"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."