Populist Party

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National Populist Party of Equestria
Nastpartej Paperej af Elųnessia
Populist Party.png
Political Ideology Populism
Left-wing populism
Right-wing populism
Agrarianism
Political Position Equestrian-left to Equestrian-center
Political Compass
Economic Left/Right
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian
Spekr
Spekr Populist.png
-21, -36
Motto
Government by–and for–the people.
Founded 13 September, 1899
Founder Kelem Birsia Teodenes
Party Leader Deomonta Jeissem ib Viųluunde
Secretary Velkaen Reveir
Headquarters 100 Birsia St.
City Dassim, Viy Veistan
Nation Federation of Equestria
Organizations
Labor Branch
Youth Branch
National House
17 / 83
People's House
0 / 56
Provincial parliaments
0 / 1,787

The National Populist Party of Equestria (Equestrian: Nastpartej Paperej af Elųnessia; Equestrian pronunciation: /ˈnɑstˌpɑr.t ˈpɑˌpɛr. ɑf ˈɛlˌ.nɛ.sjɑ/), better known as just the Populist Party, Populists, or NPPE is one of the seven major contemporary political parties of the Federation of Equestria. Founded by the supporters of Populist figure Kelem Birsia Teodenes in 1899 as the "Movement for A Fairer Deal", the Populist Party predates the Dictum of Democracy and is thus the oldest of the extant major parties in Equestria.

Historically, the Populist Party was a party of traditional populists who sought to establish government by people and for people as espoused by Kelem Birsia Teodenes; by 1910, however, the party had shifted to a broader stance of populism and agrarianism, and subsequently found its footing in the rural west of Equestria. Under the leadership of Biyutenere Kelitas during the period between 1910 and 1937, the party established itself as a formidable force in the organizing western reaches of Equestria and took over the mayorships of towns like Dassim, Viųluunde, and Krystalaluunde among others. The so-called "Solid West" coalesced around the party by 1940 on the back of the integration of Krystala'ia, Veistan Elųnessia, and Viy Veistan into the Federation. Populists quickly came to dominate the legislatures of these new provinces, and by 1948 the party had essentially uncontested rule in the Solid West.

Partisan differences between the populists of Viy Veistan and the populists of Veistan Elųnessia and Krystala'ia led to the rise of partisan populism within the party during the 1950s and 1960s under Lan Tagin ib Krystalaluunde. With virtually no opposition, these partisan differences became a significant source of diversity of opinion in the Solid West. Tagin was a radical left-winger and populist icon from Krystalaluunde, and under his control the party adopted a platform of mass socialization, as well as farmer and worker rights; as a part of appeasing the populist right in the party, Tagin also later advocated for a policy of supporting private property rights. While the party struggled to make inroads in the Frozen North and the Mazheien under Tagin, the solidification of the party's control in the left-leaning far west continued under his direction.

A shift back to the right for the party occurred with the leadership of Eike Beire Skanndin. Skanndin was a right-wing populist from Dodge Junction and largely eliminated advocacy for socialization; however, Skanndin kept a nod to the leftist roots of the party by supporting increases in working rights and advocating for the creation of a minimum wage. Skanndin's policy brought in a significant body of voters in places where the Populists had historically struggled such as the Firososi Narda, and expanded the party's influence into parts of the Central Luundsi as well as the Western Mazheien, where Populists had previously been splitting the vote with the Liberal Party. By 1976, the party was in the running in virtually every seat west of the city of Reżic–thirty-two of the eighty-three seats in the National House.

The influence of populism began to wane in the 1980s, with the rise of the Party for Freedom in the Equestrian midlands and the founding of the Mazheina Party, which came to dominate the Mazheien. Skandinn's policies lost significant ground to the archconservative Party of Freedom, which asserted that there was no true conservative movement in Equestria; conversely, the unfocused policies of the Populists gradually lost out to the regionalist centrism and populism offered by the Mazheina Party, and under the leadership of Alyse Taseim the party saw significant losses in both regions. Today, the Populists have largely fallen out of power in the Mazheien and middle Equestria.

Voter base[edit | edit source]

Westerners[edit | edit source]

The primary group supporting the Populist Party are western Equestrians, these being people living in the provinces of Veistan Elųnessia, Viy Veistan, Krystala'ia, and the western halves of the provinces of the Firososi Narda and the Mazheien. Western Equestrians have overwhelmingly supported the party since its inception, largely because of its rhetoric and support of policies like the protection of private property rights, but also support for socialization and government intervention into integral services like healthcare, power generation, and communication and transportation lines. The province of Viy Veistan is the least developed province of Equestria, and its significant but very decentralized population

Offshoot and relative parties[edit | edit source]

The Equestrian National Populist Party has inspired many similar parties throughout the Equestrian nation and former parts of the Equestrian nation. The party's wing in Ilda Aetaliluunde, known as the Equo-Aetali Populists, split off from the national party when Aetaliluunde declared its independence from Equestria, becoming the Aetali Populist Party. The Aetali Populist Party was fairly successful in its early elections, and formed a minority government in 1987 which became a majority-but-functional-minority government in 1988. However, the Aetali Populist Party was decisively defeated in 1990, and has not been a force in Aetaliluunde since its losses in 1990. Nonetheless, the party continues to exist as a minor party in the country. The party's

In Krystala'ian sub-national politics, where until recently the populists have been the dominant ideological group, the Populist movement is more fractured but still a significant force politically. The Populist National Party, the Unionist Populists, and the Populist Conservative Party all hold seats in the Polhimas of Krystala'ia, and altogether they hold 17 of its 56 seats. Populist adjacent parties are also big in the Polhimas, with the Krystala'ian Homeland Party–a nationalist party with a significant populist wing–holds another 12 seats and has historically governed the province. Today, the province is governed by the Populist National Party under Firosoga Diamonta af Viųluunde.

Electoral history[edit | edit source]

National House Leader People's House Government
1906
13 / 51
Increase 13 Kelem Birsia Teodenes No People's House Government member
1909
14 / 51
Increase 1 Opposition member
1912
9 / 51
Decrease 5 Biyutenere Kelitas Government member
1915
9 / 51
Steady 0
1918
16 / 51
Increase 7
1921
15 / 52
Decrease 1
1924
7 / 52
Decrease 8 Opposition member
1927
8 / 54
Increase 1
1930
11 / 54
Increase 3
1933
9 / 54
Decrease 2
1935
10 / 71
Increase 1 Government member
1939
18 / 82
Increase 8 Tarkose Ghweli Opposition member

Party leaders[edit | edit source]

  • Kelem Birsia Teodenes (1899-1910)
  • Biyutenere Kelitas (1910-1937)
  • Tarkose Ghweli (1937-1952)
  • Lan Tagin ib Krystalaluunde (1952-1968)
  • Eike Beire Skanndin (1968-1981)
  • Alyse Taseim (1981-2004)
  • Deomonta Jeissem ib Viųluunde (2004-present)