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 60th 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 | |
The Independent Monarchist (DIEN) | June 2021 | Dien Tresplet | |
Partì da Reformaziun (PdR) | 22 Feb 2022 | Mic'haglh Autófil | |
COFFEE | 26 May 2024 | Bråneu Excelsio | |
Open Society | 26 May 2024 | Breneir Tzaracomprada | |
The Independent Party | February 2013 (original); 27 May 2024 (refounding) | Litz Cjantscheir | |
Progressive Alliance | 27 May 2024 | þerxh Sant-Enogat |
There are also provincial political parties that do not contest elections at the national level:
- In Cézembre, the Moderate Radical Party of Cézembre (MRPC) and the XPB Party (whose only member is also a member of the Progressive Alliance at the national level)
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 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Talossan National Congress (TNC) | Breneir Tzaracomprada | 49th, 56th-59th Cosas | Dissolved into multiple parties following the dissolution of the 59th Cosă | |
New Peculiar Way (NPW) | Eiric Börnatfiglheu | 45th, 54th-56th Cosas | Dissolved following Börnatfiglheu's renunciation of citizenship in October 2023; remaining member (Iason Taiwos) joined the Free Democrats. | |
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
- Royalist People's Party (RPP)
- 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)