Prussian News and Movements

[Rauchen]

Elections have been held once more in Prussia, the first in which the Nationalist Party fragments will be competing against one another. With the NPP's fall from grace, the Democratic Peoples' Party has been strengthening bonds with the Monarchist-Meritocratic alliance, though that doesn't mean the three parties won't compete strongly for individual legislative seats.

[u][b]Demokratische Leutes Partei[/b][/u]
Chairman: Willamar Foth
Ideology: Democratic socialism
The DLP is now running on a policy that effectively amounts to maintaining the status quo; they support existing corporate regulations, green energy policies, the balance of power between King, Reichstag, and counties, a social safety net, and emphasis on education. However, Chancellor Konstantin Tolkien says that his party would like to cut defense spending in favor of a further boost to education and government research into various topics, including improvement of the efficiency of solar and wind energy sources, which already meet the majority of Prussian energy needs, as well as the possibility of using biofuel to replace petrol products in military use; the Prussian Armed Forces remain the leading consumer of fossil fuels in all of Prussia. They also support a large-scale renovation of Prussia's old passenger railways in favor of more efficient, eco-friendly high-speed trains. In regards to foreign policy, they do not have any wishes to extend Prussia's influence any further than the immediately surrounding regions, maintaining relations with European states while avoiding entanglements in Africa, Asia, and America. Domestically, they would like to reform the process of electing monarchs and chancellors from a one-round system to a two-round, allowing the populace more say in the selection of public officials.
[u][b]
Preußische Monarchistische Partei[/b][/u]
Chairman: Dietmar Teufel
Ideology: Socialist monarchism
The Preußische Monarchistische Partei holds similar ideals to the DLP, but support further centralization of the government to the monarch, to the point that Wechsler's Demokratische Union Preußen has attacked them as 'absolutists.' They also support existing policies, but wish final decisions on those matters to rest more firmly in the executive's hands. Many support the implementation of a hereditary monarchy under King Alaric's dynasty. A number among them also propose a slight deregulation to private businesses, but stoutly refuse proposals by the DUP to privatize education, mass transit, and healthcare, claiming those departments are the sole responsibility of the state. They support King Alaric's policies of social acceptance of low-level drugs, such as marijuana, LSD, and psilocybin mushrooms, but believe the government should take a stronger stance in regards to hard drugs, like heroin, crack-cocaine, and meth amphetamine; while not necessarily supportive of harsh prison sentences, they do believe that hard drug users should be subject to substantial government pressure to cease their habits, with prison sentencing being reserved for those who turn to violence to feed their habits. Their foreign policy consists of maintaining a presence in the Baltic region, but no further, while supporting relations with other democratic monarchies as well as Prussia's immediate neighbors- Sweden, Germany, and Vostokslavia.
[u][b]
Preußische Meritokratie Union[/b][/u]
Chairman: Eirikr Winther
Ideology: Meritocratic socialism
The Preußische Meritokratie Union, which maintains close ties with the Monarchists, are entirely supportive of existing governmental policies. They do, however, wish to implement a [i]de jure[/i] system of meritocracy, in which cabinet officials and political candidates are chosen according to personal achievement as well as popular support. A [i]de facto[/i] system to that effect already exists, but the Meritocrats wish to formalize that system, while granting exceptions to lower-tier positions, such as city councils and mayors. Like the DLP, they also support a two-round electoral system for the monarchy and chancellery, but about one third of their membership supports a hereditary monarchy, like their Monarchist allies. Many of their ideals are based on those of Hethnamark and its predecessors, so they support a certain degree of regulation on big business and a strong military force. According to Chairman Eirikr Winther, the Meritocrats want to maintain a strong defense force in order to defend Prussian interests in the Baltic and northern Europe, but lean toward the non-interventionist side of the spectrum.
[u][b]
Nationalist Partei Preußen[/b][/u]
Chairman: Sigismund Schräder
Ideology: Liberal nationalism
The Nationalist Partei Preußen, formerly the largest party in the entire nation, has dwindled spectacularly in their numbers and influence. Chairman and former Chancellor Sigismund Schräder has said that this split has only made them stronger, for it has culled the dissident conservatives from the liberal nationalist party. Nevertheless, voter confidence in the NPP has dropped, but out of the three Nationalist remnants (NPP, PKPP, and DUP), they remain the most influential, though that influence appears to be declining. They support all existing policies, many of which were the brainchildren of NPP-DLP cooperation, and do not wish to upset the status quo; in that sense, they, themselves, are conservative. The NPP has indicated that, despite its crippled stature, it will continue to work closely with the DLP, and, by extension, the PMP and PMU.
[u][b]
Demokratische Union Preußen[/b][/u]
Chairman: Lothat Wechsler
Ideology: Conservativism
The Demokratische Union Preußen represents a portion of the growing Prussian right; they are against many existing Prussian national policies, which they claim are 'too leftist,' and wish to bring more balance to the political spectrum. According to the doctrine put forth by Chairman Lothar Wechsler, the DUP supports the removal of almost all regulations on private enterprise, which they claim stifles economic growth, a point that is hotly contended by the DLP. They want to cut funding for and privatize education, healthcare, and mass transit and funnel that funding into defense and the treasury. They seek to abolish many of the laws on the books that had been put forth by the dominant NPP-DLP union, such as the Social Security Act, Sensible Drug Policy Act, Drug Education Act, Firearm Registration Act, and the Living Wage Act. They believe that socialist policies are destroying the moral fabric of Prussia by encouraging recreational drug use, that the registration of firearms is an affront to civil liberties, and that the living wage is suffocating private economic growth. The social security system, as well as the universal higher education and healthcare, they claim, supports a sense of entitlement and discourages personal achievement. Democratic Union members believe that the government should have the right to curb civil liberties during a time of war, a point to which the DLP and PKPP are staunchly opposed. They also believe that Gotland should be pressured to integrate into Prussia as a full county rather than a semi-autonomous region. The DUP supports alliances with American, Asian, African, and European powers as is "necessary for Prussian interests," even if it means entanglement in global wars.
[u][b]
Progressiv Konservative Partei Preußen[/b][/u]
Chairman: Sören Prinz
Ideology: Progressive conservativism
The Progressiv Konservative Partei Preußen represents the more center-right politics of Prussia; they support a social safety net, as they indicated in their support of the Social Security Act, but believe that existing policies regulate private enterprise too severely. They wish to remove certain environmental and wage requirements on businesses; for example, they wish to lower the $PM15.25 living wage to a $PM10.15 minimum wage, in order to further encourage businesses from both Prussia and abroad to expand their enterprises within the geopolitical borders of Prussia. Additionally, they believe that the government should hold less of a role in the populace's lives, and to that effect, they would abolish universal healthcare and the firearm registration. They support a two-round system of electing monarchs and chancellors, while maintaining the one-round system for legislators and county/city governments. The PKPP supports free trade and the abolition of most tariffs on foreign trade, as opposed to most other parties, which believe that a protective tariff is necessary in order to encourage the growth of Prussian companies with Prussia. On the issue of foreign policy, the Progressive Conservatives support a Baltic-based foreign policy with very limited forays into global affairs.
[u][b]
Nordlandische Partei[/b][/u]
Chairman: Gunther Fuhrmann
Ideology: Nordlandic Revivalism
The Nordlandische Partei supports the reestablishment of the Greater Nordlandic Reich and its policies. Its policies revolve around the government that led the nation during that time period. As such, it is a far right wing party, opposing all regulation of private enterprise, the living wage, and government assistance programs. It supports the Reunification of Nordland with Sweden and the Greater German Reich, as well as a global system of alliances with powers in Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. They advocate the centralization of government, though not necessarily directly toward the monarch, and the ability of the government to restrict certain liberties during times of war.
[u][b]
Freie Leutes Organisation[/b][/u]
Chairman: Sigibert Ebner
Ideology: Libertarian socialism
The Freie Leutes Organisation is a libertarian socialist front that advocates the near-total demolition of government, both royal and county. Of course, they oppose almost every government law, save for those establishing the national language and the armed forces. The extreme views of the FLO support a government with the sole responsibility of maintaining the peace and rights of its people. FLO legislators have voted against almost every law on the books, but have always stood beside civil liberties and economic freedom. Other parties have attacked the FLO as a conglomerate of crass anarchists operating under the guise of libertarianism, but despite this, they have maintained a minor standing in politics.

[size="5"][u][b]Election Results[/b][/u][/size]
[u][b]Chancellery[/b][/u]
[b]Chancellor Konstantin Tolkien (DLP): 26.3%[/b]
Dietmar Teufel (PMP): 21.2%
Eirikr Winther (PMU): 18.6%
Sigismund Schräder (NPP): 15.1%
Lothar Wechsler (DUP): 8.3%
Sören Prinz (PKPP): 4.4%
Gunter Fuhrmann (NRP):3.5%
Sigibert Ebner (FLO): 1.8%
Heinrich von Memel (Ind.): 0.6%
Null Vote/Invalid/None of the Above: 0.2%

[u][b]Der Reichstag[/b][/u]
[b]Demokratische Leutes Partei: 23
Preußische Monarchistische Partei: 22
Preußische Meritokratie Union: 15[/b]
Demokratische Union Preußen: 14
Nationalist Partei Preußen: 12
Progressiv Konservative Partei Preußen: 6
Nordlandische Partei: 3
Freie Leute Organisation: 3
Independents: 2