2021 Bloca Legislative Election

The 2021 Bloca Legislative Election was held on Thursday, January 28, 2021. The Civic Union, which was a dominant force in Bloca for generations, was toppled by Bloc A, a single-issue party advocating for the Northern Independence Movement during this election.

(Credit to the honourable Al The 2NA:)

Commissioner General Peter Spiegel’s Civic Union-led government had been in power since 2005, and had remained relatively popular up until the calling of the election. Much of Spiegel’s appeal came from his ability to balance between the moderate wing and populist wing of the party, and had been able to preside over a noticeably improving economy. However, upon Spiegel’s retirement, the party was unable to find a successor that could recapture the same level of support.

The Civic Union leadership election was hotly contested, with a crowded 7-candidate field vying to take the party in as many directions. Ultimately the party membership decided on health minister Lotte Baker, who would become the party’s first female leader, and came from the moderate wing of the party. Baker took a critical, but neutral, stance on the growing Northern Independence movement, which caused supporters of both sides of the issue to walk away from the party.

The National People’s Party, which had collapsed nationally, was a small force in the CC leading up to the election. Under the leadership of businessman Gil Van Aitzema, the party transformed into the leading voice for Northern Independence, and rebranded into Bloc A. Van Aitzema was able to capitalize on frustration with the government in Port Nandels, frustration with the establishment parties, and successfully appeal to the business community. He ran on a pro-oil campaign, and pitched independence from the south as the only way to bring jobs back.

The Liberal Party of Bloca, long under the control of the Akkerman dynasty, once again nominated an Akkerman to lead the party into the next election. This time, however, the Akkerman in question is Jans Akkerman’s middle daughter, Zoe. As Bloc A managed to build their base in support of independence, Zoe refashioned the Liberals into the party of unionism. The younger Akkerman hitched a bigger tent than usual, touting her social democratic tendencies. Polling suggested that independence was a divisive issue, and the Liberal strategy was to win the public opinion battle.

Nik Terpstra’s Terpstra Team entered the election in a strong position to make major gains, as many who felt that Baker’s Civic Union didn’t speak for the needs of urban conservatives found Terpstra’s platform compelling. Many liberal supporters also felt that the TT offered a fresh vision for Bloca, and were unsure about Akkerman’s strong stance against independence. Coupled with Terpstra’s endearing characteristics and strong debate performances, many expected Saturday to be a good night for him.

On the left, the Bloca Worker’s Party faces a tight squeeze between a Liberal party more left-leaning than ever and a Change Party more popular than ever, and it’s leader, Mark Pastor, is a relative unknown. Even the most avid Labor supporters acknowledge that Pastor is no Greg Damon. The Change Party hopes to capitalize on the political unrest that brought its national affiliate, the ULPP, into power. However, leader Richard Bongers has seen his campaign delegitimized on account of his odd surname. Ardent supporters have embraced the absurdity, going so far as to call themselves “bonkers for Bongers”.

The IDP are unlikely to make significant gains, with most of the nationalist support going to the emboldened Bloc A. Liberty First has made a last-ditch attempt to gain relevancy, by attaching the suffix Independence Second to its name. The Raitho Group is expected to hold the constituency seats it has, but it’s possible its embrace of the independence movement will allow it to broaden its appeal.

On election night, Bloc A’s relatively minor, unconcentrated support base rapidly turned into a winning coalition, with early precincts closing with them in the lead and maintaining their edge all night long. The party performed well in rural regions, winning most ethnic Dogger constituencies in the north, and surprisingly well in the mid-tier towns and cities. The Liberals also did well, increasing their total seats in the party list, but lost several constituency seats. The Civic Union, while a shell of its former self, still managed to notch 3rd place, holding its own in some suburban and rural constituencies and performing reasonably well on the list.

Nik Terpstra did not, however, perform as well as the polls had indicated. He still made gains nationally, but was unable to solidify a base outside his home region of Nivelford. The Change Party was unable to live up to expectations, due to the relative unpopularity of the Forward! Coalition in the north. The BWP experienced a similar stagnation, and lost a seat overall. The IDP found itself with half its usual base in the Commissioner’s Council, mostly due to Bloc A’s relative landslide success.

Gil Van Aitzema, upon winning the election, announced his desire to move quickly on northern independence, calling for the federal government to launch a referendum. He also announced his ideal coalition, reaching out to the Civic Union and the Terpstra Team, giving his government a 2 seat majority. Liberal leader Zoe Akkerman conceded the election, but urged the public not to give in to the pitch of northern independence, calling it “far-right nonsense” and “a denial of how far we’ve come, together as a nation”. The Commissioner’s Council’s new session would begin on September 4th.