National Party (Vyvland)

National Party Nazonalpaart Nationaale Partij
File:Nazonal.png
Chairperson	Willem Winkelman
Deputy chairman	Friga Syfdals
Founded	November 11, 1984 (1984-11-11)
Merger of	New Nationalist Party National Party of North Vyvland
Headquarters	Staatsaas, 1 Plaac des Laans, Lorence
Youth wing	Nazonales vro Bemorjen
Ideology	right-wing populism conservatism nationalism
Esquarian Parliament group	Freedom and Sovereignty Union
Colours	Blue
Political position	Right to radical right
Parliament	82 / 568
Esquarian Parliament	5 / 23
Provincial Diets	280 / 2,078
Provincial Chancellors	0 / 15
Election symbol
N
Website
http://www.nazonalpaart.vy

The National Party (Vyvlander: Nazonalpaart) is a Vyvlander right-wing populist, socially conservative, nationalist party. It is seen as something of a successor to the old South Vyvlander nationalist government. The National Party is a relatively traditionalist party, calling for the upholding of "traditional Vyvlander values". The Nationals hold the position of the Thirds (second-largest opposition party) in the Vyvlander Parliament. The party's vote share has increased in recent years due to the effects of Vyvland's precarious finance situation and the perceived ability of the Nationals to provide strong government. Recent polling has suggested their support for a large military has also won votes.

Political stances

File:Willem de winkels.jpg

Willem Winkelman, leader of the National Party

The party is led by charismatic Willem Winkelman, known for his outspoken remarks about the "hyper-liberalisation" of Vyvland and disparaging remarks on the country's supposed liberal elite. He is often seen as a major vote-winner due to his distancing himself from the old nationalist South Vyvlander government with which the party has long been associated, as he hails from the northern province of Helland. The party focuses mainly on opposition to immigration and immigrants (it aims to restrict benefits to Vyvlander citizens only), excessive social welfare spending and criticising the three other main parties. The party is very supportive of reinstating Jungwakt, Vyvland's former form of compulsory military service for young people. The National Party also claims to be the party of lelsdadnes, the traditional concept of Vyvlander life and communities. Critics say that the Nationals' depiction of the concept of lelsdadnes is flawed.

History

The National Party was formed from the remains of the Nationalist Movement, the former governing party of South Vyvland. However, it also gained a few Christian Democratic Northern MPs, while losing many more extremist nationalists, many of whom became members of the Vyvlander Front. The party was known as the Niy Nazones (New Nationalists) until 1989, when the name was changed to the current one, in order to distance the party from the Southern nationalists. It has only had two spells in government, as a junior coalition partner of the Christian Democratic and Conservative Party between 1998 and 2002 under Prime Minister Rikard Fegaad, and under Abram Zymeker's two-year National Government from 1984 to 1986.

File:Sekernes zepen.png

A 2005 election poster, supporting foreign criminals' deportation. The text translates to "Make [Vyvland] secure" and is also a pun on the word zeep, meaning 'sheep', which is pronounced like the first syllable of zepen

The Nationals' worst result, in the 2002 election, saw the party win only 7% of the vote and 39 seats, which forced it out of the its first spell in government after heavy criticism and scrutiny. However, since then, the National Party's popularity has experieced something of a resurgence after a change of direction to a more populist appeal before the 2005 election, accompanied by new leader Willem Winkelman, replacing the party's long-time previous leader, Gregor Stīnr.

Althoug the Nationals lost seats in the 2009 election, a result of over 12% in the 2013 election, giving it 82 seats, was the party's best result in twenty years. The party also had a very strong showing in the 2013 Esquarian Parliament elections, gaining five seats (its most to date) with 19.2% of the vote, 0.3% below the Socialists, placing the party third out of the Vyvlander parties. Much of this support was due to a strong performance by Willem Winkelman in the general election debates two weeks before the EP elections.

Support

Since reunification, the party's support dwindled and became mainly concentrated among older voters, especially in the south. The party's main support base lies in former Southern areas, and often among the working classes; as such, they are relatively anti-establishment and oppose the Vlud Laws. However, recent years have shown a growth in popularity throughout the country and across almost all demographics.

Elections

Election	Seats	+/–	Government
2013	82 / 568	30	in opposition
2009	52 / 568	9	in opposition
2005	61 / 580	22	in opposition
2002	39 / 580	9	in opposition
1998	48 / 580	18	in government
1996	66 / 580	20	in opposition
1994	86 / 580	7	in opposition
1993	93 / 580	16	in opposition
1989	109 / 580	26	in opposition
1986	135 / 580		in opposition