Tribune Movement
Tribune Movement | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vespasian name | Movimento Tribune |
| Novalian name | Pokret Tribina |
| Carinthian name | Gibanje Tribune |
| Abbreviation | MT PT GT |
| Leader | Francesco Carcaterra |
| Federal Secretary | Alessandra Bellucci |
| Deputy Leader | Gianfranco Galizia |
| Founder | Francesco Carcaterra Gianfranco Galizia Ettore Mantovano Tullio Quagliariello Marko Stanić |
| Founded | 13 March 2012 |
| Merger of | National Action People's Radical Party Justice and Freedom Party |
| Headquarters | 5-9 Viale di Augusto Romolo Vicalvi, Etruria |
| Newspaper | Torre Alta |
| Think tank | Etrurian Institute for National Rejuvenation |
| Student wing | Tribune Student Movement |
| Youth wing | Young Tribune Movement |
| Women's wing | Tribune Mothers |
| Membership |  3,775,201 |
| Ideology | Right-wing populism Etrurian nationalism Etrurian unionism |
| Political position | Right-wing to far-right |
| Religion | Solarian Catholic |
| Colors | Maroon |
| Slogan | "Liberare il potenziale d'Etruria" "Unleashing the potential of Etruria" |
| State Council | 195 / 290
|
| Chamber of Representatives | 401 / 650
|
| State and autonomous governments | 5 / 8
|
| State and autonomous lower house members | 668 / 935
|
| State and autonomous upper house members | 317 / 550
|
| Party flag | |
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The Tribune Movement (TM; Vespasian: Movimento Tribune, stylised as "Movimento Tribvne"; Novalian: Pokret Tribina; Carinthian: Gibanje Tribune) is a Right wing-populist political party in Etruria. It is the largest party in both the State Council of the Federation and the Senate of the Federation, it also controls two of the three state governments and two of the six autonomous governments. It is also the largest in membership, with 1.89 million members as of 2018. Since its founding, it has been led by Francesco Carcaterra who has been President of Etruria since 2016.
The Tribune Movement was founded in 2012 by a collection of disaffected politicians from the National Action, People's Radical Party and the Justice and Freedom Party. It was founded in response to the announcement by President Emiliano Reali that a referendum would be held on joining the Euclean Community. The Tribune Movement swiftly became the primary force in the No Campaign, drawing concerns over sovereignty, judicial supremacy and the supposed "undemocratic nature" of the bloc, while it also used nationalism, xenophobia and history of interaction between Etruria and EC member-states to oppose membership. On the 6 July 2016, "No" won 54.53% of the vote, resulting in the immediate resignation of Reali, his successor Andrea Salvini proved ineffective at regaining control of his Etrurian Federalist Party and the government collapsed. The Tribune Movement, leading the polls by over 20 points secured a landslide victory taking a majority in both houses, with Francesco Carcaterra becoming President.
Throughout 2016 and 2017, the MT government followed up on numerous electoral promises. It took to plebiscites to enforce controversial constitutional reforms, including the empowering of the executive, the reinstatement of capital punishment, closure of numerous bodies associated with the Euclean Community, an end to the "Prospective Membership Programme" which involved numerous reforms and policy changes and major policies regarding education, housing and healthcare. In 2018, the government began to introduce legislation aimed at reforming the judicial system, which has been condemned by some as a direct attack on judicial independence. This was followed by controversial reforms of education, making it illegal for academics to reference or argue that Etruria perpetrated war crimes during the Solarian War, removal of constraints against police violence, harsher prison sentences, empowerment of federal law enforcement and the introduction of a new census for Marolevic minorities.
The MT is variously considered populist, anti-establishment, right-wing nationalist and anti-globalist. Carcaterra has numerously praised and welcomed the "populist" description and has previously called populism the "tonic of the age." Other commentators have questioned its right-wing nature, arguing that its populism and nationalism drives more toward the right, its position on welfare, equality and women's rights pushes it to the left, while others have called it "demagogically catch-all."
Name
The Tribune Movement is named in honour of the ancient Solarian Tribunus Missam (Tribune of the Mass), the political representative of the free but predominately poor citizens of the city. Since the party is rooted in populist politics and representing the "people against the masters of the broken system," the name sees its identity rooted in the ancient political position. Others claim that the name has enabled the party to transcend the traditional left-right divide in Etruria, by also referencing the military tribune.
All members of the party are called "Tribunes" (Tribuni) by the party officials and the press, both positively and pejoratively.
History
Coalition of the Right (2010-2012)
Prior to the forming of the Tribune Movement in 2012, the hard-right and far-right of Etrurian politics was fragmented with numerous parties competing for the nationalist and anti-migrant vote. The three largest parties of the far-right were the National Action (Azione Nazionale), the People's Radical Party (Partito Radicale Popolare) and the Justice and Freedom Party (Partito Giustizia e Libertà). These three parties had over 400,000 members combined, but no federal representation.
The election of Francesco Carcaterra a nationally renowned academic as leader of National Action in 2010 would prove pivitol in the direction of the Etrurian right. In the spring of 2010, he arranged for a meeting of the three party leaderships and through negotiation, succeeded in forming a unified electoral alliance, known as the Coalition of the Right (Coalizione di Destra). Very quickly, Carcaterra and his allies from National Action were able to mould the bloc's political views and platform. Carcaterra dismissed the traditions of the other parties, of often blunt language and racist anti-immigrant rhetoric, instead, he pursued a focus on income disparity, declining cultural traditionalism and rampant political corruption.
The CdD saw its first electoral success in 2011, following the collapse of the Red-Blue coalition in the state of Vespasia. In the 2011 Vespasian state election, the Coalition won 29 seats out of the 280 in contention, while the centre-right Etrurian Federalist Party was able to form a coalition with the christian democrat Libertas party, this was the most successful result for the hard-right for decades. The seats gained and the 21% of the popular vote vindicated Carcaterra's argument for softening the tone. His personal success further emboldened him and his allies from National Action to further liberalise the hard-right's most contentious positions.
The centralisation of organisation and leadership within the Coalition was hastened by the departure of Enrico Sorelli, the leader of the JFP. Sorelli was a "old-time right-winger" and held personal and familial ties to the National Social Movement (Movimento Sociale Nazionale), a legal successor to the Revolutionary Solarian Party of the Etrurian Revolutionary Republic regime. Sorelli was replaced by Gianfranco Galizia, a more moderate and modern political mind. Galizia and Carcaterra swiftly developed a close rapport that eased the modernisation process.
Following Sorelli's departure, the three parties of the coalition met in late January 2012 to discuss a renewed and more cohesive political platform. This led to a significant shift of the CDD toward the centre-right in some areas of policy. This included the introduction of a monthly payment to families with one child or more under the age of 30, improved women's right in the workplace, improved maternity leave provisions and an expansion of government subsidies for healthcare. Conversely, the CDD announced it would restore capital punishment, national service, mandatory sentencing and a major overhaul of the electoral system and judiciary to confront organised crime and corruption. The CDD's anti-elite and populist message was further refined, which would be a key cause for the Tribune Movement's landslide victory four years later.
July 2012, President Emiliano Reali announced that his government would organise a referendum on membership of the Euclean Community. Owing to Etruria's progress of meeting the EC's membership standards was still short, the Reali government penciled the referendum for July 2016. The shock announcement sent the right-wing of Etrurian politics into a tailspin as no major movement or indication of securing membership had been raised since 2005. In response, the Coalition of the Right met for an emergency congress in August and agreed to formally unite into one single cohesive political party.
Formation and organisation
In wake of the August conference, the Coalition of the Right began to merge its local constituency offices and groups into unified units. This was followed by the formal adoption of a new party charter and constitution on August 26. On August 27, the Coalition announced its decision to the Federal Federal Electoral Commission.
On August 30, the Tribune Movement was officially registered by the FEC. This meant that for the first time since 1983, the Etrurian hard-right had a single unified political entity. The same day, Francesco Carcaterra was announced as party leader and Gianfranco Galizia as Federal Secretary.
Between September and October, the new party began establishing state-level entities in Carinthia, Novalia and Vespasia.
2013 Election and breaktrhough
Rise and EC referendum (2013-2016)
2016 election
Coalition for Etrurian Rejuvenation (2016-2018)
Domestic policy
Electoral reform
Judicial Reform
Etruria-EC Crisis
2018 Election
Governing alone (2018-present)
Organisation
The Tribune Movement is a federal party of the parties of Vespasia, Novalia and Carinthia. The Novalian and Vespasian parties are further split into autonomous region parties. The party at the federal level in both houses of the senate are highly centralised and organised directly under the federal leadership, the state and regional branches are semi-autonomous units. Co-ordination of all party activities across all federated groups is undertaken through the Federal Executive. Chaired by the party leader, its 30+ members includes representatives from each of the groups and democratically elected representatives.
The state and regionla branches are provided some levels of independence in policy formulation, campaigning and internal matters. According to the Tribune Movement's constitution, the branches must "exercise independence within the thematic limits of the federal agenda." This level of autonomy has resulted in divergences emerging within the party, with the Vespasian branch operating a more anti-migrant, anti-crime agenda, compared to the near exclusively economic focused agenda of the Novalian branch. However, both branches do so within the realms of policies or plans developed at the federal level.
Members of the public join the party by becoming part of a local constituency Tribune Group. The country is also divided into regions, with each region containing a number of areas, both having a similar structure to constituency grpups. The Tribune Movement Consultative Forum (Forum Consultivo del Movimento Tribune), which provides public opinion and policy suggestions. It is composed of all association chairs, officers from areas and regions, and 42 representatives and the Women's Tribune Movement. The Forum meets twice a year. Its Annual General Meeting is usually held at Spring Forum, with another meeting usually held at the Tribune Movement Congress.
The Tribune Central Office (Ufficio Centrale Tribune) is effectively head of the Professional Party and leads financing, organisation of elections and drafting of policy and is subordinate to the Federal Executive.
Membership
When the Tribune Movement was formed through the merger of National Action, People's Radical Party and the Justice and Freedom Party in 2012, membership stood at 22,485. From 2012 until 2014, membership slowly increased, however, membership expanded exponentially during the 2016 EC referendum, rising to 485,301 as of May 2016. Following the Tribune Movement's landslide victory in the election of the same year, membership grew to 1.84 million by 2017, making the Tribune Movement the largest party by membership since 1983. At the 2018 Spring Forum, Federal Secretary Alessandra Bellucci announced that membership stood at 3,775,201.
The membership fee for the Tribune Movement is ₣35, or ₣15 if the member is under the age of 23.
Internal groups
Associate bodies
Base of support
Prior to 2012, the Tribune Movement's predecessor parties and specifically the Coalition of the Right saw its support marginalised to specific sectors of society. The Coalition's success in Vespasia was primarily driven by non-degree holding working class voters in industrial areas of Vespasia, its focus on anti-corruption and promises of enhancing the social safety net attracted mostly traditional Social Democratic Party voters, however, it saw some success with lower-middle class voters who were disenchanted by corruption. However, its still strident nativist and controversies over racist or discriminatory comments dented its outreach.
Today, the party enjoys great support among working class constituencies and union members. Groups that vote for the party are miners, farmers, shopkeepers, unskilled workers, unemployed and pensioners. With its relatively left-wing approach toward economics, the party attracts these voters who did not benefit from economic liberalisation and the post-2005 boom, and their economic situation did not improve significantly since 2005. The strongest voting block are older, religious people who value the conservative principles the party represents and patriotism. Tribune voters are usually located in rural areas and small towns. The strongest region of support is the northern half of the country (including Carinthia and northern Vespasia). People without a university degree prefer the party more than more educated ones. Recently, younger voters heve begun to support Tribunes more than in previous years. In 2018, the Tribunes increased their vote share of people aged between 18-27 by 15%.
Regionally, between 2012 and 2016, much of the party's support was concentrated in the "Labour Regions" (Regioni di Lavoro), mostly confined to eastern and northern Vespasia, and the entirety of Carinthia. Since 2018, the borders of support are not as clear as before and party enjoys support in southern parts of country, especially in deprived areas. Large cities in all regions are more likely to vote for more liberal party like Citizens' Alliance, the centre-right Democratic Alternative for Etruria or the centre-left Social Democrats, however, in 2018 the Tribunes secured high support in Vicalvi, Solaria and Turania with significant increases in its urban-working class support.
In 2018, the Tribunes succeeded into breaking into the CMB-PRA (Lower Middle Class-Patriotic, Religious, Ambitious) demographic. This voter bloc tends to be younger and urban and is a mixture of degree-educated or vocational middle class voters, who trend toward patriotism, religion and social mobility. The Tribunes' success in breaking into this large bloc is widely credited for the party's increase in popular vote share and 80-seat gain in the lower-house.
According to the National Insitute for Democracy, this voter profile offers the Tribunes as a base level support of 40-42%. In an analysis of the 2018 election, the NID noted, "the Tribunes receiving 47% of the popular vote was vindication of their targeting of the CMB-PRA demographic while consolidating its current base. The opposition parties have significant work ahead in order to reclaim lost voters."
Ideology and policies
The MT's political program has been consistently classified as vague, but its accepted core themes are traditional social values, law and order, and hostility towards social minorities and civil liberties. It continues to advocate a strong federal state with a empowered presidential form of government, and limited powers to the autonomous regions. While it's overt right-wing positions are debated, it does possess several positions considered to be left-wing and inherently populist, including, improved women's rights, equal gender pay, increase popular involvement in democracy (referendums, e-democracy and local referendums). The MT wraps its ideology around populist rhetoric, referring to the Etrurian elite as the "Community-Enslaved Cabal" (Comunità Schiava di Cabala), "The Black Class" (La Classe Nera) and the "Parasites" (Parassiti).
Etrurian democracy
Etrurian nationalism
Nationalism is an integral part of the Tribune Movement's ideology and platform, though many disagree as how to define the extent of its nationalist position. Throughout its existence, the Tribune Movement has denied its nationalism is similar to that of the Etrurian Revolutionary Republic, or National Solarianism. Instead, the Tribunes have consistently compared their nationalism to that of the Etrurian First Republic. In a speech to party members in 2018, Francesco Carcaterra described "Tribune Nationalism" as "the love of country, be it the people, be it the land itself, be its cities or cultural triumphs. It is the love of Etruria. This is our nationalism, and it is the nationalism of the First Republic."
In practice, the Tribunes operate an "Etruria first" policy in all major areas, best defined by Foreign Minister Gianfranco Galizia who told diplomats on his first day, "our policy is all things Etruria. All things of Etruria, for Etruria and by Etruria." The Tribunes also promote patriotism and nationalism in society, with state involvement and backing of televised media products that promote "Etrurian identity, history and glory."
One element of nationalism the Tribune Movement embraced was that of Prima Civiltà, a right-wing theory that posists that due Etruria's direct successorship to Ancient Solaria, Renaissance Etruria and the Etrurian Revolution, its cultural powers are unmatched by any other major nation. Since Etruria boasts the "most beautiful and vibrant culture of Euclea, it is a natural leader of nations." However, the nationalism of the Tribunes has caused controversy, with several members of the parliamentary group expressing hostile views of neighboring countries. Some elements within the movement also advocate for Etrurian-Montecaran Unification owing to the linguistic and cultural similarities. In 2018, the Tribune government passed a law prohibiting universities from debating, discussing or printing matters relating to Solarian War-era atrocities supposedly committed by Etruria. The Tribunes have also dismissed the Piraean Genocide as "hyped victimhood" and have actively promoted genocide denial in schools.
Economy
The party supports a state-guaranteed minimum social safety net and state intervention in the economy within market economy bounds. The Tribunes' economic platform has been described as Neo-corporatist, with a focus on active and beneficial state intervention, the business-friendly reforms of state-owned enterprises and the use of state-private partnerships in major public projects. Tribunes are also advocates of adult vocational and professional training and maintain a chartered promise of "long-term economic development over short-termism."
The party has since its conception advocated for long-term and immediate state investment into the future economy, with a primary focus on research and development, IT, computing, robotics and clean energy. Once in government, the Tribunes increased R&D spending by 22%, to EUC 10.2 billion a year, it sponsored five new research institutes and numerous projects in Etrurian universities. In a speech during the 2018 Etrurian general election, President Francesco Carcaterra ddescribed the focus on the future economy as, "the means to guarantee Etrurian development, growth and prestige. We will begin now with major resources to claim our spot as a leader of this century."
The party has also proclaimed itself the "greatest support of Etrurian industry", introducing new legislation aimed at supporting Etrurian manufacturers. In 2018, they launched the "Industrial Competitive Subsidary" (Sovvenzione Competitiva Industriale), in which small-to-medium sized manufacturers compete for sizeable government grants, on the basis of plans for sustainable growth. Its support for heavy industry also includes selective tax cuts, energy subsidies and the rollback of environmental regulations and protections.
The Tribunes support tax cuts for the lowest earners and oppose cutting social welfare funding. Between 2016 and 2020, the Tribunes removed 3.5 million workers from the tax system by increasing the income tax bracket from EUR 12,000 a year to 15,000 a year. In 2020, they abolished the familial inheritance tax for estates worth ₣250,000. The Tribunes reject trickle down economics as "elitist propaganda for self-enrichment" and have refused to cut tax rates on the wealthy since entering government in 2016.
Since 2018, the Tribune Movement has adovcated for protective tarrifs for Etrurian agriculture, while also introducing new and expansive subsidiaries for family owned farming estates. In 2019, the government launched the "Mangia Etruriano - Vivi l'Etruriano" (Eat Etrurian-Live Etrurian), a public campaign to boost consumption of Etrurian produce over foreign imports. This included the ban on foreign foods being used in all public services, including schools and hospitals.
Since 2016, the Tribune government's aim is maintain GDP growth at 4-5% annually and see Etruria enter the top 10 economies by 2030. The Tribunes seek to introduce a system of state-guaranteed housing mortages.
L'Etruria in Movimento
In 2019, the Tribune government announced "L'Etruria in Movimento" (Etruria in Motion), which stands as the largest infrastructure investment in post-war Etrurian history. The EUC 40.5 billion project includes extensions of the Leopardo Linea high-speed train network, the Autostrada, modernisation of tunnels, bridges, canals and regional airports. Other projects include new lines for the Tyrrenhus Metro, inter-state rail and road links, primarily Auratia and Gaullica. LEM also includes the construction of six new regional airports, three new runways at Faulia's, San Alessandro's and Solaria's airports. The aim of the LEM project is to "ensure Etruria's infrastructure is modern and dynamic enough to carry the nation foward."
Digitale Etruria
In late 2019, the Tribunes launched "Digitale Etruria" (Digital Etruria), which consitutes the government's planned rollout of 5G across Etruria, but also the expansion of broadband across the country. In 2020, the government pledged EUC 10.5 billion for the programme, as well as a symbolic law prohibiting foreign companies from becoming involved in the rollout or management of Etrurian 5G. On April 19, the government awarded the contract for the 5G scheme to Janus Comunicazioni, the country's leading telecommunications company. As of 2020, 83% of the country had broadband access, with rural and mountainous regions still requiring connectivity.
Foreign policy and defence
When the Tribune Movement was formed in 2012, it actively opposed Etrurian membership of the Euclean Community, citing its concerns over sovereignty transfer, freedom of movement and the subordination of Etrurian economic interests to a "Euclean whole." On the economic front, Carcaterra described a yes vote as "surrendering the future prosperity of Etruria to the whims of a Euclean whole, which actually means just Gaullican, Estmerish and Weranic interests." The Tribunes also opposed membership over the Euclo, which they saw as the abandonment of Etrurian monetary independence. Its opposition won out in the 2016 EC membership referendum, where it led the No-campaign to victory.
The Tribunes advocate "good relations with all nations" and has actively backed some international organisations, such as the Community of Nations, the Aurean Forum and the Association of Solarian Nations. Since entering government, the Tribunes have sought closer ties with "Solarian nations", aiming for a rapproachment with Amathia and deepening ties with Gaullica, Auratia and Montecara. The Tribunes have been critical of other countries, notably Xiaodong and Zorasan, with the latter being described by Francesco Carcaterra as the "greatest conventional military threat faced by Euclea since the Great War."
The Tribunes are advocates for strong defence and have increased military spending annually since 2016. They have announced plans to expand and modernise the Etrurian Navy and have announced intentions to apply for membership of ECDTO. In 2018, the Tribunes removed the constitution
Euclean Community
Following the No-vote in the EC referendum and the Tribunes' subsequent landslide victory in the general election of the same year, relations between Etruria and the EC Commission cooled rapidly. The Tribunes rhetorical attacks against the EC though successful in Etruria had turned many officials against the party and later its government. Between 2016 and 2018, relations were considered cordial, even as the Tribunes dismantled the federal structures for membership and rolledback several key reforms that met EC standards for accesion.
Between 2018 and 2019, relations deteriorated to crisis point, with EC condemnations of Tribune reforms to the judiciary and education. In response the Tribune government regularly accused the EC of "seeking revenge against the Etrurian people" and accused the EC of "backing the Poteri Oscuri" in undermining the democratically elected government. The crisis between the Etrurian government and EC reached fever pitch following the Pietromontecorvino Incident, a diplomatic disaster surrounding a Caldish plot by the government of then Taoiseach Jimmy O'Reilly to secure the evacuation of former president Emiliano Reali who was on trial for corruption. It was later revealed that the Etrurian government orchestrated the Incident to mortally damage the government of its most vocal critic within the EC.
The Incident's conclusion soon resulted in a thaw in tensions and by 2020, the Tribune Movement's position on the EC had moved to "good neighbourliness", in that Etruria could be the EC's most prominent partner and ally in southern Euclea. This push toward reconciliation was aided by the onset of the Tsabaran Civil War in late 2019.
Immigration
The Tribune Movement promotes a zero-tolerance policy toward migration into Etruria, especially from Coius and Badawiya, it has also come to oppose migration from Western Euclea. Its opposition to immigration falls on along the right-wing populist lines of it being a threat to national security, native culture and identity and the economy. In 2016, Interior Minister Tullio Quagliariello stated during the pro-party rally in Santa Cecilia; "We do not need more Bahian lemon pickers, we do not need more street vendors selling crap to tourists. We need engineers, doctors and people of substance."
In 2018, the Tribune government banned non-licensed street vendors from selling goods on the street, parks, beaches or public squares, a move that struck the migrant community most hardest.
Social policy
Sotirianity
The Tribune Movement describes itself as "a movement dedicated to preservation of Sotirian and Catholic Etruria." Since it entered government, the Tribunes have rolledback many laws prohibiting Church involvement in local or federal politics. The Tribunes' view of Etruria as "a natural Catholic state" has led to numerous policies aimed at promoting religiousity among society.
In 2016, they reinstated the mandatory display of the crucifix in all public spaces, including classrooms and courtrooms. The same year, it lifted the ban on clergy serving in teaching positions in state-schools and reinstated bible reading as mandatory for elementary and secondary schools. In 2018, the Tribune government in Carinthia prohibited atheists from taking jobs in education, to prohibit "the conversion of young Catholics to godlessness."
In 2019, the Tribune government passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting the taxation of Church property. The same year, the Tribunes introduced a law requesting schools to consult parents on the teaching of creationsim. In late 2019, the Tribunes abolished compulsary sexual education at the early secondary level, moving it to students aged 16, the same move also abolished the school based distribution of contraception in secondary schools to prohibit "youthful sexualisation."
Gay rights
The party opposes LGBT rights, in particular same-sex marriages and wishes to maintain the current status of civil unions, however the right-wing of the party wants to see civil unions abolished.
The Tribune Movement has officially stated that it opposes institutional discrimination of the LGBT+ community, however, numerous civil society groups have recorded a decline in gay rights within Etruria. Numerous policies and schemes aimed at young families have excluded same-sex couples, with the Famiglia+ scheme being applicable to only "young married couples." The federalisation of adoption services in 2020 alongside the ban on abortion also involved stricter guidelines that effectively stonewall same-sex couples from adopting children. LGBT+ groups have also noted increases in workplace discrimination, employment opportunities being denied and increased harrassment in wider society.
Since 2016, numerous cities held by Tribune Movement municipal governments have blocked or denied pride parades each year. In 2019, over 34 planned parades were blocked days before Pride or on the day. The parade in Solaria was called off by order of Prefect Vittore Amadeo Varro, citing "security concerns."
In 2016 the Tribune government disbanded the Federal Office for the Prevention of Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Intolerance, an advisory body set up in 2011 by then-President Emiliano Reali. The council monitored, advised and coordinated government action against racism, discrimination and hate crime.
Women's rights
A core foundation of the Tribune Movement is its self-proclaimed “dedication to the family and traditional values.” This resulted in the Tribunes seeking policies aimed at promoting motherhood and child rearing, yet in a “modern and fair manner.” From its foundation in 2012 onward, the Tribunes have argued that they seek to reform the economy to enable women to be mothers and successful careerists at the same time. On women’s rights, the Tribune Movement has been described as “big-tent” or “chameleon like.”
In 2017, the Tribune government introduced a law guaranteeing women custody and transferral of assets in divorce cases, where the cause for the split was domestic abuse.
In 2018, the Tribune government introduced harsher sentences for marital rape and domestic abuse, with the minimum mandatory sentence of 18 years and 10 years respectively.
In the 2018 election, the Tribunes promised to reduce the wage gap between men and women by 30% by 2025.
In 2019, the Tribune government passed laws extending maternity leave to a year. This was followed by paid maternity leave to six months from four months, with the alternative option of four month paid leave and legal guarantees of retaining their position for the following eight months of the maternity leave period. The same year, the government introduced paid paternity leave for five months.
In late 2019, a further amendment to the Parental Leave Act was introduced, offering a third option for maternity leave. The amendment promised state payment of a woman’s pay for the entire year if it was her second child if they worked in the state or federal civil service.
Disablity rights
In November 2018, the Tribune government announced a ₣23 billion (EUC 5.6 billion) programme (named "Accedere all'Equità"; "Access Fairness") aimed at reducing barriers for disabled people, to be implemented 2018–2025. This included new physical infrastructure at every train station, disabled friendly trains and buses and employment schemes. The same month, the Tribune government announced new reforms to disability welfare, raising the monthly disability benefit for adults approx. 15 percent to ₣1,000 (approx. EUC 476) and certain non-cash benefits were instituted. This was followed in December, with the closing of the loophole for parents of disabled adults who required long-term care. Instead of ending when the child turned 18, the benefit would carry over into a new Adult-Care Benefit, guaranteeing life-time support.
Abortion rights
From 2012 until 2019, the Tribune Movement's official position on abortion rights was "fundamentally against the process, but respectful of the woman's decision." In 2019, the Tribune government began to undermine and rollback abortion rights, with the closure of the Federal Office for Parenthood, a federal body created to offer support and financial cover for mothers who wished to abort. This was followed by the proposed tabling of federal legislation that would ban abortion at any stage of pregnancy unless there is a "serious health risk", with the exceptions for rape and incest. Doctors who perform abortions may receive 10 to 99 years imprisonment.
Family
The party strongly promotes itself as a pro-family party and encourage married couples to have more children. Prior to 2016 elections, it promised to build 3 million inexpensive housing units as a way to help young couples start a family. Once in government, it passed legislation lengthening parental leaves in 2018, including the introduction of leave for fathers. In 2018, it extended the period for maternity leave to six months, while capping income reduction at 20%.
In 2019, the government also announced plans to introduce federal legislation banning retailers from opening on Sundays. This is both to promote family time and church attendance.
In 2020, the Tribune government introduced the "Famiglia+" scheme under which all married parents above the age of 30 residing in Etruria receive an unconditional monthly payment of ₣500 for each second and subsequent child (the ₣500 support for the first child being linked to income). All married parents between the age of 18-30 receive the ₣500 monthly payment unconditionally for their first child, and each subsequent child.
The same year, the government announced the introduction of a new state-subsidised housing scheme, where state-owned construction companies would construct new estates and sell them at subsidised prices. The subsidies would be repaid over many years with a differentiated rate of the property tax. Young families who rent from state-private partnership landlords would be able to use their monthly rent payments to go toward the outright purchase price, dubbed "Rent to Buy." The government also announced rent controls for married couples aged between 18 and 30.
Law and order
The Tribune Movement has declared its support for “zero tolerance law and order” and supports deterrence over rehabilitation. Compared to the other major parties in the 2016 election, the Tribunes were the most ardent in their condemnation of organised crime in Etruria. During the 2016 election, the Tribunes promised “extensive law and order focused reforms and expansion.”
In 2016, during its first year in government, the Tribunes structurally reformed law enforcement, with the federalisation of all law enforcement bodies in the country; replacing the state-police forces with the National Police Service. This was followed by the reinstatement of capital punishment for serious crime, following a non-binding public referendum in early 2017, with 76% of Etrurians backing capital punishment being reinstated. This led to murder, serial rape, terrorism and paedophilia being punishable by death by hanging.
To support the creation of the NPS, the Tribune government began a mass recruitment drive, increasing basic salaries for officers by 20%, introducing new non-monetary benefits and increased the police budget overall by 15% to improve equipment, training and operation.
Between 2017 and 2019, the government also repeal or rolled back over 300 pieces of legislation aimed at regulating police behaviour and tactics. In 2018, the Tribune government abolished the Independent Law Enforcement Standards Agency (ILESA) and replaced it with the Federal Police Inspectorate which was subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs. Civil society claimed that this move “destroyed police scrutiny and guaranteed a blank check on abuses.” In early 2019, the government abolished the Police Standards Act, which established guidelines on the definition of police brutality.
In August 2018, the Tribune government passed the Civil Security Act. It was the most expansive national security law passed in Etruria since the restoration of democracy in 1983. Taking much of the wording from the Military government’s (1960-1983) National Security and Defence Act, the CSA was reduced in scope to target organised crime, who under the new law were classified as national and civil security threats – the same designation applied to terrorist organisations.
The CSA gave the Tribune government legal cover for Operation Gladio in December 2018 – the largest and most successful anti-mafia operation in Etrurian history. Over 11,000 suspected members of organised crime were arrested, and 200 plus were killed in shootouts. Over $8.64 billion worth of assets were confiscated from organised crime groups and the damage inflicted set the shadow industry back by a “at least three generations.”
Constitutional reform
Judicial Reform
From the formation of the Coalition of the Right in 2010, the judiciary of Etruria had been a major issue of contention. The CdD, and later the Tribune Movement had viewed the judiciary as inherently broken and corrupt. To the Tribunes, the judiciary was the “enabler of the mass moral desolation of Etruria”, citing numerous cases during the 1990s and 2000s of judges having overt ties to either political parties or individual politicians. The Tribunes also cited the judiciary’s complicated structure as key to the long time weakness of Etrurian justice and civil law, with Etrurian courts prior to 2016, having a backlog of claims or cases averaging 5-years in delay.
Between 2010 and 2017, the Tribunes regularly claimed that the Etrurian judiciary was the property of the Mafia. In the lead-up to the 2017 judicial reform act, the Tribunes actively propagated the claim that the Mafia even controlled judges on the Constitutional Court.
In 2012 and later 2016, the Tribunes promised significant judicial reform, such as streamlining district and federal courts. The Tribunes also promised transformational change for criminal courts, with the introduction of minimum sentences, the abolition of early parole and the public broadcasting of both major cases and parole hearings.
Following the Tribune victory in 2016, they began piecemeal reforms to the judiciary, beginning with its abolition of early parole (2016), the introduction of minimum sentencing for all crimes (2016), the ban on conjugal visits (2017) and reforms to civil district courts (2017).
In 2018, the Tribunes established the Civil Security Service, which merged the Federal Crime Service and the Financial Security Service into one federally controlled body. The CSS within a week of its formation arrested four of the seven sitting judges of the Constitutional Court in connection to the Miraviglia Scandal. Citing the corruption of the highest court in the country, the Tribune government introduced the Judicial Reform Act, which granted the Federal Ministry of Justice to appoint and dismiss constitutional Court Justices and Criminal District Court judges, upon recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Board. The amendment was passed by the lower-house of the Etrurian Senate, but not the upper-house. The Tribunes used the vacancies to make emergency interim appointments, selecting four supportive judges from the Palestrina circuits. This allowed them to secure a majority in the Constitutional Court, in turn guaranteeing a supportive reading of the JRA.
The JRA was passed in the State Council of the Federation, several days later with the full support of Tribune and Farmers and Workers Union members. The JRA was widely condemned by opposition parties and civil society as the “greatest assault upon judicial independence in Euclean post-war history.” Throughout the process, the Tribunes claimed that the JRA was key to “wiping out corruption and the Mafia infestation of justice.”
Other
Anti-Separatism
Direct democracy (National Consultations) and political informational campaigns
Controversies
Ultras support
One of the party's most ardent and solid bases of support are the various Ultras of the Etrurian football culture. Virtually all major Ultras have declared support for the party and regularly chant supportive slogans in support of the party, or aggressive chants against the establishment and the Citizens' Alliance. During the 2016 general election, several Ultras were accused of violently attacking activists from opposing parties. The Federalist Party, the Citizens' Alliance and the Etrurian Greens all reported incidents involving Ultras and blamed the Tribune Movement for inciting or tacitly supporting the attacks.
One major incident involved 26-year-old Lucca Perelli, who was beaten into a coma by six members of the Legio Urbisliana Ultra. Perelli was handing out leaflets in support of the Citizens' Alliance in central Urbisalia when he was surrounded, pushed and kicked to the floor. The six men proceeded to repeatedly kick and punch him, while his leaflets were taken and thrown out onto the street, he suffered severe trauma and was in a coma for six weeks, he is however, expected to make a full recovery after much treatment and support. All six were arrested and charged with attempted murder, they were later sentenced to 15 years in prison. The police investigation found no direct link between the attack the Tribune Movement.
Another serious case was the attack on Novalian Socialist Party candidate Niko Bilic. Bilic was attacked outside his office in Dubovica by members of the Dubovica Osvajači Ultra. He suffered a broken nose and two broken ribs in the attack, however no arrests were made. The centrist and centre-right based press condemned the attack as the "most direct assault on Etrurian democracy since its conception." While others went further to report the Tribune Movement to the Federal Electoral Commission for "political intimidation."
Other incidents included the firebombing of party offices, rocks thrown through windows and death-threats through social media. Matteo Sorrentini described the Ultras' support for the MT as a natural consequence of the party's penchant for "racist, homophobic, derogatory rhetoric." He also said that the MT's continued failure to condemn links to the already controversial football hooligan groups was indicative that the party "is deeply rooted in nationalism and xenophobia."
Authoritarianism
The Tribune government has been accused of "[eroding] away at the country's democratic framework, reducing judicial independence, taking control of most state and private media and reshaping the electoral system to favor the Tribune Movement." There remains a fierce debate as to whether the actions of the Tribune Movement have endangered or crippled Etrurian democracy. Bagdono Institutas, a Ruttish research organisation, assesed, "the Tribune Movement is succeeding in driving Etruria toward a dominant party system, if not autocracy." Other political scientists have also assessed the party's goal to be a "dominant party system, in the image of Narozalica, rather than outright autocracy."
The Tribune government appointed former party politicians to non-partisan oversight institutions that were created as checks on government power after the restoration of democracy. The institutions involved included the State Audit Office, the State Prosecution Service, and the National Budgetary Council.
The Tribune government has also appointed senior military commanders, law enforcement personnel, who have been known to express personal support for the government or the party to head their respective services. There have been reported incidents of soldiers and other military personnel being reprimanded for pro-Tribune statements being made on social media, while a quasi shrine to Francesco Carcaterra was discovered in the barracks at a northern Etrurian military base in 2019. In late 2019, the Municipal Commander of the National Police Service in Solaria was recorded saying, "I and I know this to be true, all my officers, would do anything for the Tribunes."
Being re-elected in 2018 with a supermajority able to propose and pass legislation largely at will, the Tribune Movement has often denied parliament sufficient time to deliberate proposals, sometimes giving only a few hours' notice before discussions on proposals and only allowing a few hours of debate. Following the 2018 election, the Tribunes strongarmed both chambers of the Senate to permit the election of Tribune Movement politicians as the speaker of both chambers, in contravention of parliamentary convention.
Since 2018, there have also been cases of human rights activists and well-known critics of the Tribune Movement being harrassed by police. The editor-in-chief of the centrist Gazetta Federale had his home searched by police three times in October 2018, under suspicion that there was large quantities of narcotics in the property. At least six writers at the Gazetta Federale and Il Popolo had also claimed that their homes were searched by police, with one freelance reporter having his car impounded on claims the owner had avoided paying road tax for twenty years.
Freedom of the judiciary
Following the extensive judicial reforms in 2018, the Tribunes have been widely accused of stacking loyalists into the Constitutional Court. The arrest and debarring of four justices from the Constitutional Court over the Miraviglia Scandal, followed reforms that granted the federal government the power members to the Judicial Appointments Council, which was stacked with pro-Tribune officials. With control of the JAC, the Tribunes' constitutional reform granting the Federal Ministry of Justice to make emergency appointments enabled them to replace the four judges with loyalists. This was followed several weeks later by a bill reducing the retirement age from 80 to 72, releasing two new seats from forcibly retired judges. This granted the Tribune Movement control of the Constitutional Court with six pro-government judges against four liberals. Since 2018, no government law has been dismissed by the Constitutional Court.
In 2019, the head of the State Prosecution Service was replaced with Fernando Aurelio Varro, a noted right-wing judge who had expressed extensive support for the Tribune Movement in public and on social media. Varro was also noted as one of the judiciary's leading advocates for harsh prison sentences and zero tolerance.
In 2020, the Tribune government announced plans to amend the Constitution to establish a "parallel court system" to handle cases pertaining to public administration, at both the state and federal levels. The new court system would cover areas including challenges to state and federal government decisions, address civil service employment and have jurisdiction over freedom of information requests. This had led to fears that the new courts would be stacked by government loyalists and used to approve contentious politically motivated reforms and actions.
Freedom of the press
The Tribune Movement held negative opinions of most major newspaper outlets from its creation and since entering government. Between 2012 and 2016, the party regularly attacked the left-leaning press as the "propaganda machine of the Poteri Oscuri." During the EC referendum, the party called for "major media reform" as a response to the predominately pro-EC nature of both printed and televised outlets. The referendum also saw the Tribunes claim the country's media industry was "propped up and funded by the EC."
Entering government in wake of its victory in the 2016 Etrurian general election, the party relaxed its criticism of the media, though personal feuds between Tribune politicians and individual newspapers would continue. In early 2017, the left-wing newspaper, La Stella e l'Araldo was banned from attending press conferences involving the President or the Office of the Presidency, citing its "rabid aggression and highly biased nature." In mid-2017, this ban was extended the media gallery in the Chamber of Representatives and State Council, essentially shutting the newspaper out of the political process.
In the Summer of 2017, the Federal Executive of the party banned Tribune politicians at all levels of government from appearing on Channel 3's news programme and political talk shows after it accused the channel of operating a "system of political propaganda and a complete failure to present neutral debates." The accusation followed a series of panel discussions where the audience was hostile to the Tribune Movement representative. As of 2020, the ban is still in place.
Much of the criticism and controversy for the Tribune Movement and the press came in wake of Operation Gladio, where using the prior past Civil Security Act, to seize businesses directly and indirectly related to known organised crime groups, the Tribune government has seized and sold-off an estimated 285 media outlets. However, in-depth studies by NGOs and the largest centrist and left-leaning newspapers that virtually all of these outlets were sold to previously unknown business groups, who had extensive or close ties to the Tribune Movement. The outlets sold to pro-Tribune business people resumed production in a manner favouring the government, leading to accusations that the Tribunes were using the anti-mafia operation to build a media echo-chamberm with only the government message being broadcasted, as well as silencing criticism. As of 2020, the number of outlets known to have been seized and sold had risen to 683 from 285, approximately 90% of these outlets are regional or local - the most popular mediums for consumption in Etruria. The number of pro-Tribune outlets as of 2020 had risen from 18 in 2016 to over 400 at the local and regional levels.
The most public example was Osservatore Indipendente, Etruria's third most read paper. The paper's owners were arrested in January 2019, as part of Operation Gladio and the paper was seized by the government after it was discovered that the paper was sold by a family closely related to a major mafia syndicate in Tyrrenhus. The paper was sold to a group known as the Gruppo Media Quantistici, later discovered to be chaired by a fully paid member of the Tribune Movement. After several months of printing pro-government stories and staff walkouts, the paper was dissolved.
In September 2018, the Tribune government sacked the executive and creative boards of ARE, the Etrurian public broadcaster. The Tribune government claimed that the move was necessary to "confront the poor provision of product quality, ingrained political bias and poor resource management." Following the sackings, the Tribunes appointed an array of right-wing media personalities to key positions, while Renato Sorrentini, a prominent party official was appointed Director-General of the organisation. Since 2018, ARE has been widely accused of producing pro-Tribune messages and repeating widely used Tribune-made conspiracy theories on its news channel.
Racism and homophobia
The Tribune Movement has been accused of being racist and homophobic, by both its opponents and independent civil society groups. In 2019, the Etrurian Organisation for Tolerance in Politics (EOTP) released its three-year long study on the Tribune Movement and argued, “without question, the Tribune Movement’s ideology and agenda is anchored by intolerance. It is racist, xenophobic, homophobic and transphobic. It is such at both the organised executive level and the grass and roots level.”
In 2015, the National Human Rights Commission referred the Tribune Movement for investigation into whether its racism constituted a major threat to Etruria’s minorities. The move was widely condemned by Tribune supporters and the party itself, who claimed it was a “witchhunt by the frightened cosmopolitan elite.” The NHRC’s report never came to light as the Tribune Movement abolished the body within three weeks of entering government in 2016. The body was replaced with the Federal Office for Human Liberties, which is tasked with protecting “Catholic religious liberty and the cultural and political rights of Etrurians.”
Since 2016, the Tribune government at both federal and state levels have been accused of using dubious statistics to justify racist remarks or policies. In October 2017, when Finance Minister Leandro Schiavi claimed that the Miruvian minority were drain on the Etrurian economy in off-the-cuff remarks, the Under-Secretary for Finance at a press conferences produced unemployment figures for 2016, indicating that the Miruvian population had an unemployment rate of 16% and 94% of those were claiming state and federal welfare, and claimed that this was proof of the Minister’s assertion.
In 2018, Interior Minister Tullio Quagliariello claimed “unchecked Coian migration constitutes a major threat to Etrurian women.” When asked to clarify at a press conference on immigration reform, the Minister cited statistics claiming 54% of convicted rapists came from Satria and Badawiya. When asked to produce these statistics, the Interior Ministry refused and denied freedom of information requests.
In 2019, in support of its drive to boost the Etrurian birth rate, President Francesco Carcaterra claimed that “unless Etrurians have more babies, we could be a Coian majority country by 2055. We’d be a Coian majority country in our home and continent.” His claim was widely debunked by journalists, who were attacked by the Tribune Movement for “lying to the Etrurian people in defence of their liberal multi-racial utopia.”
The same year, Carinthian Prefect, Janez Hribar of the Tribune Movement called for a special citizenship register for Miruvians and Piraeans, claiming that “they need to be watched and documented. We need to know how many there are because there’s way more than we think.” His suggestion was never followed through, though the Carinthian state constitutional court claimed it would violate the federal and state constitution.
Reliance on conspiracy theories
Electoral history
| Election | Votes | Seats | Win | Outcome | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | ± | |||
| 2018 | 414 / 680
|
87
|
In government | Becomes the first single-party government in Etruria since 1983. | ||
| 2016 | 327 / 680
|
313
|
Coalition government | Enters coalition with the Farmers and Workers Union. | ||
| 2013 | 14 / 680
|
14
|
|
Becomes the first minor party since 1956 to gain more than ten seats in its first contested national election. | ||
| Election | Votes | Seats | Win | Outcome | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | ± | |||
| 2018 | 194 / 290
|
28
|
In government | First party to secure a two-thirds majority in the upper-house since 1983. | ||
| 2016 | 166 / 290
|
156
|
Coalition government | Enters coalition with the Farmers and Workers Union. | ||
| 2013 | 10 / 680
|
10
|
|
Becomes the first minor party since 1956 to gain more than five seats in the upper-house since 1985. | ||