Ferdinand R.V. Kitagawa
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Ferdinand R.V. Kitagawa | |
|---|---|
 Ferdinand Kitagawa in 2050 | |
| 43rd Prime Minister of the Erebonian Empire | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2050 | |
| Monarch | Eugent Reize Arnor III |
| Preceded by | Patrick T. Hyarms |
| 41st Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 3 January 2050 – 5 May 2050 | |
| Prime Minister | Patrick T. Hyarms |
| Preceded by | Gerald Malcolmson |
| Leader of the Progressive Party | |
| Assumed office 3 January 2050 | |
| Preceded by | Gerald Malcolmson |
| Member of Parliament for Daidoji | |
| Assumed office 3 April 2046 | |
| Preceded by | Position Established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ferdinand Rean Victor Kitagawa 19 October 2022 Fort Daidoji, Leeves, Erebonian Empire |
| Political party | Conservative (2044-2046) Progressive (2046-Present) |
| Spouse | Mildith Suzanne Egret |
| Relations | Daidoji Kitagawa (2nd great-grandfather) Maggie Arseid (2nd great-grandmother) Kiriya Kitagawa (grandfather) Aurelia Le Guin (grandmother) Naoto Kitagawa (father) Akiko Sugiyama (mother) Archibald L.K. Kitagawa (elder brother) Charlotte Kitagawa (elder sister) Rean Schwarzer (godfather) Laura S. Arseid (godmother) |
| Alma mater | Thors Military Academy |
Ferdinand Rean Victor Kitagawa GEO GOH MP (19 October 2022) is an Erebonian statesman currently serving as the 43rd Prime Minister of the Erebonian Empire. He is Erebonia's youngest elected Prime Minister, at the age of 27.
In 2046, He was elected as Member of Parliament for the Daidoji district in Leeves. He slowly gained popularity for his people-first politics and hoped to enrich Erebonia's agricultural regions in the West and Northern regions. He was instrumental in preventing the potential secession of the Jurai EEZ following his voicing out of Prime Minister Patrick T. Hyarms's intention of turning the region into a demilitarised region to aid the war effort. This, and his increasing popularity, caused the Progressive Party to be Erebonia's 2nd largest political party. In 2050, Gerald Malcolmson announced his resignation and the leadership of the Progressive Party was left vacant. Kitagawa was voted with a landslide vote of 57%. During the 2050 Erebonian Parliamentary elections, Kitagawa led the Progressive Party against reelectionist Patrick T. Hyarms who led the Liberal Party. The Progressive Party won by a historical landslide vote of 65%, the largest percentage of vote in Erebonia's electoral history. He was subsequently sworn in as Erebonia's 43rd Prime Minister that same year.
As with his family's well-known service to Erebonia, Kitagawa has been described as pragmatic and idealistic. As his family owned several businesses, He fully supported rights of workers and championed for their access to several government benefits. During the first years of his term, Erebonia was fighting in the closing years of the Deseleni War. Following the attempted assassination of his grandfather, public fervour towards the war increased as Erebonia was once again harmed by Deseleni attacks. He increased Erebonia's contribution in the war. Following Operation Verdant in 2052, he began to reduce Erebonia's commitment as the war drew to a close, thereby allowing soldiers who had been fighting to return home after seeing more than 10 years of conflict. After the war, he moved to immediately reconstruct Erebonia's economy and ratified several new treaties within the Lucis Commonwealth. In a momentous event, he finally ended the noble's meddling following the passage of the Act of Nobles 2054, which abolished the ability of the nobles to participate in government affairs. Although their titles were kept, they have been mostly turned into ceremonious roles. A new upper house was created, the Federal Council of Erebonia.
Under his premiership, Erebonia was still fighting in the middle of the Neocon War. As the war was in its last year, he began to reduce Erebonia's commitment, answering his promise of sending Erebonian troops home before Christmas. His move was welcomed by many Erebonians who have long sought peace in Zemuria. He pushed for a constitutional change, in which a referendum was held in 15 May 2054. The referendum was a victory for Kitagawa with the passage of the Act of Nobles 2054 that abolished the House of Lords and replacing it with a Federal Council. In addition, Erebonia's states further devolved, leading to an increase of right to self-rule in all Federal states. The constitutional change also enabled him to bring back government ownership of several utilities and companies which had been owned by the nobles. Spending for healthcare, education, and social security increased, as well as increasing privileges for the disabled and several ethnic groups, including Darscens. He obtained a significant reduction in childhood poverty and education inequality with the introduction of the Common Education Act of 2055, which made tuition fees in public schools and universities free. Low-income families were given special housing and jobs. Workers rights were increased, along with trade unions finally being secured after years of Erebonia's nobility neglecting the sector. Long standing bills that had been prevented from passage by the nobles such as the Reformed Human Rights Act of 2056 and Freedom of Information Act of 2057 were finally passed under his premiership, granting the Erebonian public much information that were usually suppressed by media.
Kitagawa's premiership has garnered the highest approval rating in Erebonia's history, at 76%. He continues to enjoy extreme high popularity both in his native Erebonia, in overseas. Later on, he is highly regarded by many Erebonian scholars as one of the greatest Erebonian Prime Ministers who ever lived, ushering Erebonia in a new age and society free from the nobility.
Early Life
Having both Lucian and Erebonian descent, Ferdinand is the first member of the Kitagawa family born outside of Great Lucis. As the youngest son of Naoto Kitagawa, his grandfather held high influence towards him. He attended the Thors Military Academy during the time when his father was the chairman of Thors Military Academy. During the Neocon and the early Deseleni War, Ferdinand was interested in public debates and his grandfather hoped that he would be the Kitagawa to be a public servant.
As a young man, he was often tutored by his grandmother, Aurelia Le Guin, from which he possessed a somewhat aristocratic manners. The latter joked and described him as being more of a gentleman than his grandfather.
He was enrolled in the Thors Military Academy at the age of 13. Following his graduation at the age of 16, He later attended the University of Heimdallr and earned a degree in Law following his graduation in 2044. He entered politics following his bar exams later on.
Political Career
Personal Life
Ferdinand's initials, R. and V. were taken from his godfather Rean Schwarzer and his granduncle, former Erebonian Prime Minister Victor S. Arseid.
Ferdinand is the son of Naoto Kitagawa and Akiko Sugiyama. His paternal grandparents were Kiriya Kitagawa and Aurelia Le Guin, while his maternal grandparents were Alexander Sugiyama and Tiffa Langenscheidt. When Ferdinand was first born, his 2nd great-grandmother, EWII veteran Tsukuyo Kushineda described him as a bright boy with a promising future. It was from her that he learned how to be religious.
As with his family, Kitagawa is a member of the Erebonian Evangelical Church, the religion of his paternal grandfather due to the influence of his grandmother. Ferdinand is the most devout of his siblings and often says his prayers and sleeping with a bible beside him, hoping that he will be great someday.
In 2044, Kitagawa dated Erebonian socialite Mildith Suzanne Egret, the daughter of Musse Egret. In 2049, the couple were engaged. They married in 2050 following Kitagawa's victory over the leadership of the Progressive Party. They have 3 children together.