New Paristan
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| Flag of New Paristan | |
| Motto: Liberté, Egalité, Communauté | |
| See the Alçaera Map | |
| Region | Anticapitalist Alliance |
|---|---|
| Capital | Montmartre |
| Official Language(s) | Paristani |
| Leader | Prime Minister Max Chartres |
| Population | 60 million |
| Currency | Franc |
| NS Sunset XML | |
History
The Colonial Period
New Paristan was discovered in the late 15th century by explorers from Francestan. These explorers, as is often the case, were seeking new colonial territory, which came as a big surprise to its native population, who were subsequently driven to near extinction by their new colonial masters.
New Paristan quickly became a cultural hub, a magnet for artists, intellectuals, thinkers, poets, malcontents and anyone who wanted to get away from the oppressive atmosphere of religious intolerance and social inequality that was prevalent in Francestan. Because of its rebellious, independent spirit, the Paristani citizenry quickly developed a deep desire for independence. This desire was crushed brutally and repeatedly by the Francestani colonial leadership. The 17th and 18th centuries were characterized by isolation and repression.
Independence
In 1789, Francestan became embroiled in a brutal revolution. The middle class, fed up with the arbitrary and oppressive rule of King Jean Louis VII, began a bloody campaign to overthrow the monarchy and the aristocracy which supported it. The peasants soon joined and within two years the King and most of the nobility had lost their heads to the guillotine.
The Paristani citizens, inspired by the courageous actions of the Francestani bourgeoisie, soon took up arms and fought their own war for independence. Since much of the Francestani army stationed in New Paristan had been called back to Francestan to defend the monarchy, the Paristanis won a relatively easy victory. Independence was declared on July 14, 1790.
By the early 1800s, both Francestan and New Paristan had developed stable democratic governments. Because their affinity for the Francestani revolutionaries had led to their own successful fight for independence, the Paristanis remained close to their former colonial rulers. New Paristan adopted the motto of the Francestani revolution, "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity." In 1810, the Paristanis held a national referendum to choose a new flag. Several unique designs were submitted, but a hugely popular grassroots campaign had also put the flag of the Francestani revolutionaries, the tricolor, on the ballot. The tricolor won by a large margin. It flew as New Paristan's flag until the Revolution.
The Industrial Age
The Industrial Revolution brought the usual kinds of upheaval to New Paristan. New Paristan's cities began to develop rapidly. Its capital, Montmartre, tripled in size, and in short order it was a burgeoning urban center. Its other regional capitals soon followed.
The growth of the cities did not decimate New Paristan's agricultural sector, which flourished in the southern part of the country. It remained strong throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, producing wine, cheese and all manner of fruits and vegetables for export to its neighbors. The Paristani wine industry retains its prestige to this day.
Nationalism and Capitalist Decay
For much of the 20th century, New Paristan was a stable bourgeoise democracy. Governments came and went through relatively fair and regular elections, and overall the populace was happy. By 1980, however, something had begun to change. The economy had taken a nosedive. Companies were laying off workers right and left. Unemployment kept rising. Discontent was rampant.
The 1980 elections saw Jean Marie LaPlume elected as Prime Minister, a charismatic far-right leader who blamed illegal immigration and "corrupt communist union bosses" for New Paristan's economic problems. His first act was to seal New Paristan's borders and impose hefty tariffs on imported goods. He forced harsh union-busting legislation through the National Assembly. He cut social spending down to nothing and slashed corporate taxes and regulations. He couched his ultra-capitalist economic agenda in nationalistic language and riled his supporters to action with great speeches that encouraged a sense of cultural superiority.
Unfortunately, all of that jingoistic bluster didn't solve any of New Paristan's economic problems. The stock market continued to slide. Unemployment rose to record levels. The abolition of New Paristan's social safety net caused a huge increase in the homeless population. The agricultural sector was nearly obliterated because nobody could afford to buy anything.
The Rise of Bruno Leclerc and the Militant Union
Prime Minister La Plume's grip on power was solidified by the national media, by now almost completely controlled by three giant corporations, all of whom were major contributors to La Plume's campaigns. The television stations and newspapers championed La Plume's positions through biased reporting that deceptively purported to be "fair and balanced." By and large, the Paristani populace bought into the media lies. Prime Minister La Plume seemed indestructible.
But not for one man. Bruno Leclerc was a frustrated assembly line worker at an electronics plant. Over the years he had seen his pay slashed, his benefits disappear, and the union at his factory torn apart by internal dissent, beaurocritization and, ultimately, the harsh anti-union legislation of the La Plume government. Finally, he decided that enough was enough. He talked some of his coworkers into coming to a secret meeting at his small apartment in the industrial city of Lille (now called Leclerc). That small meeting saw the creation of the Militant Union, the revolutionary force that would lead New Paristan into a new era of socialist prosperity.
Leclerc was quickly fired from his job once word leaked out about his Militant Union. Legend has it that when he was fired, Bruno said to his boss, "Sir, it is not I who am fired today. It is you." He then walked out of the factory and into history.
Two years of very careful, very secretive organizing later, the Militant Union had members in every major industry in New Paristan. Hearing of this threat, Prime Minister La Plume began to crack down. He outlawed "meetings of more than 10 people in one place at one time." He gave the police broad new surveillance powers. But when it became clear that the Militant Union had become too powerful for such measures, La Plume became desperate. He imposed a nationwide curfew. People were arrested and put in prison merely for "suspicious behavior." Many Militant Union members were executed for treason. But Leclerc was not stupid. He kept a low profile, only going out when necessary to attend to some matter of urgency. The MU began to have a life of its own.
La Plume's crackdowns on dissent and ironclad grip on the media could not quell the growing tide of discontent. People began talking in hushed tones about a revolution. Bruno Leclerc sensed an opportunity approaching.
Revolution and Renewal
Finally, the bubble burst. The stock market crashed. The economy ground to a halt. La Plume declared martial law.
The Militant Union responded. Bruno Leclerc called a general strike. Millions of workers marched on the National Assembly building in Montmartre, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister La Plume.
La Plume called in the army to disperse the protesters. But many of the soldiers did just the opposite, and joined the protesters.
Bruno Leclec made an impassioned speech, calling for massive social change. He exclaimed, "We must not fear the future, for it is our task as workers to lead it!"
Meanwhile, the National Assembly was feverishly debating a course of action. The pro-La Plume majority government was calling for Leclerc's head, while the opposition minority was calling for La Plume's head. A no confidence vote was held. The result shocked everyone. Almost half of the La Plume government ministers broke with their party and voted against the Prime Minister. Every other member of the National Assembly voted against the Prime Minister.
There then followed a moment of extreme tension. La Plume had to know he was beaten, but he was tenacious. In the end, however, La Plume made a brief speech, emphasizing that he "was confident that one day he would be vindicated," and stepped down from power. He left the country amid great secrecy.
At first, the National Assembly only wanted new elections to replace La Plume. It was clear, however, that the populace demanded more. Elections were called for all seats in the National Assembly to be held six months from the day La Plume stepped down from power.
The Militant Union quickly organized itself into a political force. Ideological disagreements caused a split within the MU, leading to the creation of the Socialist Unity Party and the Communist Party. The Socialist Unity Party claimed the larger number of supporters and was led by Bruno Leclerc himself. The Communist Party was made up of hardliners, militants and intellectuals and wanted to pursue a revolution according to orthodox Marxist-Leninist ideals.
The capitalist forces also organized themselves. Former supporters of La Plume allied themselves with a large segment of the business owners and stockbrokers to form the National Freedom Party. A smaller segment of pro-capitalist moderates formed the Sensible Progress Party. A group of center-left small business owners and their allies formed the Democratic Left Party.
Not surprisingly, the election saw a landslide victory for the Militant Union. The Socialist Unity Party won an outright majority in the National Assembly, and the Communist Party won a sizeable chunk of seats as well. The pro-capitalist forces together won less than a quarter of the seats. Bruno Leclerc was named Prime Minister.
Over the next few years, Bruno Leclerc's government set about dismantling the institutions of capitalism and establishing a vibrant, dynamic socialist democracy. Essential industries and utilities were all put under the jurisdiction of the newly created Ministry for Economic Democracy. This government agency, made up of Militant Union leaders, economists and intellectuals, drew up New Paristan's strategy for giving control of the economy directly to the workers.
Within a few years, workers' councils had been established throughout the country to coordinate production and management of goods and services. The Militant Union's role changed from political body to training and support. Every year the Ministry for Economic Democracy gave more control to local and regional councils in an effort to give workers more and more direct control over the economy.
New Paristan Today
Today, 20 years after the Revolution, New Paristan is a thriving, beautiful, socialist democracy. Political dynamics have shifted somewhat as the Revolution has progressed. The Militant Union remains a crucial support mechanism for workers throughout the country. The most significant change recently has been the abolition of the Ministry for Economic Democracy, which had given up so much of its control to local workers' councils that it no longer had a function.
New Paristan also recently voted to replace its flag with one that "better reflects our kinship with socialist revolutionaries worldwide." The tricolor remains symbolically, but is moved to the side of the flag to make room for a large field of red, "the color of the blood of the working class." A yellow star protrudes into all areas of the flag and evokes the flag of socialist Yugoslavia, "one of socialism's success stories," according to Prime Minister Max Chartres.
Geography and Political Boundaries
New Paristan is located on the Eastern coast of Alçaera. It is bordered by Raissa, East Hackney, CADs, and Tavast-Carelia.
The Montagnes de la Paix (Peace Mountains) define much of New Paristan's coastline, ending in majestic cliffs that drop down into the ocean. Further inland, most of the country is subtropical to temperate in climate and topology. New Paristan's agricultural sector is concentrated in the southern part of the country, where the climate is almost perfect for the winemaking industry for which New Paristan is renowned.
New Paristan's capital is Montmartre, located in the north central part of the country on the Debs River. It is a bustling metropolis whose design was inspired by Paris, the capital city of Francestan, after which New Paristan is named. It is known for its Art Nouveau architecture, wide boulevards, extensive subway system, gourmet food, and its vibrant artistic and cultural life.
New Paristan is divided into 8 Regions: 5 on the mainland and 3 islands, each with its own capital city. Each Region is further subdivided into Departments.
