Simy Brasa

"Brasa" redirects here. For other uses, see Brasa (disambiguation).

This name uses North Nelbec naming customs; the patronymic is Menetesem and the family name is Brasa.

Simy Brasa
Brasa in 2021.
Prime Minister of Seketan
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 April 2021
President	Fjedor Alesk
Preceded by	Eris Kellisyen
Leader of Our Revolution
Incumbent
Assumed office June 2020
Preceded by	Office Created
Member of Hérvynsken for Fjeska (1 of 14 Regional MH's)
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 March 2021
Personal details
Born	(1974-11-29) November 29, 1974 Ellybek, Fjeska, Seketan
Political party	Our Revolution
Spouse	Ayli Naden (m. 2002)
Children	2
Education	Cjetor Mynseau University (BEc)
Occupation	Comedian, politician
Known for	Ytan-Brasa
Military service
Allegiance	Seketan
Branch/service	Seketese Land Army
Years of service	1992-1994
Rank	Private

Simy Menetesem Brasa (born November 29, 1974) is a Seketese politician and former comedian and media personality who has served as the Prime Minister of Seketan since March 29, 2021. He is the first ethnic Fjeskan prime minister, and the first without prior government service.

Born in Ellybek to a Fjeskan and Seketese bilingual family, Brasa spent adolescence in Loria before relocating to Conelibek and obtaining a degree in economics from Cjetor Mynseau University. Brasa later pursued a career in comedy and became popular in Seketan for his blue comedy and political commentary. Brasa later created and hosted Ytan-Brasa (English: "Brasa Nation"). As a media personality, Brasa promoted populist and anti-corruption sentiment, and mocked incumbent Seketese politicians. Brasa and others founded Our Revolution in early 2020.

Brasa controversially criticized Seketan's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and garnered hundreds of thousands of followers on social media platforms, primarily Instagram and Tik-Tok. On various media appearances, he promoted equal marriage, drug liberalization, COVID-19 misinformation, and libertarianism. Brasa became leader of Our Revolution in June 2020 and announced his campaign for 2021. His party would go on to win in a surprise landslide victory which ended Seketan's 44-year old two-party system. The sudden upset victory led to the onset of 2021-22 Seketese protests. In early 2023, Brasa's government passed the National Languages Act.

As Prime Minister of Seketan, Brasa continued Seketan's COVID-19 vaccination rollout. Brasa's government attempted to phase out the Socialist Party's stimulus legislation. In late 2021, a government crisis occurred due to political deadlock, with Our Revolution spliting into distinct parliamentary groupings under a decentralized policy. In 2022, his party lost majority status in the Commons Council but kept government, forming a coalition with breakaway party Freedom Alliance and with the National Conservative Party as the confidence and supply. He responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by authorizing lethal aid to Ukraine despite Seketan's official neutrality.

Early life

Brasa was born November 29, 1974 in Ellybek, Fjeska. His father Menet Brasa was a Fjeskan-Seken automobile mechanic who successfully practiced in Loria; his mother Candas Zyneš worked as a teller for Fjeskan language bank Fjebanque. Growing up, Brasa spoke both Fjeskan and Seketese, often mixed. The family lived in Ellybek until Brasa reached adolescence, to which the family relocated to Loria. There, Brasa lived in a primarily Fjeskan neighbourhood. He performed monologues and comedic bits during Fjeskan language open mics and cultural gatherings. During school, he showed interest in performance and arts.

Brasa enrolled at Cjetor Mynseau University in Conelibek and obtained a degree in economics. He additionally took courses in film and video and the Wilsk language. Brasa completed his military service in 1994.

Entertainment career

Brasa in Loria in 2005.

Comedy breakthrough

Brasa first performed comedy in Seketese in 1994 at 20 years old during his time at Cjetor Mynseau University. In 1998, Brasa began starring in TéléComedy sketch comedy, which brought Brasa to national attention. His first stand-up comedy special titled Ceceça cec (in English literally "shitty shit") became immensely popular in Seketan, establishing Brasa's blue comedy style. His subsequent specials released in 2000 and 2001 were also popular, and established a more political edge to his material.

In his comedic career, Brasa primarily performed in Seketese and Fjeskan, but has made public appearances in Wilsk language media and television. After the breakthrough of Ceceça cec, Brasa became a regular guest in Seketese and Fjeskan language talk television.

Ytan-Brasa

Brasa created and began hosting Ytan-Brasa in 2002, which led to enourmous success. The program was presented in a talk show format and featured crude mockery and commentary on Seketese politics. Although highly controversial and facing moral objections, the news satire show was highly succesful and elevated Brasa as a household name in Seketan. The show also became the first mainstream television show in Seketan to air consistent original episodes in the Wilsk and Fjeskan languages, although the vasty majority of the show was in Seketese. The last season aired 2018.

Political beginnings

During his time hosting Ytan-Brasa, Brasa eschewed political labels but had occasionally identified as progressive or libertarian. He became known for criticizing both left- and right-wing Seketese politicians. During the 2010s, Brasa became more vocal of his opposition to political correctness.

Brasa was introduced into formal politics through his association with anti-establishment politician Dani Kjord whom later became mayor of Conelibek in 2019. The two together formed Our Revolution in 2020. Endorsing and representing the party, Brasa became Our Revolution's most recognizable spokesperson after obtaining viral popularity on Instagram and Tik-Tok during the COVID-19 pandemic in Seketan. He became leader outright in the party's first leadership election.

2021 campaign

See also: 2021 Seketese General Election

Brasa and Our Revolution started the 2021 campaign with low polling numbers, with the party being late to release a formal platform and being criticized for the bareness and lack of specifics. Support for Brasa would begin to climb after the first debates, where his brash attacks against then Prime Minister Eris Kellisyen of the Socialists became viral online, particularly his description of Kellisyen as a "nerd". By the middle of the campaign, polling suggested that the election could be a 3-way race between the establishment Socialists and National Conservatives, and Brasa's populist Our Revolution. After another boisterous 2nd debate, Brasa took the lead in polling, leading some polls by 10%.

A key part of Brasa's campaign was its decentralized nature, with candidates being selected entirely from local associations with no vetting process, something Brasa spoke highly about. This led to many controversies with candidates making many unfounded or bigoted statements on the campaign trail. A candidate in Nelderjen had to be dropped after he stated online that "COVID was made to keep poor Sekens poorer" and that "Poor Sekens don't need needles [vaccines], they need money". Another candidate was dropped from Giorgi-Alesk after she stated that her first plan once elected would be to "drown as much of the government as possible".

On election night, Brasa exceeded expectations and polling by finishing much stronger than thought. He won nearly 40% of the vote despite his highest poll showing him only winning 35%. Most of this hidden support came from a total collapse of support from the Liberal Democrats. With this wide lead in votes, Brasa won an unexpected majority government, winning 164 out of 293 seats. Kellisyen congratulated Brasa for his victory on election night.

Prime Minister of Seketan

Brasa's term as Prime Minister began on 11 April 2021 after he and his cabinet were sworn in at the Presidential House in Conelibek

Social policy

On 13 March 2022, Brasa announced that his government would liberalize Seketans harsh drug possesion laws, a move seen as placating his libertarian coalition partners, the Freedom Alliance. On 9 July 2022, the Drug Enforcement Act was signed into law by President Fjedor Alesk, decriminalizing cannabis, though increasing the minimum sentence for harder drug possesion like methamphetamine or opioids.

Government crisis

See also: 2021-22 Seketese government crisis

Brasa's government faced a crisis when a series of defections from his party, Our Revolution, resulted in a loss of majority and required the formation of a new coalition government. Despite secured a resounding victory in the 2021 Seketese General Election with a populist platform, Our Revolution faced criticism for lacking a clear vision and unified messaging. This internal fragmentation led to instability within the government, and MPs began forming informal internal factions within the government.

The crisis reached its peak on 30 Novemeber 2021 when 20 MPs from Our Revolution's libertarian wing broke away to establish the Freedom Alliance, causing the government to lose its majority. The situation worsened on 11 December when 6 MPs from the party's left-wing faction formed the Social People's Party. Faced with these challenges, the government opted for negotiations rather than an early election. Eventually, on 14 December, it announced its decision to seek coalition partners. By 17 January 2022, an agreement had been reached between the Freedom Alliance and the National Conservatives to provide support for the government's continuity.

Political positions

Brasa has variously been described in media and by commentators as a populist, libertarian, and anti-establishment. His rhetoric is generally unprecedented and he stands as a controversial figure in Seketese politics.

On the status of Fjeska, Brasa has variously supported and criticized Fjeskan nationalists. He supports regional autonomy for Fjeska but opposes total independence, identifiying Seketan as a "multicultral North Nelbec state" in 2021.

Controversies

In 2000 while performing in Fevilla, Brasa joked stating, "good to be in Fevilla so Trebs can finally sell me their fucking hash they've been hiding from me". Brasa was condemned by the United Trjebia Society and accused him of stoking "familiar prejudice". He later repeated the joke in 2002 on Ytan-Brasa in reference to the controversy two years earlier, which prompted the United Trjebian Society to issue another written condemnation. Brasa later responded in an interview boasting about the condemnation. When asked of the incident in 2008, Brasa expressed regret and apologized.

In 2004 Brasa accused the National Conservative Party of attempting to genocide Fjeskans and stated, "the National Conservatives are homicidal Kjedorate bastards. Plain and simple." The party website posted a blogpost that responded, stating "the untrue rhetoric espoused by comedian Simy is just part of the usual wave of anti-Seketese sentiment from regionalities". The post itself was later removed after significant outrage.

In 2019 when interviewed by comedian Etyjen Ylinc, in response to a discussion of the Société Conelibek, Brasa stated in Fjeskan, "the French are a bunch of bullshit. Fuck the French, seriously." The controversy was exacerbated by public outrage among some in France, with Le Figaro describing Brasa as "deranged".

Personal life

Brasa considers Fjeskan and Seketese his native languages, and also speaks Wilsk and English.

Brasa is married to writer Ayli Naden. They met at a writing workshop in 1997 and married in 2002. They have two daughters.

See also

• 2021 Seketese General Election