Players: 12/12
Open / CLOSED
Setting
Zubrowka is a country steeped in history and, in more recent years, plagued by controversy. One of the many smaller monarchies that made up the great collection of medieval monarchies of Europe, Zubrowka was once known for its wealth and its unique high culture. Many aristocrats were patrons of the fine arts. It was one of the few countries that took hold of the Renaissance early on in Eastern Europe.
Zubrowka was subsumed into the realm of the Habsburgs in the late 18th century, remaining at the eastern fringe of the Holy Roman Empire. It was largely unaffected by the Napoleonic Wars. As a landlocked country, it benefited little – if at all – from the maritime commerce of the Mediterranean, and its mountainous terrain did little to spur industrialization and economic growth. As ethnic tensions threatened to tear the Austro-Hungarian Empire apart, it was granted independence in 1879, and a prince once again ruled from his princely capital.
The Zubrowkan royal family found themselves staunch allies of the Habsburgs and Hohenzollerns still, and when all of Europe fell into war in 1914, Zubrowka found itself on the side of the Central Powers. When defeat came in 1918, the country's economy had been run into the ground and thousands had died on the field fighting the Greeks, Romanians, and Russians. A series of brutal treaties in the wake of the war left the Zubrowkan people vengeful, and Hitler's rise to power in Germany precipitated the victory of the fascist National Zubrowkan People's Party in 1934, ushering in the age of Zubrowkan fascism. Prince Franz II, himself not a very willful man, bowed to the extremely charismatic Chancellor Arthur Henckels, who many compared in vision and in character to Adolf Hitler. The country saw great economic prospects and a strengthened military, but the outbreak of WWII cut the “era of national rebirth” short. The country suffered greatly as the war turned against the Axis, and when the war came to Zubrowka, Henckels committed suicide as Soviet troops gained control of the capital, Alsänder. The Soviet occupation was devastating but brief, as the plans for a postwar world allowed Zubrowka to decide its own destiny.
A national referendum abolished the monarchy – which many bitter people blamed for the failures of WWI and WWII – and a more democratic system was put in place in the form of a republic. However, national politics drifted overwhelmingly against joining either the Warsaw Pact or NATO, and instead opted for total neutrality, isolating the country politically and diplomatically from most of the rest of Europe. Economic recovery in the wake of the war was slow, and after a brief economic boom in the 60s the country's economic fortunes again reversed. Amid heightening displeasure with the current government and the country's economic prospects, the most recent Chancellor, having been re-elected by the slimmest of margins to a second term in 1973, resigned the office; his successor successfully passed a motion to trigger a snap election thereafter. It is August 1975. It is, as famous Zubrowkan author Klemens Wallner said, “a time of normalcy when the government causes all manner of controversy and trouble at the expense of the people”.
Politics: A Rundown
What shall follow is a summary of the form of government and constitution of Zubrowka.
Zubrowka is a parliamentary unitary republic, governed by a President (played by me), elected independently via popular vote as head of state and who is nonpartisan, and a Chancellor, who is the head of the largest party in the National Chamber of Deputies that is able to form government, and is formally appointed by the President for that purpose. All elections, barring parliamentary snap elections, occur on 10 January. Barring constitutional or voting irregularities (in which case the Chancellor becomes Acting President with certain limitations), the President will take office on 25 January. Seats are given out proportionally to the percentage of votes each party receives.
The President must have been born a citizen of Zubrowka, must have resided in the country for at least ten consecutive years prior to his election, and must be of at least thirty-eight years of age. The President may not be a registered member of any extant political party. The President formally appoints the Chancellor and nominates the Vice President, serves as the head of state, and carries the rank of Generalissimo of the Zubrowkan Armed Forces (a ceremonial post). Presidents are elected every five years, with the next election in 1980. They may be re-elected to the office once.
The Chancellor must be a sitting member of the National Chamber of Deputies upon being appointed to the task of forming government by the President. The Chancellor appoints ministers to advise him, oversees government spending and services, and is commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The Chancellor may serve an indefinite number of times in the office, and must be at least aged thirty upon being given the task of forming government. Parliamentary elections occur every four years. The next election following this year's is in 1979, barring snap elections. Amendments to the constitution are made first by holding a referendum; the referendum passes if turnout is above 50% and at least 60% of tallied votes vote in the affirmative. The legislature then crafts the amendment and votes on its passage, which requires a two-thirds vote.
How to Play
If you haven't caught on by now, gameplay will be relatively simple. Players apply and (if accepted) play as political parties in Zubrowka, and will fight for votes and for control of the national legislature throughout the game. After every election, if the largest party does not have a majority of seats, they will be tasked with forming government, and will broker deals with the leaders of other ideologically similar parties to form a government while conceding certain legislative/executive promises to those parties. Legislation can be proposed by any party in the legislature. It should be reminded that, if a party lies along an ideological divide, or if a bill proves particularly controversial, not all Deputies in that party may vote for/against that bill. You can work hard with party whips, but it may not always be enough to get the votes.
Outside of legislative action, party leaders can conduct interviews with local radio or television hosts, place ads in newspapers, write ICs about internal party politics, and so on. In the run-up to elections, players can release party manifestos and can take part in GM-led debates. Debates and arguments can happen in the Chamber between leaders of parties and so on -- but remember that you are playing parties in the end, not people. Good performance in debates and ingenuity/creativity with ICs may be rewarded with a bonus in elections or in general updates.
Please fill out the following information for your party application:
Logo/emblem (optional): the logo or emblem which your party uses.
Name: the name of your party.
Motto (optional): the motto of your party.
Color(s): the color(s) your party has chosen.
Leader: the name of the founder and leader of your party, with an optional picture.
Ideology: A description (as brief or extended as you like) of your party's ideology. It helps if you include proposals and positions on taxes, the military, the Cold War, the economy, the military, tariffs, unions and industrialization, freedom of speech/expression and other civil liberties, and other issues. Examples of various ideologies include national conservatism (and variations thereof), social liberalism, classical liberalism, social democracy, democratic socialism, communism, anarcho-syndicalism, anarcho-capitalism, fascism, and minority rights/nationalist parties, among others. You can also include the ideologies of smaller factions within your party if you like.
Here is a basic sample for a party that I have made as a guideline if you're having trouble.
Name: People's Democratic Party
Motto: Forward Together
Color(s): Orange and light blue (orange for seating chart purposes)
Leader: Heinz Hartmann
Ideology: Social liberalism. PDP places a special emphasis on direct government intervention in the economy “when necessary”; investment into businesses that are most likely to create jobs, diversify the economy, and expand GDP; and warming relations with NATO and the United States. PDP are unlikely to ever expand or increase funding for the military. They seek to protect the Slavic minority from potential discrimination both in government and in the private sector, though are not explicitly a minority rights party. A smaller faction in the party leans toward social democratic beliefs and policies.
Not all applications will be accepted, nor will all accepted parties receive representation in the parliament. Please keep both of these in mind.
IRC Chatroom
We have an IRC chatroom on The Airlock by the name of #WiR_Main. Come by (with a name similar to your forum name for clarification purposes) to shoot the shit with other players. It also may make communication with me and other players far more easy and convenient. We also talk about real-world politics, history, and everything else imaginable.
If there are any things that require further clarification that I have forgotten, they will be added to this post.
Now go and apply!
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