Nikandros at the closing of the 1st Dýnamis Party Congress

After the contest, a formal gala was held for competitors, judges, former Demetriads, and representatives of the federation of Action Group Gyms. Hektor Nikandros, the only four-time consecutive Demetriad and now Director-General of Dýnamis, was among the former champions invited to speak. Asked by reporters to comment on the controversy surrounding President Lakaridis, Nikandros declined to make the scandal the centre of the evening, but stated the following.

"It would be improper to spoil an evening dedicated to the ascent of the person with an extended discussion of a man so plainly unformed," Nikandros said. "But no one should mistake this for an isolated failure of character. The bourgeois political order produces precisely this type, the man who is capable only of avaricious accumulation and social climbing, who has risen by circumventing and tricking tests rather than facing test with honour and dignity. This bourgeois disordered man wears the appearance of substance while remaining inwardly cowardly and unfinished."

He said continued at length. "The bourgeois political order obsessed with comfort elevates the unformed so long as he is wealthy enough, connected enough, sufficiently useful to the interests already dominant within the existing order. Then when the unformed nature becomes visible, the public is asked to treat this as an accident. BAH! I say BAH! It is not an accident. It is the bourgeois system of comfort producing exactly what it was designed to produce. Flabby men of no discipline! Flabby men who have thrown away their potential! BAH!"

"The old order speaks of merit while systematically burying merit under forms and bureaucracy. It speaks of liberty, BAH, it leaves the person trapped beneath poverty, inherited rank, exhaustion, lack formation, and degradation. This is the natural consequence of a political order organized around the reproduction of existing hierarchy rather than the creation of tested hierarchy."

"We do not answer degradation with sentimentality. We do not simply afirm a person as they are. To pity the person is to leave them in indignity To flatter him is worse because flattery preserves him in his present condition denying him the chance to pursue their full potential. The scientifically correct response is to identify the barriers to formation, clear them away, and then demand proof of each person of their contribution to the living nation and the achievement of the fullness of their potential."

"The dynamic revolution is near at hand comrades and brothers. It is the necessary historical and scientific passage from hierarchy of accidental to hierarchy of merit! The old order is capable increasingly of only producing produces disordered men and it therefore will create only further disorder until the necessary historical and scientific preconditions are met for the revolution of dynamism and merit. We answer that the future belongs only to those who can be formed, tested, and made worthy of it. And all can be made worthy if only they are set free of oppression!"

Nikandros demanded his remarks be reported in full.