http://wiki.scju.org/index.php/Jean_DaudetFrenchies... say nothingConsidering you all have been gone for so long, I think it's time for an update on New Burgundian affairs. So... we left off with Jean Daudet becoming Prime Minister at the start of 2011. As we all know, Daudet is very liberal, progressive, yadda yadda yadda. So he begins a fair amount of reform initiatives. At this time his coalition has a minority government, and the opposition- mainly the Conservative-dominated RPR- isn't planning to help pass his bills one bit. In their defence, the stuff Daudet's coalition is putting out is very un-conservative, but in any case we have deadlock. Daudet calls for another election in May, and with a combination of voter exhaustion with gridlock and strategic voting on a massive scale, the government manages to win a majority.
So if you recall
Daudet gave a speech outlining his plans for a "summer of reform", most notably putting forth what would become the Comprehensive Laicism Act- much like Casanares' Secular Society Act, but harsher, seizing Church lands, banning any kind of religious education, and even prohibiting bell-ringing as "noise pollution". The council of Catholic bishops alleged a "war" on faith, and ordered day-round bell ringing the day the law was meant to take effect. Relaxation of drug laws, anti-abortion restrictions, and divorce requirements- all of this has been accomplished.
In return for support on these bills, Daudet has also put forth a rigorous economic program to please his socialist allies in the MSD-PPS, one dependent on large stimuli and tax increases upon the wealthy. These have had mixed results. One one hand New Burgundy has embarked upon an impressive infrastructure program, building dozens of new bridges, highways, rail lines, power plants, airports, and so forth. It's said by some measures New Burgundy is second only to China in that regards; in any case it's certainly very awing for the visitor. Thanks to new housing subsidies and social housing programs, construction is booming, and homelessness has hit an all time low. Industrial employment now occupies a the greatest percentage of jobs since 1979. New Burgundy's inequality is amongst the lowest in the developed world- and falling.
This bridge in the Epeninnes is just part of the massive works program going on in New Burgundy
But the other side of the coin is that the economy as a whole hasn't grown by that much, with economic growth in 2012 projected to be 1.73%. Vastly more progressive taxation has meant that the amount paid by the top quintile of earners has increased by 73% in the past year, and corporate tax rates have gone up an average of 23% in the same time period. By 2015 the average tax burden is supposed to exceed that of even the Nordic countries. Regulations on the financial sector mean that it is now difficult to be a investor in New Burgundy, once one of the easiest countries to do business in. Foreign multinationals face even greater difficulties, and New Burgundy has joined Eritrea and the United States as being one of the three countries to tax citizens' foreign earnings- leading to some embarrassing renunciations of citizenship.
All in all, the Soisson Stock Exchange has seen it's value fall by almost a quarter, and while the government's talk of investment by Chinese firms may causing a rally in recent weeks, many grumble over the optics of such a move. New Burgundy has fallen out of the list of the world's top ten economies- an event trumpeted with much worry and hand-wringing (both sincere and acted) amongst the right-wing media, an epithet held by a wide spectrum ranging from the vitriolic Issak-Jacques Barraud (who's off the air for the time being after an on-air stroke in the middle of a particularly bile-filled rant against marijuana, the man hasn't taken the new administration well) to that venerable rival of the
Wall Street Journal and the
Financial Times, the
Bankers' Journal, which has seen sales soar both domestically and internationally, as its tone becomes ever less polite.
While most churches have left their bells alone in the hope of a repeal or amendment to what is certainly the least popular provision of the Comprehensive Laicism Act, some have already chosen sell their bells for scrap.
In terms of foreign policy, most Western leaders would describe Daudet as a "pain", having a particularly annoying habit of siding with whoever happens to be demonized that week. From intimating that Hugo Chavez's cancer might have been orchestrated by the CIA to supporting Ecuador's decision to give asylum to Julian Assange (whilst some have questioned why Daudet didn't make such an offer the Chancery firmly ruled against such a move), Daudet has taken an openly left-wing line of things, even appearing at an Occupy Wall Street rally in New York during a visit (and being a semi-fixture at Occupy Saint-Laurent rallies) and frequently appearing on the Moscow-funded channel RT. But he has been a strong supporter of the Arab Spring and Western intervention, often goading other leaders into action, which in many ways compensates for his irregularities.
Now Daudet has become a polarizing figure, whom one either hates or loves. To be honest, the hate side probably has an edge at the moment- remember ~60% of voters voted against the governing coalition- but he isn't going anywhere. One person that dislikes him particularly, however is... Crown Prince Alexandre. While King George II might be non political, too busy opening the steady stream of new museums and schools and bridges that have popped up these days, personally raising his adopted son Andre, now 11, and fretting about his stomach cancer, but just, Crown Prince Alexandre is a young man, vital and conservative. Of course, his politics are not public, but it is clear to anyone in the know the two do not get along. Particularly angering to the crown prince is the fact that he shan't get to marry his wife in Saint Lawrence's Basilica, a tradition, and one he had been looking forwards to. (Never mind the fact Auguste wasn't his first choice, but that woman isn't....well, she's not dead but no longer with us.)
The King, here attending the Olympics, has visibly reduced his presence at official affairs in recent months, sparking rumours of an impending abdication- or declining health
Now this might simply be a matter of one person not liking another if not for the fact that the King has stomach cancer. Whilst his cancer is now in remission, it could come back at any time. In any case, there is speculation that the King may abdicate so that he may live his remaining years in peace and quiet, certainly the crown, never meant to sit on his head, has taken quite a toll on him. Prince Alexandre is much like his grandmother, Queen Marie, strong-willed, conservative, distrustful of politicians and contemptuous of left-wingers, and very energetic. If he were to take the crown one would see a clash of wills, if one has ever seen House of Cards one knows what it would look like. And while Daudet may have publicly disclaimed republicanism, one can never sure what he believes in his heart. Yet again, his mother left him when she was young and in part because his father was a monarchist (albeit less active and more of a "status-quo" sort), so we don't know...
But who knows what may happen?
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