Political Parties of Laeral

This is an outline of the doctrine, leaders, and current presence of Laeral's many political parties. It also has lists of the parties' candidates for the 2018 Presidential election.
Laeral currently has 10 political parties with representation in the Assembly of Commons. As such, even major parties such as the four parties which have traditionally dominated Laeralian politics must make alliances and coalitions in order to stay in power. Political parties occupy an outsized role in Laeralian life, often functioning as social clubs and local organizations. It is also important to remember that elections for the Assembly of Commons, which use proportional representation, derive their membership from a list of candidates selected by the party leadership.

Political parties can be founded relatively easily under Laeralian law. All that is required is 25,000 eligible voters pledging that they will vote for candidates of the new party. Political parties derive funding from membership dues, donations (although they are strictly regulated) and government funding (M1.50 for each of the first million votes in an Assembly of Commons election, and M0.50 for each voter afterward).

Major Parties

Progressive Party of Laeral

Founded: 1927
Position: Left-wing
Ideology: Social Democracy
Leaders: President Nicholas Brennan, Progressive Committee Chair Chen Ting-fei
Description: The Progressives are a center-left party that currently dominates Laeralian politics. They are known for their willingness to work with other parties, and their centrist, non-confrontational approach to politics. The Progressives are known for striking up alliances with practically any party, including parties as disparate as the Conservatives and the Communists on occasion. The Progressives have traditionally played a major role in many coalition governments.
They control the Presidency and Prime Ministership, the Cabinet, and the Assembly of Commons. They enjoy a large number of longtime voters, and have a large number of registered members. However, all is not well in the Progressive ranks. They are increasingly losing younger voters to the growing Socialist Party, and only narrowly held their Assembly of Commons majority in the Winter 2016 elections. Their traditional voter base, working-class voters, has been drawn to other parties. In most provincial and national legislative bodies, they have been forced to form coalitions in order to remain in control, meaning that they must now bargain to pass signature legislation. Overall, the passion seems to have left the Progressives. The 2018 Presidential elections will show if they still have the votes to elect a President, against the growing challenges they face. They are currently also split between factions that support Tanvi Misra's nomination and those who supported other candidates during the primaries.
Membership Dues: 16 Marks
Structure: The Progressives are organized around a Progressive National Committee which is headquartered in Laeralsford's 1st Arrondissement. The committee consists of representatives from each Provincial Committee, as well as a small number of representatives of the National Committee itself and those representing the various branches of the party. Progressive candidates for the Commons are chosen by the PNC, while the President, Governor, and Delegate candidates are elected through a prmary open to all Progressive members.
Branches: Student Progressives, National League of Progressive Women, LGBT Progressives
International Affiliation: Progressive Alliance
Newspaper: En Avant
Presence:
98/386 Assembly of Commons
18/66 General Assembly

2018 President Candidate:

---

Laeralian People's Party

Founded: 1976
Position: Right-wing
Ideology: National Conservatism, Social Conservatism
Leaders: Delegate/LPP Chair Damien Vendorme
Description: The Laeralian People's Party was formed as a coalition of right-wing parties, built largely around the ruins of the Laeralian People's Union. Their first President was charismatic leader Pierre Leung, who managed to rally voters dissatisfied by the 'Socialist Revolution'. Their 'Counter-Revolution' was in effect a backlash against the looser morals of the 1980s, and the Socialist ideals that were becoming mainstream. The People's Party, aided by defectors from the Conservatives, managed to establish itself as a force to be reckoned with in Laeralian politics with provocative stunts during their time in opposition. Today, they have made a turn toward populism, advocating radical right-wing policies under the leadership of charismatic Delegate Damien Vendorme. They have also increasingly advocated nationalist views. Their bases of support include the middle-class and rural voters. They are known for a well-organized, efficient network of volunteers and candidates nationwide.
Membership Dues: 18 Marks
Structure: Candidate selections are made via primaries. The LPP Executive Council serves as the central party committee.
Branches: Rural People, College LPP, New Generations
International Affiliation: International Democrat Union
Newspaper: None
Presence:
63/386 Assembly of Commons
9/66 General Assembly

2018 Presidential Candidate:

---

Socialist Party of Laeral

Founded: 1953
Position: Left-wing
Ideology: Democratic Socialism, Progressivism, Urbanism
Leaders: Socialist National Conference Chair Laurence Cloarec
Description: Founded in the 50s by activists and breakaway Progressives, the Socialists initially held modest hopes. However, the party gained power in 1988's so-called 'Socialist Revolution' allowing them to force through many signature reforms. Today, the Socialists are growing more powerful than ever, gaining seats and negotiating for more power in their alliance with the Progressives. The Socialists are essential to Progressive control of the government, and continue to remind their Progressive allies of this fact. The Socialists have a well-organized and passionate base, but are disliked by conservatives, putting them at a disadvantage in runoff elections. However, the SNC continues to plan and lay the groundwork for elections in 2018.
One well-known weakness of the party is their lack of a ground game in rural areas outside of the party's coastal and Riverlands base of support. As such, this would be a serious barrier to a successful Socialist administration at the national level. Their main base of support is the young, as well as poor voters who like Socialist ideals and LGBT voters. The Socialists were the first major party to support same-sex marriage.
Membership Dues: 14 Marks
Structure: While the Socialist National Conference is theoretically in control of the party, they have little power. All candidate selections are made via primaries open to all Socialist Party members.
Branches: Socialist Youth of Laeral, Socialist Women, LGBT Socialists
International Affiliation: Socialist International
Newspaper: Quotidien Socialiste
Presence:
75/386 Assembly of Commons
14/66 General Assembly

2018 Presidential Candidate:

---

New Democratic Alliance

Founded: 2010
Position: Center to Center-left
Ideology: Moderate Liberalism, Internationalism, Multilateralism
Leaders: Governor Liu Mei-han, Chair of the NDA Congress
Description: A relatively new party, the New Democrats were founded by a merger of various centrist and center-left parties in 2010. The new party struggled to gain seats, initially only barely able to hold its seats it had gained from the merger. However, Governor Liu Mei-han, for reasons of her own, led a high-profile defection of herself and several other Governors and Representatives to LAC in 2016, largely from the Progressives and the Conservatives. Governor Liu, described as 'the most interesting person in politics' by the Laeralsford Chronicle, took over the party, winning several high-profile local elections. It is unsure whether Laeralites will take to Liu's ideals, and they are largely untested at the national level, outside of their base of support. They hope to play a role in the next government as a major centrist party.
Membership Dues: None
Structure: As a new party, they have little structure at present. The NDA Congress consists of only 16 members, and they make the majority of party decisions.
Branches: Women Democrats, Student Democrats, LGBT Democrats
International Affiliation: Liberal International
Newspaper: None
Presence:
19/386 Assembly of Commons
1/66 General Assembly

---

Conservative Party

Founded: 1860
Position: Center-right
Ideology: Liberal Conservatism
Leaders: Second Minister John Vance, Conservative Association President Denis Genevard
Description: Laeral's main conservative party is widely thought of as holding Christian Democrat or Liberal-Conservative views, and is Laeral's second-largest political party by number of registered members. This center-right party generally hold conservative views on social issues, while is generally liberal on foreign policy and trade. They have also historically been a part of most government coalitions. The Conservatives are generally working-class families, as well as the clergy, Catholics, and the 'genteel conservatives' of older times. The Conservatives are the oldest political party in Laeral, having been established only a few years after Laeral's founding. However, the Conservatives have been pushed into the Opposition role for several years now. They have lost the Presidency for a long time, and have lost control of the Assembly of Commons. However, they have the largest number of single party seats in the General Assembly, and hope to capture the Presidency in 2018. The are unusual in that, instead of having primaries, candidates are nominated based upon decisions from the national Conservative Association.
They are perennial enemies of the Progressives, enough that much of Conservative and Progressive leadership, as well as rank-and-file party members, often know each other well. As such, there is little of the rancor often seen between parties of this size and opposing views. However, the schism within the party's ranks from several years ago, in which the True Conservatives split from the party, has embittered segments of the Conservatives. Time will tell whether this schism changes the Conservative outlook.
Membership Dues: 20 Marks
Structure: Each provincial branch of the Conservative Association is run by a committee of 8. That committee, whose members are elected from within the party, decides all party candidates for that province. Those committee members assemble at a different spot each election season to decided upon national candidates.
Branches: Federation of Rural Conservatives
International Affiliation: International Democrat Union
Newspaper: Conservateur Laeralien
Presence:
72/386 Assembly of Commons
24/66 General Assembly

2018 Presidential Candidate:

---

Laeral Unbowed!

Founded: 2003
Position: Far-right
Ideology: Nationalism, Populist Ultraconservatism
Leaders: Representative Hsieh Pai-han
Description: Laeral Unbowed! was founded as an anti-immigrant party holding anti-Semitic, xenophobic, and racist views. However, they have recently discarded their anti-Semitism and overt racism, choosing to nominate Hsieh Pai-han as their official nominee. They have often been mocked. Their views are certainly an object of caricature, with their proposals to end all immigration into Laeral, and to criminalize numerous behaviors and activities. Their virulently anti-immigrant stance is relatively new in Laeralian politics. However, they have been emboldened by recent victories by similar parties in other nations (such as Lynland-), and hope that they can appeal to voters dissatisfied with modern conservatism, as well as Laeralian society in general. Their international partners include France's National Front and the UK Independence Party. They have had several victories in local elections.
Structure: Laeral Unbowed! has a loose central committee called the Laeral Unbowed! Coordinating Committee. However, individual candidates have great autonomy.
Branches: Laeral Unbowed Youth
International Affiliation: None
Membership Dues: None
Presence:
17/386 Assembly of Commons
0/66 General Assembly

---

Minor Parties

United Right
Position: Far-right
Description: A far-right, Rén nationalistic party, formed as a coalition of right-wing parties. Their support is expected to drift to Laeral Unbowed!.
Presence: 18/386 Assembly of Commons

Center Party
Position: Center
Description: A loose group of centrists and independents with agrarian tendencies, largely those who disliked or had personal grudges against Liu Mei-han when she announced the creation of AIL. The party will not run candidates in the 2018 elections, and it's politicians are in the process of defecting to other parties, likely the Secular Democrats.
Presence: 12/386 Assembly of Commons

Green Party/Laeralian Ecology

Position: Left-wing
Description: An environmentalist party with its roots in the Green movement of the 1990s. Their heyday was from between 2000 and 2002, when they had 38 seats and were a part of the Socialist governing coalition. They strongly oppose nuclear power, setting them at odds with the Progressives, but otherwise caucus with the parliamentary left-wing. They are also opposed to free trade policies, believing the to be harmful for the environment.
Presence: 11/386 Assembly of Commons

Laeralian Communist Party
Position: Far-left
Description: Laeral's small communist movement still survives in the Assembly of Commons. They have refused to moderate their political views since he fall of the Soviet Union, and as a result, many of their candidates have drifted to parties such as the Radical Party of the Left and the Socialists.
Presence: 11/386 Assembly of Commons

Political Compass of Laeralian Political Parties:

Extragovernmental Parties

Women's Alliance

Position: Far-left
Description: A radical feminist political party, founded in 2015. Their policy platform includes creating quotas for women in the National Assembly. They hope to capitalize on the movement against workplace sexual harassment with their brand of radical feminism. They have a newspaper, La Voix des Femmes.

Radical Party of the Left

Position: Far-left
Description: Formed by fringe Socialists and members of the Laeralian Communist Party, the Radical Party of the Left is a youth-led social movement that aims to implement policies including direct democracy, nationalization of private industry, international disarmament, and other policies outside the political mainstream.

Secular Democrats
Position: Center-right
Description: Founded by members of the Centrist Association, the Secular Democrats aim to promote secular governance and free-market capitalism. They can be seen as a backlash to the increasingly religious tone taken by some right-wing parties.