We defied our lords and fought back. No one expected us to win, but we achieved the impossible. Now we have to prove ourselves as capable statesmen and leaders. They all expect our country to collapse, but we will prove them wrong again.
The Peasants’ Republic of Aussel is a young and rapidly developing
Hillenist country in the
Mettelagen that is renowned for its ideological mission to safe-keep democracy and the relative equality of the classes. For centuries, the people of Aussel had toiled under various aristocrats, suffering for others until enough had been enough. Even after asserting its independence, the country has had considerable troubles with political instability and foreign aggression, but despite the odds, they’ve emerged fairly triumphant. With the help of much-needed reforms, the country was able to bring stability to its political landscape while an alliance with the
Empire of Pallernen has secured their independence against foreign threats.
Politics
Aussel is a parliamentary representative democratic republic in which the Chancellor of Aussel is the head of government. The history of Ausselian politics is one of instability and chaos, but as a result of Chancellor
Valten Kuglar's reforms, the situation has restabilised. The parliament is called the Argent, and there are currently three main factions that dominate it—the
Reform League, the
Peasants' Party of Aussel, and the
Silver Alliance.
The country's head of state is Consul
Franzek Eders of the Peasants' Party of Aussel and the head of government is Chancellor
Valten Kuglar of the Reform League.
Administrative Divisions
Aussel is divided into eight regions and two free cities, each of which has a number of members in parliament that correlates to their respective power and influence. Power is typically related to the number of eligible voters present, but there are exceptions. For example, the free cities are outnumbered in terms of population, but their ecenomic might is vital for the country.
Administrative Division |
Representatives |
Population |
Status |
Steendern |
16 |
14,812 |
Free City |
Lipsig |
10 |
7,846 |
Free City |
Herle |
10 |
182,979 |
Region |
Sarzin |
8 |
82,776 |
Region |
West Holnen |
8 |
147,255 |
Region |
Tilnessen |
6 |
156,839 |
Region |
Tuener |
6 |
69,706 |
Region |
East Holnen |
4 |
113,273 |
Region |
Feltgof |
4 |
60,993 |
Region |
Lasser |
2 |
34,853 |
Region |
Elections
The early days of our fragile democracy were a mess. Whoever came up with the idea to hold an election whenever someone was upset, should be nailed to a cross.— Disgruntled voter
Ever since Chancellor Valten Kuglar's reforms, the elections in Aussel have been taking place every six years. The voting system uses open list proportional representation and the threshold of votes required to get into parliament is 1%. Since 1519 AA, the sessions of the Argent have taken place in
Velkberge Castle.
Voting Rights
Aussel has been described as a Hillenistic democracy, because of the way voting rights are in the country. Female members of the clergy and secular men above the age of twenty are allowed to vote in all of the elections.
The age restriction doesn't apply to women, and male members of the clergy aren't allowed to vote. Voters must prove that they have lived in the country for at least five years before they can cast their vote.
Throughout the course of Aussel's short history, three factions have emerged to dominate parliament. The first two were the Peasants' Party of Aussel (PPA) and the Silver Alliance (SA). The two claimed to represent the peasants' and city folk respectively and quickly established a two-party system.
Frequent acts of political violence, snap elections, and all-around instability forced a new party to rise. Valten Kuglar, a vocal advocate for reform, founded the Reform League and after gathering support for a few election cycles, he crushed the established factions and formed a new government.
Why do we even need the consul? Our most esteemed chancellor has been doing a great job both leading and representing this mighty fine country.— Gretka ven Toiksten, Minister of Foreign Affairs
The consul serves as head of state, and they are selected by the parliament. Each faction in the Argent can select a candidate from their ranks, and the person that gets forty votes becomes the new consul for the next six years. A consul can run for reelection two times, but after the third term, they will be barred from running for the position.
Chancellors are the leaders of whichever faction formed the government and they stay in their position until their party is unable to form a new government. Both faction leaders and chancellors have to be at least thirty years old, the parent of two or more children, they have to speak one of the official languages of the country, and both them and their parents had to be born in the country.
Demographics
The average inhabitants of the Peasants' Republic, are, like the proud nobles that once oppressed them,
Ruekish by blood. What seperates them from their old foe is the faith they follow and the ideals of equality and freedom that have taken hold of Ausselian society. Ausselian villages out on the countryside are very homogenous in terms of their ethnicity and faith, but the demographics in the larger cities are a whole different kettle of fish.
Diverse Cities
For centuries the cities of Steendern and Lipsig have been home to wealthy merchants from all around the continent. While most originate from the lands around
the Gulf, some from as far away as
Sarala and the
Kingdom of Enliten have made a name from themselves in the great trade hubs.
Other than originating from different parts of the continent and having different values from the rural natives, many of the cities' inhabitants hold heretical beliefs. Adherence to
Baglāmēq Hūril has seen a resurgence in recent decades as more and more people from
Rueken and
Alinhas have moved in, bringing their beliefs with them. Many of the Hillenist merchants and craftsmen in the two free cities have converted to Baglāmism in order to fit in with the wealthy elite. This open acceptance of heresy is looked down upon by the majority of the peasants who find the foreign values and beliefs to be a danger to their own independence.
Ausselian Heavy Infantry by Midjourney
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