Kurt Blymont
The Honourable Kurt Blymont | |
|---|---|
| File:Curtis Blymont.jpg | |
| Prime Minister of Vyvland | |
| In office 23 November 2013 – 4 September 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Vren Dens |
| Succeeded by | Gyneld Welelmsen |
| Leader of the Conservative Party | |
| In office 11 January 2006 – 31 August 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Rikard Fegaad |
| Succeeded by | Gyneld Welelmsen |
| Leader of the Opposition of Vyvland | |
| In office 3 November 2009 – 23 November 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Ujson |
| Succeeded by | Niklas Brule |
| Business Minister | |
| In office 8 September 2001 – 2 July 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Argys Inde-Swurt |
| Succeeded by | Payla de Jong |
| Member of Parliament for Wik | |
| Assumed office 26 October 1999 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 250px March 2, 1944 Brubas, Wik, North Vyvland |
| Died | 250px |
| Resting place | 250px |
| Nationality | Vyvlander |
| Political party | Conservative (previously KDC) |
| Spouse | Iana Blymont-Masgam |
| Children | Tajana Blymont Tej Blymont |
| Parent |
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| Alma mater | University of Mafiy |
Curtis "Kurt" Blymont (pronounced /'kʊɾ.tiz kʊɾt 'blʉː.mont/) was the Prime Minister of Vyvland from 2013 to 2015. and leader of the Conservative Party. He is a member of Parliament for Wik province. He served as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament for four years under the premiership of Vren Dens before coalition negotiations and a win in the 2013 general election won him the premiership. Blymont has been described as traditional conservative, and is characterised by his booming voice and emotive speech patterns, having been voted the best public speaker in Vyvland by a poll of academics conducted by VNB.
Early life
Blymont was born in Brubas, the second-largest city of Wik province. However, his family moved around the country, and for a year to Vjaarland, due to his father's occupation as a civil engineer. Blymont played the violin from an early age, acquiring proficiency in his early teens, when he played in a multitude of orchestras and ensembles. Blymont still plays the violin to this day. Blymont studied chemistry at the University of Mafiy before entering chemical company Maltakem as a middle manager.
Career
Before becoming Prime Minister
Blymont was originally a manager at various chemical companies in the Mafiy area, while also unsuccessfully contesting various local elections for the Conservatives. He decided to enter politics after being made redundant in 1998.
Blymont was first elected to Parliament in a by-election in 1999, and quickly gained the attention of former President Lurs Anterbiden, who swiftly influenced party leadership to promote him to the recently-created position of Business Minister, replacing the incumbent minister Argys Inde-Swurt, who had resigned over the Tempra buyout. He held this position for four years before the Conservatives were defeated in the 2005 election. One year later, he was appointed official Leader of the Opposition, a position in which he has stayed ever since. In the 2009 general election, Blymont and the Conservatives remained stable, losing one seat but gaining 0.2% of the vote; this led to a party leadership election which Blymont ultimately won.
Blymont was the Conservative and National joint nominee for President in the 2010 presidential election. He narrowly lost to Robert Ujson of the Liberals, despite having gained more votes than Ujson in the first round of voting.
Controversially, Blymont described Prime Minister Vren Dens as a hexe (hag) in 2010, prompting the dissolution of that day's sitting of Parliament due to Dens' and the Liberals' upset at the remarks. The incident led to further calls for Blymont's removal as Leader of the Opposition.
Blymont, as the prospective Prime Minister candidate for the Conservatives in the 2013 general election, was widely seen as the strongest candidate for winning. After revelations of money being given to the Conservative Party by the Nevan Royal Society of Monarchists transpired just days before the election, Blymont denied any knowledge of the donations, saying that such acts were "morally...not right". This led to a marked decrease in support for him and his party, though it still won the status of largest party in the election.
Prime Minister
Blymont became Prime Minister in a coalition government with the Liberal Party and Capitalist Party. During his period in office, he has tried to reform union laws to increase Vyvland's productivity level and encourage inward investment, prompting a general strike in 2014. The laws, which banned the closed shop in all but a few unions and enforced minimum quotas for balloting, were passed in April 2015, a defining moment of his premiership. Piecemeal reforms of social legislation were also passed during his time in office, the most politically significant of which was the Abortion Act 2014, which outlawed abortions 'on demand' i.e. without a socio-economic or health reason. Other social reforms were often vetoed by Blymont's coalition partner, the Liberal Party.
In foreign policy, Blymont led a decisively pro-NOSDO stance and appeared to be much more favourable towards Nevanmaa than his predecessors, despite a non-binding vote in Parliament to expel Nevanmaa from the organisation in December 2014. However, he did not go so far as to intervene in the Lazarene Sea Crisis or Irvadi Civil War despite some external and domestic pressure. Blymont's government also remained committed to cutting Vyvland's budget deficit, making a combined µ6bn in cuts over two years under the authority of his Finance Minister Jorj Vysel-Sdaander.
Blymont sustained second- and third-degree burns to his arms in the 2015 Nevan royal wedding bombing, but was pronounced to be in a 'stable condition' the next morning. He nominated ex-Prime Minister Rikard Fegaad to take over his duties "for the foreseeable future", prompting questions about whether Blymont would continue in his office after his recovery or resign. He had previously stated that he would not run for a second term, instead intending to resign 'in ample time for a good successor to be found'. On the 21st July, he announced that he intended to resign as soon as a new leader for his party was elected, as his injuries made his position "untenable". A leadership election was called to decide the next leader. Immediately following the announcement of Gyneld Welelmsen as having won this election on 31 August, Blymont stepped down as party leader. Four days later, Blymont officially resigned as Prime Minister and as a wetaan for Wik as Welelmsen was confirmed in a vote of confidence in Parliament.
Retirement
In an interview with de Kronikel the day before he stood down as Prime Minister, Blymont announced his intention to retire from politics completely and move to the Sdokres Valley northwest of Mafiy.
Political views
Blymont is generally vocal on his views, and is known for his hot temper; he has repeatedly left the Parliament chamber due to anger. He is a fiscal and social conservative, and is generally viewed as being on the right wing of his party. He has previously advocated slashes to the welfare budget and a cap on immigration, the state of which he described as "totally out of control" in June 2013, while also aiming to reduce the upper rates of tax to below 50%.