Factions in the Latin Senate
This article lists political parties and organizations in the Latium. The first political parties began to officially form in the mid 1860s at the advent of the political reforms of Theophylactus I Augustus. Initially these parties formed around prominent figures in the Senate, often reshuffling at every election. Today, the two largest parties or alliances are the center-right United Latium and the center-left Progressive Party.
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History
The election of 1866 was the first time in which political parties began to officially form. While previously members of a sitting Senate would form informal blocs, there was rarely any cooperation between members except for matters of voting, eg. there was no campaigning. The first parties formed immediately following the first nationwide election in 1866, when a majority of the Senate supported Thomas Anicius, Duke of Beroea as Consul after his Imperial appointment. Days later, his followers in the Senate formally created the Optimates. Within the next month, the Populares and Medietas. The first party system lasted from 1866 until 1907.
In 1907, the Union Alliance, a national unity centrist party became the fourth party to gain election into the Senate. From 1907 until August 1932, the government and Consulship were only held by either the Imperial League or the Liberal Party. Government coalitions were much more common in this time period, with the Union Alliance joining the League controlled government in 1915 and 1930, while the Socialist joined the Liberal appointed government in 1922.
The August 1932 snap election marked the end of the second party system and the beginning of the third, with the first government and Consulship not held by the League or Liberals. Instead a new, far-right, nationalist party, the Popular Socialist Party. The PSP first entered the Senate in 1922, winning 9 seats. Following the August 1932 snap election, the PSP sought to form a highly controversial minority government after both the Conservatives and Liberals failed to offer viable Consul candidates to the Emperor. The PSP government was repeatedly blocked in passing any legislation, causing party leader and Consul Orestes Cotta to urge Emperor Constantine XIX for another snap election. In the September 1932 snap election, the PSP earned enough seats for a near full majority, though there were many accusations of voter intimidation and even riots in select polling places. The PSP would win every election from 1932 until 1941, nearly doubling their seat totals every election. By 1937, the many minority parties were effectively banned or barred from standing for election into the Senate by Consul Cotta, with the Liberals and League eventually being banned before the suspended 1945 election.
After the Social War, many parties reformed or simply folded. The fourth party system began with only two major parties, as Medietas did not participate in the first post-war elections and eventually folded. In this post-war period, the Consulship was held by Jason Claudius, Duke of Adrianople as an independent candidate; Adrianople remains the longest serving Consul in Latin history at 15 years. This period saw the creation in a number of ethnic minority or single-issue parties, such as Gelonian National Front, Party of Sasora, and Imbrosian Voters Union.
The fourth party system lasted from 1955 to 1995. From this period, every government and Consulship would be come from the ranks of the Liberal party and the Conservative Party, with the only coalition government forming in 1990 between the Conservatives and the Union Alliance. Some argue as to whether the fifth party system begins in 1990 or 1995, as 1990 was the election that would eventually result in the Progressive Party quickly arising; however, 1995 is most often the accepted date. The Progressives would first contest for seats in the 1995 general election, forming out of disaffected Liberals following the 1991 Liberal leadership election, and an eventual absorption of the National Democrats.
Today, Latium remains in the fifth party system with the Progressives replacing the Liberals as one of the two major parties alongside the Conservatives. The Progressives first held the Consulship in 1998 until the election fraud-ridden 2000 election, and again from 2001 until 2013.
Parties
Minor Parties
Below is a list of officially registered political parties that do not hold seats on any elected council or elected office.
- United Communities
- New Imperial Party
- New Conservative Party
- Christian People's Alliance
- Legalize It Party
- Workers Front
- Imbrosian National Party
- Latin National Party
- More Freedom More Rights
- Liberal Conservative Party
- Pirate Party
- Gelonian Unity
Banned Parties
On occasion, political parties can be banned. This remains a rare occurrence in the modern era, and typically only occurs in extreme circumstances, such as when a party is found to take part in electoral fraud, political violence, or otherwise utilizes "aggressive and combative methods" to secure electoral success.
| Party Name | Founded | Disbanded | Ideology | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Popular Socialist Party | 1920 | 1945 | Communism | Attempted violent overthrow of the Monarchy, et. al. | |
| Communist Party | 1911 | 1995 a | Communism | Violent protests | |
| Popular Party | 1955 | 1979 | Far-right, ultranationalism | Voter intimidation, assaulting voters. | |
| Gelonian National Front | 1929 | 1967 | Far-right, ultranationalism | Ties to Gelonian terrorist organizations | |
| Latin First Party | 1980 | 2001 | Far-right, ultranationalism, Second Wave | Election fraud | |
| Popular Social Party | 2001 | 2017 | Latin nationalism, Populism, Second Wave, Hard Belisaroscpeticism | Crimes of treason |
a The Communist Party has been banned on three separate occasions, twice being overturned. Originally banned in 1933, reinstitute in 1955; second ban occurred in 1980, overturned upon special appeal to Curiate Assembly in 1986.