Political parties

Political parties in Talossa have been a source of both strife and support for the nation. For many years, under King Ben, the monarch's political party remained in perpetual majority. Opposition parties were tolerated, but seldom permitted to attain significant political power (aside from very temporary circumstances, such as the brief Peculiar Republic brought about by People United for No King). The currently reigning sovereign of Talossa, King John, has maintained a scrupulous policy of independence from political parties, refusing to endorse, interfere with, or in any way enter into a relationship with a political party. This is intended to help a vibrant democracy continue to flourish and grow, in stark contrast to King Ben's manipulations.

Operation

Parties compete for seats in the Cosa at each General Election. Each party receives a percentage of the 200 seats in the Cosa that represents its support by the electorate. Party leaders assign members to these seats, with no single person permitted to hold more than roughly twenty seats, according to a formula based on turnout.

The party or parties holding a majority of the seats in the Cosa after an election is decided is empowered to instruct the King as to the appointment of a Seneschal, who forms and administers the government.

To register to compete in a General Election, a political party is required to file the name of its a party leader and a statement of no more than fifty words with the Secretary of State. Additionally, a registration fee (currently $10 USD, or 6¤40) must be remitted for those General Elections during which the Burgermeister of Inland Revenue authorises the fee (Org.6.2.). Parties failing to meet these requirements before a deadline set by the Chancery will not be listed on the ballot (but may be written-in). Parties failing to meet these requirements before the end of the first Clark of the Cosa will not be eligible to assign persons to the Cosa seats won by that party in the election, and these seats will be assigned instead by the King.

Political parties also compete at the local level in many provinces, for seats in the provincial legislatures and control of the executive function in these provinces.

Political parties differ along ideological bases, such as derivativism and peculiarism or royalism and republicanism, as well as on specific policies, such as broosking or semi-permeability.

Currently active parties

As of the elections to the 58th Cosa, the registered national political parties, listed in order of formation, are:

Party		Founded	Leader
	Free Democrats of Talossa (FreeDems)	25 September 2015	Dame Miestră Schivă
	Talossan National Congress (TNC)	1 December 2015 (original); June 2021 (refounding)	Þerxh Sant-Enogat
	The Independent Monarchist (DIEN)	June 2021	Dien Tresplet

There is one national party not currently represented in the Cosa:

• The Royalist People's Party (RPP)

There are also provincial political parties that do not contest elections at the national level:

• In Benito, the New Peculiar Way (NPW) and Parti da Reformaziun (PdR) are former national parties which still hold seats;
• In Cézembre, the Moderate Radical Party of Cézembre (MRPC) and the XPB Party (whose only member is however a member of the TNC, which is also separately active and holds seats in the province)

Historic parties of the Kingdom

The following parties have, in the past, contested Talossan elections. Some of these were active, then lay dormant, then were revived at later times.

Parties that managed to elect a Prime Minister are shown in bold.

Post-Reunision (2012-present)

These parties held Cosa seats at some point after 2012. Some have folded, some have merged and some are now inactive. They are listed in order of dissolution.

Party		Main leaders	Activity	Fate
	Parti da Reformaziun (PdR)	Mic'haglh Autofil	57-58th	Did not contest the 59th Cosă elections; holds a seat in Benito
	Partì Tafialista (PT)	Marcel Tafial	56th, 58th	Both times essentially an one-shot party
	Raßemblamaintsch dels Citaxhiens Talossaes (RCT) Make Talossa Great Again (MTGA) Le Parti Republicain (LPR)	Mximo Carbonel	45-46th, 49-52nd, 54th, 57th Cosă	One-man parties by Mximo Carbonel; rejoined ZRT/FreeDems between 46th and 49th Cosăs, joined TNC in the 58th Cosă
	New Peculiar Way (NPW)	Eiric Börnatfiglheu	45th, 54-56th Cosă	Active outside the Cosă through Eiric Börnatfiglheu, disbanded with his renounciation
	League of Centre Conservatives (LCC)	Ian Plätschisch and Tierçéu Rôibeardescù	55-56th Cosă	Disbanded after the 56th Cosă.
	King Lüc Party (KLüP)	Glüc da Dhi	56th Cosă	One-off party
	Balançeu (B) - Balance	Sir Xhorxh Pol Briga	56th Cosă	Only contested the 56th Cosă, essentially merged into the TNC.
	Awakening and Magnifying Passion (AMP)	Ian Plätschisch	53-54th Cosă	Merged into the League of Centre Conservatives for the 55th Cosă election
	Peculiar Nationalist Party (PNP)	Eðo Grischun	54th Cosă	Dissolved, with some members joining the FreeDems for the 55th Cosă election
	Zefençadéirs del Päts Talossan (ZPT)	Ieremiac'h Ventrutx	40th, 54th Cosă	Both times essentially a brief one-off revival
	Random Unilateral Movement Party (RUMP) (and 15 other names, but same acronym)	Baron Hooligan and others	35-53rd Cosă	Dissolved after the 53rd Cosa; politically succeeded as the main monarchist party by ZPT, LCC, B and ultimately TNC
	Moderate Radical Party of Talossa (MRPT)	Glüc da Dhi and Lüc da Schir	43-52nd Cosă	Dissolved after the 52nd Cosa; politically succeeded by AMP and ModRads Arise
	Happiness for Talossa Party (HAT)	Tierçéu Rôibeardescù	50th Cosă	One-off party
	Progressive Party (PP/CSPP/PPT/IEVAAP)	Owen Edwards, Éovart Grischun and others	39-45th, 47-50th Cosă	Ceased to operate after the 49th Cosă, briefly registered a write-in party in the 50th Cosă
	Zefençedeirs dal Republicanismeu Talossán (ZRT) - Defenders of Talossan Republicanism	Dame Miestră Schivă and Carlüs Xheraltescu	44-48th Cosă	Merged into the Free Democrats for the 49th Cosa elections, continues as a intraparty caucus
	Congréßeu Liberál (Lib) - Liberal Congress	Carlüs Xheraltescu	46-48th Cosă	Merged into the Free Democrats for the 49th Cosa elections, continues as a intraparty caucus
	Patriotic Coalition	Martì-Pair Furxheir	47th Cosă	One-off party
	Talossan Socialist Party (TSP)	Gaglhen Fortaleça	47th Cosă	One-off party
	Independent Party (IND)	Litz Cjantscheir	45th Cosă	One-off party
	C'hríost el Regeu (CeR) - Christ the King	Eldsfäts Blasiüs	44th Cosă	One-off party
	Viensità Ciumisâ Cézembre/Cézembre Reunification Organization (CRO|VCC-CRO)	Sir Xhorxh Pol Briga	37-39th, 41st, 43rd Cosă	Changed to "The Reunision Party (TRP)" with Reunision, then ceased to exist with the 43rd Cosa's dissolution
	Common Sense Party (CSP)	Éovart Grischun	43rd Cosă	Merged into the CSPP during the 43rd Cosa

Independent (national) politicians

Three independents were elected to the Cosa or held a Cosa seat (not counting one man parties, which do have a party label):

• Nicholas Hayes
• Béneditsch Ardpresteir, but did not hold his seats
• Erschéveþ da Schir (elected as "Moderate Radicals Arise")

Several people were elected to the Senate or held a Senate seat without a formal or informal connection to any party:

• Ián Anglatzarâ
• Txosué Roibeardescu (after being suspended by the Free Democrats)
• Tric'hard Carschaleir (appointed to the seat as an Independent, joined the MRPT before reelection)
• Sevastáin Pinátsch (after the dissolution of the MRPT)
• Lüc da Schir (as an "Independent Moderate Radical", after the dissolution of the MRPT)
• Thor Deyaert
• Béneditsch Ardpresteir (after the dissolution of the RUMP)
• Glüc da Dhi (in his third and current stint)

Additionally, the

• Hard Reality Paradigm (HaRP)
• Peculiarist Alliance for Talossa (APT)
• Talossan Workers Party (TWP)
• Atatürk National Party (ANP)

did not contest any election and/or never held seats, or weren't active nationally.

Pre-Reunision (2005-2012)

These parties held Cosa seats between the 35th Cosa and Reunision, and ceased to operate before the elections to the 43rd Cosa. The list does not include parties that also appeared afterwards.

Of particular importance is the Conservative Loyalist Party (CLP), which only held Cosa seats in the 35th and 36th Cosas and folded shortly afterwards, but was instrumental in the creation of the 2005-2012 "pre-Reunision order".

The rest are listed in chronological order of last appearance in the Cosa:

• Fair Governance Party (FGP)
• People's Democratic Party (PDP/DPD)
• Garrulous Rambling Uncomprehensible Monologue Party (GRUMP)
• El Parti Vandadoûr, Minoritár és Revoluziunár (VMR or RCMP, The Revolutionary Conscientious Minority Party)
• La Renaixença Talossan (LRT, "The Talossan Renaissance"), also known as Long Range Talossans
• Cybercits' and Cünmilvoc'hteirs' Coalition Party (CCCP)
• Defenders Of The Throne (DOTT)
• King Ben Party (KBP)
• La Mhà Nheagrâ/The Black Hand (MN), a brief continuation of the Ben Era party
• The Royal Democracy Party (RDP), a Benito-only political party affiliated with the PP
• The Talossan League of Centrists/Talossa's Lone Contractor (TLC)

Additionally, Catrina Þestra and Owen Edwards served as independents.

King Ben Era (1979-2005)

Progressive Conservatives, sister parties and breakaway parties

The most notable party of the the King Ben Era were the Progressive Conservatives.

• The main Progressive Conservative Party (PC), active from 1985 to 2004;
• Päts Vräts (PV), a label for the breakaway "original" PC during the Davron split (1989), initially named Christian Democratic Party;
• PC-Davron, the later name for the rump PC of Dave Kuenn and Ron Rosalez during the Davron split (1989);
• The Unity Party (UP), a label for the PC after the merger with the first Black Hand (1987).

Two parties split from the PC while still retaining right-wing to centre-right views:

• La Mhà Nheagrâ (MN; The Black Hand Party) was reformed by Weston Erni and Robert I in 2003-2005, and came to define the last years of the Ben Era.
• The Grey Congress Party (GCP), founded by Tamorán dal Navâ and Tomás Gariçeir.

The short-lived Peace and Freedom Party of Talossa (PFPT) broke away from the PC in 1997 over the issue of Penguinea, but can't be characterised as a right-wing party.

Lorentzian Left parties

Lorentzian Left parties were formed by or together with Danihel Laurieir (Dan Lorentz); they were broadly centre-left to left-wing and typically peculiarist. They include:

• Democratic Dandipratic Party (DDP) (1981-1985), the first Lorentzian party;
• People United for No King (PUNK) (1986), the fusion of the DDP and Frédéric Corïu's FUN;
• Bob Fights Ticket (BFT) (1988);
• Peculiar Way (PW) (1989-1990), "true" succesor to the DDP;
• Un-Named Party (UNP) (1991-1993);
• Mickey Mouse Movement (MMM) (1992), registered by Laurieir and Josh Macht to catch protest votes;
• Vacillation Party (VP) (1995-1997);
• Third Wave Party (3WP) (1996).

Other post-Cybercits parties (1996-2005)

• Els Zefençadéirs del Päts Talossán (ZPT; Defenders of the Talossan Land, 1996-2005), the first Cybercit party
• Talossan Liberal Party (TLP 1999-2001)
• Rally of the Citizens of Talossa (RCT, Raßemblamaintsch dels Citaxhiens Talossáes, 1999-2003), by Mximo Carbonel
• Talossan Rebel Alliance (TRA, 2002), by Andrea Thompson
• Talossan Imperial New Order Party (TINOP, 2002), by Istefan Perþonest
• Talossan Communist Party (TCP, 1998), by Albrec'ht Lupulardit
• Catholic Party (CP, 1997), by Albrec'ht Lupulardit and Márcüs Cantaloûr

Other pre-Cybercits parties (1988-1996)

• Liberal Party (1994), by Dave Kuenn and Andrew Worm
• Spastic Progressives Against Regressive Konservatives (1990, SPARK), by Bob Murphy
• Talossan Activist Party (1990), by Dave Kuenn and Andrew Wozniak (the "Androids"), a successor to the CALL
• Talossan Sponge Party (1991), by Robert's sister Jennifer, "after prodding from Laurieir"
• Social, Economic and International Responsibility Party (1992, SEIRP), by Jack Schneider
• Minority Party (1992), by Andrew Worm and Nik Kovac
• Atheist Pantheist Party (1993), by Brook Pànetâ, a Robert-manifactured opposition to the PC
• Anarchist Party (1992-1995), a one-man party label which was used in a number of occasions by Thomas Buffone
• War Party (1994), by Dave Kuenn and Ron Rosalez
• Dan Party (1994), by Florence Yarney, a protest party urging the "destruction" of Talossa
• Clockwork Orange Party (1995), by "Mugrads" Brendan Duddy, Matthias Muth, and Nathan Freeburg; later became the Silver Phoenix Party (SPP)

Other pre-Constituziun parties (1985-1988)

Other than already mentioned parties, these included:

• Talossan Nationalist Party (TNP), by Ián von Metáiriâ, a long lived right-wing party
• Front Uni Pour la Nation (FUN; United Front for the Nation), by Frédéric Corïu
• Communist Party (CMP), by Art Verbotten
• Conservatives Against Liberal Laziness (CALL), by Andrew Wozniak
• Schneider's Talossan Marxist Party (STOMP), by Jack Schneider
• Parti Liveral (PL), by Florence Yarney and Jean Williams

Pre-democratic parties (1981-1985)

These are some of the earliest parties of Talossan history, before the 1st Cosa. Other than the already mentioned DDP, these included:

• Royal Socialist Party, Robert I's first party, later replaced by the Thundersword Movement and by the National Fascist Party
• Order Party (Bob Murphy)
• Nationalist Party of America (Ián von Metáiriâ)

Independents

Several independents held Cosa seats (not counting named parties with a single MC):

• Evan Gallagher
• Cheneþ Velmeir
• Ieremiac'h Ventrutx
• Albrec'ht Stolfi
• Ián Anglatzarâ
• Gregory Aldous
• Tomas Gariçeir
• Gödafrïeu Valcadác'h

Historic parties of the Republic

In the Talossan Republic the following parties (listed in alphabetic order) existed:

• Blue Wave (monarchist, reunionist)
• Cînxh (Change, an alliance of citizens who wanted to reactivate the sleepy Republic)
• El Parti Federalista (federalist)
• Guelph Party (conservative)
• Movement for Republican Peculiarism (M.R.P.; later renamed MRP),
• New Republican Peculiarists (NRP)
• Social Democratic Party/Parti Sociál Democrätic Talossán (PSD)
• Defencist Unity Party of Talossa (PVZT)
• United Progressive Talossans (UPT)
• Defenders of the Republic of Talossa (ZRT)