Felix Procilius
The Right Honorable Felix Procilius | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senate Minority Leader | |
| Assumed office 3 June 2017 Serving with Flavia Lepera | |
| Monarch | Constantine XX |
| Consul | Alexander Pompilius |
| Preceded by | G. Silvanus Tasso |
| Leader of Citizens – Popular Alternative | |
| Assumed office 20 September 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Inaugural holder |
| Senator for St. Vitalus | |
| Assumed office 21 April 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Irene Modia |
| Majority | 4,109 (5%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gaius Procilius Catilinus Felix 23 September 1981 Isca Augusta, Latium |
| Citizenship | Latin |
| Political party | Citizens |
| Other political affiliations | Progressive (pre-2015) |
| Spouse(s) | Petronia Coponia (m. 2007; div. 2014) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | St. John's, Utica (LD) |
Felix Procilius (Gaius Procilius Catilinus Felix; b. 23 September 1981) is a Latin politician and Senator for San Vitalus constituency in the city of Ravenna. He currently serves as leader of the Citizens – Popular Alternative. Since joining the Senate, Procilius has been extremely vocal in calls for greater "popular sovereignty". At times he has been accused of holding republican sentiments; however, he was sworn into the Senate without any controversy.
Procilius began his political career as a member of the Progressive Party, participating in the Sorrentian county party chapter. In 2014, he was nominated by party leadership to its list of candidates for the 2014 Belisarian parliamentary election. Following the election, the party won enough seats for Procilius told become a Member of Belisarian Parliament. He would serve as an MBP from July 2014 until his resignation in 2017. Procilius would later split with Progressives in 2015, citing disagreements over the parties stance towards the supranational entity. He would later form and serve as the leader of Citizens – Popular Alternative, with the support of Progressive fundraisers, Thomas and Maria Laetoria.
He was first elected to the Senate following the 2017 snap elections at the conclusion of the 2016 succession crisis. Since joining the Senate, his opponents have accused him of being a republican, while Procilius has denied these accusation, he has affirmed his and his party's position as aiming for secularism in Latium.
Early life and eduction
Procilius was born on 23 September 1981, in Isca Augusta, Latium to Maria (née: Volumnia) and Olybrius Procilius, who is a physician. Procilius has an older brother and three younger sisters: Olybrius, Petra, Alexandra, and Theocharista. He was baptized into the Fabrian Catholic Church and has been a practicing Catholic since. His father Olybrius ran for Senate in 1985 as a member of the Labor Party, after failing to earn the Liberal Party nomination in the Deva Victrix constituency primary, though would fail to win a seat, earning the third highest vote total in the constituency.
His family moved to Iasonia in southern Latium after his father was transferred to St. Pelagius National Hospital. Felix was primarily raised in Iasonia, attending the St. Aelia public school system from primary school through secondary school. Procilius enrolled at The Medical School at the University of Utica in 1999 where he focused his studies on medicine initially. Two years into the five year program, he switched his focus to History and Politics and moved to St. John's College within Utica. Procilius graduated in 2003, and re-enrolled at St. John's to earn a Master of Laws degree. After earning his LD, Procilius began to work as a member of the National Health Service legal department.
Political career
Procilius says he first gained an interest in politics from his father, noting his father's failed Senate bid in 1985. Procilius participated in the Youth Progressive movement while at St. John's, and became Secretary of the campus's organization. He became a dues paying member of the Progressive Party in 2004.
Senate
Procilius and CPA initially struggled in the polls, earning no higher than a meager 2% from the dissolution of the Senate in late January until mid-March. While polling low, Procilius managed to recruit many people to run under the CPA banner, which he states was a major priority of his leading up to the 2017 election. By the filing deadline on March 9, CPA was able to register 563 candidates — the third most of any party after Untied Latium and the Progressives. This enabled Procilius to participate in all official debates of the campaign cycle. Procilius and CPA focused on community outreach and social media due to the initial lack of campaign donations.
Procilius first began to gain notoriety when he called on Consul Alexander Pompilius to call for and schedule a debate. On March 9, an Procilius was invite to an informal debate, which involved him and 4 other party leaders. At the debate, Procilius continued his attacks on Pompilius, later being credited by some in the media as one of the reasons Pompilius agreed to schedule a formal debate. However, Procilius was widely accepted as the best performer at the informal debate, and saw his party's poll numbers jump from 2% to 6% by the end of the week, reaching a peak of 9% before the March 24 formal debate. Between debates, Procilius earned the endorsement of former Consul Niketas Taronites and attended a number of campaign events with Taronites.
Procilius, again, excelled at the March 24 debate, with the first polls putting his performance at a toss up for best performer along with Consul Pompilius. During the debate, Procilius advocated for widespread Senate reform and the abolition of all Senatorial Tribunates, with the exception of People's Tribune, which he promised he would seek to see become a nationally elected position if CPA gained an electoral victory. Following the debate, CPA rose from 9% to 14%, with a peak of nearly 16% before election day.
On election day, Procilius won the St. Vitalus constituency by 4,109 votes and 5% plurality. CPA outperformed any pre-election predictions by earning the third most votes at 2,963,009, just over 10% of the popular vote, and earned 5 total seats. Procilius declared the election a success for the growing CPA movement, and congradulated Consul Pompilius on his majority, stating that he hopes "to see the Consul keep his word for a stronger and reformed government....if not we'll be back stronger than ever in four years".
Personal life
Prociliius married Petronia Coponia in August 2007. Now divorced, he and Coponia had two children, Victor, born in 2009; and Maria, born in 2013.
Procilius was raised in a Fabrian Catholic household, though has stated during the 2017 election that his family was not overly religious" and could go weeks without attending church. He said that he is not a regular church-goer, but tries to attend at least once a month.