Region of Selene

Full Version: Prime Minister's Questions [24.05.17]
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"Questions to the Prime Minister!"

The one who spoke was Anna Polydoras, who had served for the past seven years as Speaker of the House of Commons. Formerly a Member of the Ekklesia with Selenids United, she was now officially neutral in political matters, her only interest being to maintain the House and safeguard its institutional dignity. It had been difficult at first, to remain publicly neutral and abide by the countless traditions of the House, but she was used to it by now, and had even started some traditions of her own.

Her predecessors had always opened the session with more elaborate monologues and procedures; she had opted for the simpler sentence with which she had opened this very session. Its purpose was to question the Prime Minister, so what better way to get things started? This had been surprisingly well accepted. Apparently her colleagues were not fond of the longer times caused by the Speakers' introductory words.

In contrast, the Prime Minister was fairly new. Having been invited to form a government on Monday, this was to be his first ever PMQ, though he was no stranger to the process. He had been a reasonably popular Interior Minister, before being thrust into the spotlight due to a scandal that he cost dearly to the Prime Minister and those close to his inner circle. Vangelis Dimitriou had been far removed from the inner circle, but that became an advantage when the Prime Minister resigned, and the time came to elect a new party leader. Dimitriou suddenly became a compromise option, and was convinced to run after no other candidate could muster a majority.

Dimitriou won a comfortable majority in the Parliamentary Party, and had met with the Emperor on Monday. Within a single weekend, Selene had a new Prime Minister.

Still, this was of little significance to Anna, whose job remained the same. She gestured to a blonde woman to her right, on the government backbenches, and invited her to ask the first question of the day.

"Alexia Lascari."
Alexia Lascaris,
MP for Psyakros

The aged woman nodded before standing from her seat. "Thank you madam speaker," Alexia said before turning her attention to the Prime Minister, then down to her paper which contained some questions she had penciled while thinking of what to ask. Her eyes drifted over the various topics for just a moment before getting her voice back. "I would like to ask the Prime Minister what he intends to pursue in terms of policy in regards to the Fydorian armed intervention in Arizixilega." Alexia thought that perhaps she should stop there but instead decided to pursue this point just a little further as well, "I would also like to know what the Prime Minister intends to pursue at the international level so as to prevent the proliferation of instability that seems to be rippling across the globe from the Oskioripoli incident to the civil war in the Sol Federation."

Alexia then took her seat and awaited the Prime Minister's response. She was concerned about the situation even though it was many thousands of kilometers away and being done by a nation of little concern to Selene. Nonetheless there had been a public outcry of anger at the amount of instability along with so many of these conflicts including parties from across the globe. Some also feared that such an act could occur if Selene were to become involved in another war with Kalos in the future. Alexia was a pacifist by nature and preferred diplomacy, the flagrant use of the military was abhorrent and she truly hoped the Prime Minister would pursue a policy of peace and international cooperation.
". . . to the civil war in the Sol Federation."

Vangelis took a deep breath and sighed. He had not expected such a broad question at the outset, nor did he intend to answer the question until he could confer in more detail with a Foreign Minister he had yet to select, but the MP from Psyakros had asked it, and he had a duty to answer it. Adjusting the silver watch on his right hand, given to him as a farewell from his closest friend during the last war against Kalos, he stood up from his seat and walked to the microphone. He took the single paper with all of his scrawled notes on it, written in such a gibberish way that not even his husband understood it, although he didn't expect it to be of any use now. The Prime Minister began to speak.

"To the Member of Parliament from Psyakros, I offer the following in response to the condition that it is not taken as a permanent policy, fully and wholly formulated with the advice of the Foreign Minister. I have not been able to confer with Minister Xanthopoulos for a greater period of time than 30 minutes thus far into my service as Prime Minister, and so I will answer with what will be guaranteed, and then followed by what might arise from the meeting I will have with her tomorrow.

I do not intend to be pacifistic with nations that intervene only to promote a dangerous agenda that is against the will of the people. Our nation is a nation that is fraught with violence and blatant militarism, especially with our neighbour to the west that had repeatedly attacked us in years past, but we cannot sit idly by and allow such acts to continue. Fydorian interventionism will not be tolerated by Selene to any extent, and I hope to enact a matter of condemnations and sanctions against the First Knight and governing council. There will not be immediate intervention on the part of Selene, but it will not be ruled out entirely if such a line of action is continued with no care for repercussions.

Unfortunately, I cannot comment in great detail on the second part of your question, Ms Lascaris. There has not yet been a thorough conversation on the matter of preventing instability that plagues all of Artemia to this day, and the only form of an answer I can give in addition to that is the guarantee that it will happen by this time next week." He took a drink of seltzer water.
Anna, who was sitting, and would remain so for most of the session, save any disruption forced her to stand and call for order, saw the Prime Minister take his seat and called out the next name. A name at the front bench of the left side stood and approached the podium.

Yanis Venizelos was the Leader of the Traditionalists and, since they were the largest party outside the governing coalition, he was also the Leader of the Opposition. He had served in that position since the last election, but that had been something that he had been reluctant to do in the first place. He was 74, and while he still had plenty of energy, and did not look his age at all, everyone thinking he was at least a decade younger, he had long wanted to return to the backbenches, hopefully focus on drafting bills and spending more time with his family. He had recently announced his resignation, and today was his final PMQ as Leader of the Opposition.

He cleared his throat, looked at the Prime Minister, and spoke. "I welcome the Prime Minister to his first Prime Minister's Questions. I am retiring, but hopefully my successor will be as tough on him as I was to his predecessor; all in good spirits, of course." A few chuckles from both sides, always a good sign. "His predecessor resigned amid a scandal that has negatively affected public trust in the government's ability to prioritise and deliver good work for the people. Can the Prime Minister assure this House, and the people at home, that his government will put people first, prioritising the economic and business issues that will most directly affect them?"
The Prime Minister did indeed give a good chuckle at the initial statement by the Opposition Leader. Jokes about the opposing side were all too familiar to the previous holder of his position, even if it contributed to his succession, but the follow-up definitely took on a more serious tone. Another sip of the tonic water and Vangelis finally took a look at his notes to answer Venizelos.

"Mr Venizelos, I can and do assure the House of Commons, and the people of Selene that I intend to focus on the economy in the remainder of the term as Prime Minister. There is nothing more that I, and indeed, everyone else here, would like to see than a thriving and prosperous economy, however, this government does not intend to forget the workers that will bring us to that point, nor have we forgotten about them until now. When a new Interior Minister has been appointed, we will work on growing the economy and protecting the rights of the workers who will take on the brunt of the work.

In addition, congratulations on your retirement at youthful 74. Your service to the nation, as a Member of Parliament and as the Leader of the Opposition, is a model for anyone and everyone who looks upon the grand figures of our modern time and sees the dedication and persistence in life as necessary traits to master, and you have mastered them very well indeed. Thank you for your service, Mr Venizelos!" The buzz in the room erupted in a dull roar of support, and Vangelis took the time to gulp out of the microphone's usual range and take a drink of the seltzer that was very close to being finished off.
He enjoyed drinking water, did he not? Anna was keenly aware of the details, and the Prime Minister kept drinking water. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but his predecessor had rarely taken water with him to PMQ, so the difference was easy to notice. In any case, she let the cheering go on for a few seconds, then she called out the following name.

"Nicodemus Alanis."
When his name was called, Nicodemus' head shot up to the speaker. He rearranged papers and such in front of him. As he did so, his eyes moved toward the Prime Minister, who was awaiting his question. He had his doubts about the Prime Minister, but had invested a bit more faith in him. He stood from his seat before he spoke.

"Thank you, speaker. I would like to ask the Prime Minister about his plans for possible reforms in social and economic fields. I would also like to know his thoughts and foreign aid."

He nodded before he took his seat again. Nicodemus crossed his legs, and took a small sip of hot tea.
The seltzer was finished by the time that the Member of Parliament from Seleron had stood up and asked the question. He wrote down a note to include more tonic water at the next question and listened to the rest of the question before giving off a slight chuckle. Such an easy question from a member of his own party was not something he prepared for either, although he doubted he'd have to prepare for it since that was literally the area he served in as Interior Minister, and indeed, as a public administrator.

"Mr, uh, Alanis, your question is, in essence, the entire purview of the Prime Minister. I have not made a plan to solve all problems that face Selene at the present moment, for I have held this office for a mere two days, but I can assure you that I do not intend to falter from my core beliefs in social equality, protection of workers, and an active role in diplomacy and foreign affairs to promote democracy and the ideals which we cherish."
Anna showed a small smile at the opening remark of the Prime Minister. She then gave a quick glance at the paper in her left hand, the one detailing who had signed up to participate in this week's PMQ. There was always a representative from each of the six parties, often, but not always, the party leader. Once each party had their chance at asking a question, she was entitled to handpick two additional members, who hadn't previously signed up, to ask questions on the spot.

"Peristera Filis."

She knew the one, a longtime member of the Coalition for a Better Selene, Filis was a staple of the House, and well-respected by members on both sides of the aisle. A shorter woman, sitting at the left side of the hall, she rose and cleared her throat. She was holding a yellow paper, probably with some notes on it, and started speaking. "I recently received a letter from one of my constituents, a retired sergeant called Alexis. I would like to read a specific passage from it, with the Speaker's consent."

A quick glance at Anna, and she nodded back.

"I proudly served my nation during the last war with Kalos, over 60 years ago, and initially we were treated as heroes. Yet lately I feel that, as we grow old, and most of my fellow veterans have departed this life, we have been forgotten by the government, and often treated as an afterthought." Filis folded the paper, then looked directly at the Prime Minister. "Alexis is one of many living veterans from the Peninsular War, the most recent attempt by Kalos to violate our sovereignty, and destroy our freedom. Yet Alexis, like most surviving veterans, has not received adequate pensions, health care and recognition, in past years, most particularly by the party in government. Can the Prime Minister assure Alexis, and all veterans, that their wellbeing will be a top priority for this government, and that they will get the hero treatment that they deserve?"
"Ms Filis, it is no secret that I myself have fought in that damned war with Kalos in the 1950s, and it is also no secret that I have not been treated particularly well because of it. I have been ostracised from parts of Kalosia because I took up the mantle of defender of Selene, and while I do not hold ill will against them, I also do not hold the system blameless as it stands. The Selenids that serve in the armed forces take an oath to protect their nation at the cost of their lives, and to not allow them the ability to live their lives with a true sense of honour is spitting in their faces and calling them murderers.

I have not been quiet in my support for the proper treatment of some of the most noble and most honourable Selenids, and as Prime Minister, I can personally assure you, Sergeant Alexis, and every single citizen of this nation, as a retired Lieutenant in the Army myself, that the people who serve will be taken care of to the greatest extent possible. I guarantee it."

Vangelis ended his answer to a much greater applause than the congratulations he gave to the opposition leader, and he didn't even have any more tonic water left. He looked on, watching Members of Parliament from both sides give their approval to the not at all atypical idea of caring for veterans. Grabbing a pen, he made a note to appoint an MP veteran as Veterans Affairs Minister, in addition to adding a lime to the tonic water.
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