Valruzia

[Aethan]

Chancellor–President Kos goes on counterattack

Housing, economic sovereignty and anti-corruption measures at the center of Kos’ strategy

August 5728

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Despite a strong first half of her term and high approval ratings, current polls paint a bleak picture for Chancellor-President Aleksandra Kos, who will face the polls again in less than a year and a half.

Although she remains the most popular figure on the current political scene, the vast majority of polls point to a virtual tie between Sovereign Valruzia and Forward Valruzia – with the latter even ranking first in some of them – and a marked decline in support for the party in favor of Worthy Homeland, the conservative wing of Valruzianism that broke away from the parliamentary group just a year ago and which current polls show has around 16–19% support.

That is why the Chancellor–President – who, in less than a year, will have to begin her campaign to be renominated as a candidate for head of government under the Valruzian electoral system – has decided to take action and use the last remaining power of the legislature, in which Sovereign Valruzia enjoys a narrow but sufficient absolute majority, to, according to sources close to her, "squeeze out every last ounce of strength".

According to these same sources, the government is expected to introduce ambitious legislative reforms in the coming "days and weeks" to "regain the initiative" and aim to retain the absolute majority that voters gave them three and a half years ago. Although they acknowledge that for now this is more of a dream than a likely reality, they have not lost hope of a comeback in the coming months as these parliamentary initiatives are rolled out.

Among the measures currently being drafted by the government is a wide-ranging housing package that would significantly expand the role of the state in the housing market. In addition to the already leaked proposal to cap private ownership at three properties per citizen and progressively absorb excess housing into the public stock through state compensation mechanisms, the executive is also considering a special tax on vacant properties owned by banks, investment funds and large landlords, as well as new restrictions on foreign real-estate purchases.

Government sources also confirmed that the administration intends to expand its subsidized mortgage programme for citizens under the age of 35, linking it directly to the planned expansion of public housing and the construction of new state-planned residential districts and urban communities.

The government is also expected to unveil what officials describe as a "new social productivity pact" between workers, businesses and the state, where companies above a certain size threshold would be legally required to share a percentage of annual profits with employees, while firms adopting worker representation mechanisms inside management structures would receive tax incentives and preferential access to certain public contracts.

At the same time, the executive reportedly wants to intensify its campaign against what Sovereign Valruzia increasingly describes as "predatory economic practices". Sources close to the Chancellor–President confirmed that the government is studying the creation of a new national economic enforcement agency tasked with combating tax evasion, financial corruption, money laundering and speculative practices linked to foreign capital and organized crime. Other measures currently under discussion include a sweeping ban on former ministers and senior officials joining private corporate boards for a period of up to ten years after leaving office.

"The fact that the conservative wing of Valruzia has broken with Sovereign Valruzia is, in a way, a relief for the party’s ambitions, as it can now stop living in constant tension and advance its agenda with a more clearly defined ideology" says a senior party official speaking on condition of anonymity. "All we have to do now is prove that we are the good choice". While some, like the Communist Party of Valruzia or the People's Front of Kampania have hailed the initiatives – with some even jockingly telling Chancellor–President Kos to join their ranks – opposition parties accuse the government of attempting to launch an "electoral spending offensive" designed to recover support ahead of next year’s election campaign.

[Aethan]

Valruzia's opposition leader arrested in major anti-corruption operation

Janina Dubinska is accused of "embezzlement, tax evasion, influence peddling and illegal campaign finance", among other charges

October 5728

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Valruzia's Central Bureau of Criminal Investigation (CBŚW) arrested national opposition leader Janina Dubinska early this morning as part of a wide-ranging investigation into alleged political corruption, illegal campaign financing and tax-related crimes that prosecutors say has been ongoing for more than eighteen months.

The arrest took place shortly after 6:00 a.m., when officers from the Policja Walruzji arrived at Dubinska's residence in the Stare Miasto district of Nowogard. The opposition leader was escorted in handcuffs to a police vehicle without making any public statement despite heavy media presence in place.

The National Prosecutor’s Office later confirmed that Dubinska is being investigated on four principal charges: embezzlement of public funds, illegal campaign financing, asset concealment and tax evasion and influence peddling. According to the official statement, investigators believe that portions of regional development grants intended for cultural and infrastructure projects in Chynberg were diverted to foundations indirectly linked to Dubinska’s party, Forward Valruzia, which she has led since 5723, when she was elected under the goal of "modernizing" the party. Along with her detention, officials have also arrested the Marshall of Gryfit, Stefan Kubiński, accused of the same charges. Prosecutors also claim to have uncovered a network of shell companies allegedly used to finance campaign rallies and political advertising outside the legal spending limits established by the State Electoral Commission as well as "shadow financing" from "opaque entities" outside of Valruzia, something strictly banned in the nation.

From all the accusation, the most politically sensitive concerns the alleged influence peddling, as documents leaked to several Valruzian newspapers reportedly suggest that pressure was exerted on mayors and regional officials in Chynberg and Gryfit, Forward Valruzia's usual strongholds, to favor specific companies in railway, construction and energy infrastructure contracts.

Chancellor–President Aleksandra Kos government declared their dismay over the allegations against Mrs. Dubinska, considered a rising star in Valruzian politics. According to the more recent polls, Forward Valruzia is in a very tight race with government's Sovereign Valruzia for the first place in the upcoming elections in January 5730, with both parties hand by hand around 33% of the vote, and positioning the right with a first-time real shot at leading the government of Valruzia. "Whenever the right has a real chance at the top level of Valruzian politics, they end up somehow making a mess out of it" said political commentator Wadislaw Kacinsky "It already happened once when first – and only – conservative President Szymona Razem's plans to relocate Valruzian Yeudi population were disclosed following her razor-thing election as Head of State, and it has happened now again when the right had a real shot at becoming the major force of the prospective Valruzian government following next year's election".

Justice Minister Czesław Guzowski insisted that "no one is above the law in the Republic of Valruzia", and called Forward Valruzia to take all "necessary steps" to clean corruption "out of their party". Opposition figures within Forward Valruzia and Valruzian Alliance, however, condemned the arrest as “an attempt to politically destroy the government’s main rival” a bit more than a year before the parliamentary elections, with NW's mayor of Kodzy Ján, Gregorz Dubós, going as far as saying that it was Chancellor–President Aleksandra Kos "the one that should need to be arrested for the destruction of the country". Some others within Forward Valruzia call for the "presumption of innocence" to prevail, calling the arrest and "opaque manoeuvre" to hide Kos' "failing policies".

Judicial sources cited by the police reported that more than 40 investigators participated in the raids and that computers, mobile phones and extensive financial documentation were seized. Dubinska's legal team, on its side, denied all allegations and stated that they would prove the financial transfers under investigation were “fully legal and properly audited".

[Aethan]

[Aethan]

Valruzia votes: Follow with us the 5730 elections!

January 5730

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Welcome, welcome, everyone, to this exciting election night brought to you by TVW, Valruzia's state-run network! It's that time of the year, election day, and we're here to guide you through the results and the outcomes of today's decision made by the Valruzian people. My name is Tobiasz Cericki, and I'm here very well accompained by my colleagues Anita Plitcha and Lena Meliska. Are you ready for the results? What should we expect?

A(nita). P(litcha): Well for once, we will see how strong the different branches of Valruzianism perform for the first time since the democratic transition! Until now, Sovereign Valruzia has been the sole representative of Nowik's ideology, but now its strength will be put to test due to the emergence of the conservative Valruzianism represented by Worthy Homeland! It's truly an interesting battle.

L(ena). M(eliska): Another interesting battle to see is whether the conservative field reaches the desire 301 deputies – the absolute majority required in the Sejm. Latest polls have been razor-sharp in margins between the conservative (NW, GO and SWA) and the progressist (SW, KPW, FLK) fields, and we will at last get the real picture. 

T(obiasz). C(ericki): Okay, so I'm interested in your predictions: we will start getting some results in a few minutes, but what do your guts say?

A.P: Contrary to what some polls say, I do think that the right has no chance to gain the government. Give it perhaps a 10-years span and they might get a shot at it, but as it currently stands, any possible growth by Worthy Homeland that could have given the right the government was squashed by the latest Forward Valruzia scandal, where its now former leader was sentenced to jail for a bunch of felonies. 

L.M: I agree. The big question of the night is whether Sovereign Valruzia retains its absolute majority – which I highly doubt – or will they have to rely on one (KPW) or two (KPW AND FLK) coalition partners. I don't see any other outcome, especially since I doubt there will be any collaboration attempt between SW and GO or SW and NW. Those bridges are burnt.



T.C: And we got our first results! 5% is already counted. As always, keep in mind that first the results of less populous counties and Voivodeships come in, so the results can vary greatly from early on until the very end, and that's all part of the game! But we can already perhaps see some tendencies?

L.M: Well as expected we are seeing a drop in the vote share mainly for Sovereign Valruzia, who will suffer the whole night until the final results are in to see how many voters have they lost to Worthy Homeland. Still, a 33% vote share is pretty high this early.  

A.P: Yes, as you mentioned, we are now mainly receiving data from rural areas and less populated Voivodeships, mainly Chynberg and Kampania, so that's partially a reason of the "weird" results we are currently seeing. Chynberg is Forward Valruzia's stronghold – at least until now, we will see if the corruption scandal will make any damage to them there as much as I think it will do to them in Gryfit – and we can also expect the People's Front of Kampania to rapidly decline in vote share once the results from other voivodeships start to come in. 

T.C: On the right of the screen, viewers will be able to see which widely-regarded agreements are possible and whether they are reaching the 301-seats threshold required for an absolute majority in the Sejm or not. But careful, we are already at 15% counted!



A.P: Yes, and as foretold, the FLK is already losing ground due to its only political battlefield being in Kampania. In this side, the interesting battle to see is how much difference will there be between them and the KPW, a party that contest the elections in the whole nation but yet failed to pass the 10% threshold for the first time in their history during the last elections.

L.M: As results from all Voivodeships are starting to come in, we see Sovereign Valruzia gaining ground while Forward Valruzia now is starting to feel the weight of its leadership's felonies. There is also an impressive growth for Worthy Homeland, who right now are rounding the 16% of vote share and the tendency shows a clear way up.

T.C: But now we will get a clearer image of how Valruzians voted, as we have passed the 40% of votes counted: 



L.M: And here we have what I'd say are the biggest news of the night – barring a not-so-unexpected victory of Sovereign Valruzia –: Worthy Homeland has now overtaken Forward Valruzia and are now in a 20%! And I'd say their percentage will keep growing, according to the trends we are seeing.

A.P: Indeed, I agree. What is worth noting is also that previously, so-called "valruzianist ideology", struggled to get past the 50% threshold – and only did so during the past elections, under Gawel Sandów and Aleksandra Kos. Now, we are seeing that, if we put together SW and GO, their vote share skyrockets to almost 60%! 

T.C: Of course, part of Worthy Homeland's success can be attributed to the decline of Forward Valruzia, who despite choosing a new leadership and trying to put some distance with its former leader now in jail is suffering heavy losses, right now at around 8% but increasing by the minute. 

A.P: And that's bad news for the right because despite the impressive growth of Worthy Homeland, almost half of its voters come from Forward Valruzia, therefore cancelling each other out. I'd safely rule out already by now any chance of a right-wing majority in the Sejm.

T.C: We are now at 85% of the vote counted, and let's see how things look...



L.M: We still have to wait for the final counting and the final seat accounting, but we can say that the biggest winner of the night is, without a doubt, Worthy Homeland. Despite failing to win the elections, they have become the second largest force in their very first attempt, obliterating a large part of Forward Valruzia and causing heavy damage within Sovereign Valruzia, that could have gotten their third absolute majority otherwise.

A.P: Indeed, and I'd dare to say that they have also succeeded in, in a way, neutralizing the far-right, who has also suffered in this election. Meanwhile Sovereign Valruzia has managed to contain the damage, mostly thanks to its strongholds in Ruzia and Valusia, whilst Forward Valruzia has failed to secure a big vote in Gryfit thanks to its former Marshall being arrested.

T.C: And before the final results are released, we already have the winners of the regional presidencies and the mayorship of Nowogard: Sovereign Valruzia keeps Valusia and Ruzia while winning the presidency of Gryfit! Kampania remains in the hands of the People's Front of Kampania while Chynberg has, surprisingly, elected the candidate of Worthy Homeland, who has defeated current Marshall from Forward Valruzia. This means that Forward Valruzia has not only lost its position as leaders of the opposition but also they have lost all of their regional power and will now have to rely on their mayors. For the mayorship of Nowogard, following Józef Nowik decision not to contest the elections after 30 years, still his deputy mayor has managed to win the mayorship, so the capital city remains in the hands of Sovereign Valruzia. And now, let's see the final voting!



T.C: This is it, ladies and gentlemen, the seats have been adjusted and tallied, and all votes are practically counted. These are the highlights of the night:

• Sovereign Valruzia remains as the largest force, but loses its absolute majority and more than 10% of vote share.
  
• Worthy Homeland is the biggest grower, becoming second largest political party and gaining the government of Chynberg, considered Forward Valruzia's stronghold. The party also gets 142 seats
  
• Forward Valruzia cannot contain the damage caused by its former leadership as sees lowest vote share in more than two decades. The party falls to third position, loses almost half of its vote share and fails to retain any regional government. 
  
• The Communist Party of Valruzia and the People's Front of Kampania both see residual gains, gaining 7 and 3 seats respectively and the latter also retaining the government of Kampania. 
  
• Valruzian Alliance see its support declining and gets worst result in this century.
  
• There is only one natural possible coalition, and that is between Sovereign Valruzia, the Communist Party of Valruzia and the People's Front of Kampania. All other possible coalitions lack the necessary majority in the Sejm. A coalition between SW and the KPW or SW and the FLK also lacks sufficient seats. 
  
• Other prospective combinations include SW+GO (380 seats) or SW+NW (326 seats) but their realistic chances of happening are slim at best.
  
• Sovereign Valruzia has won in 50 of Valruzia's 74 counties, including most of Gryfit and four in Kampania. 
  
• Worthy Homeland's biggest win is in Uniatów, Valusia's fourth largest city home to 6% of its citizens. 
  

T.C: But please remember that we still have to wait for the Presidential election results! Until then, we won't know who will be tasked with forming the new Valruzian government. Polls had placed current Chancellor–President Aleksandra Kos as the frontrunner by a wide margin, even winning in the first round, but will there be a surprise? We will be getting the first results in a few hours so stay tuned!

[Aethan]

Chancellor–President Kos reelected amid cries of electoral fraud

Worthy Homeland denounces “manipulated preferential counting” after razor-thin second-round defeat

January 5730

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It was not until early morning that the Chancellor–President of Valruzia was finally named, after all votes were counted and validated. At around 11 p.m., the results of the first round of voting were declared, with incumbent Chancellor–President Aleksandra Kos winning 40.6% of the vote. While comfortably ahead of the four other candidates contesting the Chancellorship, Kos nevertheless failed to cross the 50.1% threshold required for an outright first-round victory.

It marked the first time since Gawel Sandów's election in 5720 (56.6%) and Kos' own election in 5725 (50.3%) that no candidate managed to secure the presidency in the first round, marking a far more fragmented and polarised electorate than in previous cycles.

Under Valruzia’s unique electoral system, however, a second nationwide vote is not held. Instead, all voters rank the five presidential candidates on a preferential ballot during the first and only round of voting. If no candidate obtains an outright majority of first-preference votes, the top two candidates automatically advance to a second-round count. During this process, ballots cast for eliminated candidates are re-examined and redistributed according to voter preference. Each ballot is awarded to whichever of the two remaining candidates was ranked higher by the voter, creating what political scientists often describe as an “instant runoff” or “preferential majority” system.

Following several hours of redistribution and validation, the Electoral Commission officially declared Aleksandra Kos reelected Chancellor–President at 4:17 a.m., with 51.1% of the final preferential vote against 48.9% for Gryfit's challenger Tamara Janiak, officially independent but backed by Worthy Homeland, who got 29.4% of the vote in the first round.

The narrowness of the final margin immediately triggered fierce reactions in the right side of the political spectrum, with the leader of Worthy Homeland, Eliasz Kaczorowski, refusing to concede the legitimacy of the final result. Some party figures went as far as to accuse the outgoing government and the Electoral Commission of engaging in what they described as “opaque preferential tabulation”, particularly in several rural counties where late-counted ballots reportedly favoured Kos more strongly than expected.

Although Worthy Homeland stopped short of directly calling for the annulment of the election, party officials repeatedly referred to the result as “deeply suspicious” and demanded a full parliamentary inquiry into the counting procedures used during redistribution.

“These were not normal transfers” one newly elected GO parliamentarian declared in his social media profile shortly after dawn. “Entire districts shifted in statistically implausible ways once the redistribution began. The Valruzian people deserve transparency”

However, no evidence of fraud or manipulation has so far been presented publicly, and international observers stated overnight that the election appeared “competitive, orderly and procedurally consistent with Valruzian electoral law, as it has been the case for over a century". Nevertheless, accusations spread rapidly across nationalist and conservative media networks throughout the night, with hashtags alleging electoral theft trending across Valruzian social platforms by sunrise.

Supporters of Sovereign Valruzia celebrated Kos’ victory outside the Presidential Chancellery in Nowogard, portraying the result as a rejection of what they described as “reactionary attempt at destabilization” by the opposition. "There was a clear majority for the left in the legislative elections" said one Sovereign Valruzia supporter outside the party headquarters. "What's strange about many, if not most, KPW and FLK supporters choosing Mrs. Kos over the more conservative candidate? I believe they are just being crybabies over yet another political loss for the right"

In her victory speech early in the morning after all results were known, Kos defended both the electoral system and the legitimacy of the count. “Every Valruzian knew the rules when they cast their ballot” the Chancellor–President declared before supporters  “Every preference mattered. Every vote was counted, and democracy has prevailed”. Chancellor–President also congratulated the party on maintaining its status as largest force in the Sejm despite losing its absolute majority, and pledged to negotiate "with everyone willing to do so" to form the next government under her mandate. According to flash polls, the preferred coalition is between Sovereign Valruzia and the Communist Party of Valruzia with the external support of the People's Front of Kampania, followed by a coalition between Sovereign Valruzia and Worthy Homeland. Less than 10% of the voters prefer a coalition between Sovereign Valruzia and Forward Valruzia, whose bad results due to its former leadership's imprisonment is still sending shockwaves through the century-old conservative party.

[Aethan]

Chancellor–President Kos secures parliamentary support for minority government after threatening to call early elections

KPW and FLK refuse to join the government but will provide external support to the new administration

April 5730

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Four months after the elections, Valruzia has a new government. Chancellor–President Kos, reelected in the January elections, has managed to secure the necessary votes in the Sejm to pass her government proposal, thanks to the votes of the Communist Party of Valruzia and the People's Front of Kampania.

Unlike in previous elections, where Kos had it very easy thanks to the absolute majority won by Sovereign Valruzia, these elections resulted in a fragmented parliament where any possibility of forming a government depended on either Sovereign Valruzia collaborating with the right or forming an alliance with all left-wing forces.

Although some sources began to float the idea of a collaboration between Sovereign Valruzia and Forward Valruzia "for the good of the nation" the idea was quickly dismissed by the Chancellor-President’s inner circle, who is considered part of the most progressive wing of Sovereign Valruzia and the main cause of the schism within Valruzianism that led to the emergence of Worthy Homeland, the runner-up in this past January’s elections.

Negotiations with the parties to her left also appear to have been far from smooth, and have come close to derailing completely on several occasions, according to sources close to the matter. However, those familiar with the negotiations say that while the KPW and FLK negotiators expected to encounter someone similar to Krystian Barela – who, two decades ago, declined to seek reelection as Chancellor of Valruzia in exchange for Sovereign Valruzia remaining in power following his infamous scandal – on this occasion they encountered a “woman with a velvet voice and an iron fist” who quickly laid out four key arguments:

1. That she had been directly elected by the people to lead the government, unlike pre-reform Chancellors.
2. That she has the authority to call elections and that she "would not hesitate to do so" if forming a "progressist government" became impossible – and, predictably, causing a further loss of votes for the KPW and the FLK as the parties responsible for the early election call.
3. That citizens had unequivocally determined that they wanted the left to lead the nation.

Although the KPW and the FLK claim to have received messages "bordering on threats", they acknowledge that their parties are not in a strong negotiating position – even though the FLK holds the regional government of Kampania, it has barely 9% of the vote nationally – and they agree that an early election call would make them being seen as the main culprits, especially given that the incumbent leader is openly progressive and has not flirted with the right at any point during her previous term.

Thus, reluctantly, the KPW and the FLK have agreed to provide external support for the Chancellor-President's minority government, but without holding any ministerial posts, and to press for, now that Sovereign Valruzia lacks a majority in parliament, "the demands of progressive citizens to be met and for the President not to heed the siren songs of the right".

The new cabinet, which was finally approved by a vote of 348 in favor and 253 against, shows little change from the outgoing government: the same small number of ministries remains, and there are few changes in their leadership. Only the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lech Bońkowski, is replaced by the former Marshal of Chynberg Jacek Podolski (the only candidate from Sovereign Valruzia to have attained that position); the role of government spokesperson passes from Minister of Science and Technology Maja Dziuk to Minister of Labor, Housing, and Social Rights Marcin Miętus; and the ministers of Environment and Tourism, Zygmunt Ważny, and of Transport, Bonifacy Kociński, swap positions. "The President wants to project an image of continuity and strength in the government, so she has asked all the ministers who have expressed their desire to remain in the government to do so," sources in the President's Office say.

[Aethan]

Growing concern in government over rise of Worthy Homeland one year before elections

Parliamentary right would secure majority even without the support of the far right, according to latest poll

March 5734

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Is it time for change in Valruzia? That is the question many political analysts have been asking themselves throughout the last legislative session, following Worthy Homeland’s breakthrough into parliament with nearly a quarter of the total vote.

Now, with less than a year to go before the next parliamentary elections, their doubts have been vindicated by this newspaper’s latest poll, which places the conservative Valruzianists as the country’s leading party with 34% of the vote, an 11-point increase over their result in the previous elections; and that would allow them to secure an absolute majority alongside Forward Valruzia, which, despite its past political scandal, is also gaining ground in the polls and is projected to rise from 14% to 16%—enough to support a Worthy Homeland government that would not have to rely on votes from the far-right Valruzian Alliance.

Since the restoration of democracy in Valruzia, the country has had heads of government from only two political parties: Sovereign Valruzia and the Communist Party of Valruzia (in addition to the legislature led by Faustyna Sabala and Dignity and Progress during a brief period, which was intended to prevent Iwan Nowik from remaining in office—an experiment that ultimately backfired and handed the KPW leader an absolute majority in the next legislative session)—and none of them have been openly conservative. With its ups and downs, one could say that the first post-dictatorship government—the first led by Szymon Nowik—was the most conservative of the entire new democratic era, but change came quickly, and since then, the country has been governed by successive progressive administrations—with their strengths and weaknesses. But that could change in the upcoming elections.

Worthy Homeland’s meteoric rise in the polls could create a difficult situation to manage, as its leader and founder, Eliasz Kaczorowski, has so far avoided openly stating whether he would prefer a government backed by Sovereign Valruzia or by Forward Valruzia—but the time may soon come for him to make a choice. The situation could become even more complicated if the current Chancellor-President, Aleksandra Kos—who has already announced her intention to run for an unprecedent third term for a woman—is reelected to the post and finds herself in the position of having to form a new government. Meanwhile, the once-all-powerful KPW continues its downward spiral, posting yet another record-low result and proving unable to stem the tide of poor performance it has been suffering for decades.

According to polls, the rise of the right—especially Worthy Homeland—is largely due to young people, the age group in which Worthy Homeland performs best. Some analysts point out the irony that, although these young people have known nothing but left-wing governments in Valruzia, believe that their living conditions are not ideal and could be improved by a shift in the government’s ideological direction, while Valruzia maintains an unemployment rate below 3% and its economy remains one of the most robust on the continent of Seleya, thanks to the momentum of its leading companies (including Morskina, Valastra, and Nova Pharma—the country’s three giants—which in recent years and decades have been signing numerous agreements with countries such as Kalistan and Luthori, among others).

Some analysts argue that the boost needed by the left-wing parties to the left of Sovereign Valruzia requires the People's Front of Kampania to shift its focus from the region and expand to the national level, but others contend that such a move would actually weaken its primary role, which is to represent and defend workers in Valruzia's northern region.

Meanwhile, Chancellor–President Kos has refused so far to comment on the poll. The Chancellor, who two years ago welcomed Kalistani Emperor and Consort in home soil to continue further strengthening the ties between the two north-Seleyan nations, has made international relationships one of her government's top priorities. She said that before her term expires for this legislature, she has plans for a last-time visit to Kalistan.

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Other news, in brief:

• Government of Kampania says it is "carefully studying" the intention of the Kalistani royals of buying a house in the region
  
• Morskina at full-speed: the company now is among the nation's top employers and plans to develop newest Valruzian naval fleet are "right on time"
  
• 3 dead and two injured in a car crash north of Brzansk
  
• Two men arrested over "attempted plan" to set on fire Kampanian National Park.
  

[Aethan]

BREAKING: Chancellor–President Kos loses Valusian nomination, cannot be reelected for a third term 

Razor-thin margin sends Kos out of the presidential race as the right continues growing

July 5734

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To the apparent conservative advance in Valruzia, the greatest possible surprise has now been added: incumbent Chancellor-President, Aleksandra Kos, has lost the nomination for the leadership election in the runoff, and therefore will not be able to secure a third term in office.

Kos—who had hoped to win a historic third term in the 5735 elections that would have established her as the female politician with the most election victories (having already served ten years, she is the longest-serving woman at the helm of the Valruzian executive)—has seen her ambitions abruptly thwarted after unexpectedly losing the bid for re-election to Klemens Grech, the candidate backed by Worthy Homeland.

Under Valruzia's current electoral system, citizens directly elect their head of State and government (the Chancellor–President) among the five final nominees (one per each Voivodeship, that has become elected under previous smaller rounds). Chancellor–President Kos' elimination means that she cannot stand for the position for next year's election, although she can still contest the legislative elections as leader of Sovereign Valruzia and win a seat in the Valruzian Sejm.

The extremely narrow margin of her rival's victory—barely 0.14% of all votes cast (50.07% versus the 49.93% secured by Mrs. Kos)—has prompted the Chancellor's team to request a recount, though all indications suggest the final result will not change. The Chancellor's defeat regarding the nomination in Valusia—a voivodeship where she had already run in the previous two elections—sparks a new debate about the prospects for the Left and the Right in the upcoming elections just six months away, given that the region is traditionally considered the second most progressive after the working-class stronghold of Kampania. In addition to Grech’s selection in Valusia, the right has succeeded in securing candidates aligned with its views in the Gryfit and Chynberg regions, leaving progressive candidates—chosen by Kampania and Ruzia—in minority for the first time (though the candidate from the latter voivodeship rejects this label, preferring to define himself as "centrist").

According to the president's inner circle—her term ends when the new president is elected next January—she is in "good spirits", though she did not anticipate such a surprising defeat, especially given the high popularity ratings she enjoys according to the vast majority of polls. The news has also caught Sovereign Valruzia off guard, as the party struggles to find a way to counter the rising momentum of Worthy Homeland. "Perhaps it is inevitable" say some party figures; "the left has governed Valruzia for over a century, so it was only a matter of time before the balance of power shifted".

For now, Kampania's official candidate Ernest Szczech has called all progressive citizens "to endorse him" to stop the conservatives and support the "only progressive candidate" in the upcoming presidential elections.

[Aethan]

Conservative candidate wins head of Government for first time in modern history

Klemens Grech wins top position but faces a parliament where the left manages to retain majority by a narrow margin

January 5735

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Just as the polls had predicted, conservative candidate Klemens Grech has made history by becoming the first conservative candidate to win the government of Valruzia—something that had not happened since the fall of the Morawski dictatorship.

On a tense night following an election in which more than 80% of the electorate turned out to vote, the candidate backed by Worthy Homeland and Forward Valruzia emerged as the undisputed winner of the night by securing more than 50% of the votes in the first round, leaving his rivals with no chance of winning. Ernest Szczech, the Kampania candidate, didn’t stand a chance despite his appeal to rally “the progressive vote” behind him, and although he finished in second place, his 39% left him far behind the winner, who took the helm of Valruzia with 54% of the votes cast. Behind them, the three remaining candidates have barely managed to garner the remaining 7%, affected by the intense polarization that has marked this election campaign, in which now former Chancellor–President Aleksandra Kos decided not to endorse any of the candidates and instead "focus on her role as leader of Sovereign Valruzia for the legislative elections", a decision for which the KPW and the FLK have criticized her throughout the campaign and to which they partly attribute tonight’s result.

"Chancellor–President Kos' childish 'it's either me or no one' attitude has cost all the progressive forces in this country the highest institutional office, and that is something the citizens need to know" the KPW stated.

Worthy Homeland—the conservative splinter group that emerged just a few years ago from Sovereign Valruzia and has surged in the polls—is celebrating the results of a candidate who is a member of their party, and they warn that now “the window is opening for a new era in Valruzia”. However, despite the prevailing optimism in Worthy Homeland following the presidential results, the truth is that the now-Chancellor–President Klemens Grech faces a difficult task in forming a government under his leadership.

With 99% of the votes counted, Worthy Homeland has become the leading party in Valruzia with 34% of the vote, winning in four of the five voivodeships—including Ruzia and Valusia, traditionally considered progressive strongholds where the right has garnered more votes than the left in this election—with the exception of Kampania, the People’s Front’s stronghold.

However, the 217 seats won by Worthy Homeland, combined with the 78 won by Forward Valruzia, are insufficient to reach the necessary majority of 301 seats, and this, combined with the fact that the Valruzian Alliance has failed to enter the Sejm—with 2.4% of the vote, it was unable to clear the 3% threshold—leaves the Chancellor-President with no choice but to seek other options for negotiating a new government for the country.

Full results, 99.9% counted:

Worthy Homeland: 34.24% (+11.20%), 217 seats (+75)

Sovereign Valruzia: 30.12% (–8.26%), 190 seats (–48)

Forward Valruzia: 12.33% (–2.05%), 78 seats (–10)

Communist Party of Valruzia: 10.10% (+0.74%), 63 seats (+5)

People's Front of Kampania: 8.35% (–0.14%), 52 seats (=)

Valruzian Alliance: 2.40% (–1.39%), 0 seats (–23)

Despite the sharp decline of the left—where only the KPW has held its ground, growing by a mere 0.75%—the three parties have managed to maintain an absolute majority in the Sejm, capable of blocking any attempt to form a purely right-wing government. So, what are the options now for the new Chancellor-President?

Option 1:
A Worthy Homeland minority government
The option currently being discussed most within the circles of the election winner is to push for the formation of a Worthy Homeland minority government, citing its strong election results and the impossibility of forming an alternative government under the new Chancellor–President. Worthy Homeland is attempting to put pressure on Aleksandra Kos Sovereign Valruzia to abstain from voting under the pretext of the "will of the people", but it is unlikely that the former president will agree to this.

Option 2:
GO-SW coalition government
A less frequently discussed but technically feasible option is the possibility that GO and SW could reach a governing agreement that would allow them to collaborate at the national level—after all, GO emerged as a splinter group from SW—by prioritizing the “Valruzianist” common ground shared by both parties. However, some argue that Worthy Homeland has already destroyed any possible bridges between the two groups with its constant attacks and outbursts, making it a highly unlikely option given the current situation.

Option 3:
Continuity of the current government
Following the recent elections, Aleksandra Kos managed to form a minority government thanks to external support from the KPW and the FLK, which chose not to join the government and instead decided to “oversee” it from the outside. Such a government would be possible, since the three parties hold a majority in the chamber, but many analysts doubt that, after defeating SW in the elections, Worthy Homeland will allow a government in which they do not have strong representation.

Option 4:
Fresh elections
If no government agreement is reached, the Valruzian Constitution is clear: the Chancellor-President has the prerogative to call elections, but if a functioning government has not been formed within six months of the elections, this power passes to the Sejm, which may decide whether to call new elections. In addition, the Sejm also has the authority to pass a motion of no confidence against the Chancellor-President, although such a motion must be “constructive” and must also obtain the support of two-thirds of the deputies—a figure far from the current majority held by SW, KPW, and the FLK.

For the time being, Chancellor–President Klemens Grech has not commented on what steps he will now take to form a new government, but there are voices in his inner circle already suggesting the possibility of calling early elections in which Worthy Homeland could emerge stronger.

[Aethan]

"Send them [Yeudis] home!" Chancellor–President's old video resurfaces amid discriminatory remarks

Klemens Grech's participation in an "anti-yeudi seminar" has sparked controversy

June 5735

A fragment of the video where a young Klemens Grech made such remarks

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Not a year in his new role has passed and Chancellor–President Klemens Grech is already facing a scandal: an old video of him taking part – and speaking – in what many consider to be an "anti-yeudi seminar", organized by the far-right group "Odrodzenie" ("Rebirth").

In the video, dated 5725 (ten years ago), the current Chancellor-President is seen taking the podium to deliver a speech against uncontrolled immigration “that will ruin Valruzia” and blaming the government—which at that time was already headed by Sovereign Valruzia’s Aleksandra Kos—for “wanting to destroy ‘Valruzian identity’ by importing ‘poverty and crime’”. Although the Chancellor–President himself, 24 years old at the time, makes no direct references to any specific nationality or culture, chants of "Odeślijcie ich do domu!" (Send them home!) or “Yeudi, you b*stard, Valruzia isn’t your country!”, in what the Association of Valruzian Yeudi for Coexistence has described as openly “anti-Yeudi” attacks, and has called for unanimous condemnation by all politicians, as well as demanding the immediate resignation of the Chancellor-President, whom they consider “permanently disqualified” from holding any public office following the release of these images.

"Once again, the Yeudi people of this country—who are JUST AS VALRUZIAN AS ANYONE ELSE—are being subjected to attacks and discrimination simply because we practice a religion. We demand the immediate resignation of the Chancellor-President, that he apologize, and that he sincerely repent for having taken part in such a shameful act".

Sovereign Valruzia has not held back in its attacks on the Chancellor-President, who has not yet managed to form a new government following the latest elections.

"This isn't the first time a conservative head of state has been involved in a scandal related to the Yeudis, since. Everyone still remembers the shameful attempt of President Szymona Razem. If it weren't for the acts of Chancellor Szymon Nowik, she would have moved ahead with her plan to deport Valruzian Yeudis. There’s a worrying trend on the right. It’s no coincidence that every time one of their figures is elected, a similar scandal erupts" says Aleksandra Kos.

In recent years, the number of anti-Yeudi incidents has been on the rise, according to SHCWal, coinciding with the rise of the right.

"The right in Valruzia has a hard time accepting that the Yeudi population of Valruzia are ALSO Valruzian citizens, perhaps because the vast majority of them defy the stereotype of the religious citizen and are openly progressive—and the right cannot tolerate that." says Kaja Orlikowska, leader of the KPW, who has also asked for the Chancellor–President's "immediate resignation".

Klemens Grech’s team, while not denying his participation in the event, states that it took place “a long time ago” and that the Chancellor-President has had many years to reflect and change his view of Valruzia and the world in general; they assure that he will issue a formal apology shortly, but do not believe he should resign over it.

"The President regrets his participation in that event. He was young and still developing his political views. Furthermore, although he was among the attendees, Mr. Grech did not give a speech related to the controversy, and he left when the chants began. Sovereign Valruzia, the KPW, and other political organizations that are using these past events to attack him are taking what happened out of context to exploit the situation, because they cannot bear to have lost power to a figure like him."

The truth is that this incident adds further difficulty to the already complicated negotiations to form a government, with the possibility of early elections—for the third time in Valruzia’s history—becoming increasingly clear.