Group of Three

Group of Three, also referred to as D Group, refers to the "state within a state" that exists within the Champanois Federative Socialist Republic. The term is used to describe an alleged cabal consisting of the nation's three intelligence services: the State Protection Directorate (DPE), Department of Social Affairs (DAS), and the Central Intelligence Directorate (DIC), and the influence the three have over both Champanian society at large and the national government, including the Champanois Socialist Workers' Party. The political agenda of the Group of Three allegedly involves "nationalism, state interests, and maintaining the status-quo." Intimidation, violence, kidnappings, and other means are employed covertly to manipulate persons deemed to be of "national importance," discourage dissidence, opposition, or defection, and ensuring interests specific to the group are met by the civilian government. Mainstream proponents of the group's existence advocate the group perpetuates a belief the country is "under siege" by both external forces and internal dissidents, and that it is up to the intelligence services to "right the ship."

Former DIC Major, Pilò Gegnèst, whom defected to Gaullica, confirmed the existence of the Group of Three in an 1988 interview, citing the death of Lièn Mayor Adrien Llaceile in 1976 as an example of Group "in action." East Euclean analysts argue the Group of Three is merely a labelling of the Champanian intelligence community, and that despite having overlapping goals, each intelligence service has its own agenda. Others contradict this claim by describing D Group as an informal network between the DPE, Champanois Socialist Workers' Party, military, and Champanian mafia.

Background

Champanian Intelligence State

While the existence of the Group of Three itself is contested, many political analysts classify Champania as a intelligence state or the country has the characteristics of such. Relative to the size of the country, the Champanian intelligence community is massive, and there exists substantial overlap between the Champanian Socialist Workers' Party, and by extension the civil government of Champania, and the three intelligence services. While total personnel of the three are unknown, it is estimated some 100,000 personnel are employed, with the vast majority of such belonging to the State Protection Directorate. Thanks to its size, the intelligence community has been described as the "Shield of the Champanois Socialist Workers' Party."

On top of the estimated 100,000 professional employees, undercover staff are also maintained by all three intelligence services, and are broadly categorized as follows:

• Rèsèrva ("reserve")
• Cônfîeables ("confidants")
• Infôrmièrs ("informers")

The rèsèrva consists of professional intelligence officers that are on undercover operations stationed within the National People's Army, Champanois Socialist Workers' Party, and civilian government. Cônfîeables are influential and affluent civilians who work without signing an official contract. These people can include the deans of schools and universities, the department directors, actors, writers, and academics. Infôrmièrs refer to ordinary citizens who are recruited to work for the intelligence services through blackmail or other forms of coercion. The Estmerish Special Intelligence Bureau believes every 1 in 20 adult citizens, or approximately 485,000 people, are "employed" as an informer alone across all three intelligence services.

Foreign intelligence analysts also note the extensive overlap between career officers and influential positions in state-run businesses, universities, cultural organizations, and other influential institutions. Since the fall of the South Euclean People's Republic, an estimated 67% of leading figures in the Champanois Socialist Workers Party had served previously in the Champanian intelligence services. This was mostly made possible in part to the emergency protocols enacted in the months immediately falling the collapse of the South Euclean People's Republic where extensive manpower shortages in the national bureaucracy made it necessary to remove existing laws that prohibited intelligence officers from holding other positions.

Historical

The basis for the Group of Three ultimately arose during Functionalist control over Champania. Functionalist rule had forced oppositional movements underground, which consequently led to the merging of such groups with pre-existing pro-Champanian independence secret societies. The collapse of the Gaullican Empire following its defeat in the Great War created a power vacuum which was almost immediately filled by these secret societies. The onset of the socialist revolution resulted in creation of the Emergency Military Committee, the predecessor organization of the State Protection Directorate, to handle sabotage and suppression of resistance groups in socialist-controlled areas.