Pierre Delvaux for Country President

Day 1,352, 01:46 • Published in Netherlands Switzerland • by Pierre Delvaux


I cannot forsake my principles

I did not expect to be here today. I did not expect to find myself running for President of the eNL again, all these months after my earlier, record breaking attempts. Yet here I am, a victim of circumstance, a product of the latest political crisis to have struck our eNation, one that threatens to draw us into the waters of inclarity, risking stagnation, politico-administrative confusion, and ultimately, demise.

The Gatsbyesque rise of the industrialist Jacob van den Guldenweege, with his Agnelli manqué notions about the relationship between commerce and power, has alarmed our societal establishment. They have responded, in a haste that would be depressing were it not so predictable, as they always have in such instances; by closing rank and retreating to their innate conservatism.

My former party, DemNL, has betrayed its founding ideals, by choosing to endorse the I&W candidate, in the hope of preventing Jacob from taking the keys to Het Catshuis. This decision must not stand unchallenged. For too long, I&W has been the canker sore disfiguring the appearance of our polity. It has been the source of obfuscation, graft, cronyism, and bureaucratic misappropriation. The people have recognised this; the party's membership has been in steady decline for some time. Now is the moment to place a cordon sanitaire around the I&W machine with the intention of casting it into irrelevance. Instead the DemNL leaders have thrown them a lifebuoy, manifesting a desperate desire to maintain the status quo.

In order to make the countercase for honest, progressive ideas, I have resigned my membership of DemNL, and joined the great and incorruptible Center-Left Netherlands. I've been impressed by this new party since its inception, and I'm proud to say that its main movers, Jack Ritell, fryskiene and groenewilde have offered to endorse me for CP.

Here is the core of my proposed programme, which has been developed in concert with them. I'll keep it short and sweet, like the old lady's dance. Further details can be provided upon request.

1: Reduction of Presidential Powers

I was proud to lead my former party, the LPD into the last coalition government, under the outstanding leadership of the late Hans Rienveld. My positive experience leaves me committed to the restoration of the parliamentary focused system of governance. It allows for a variety of voices to be heard, and helps create a more balanced Cabinet. Conversely, power grabs by the CP undermine this positive structure. I see the CP as being a moral rather than political leader, one who can provide guidance to the population at large. By making Congress the primary organ of governmental action, we can alleviate the democratic deficit that alienates the average citizen. I envisage improved communication between forum Congress and in-game, as well as the increased use of referendums, as tools to effect this change in the most efficient and sustainable fashion possible.

2: Reform of Military Spending

The public have had enough of Antikoist opacity, shameless boongdoggling and unjustified taxation of the common man on the part of the military brass. I'll make sure that the MoD is compelled to provide an itemised account of where our money is being spent. There will be no more conflicting accounts, nor hiding behind trumped up issues of state security in defence of a private hunting club ethos.
Furthermore, I'll make the case for a more equitable distribution of resources. The enduring image of a loafing Elite, laden down with weapons, food and moving tickets, while a hard working Marine carries an empty knapsack beside him, relying purely on his own steam and courage, must cast its shadow no more. Committed fighters must be rewarded for their efforts, rather than cast aside and treated with lofty contempt.
I served in the Army without help for months before I became one of the many to join a private unit. Their existence is proof positive that a change has gotta come.

3: Rebrand the Administrative Nomenclature

Our offices of state have become staid and unattractive to the citizenry at large. We need to embrace a reimagining of the organisation and categorisation of Ministries and Departments alike. If elected, I'll appoint Kiecho as Minister of Administrative Reform, tasked with eliminating dead wood, power abuse and inefficiency from our stale political system.

To start with, I seek to rebuild the diplomatic corps as our first point of contact with other eNations. Ambassadors will be renamed 'Emissaries of State', and be consulted at ministerial level, further connecting the average citizens of our state and others.

4: Restore English to True Dual Language Status

Of late, Dutch has become the language of choice in newspapers and Congress. I'll campaign to restore English to lingua franca position. If the eNL wants to attract top citizens, Englsh really is a must. It is wrong for those who advocate a Dutch only policy to retreat behind a shield of pious rectitude on this matter, leaving the concerns of the Internationals bleached behind them in the sun. The present Suslovist approach, which insists on multiple debates and votes to force through stealth taxation, yet seeks to shut down occasional discussion of language policy, reflects poorly on policymakers.

5: Spearhead the Repatriation of eDutch Citizens 'Left Behind'

A significant number of our fellows have been stranded in foreign lands as a result of the recent changes to our borders. Whilst some players have initiated private actions to locate and recover these individuals, I'll appoint a fully funded SS with direct responsibility for locating and returning our lost brethren, as well as RL recruiting of 'babyboomers'.

6: Petition Plato to Allow the Creation of 'Shareholder Companies'

A central plank of the CLN manifesto is to fight for the creation of cooperative, joint ownership raw companies, in which members would buy varying levels of shares, and then make decisions about production and salary issues by means of forum discussions. We believe that this would help reinvigorate the eEconomy. I think the establishment of a dedicated Directorate of Labour Relations would be an important step to take in preparing for such a development.

7: Conduct a Constructive Dialogue with Other Leaders

I want to reposition the eNL as a multilingual centre of debate and the creation of ideas within the eInternational system. If elected, I will lay the groundwork for the holding of a pioneering Global Summit on the Future of The New World (GSFNW). Taking place in game, on forums, and IRC, the GSFNW will be a gathering of heads and state and other Influentials, intended to be similar to the RL Tällberg Forum. I'll wield the increased profile the GSFNW will bring us in any future Treaty discussions with the Poles. CLN has long contended that the eNL needs to arrive at a permanent, mutually agreeable stalemate with the Poles; I'll make achieving this a priority.


I know that my chances of victory are low, and that I'll soon be subjected to the brickbats of the forces if reaction and intolerance. Perhaps I'm doomed to be the Henry A. Wallace of our Truman style debates. Still, I believe there to be a nobility in fighting for one's beliefs, particularly in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. In the CLN, we hold our heads high, and say, with pride and humility that we ARE eNL burgers. We know in our hearts that the eNL, in its unadulterated meaning, stands for the brotherhood and the freedom and the welfare of the plain people of the eWorld, wherever they may be.

Perhaps this will be the election when the eNL finally turns, and where ordinary citizens like me and my cohorts, help it in the turning. Come join us, and add your effort to the tiller.

Sincerely,
Congressman Pierre Delvaux

http://wiki.erepublik.com/index.php/Pierre_Delvaux