National Coalition (Midrasia)
National Coalition Coalition Nationale | |
|---|---|
| Founder | Michel Leroux Luix d'Ibben |
| Founded | 4 December 1935 |
| Dissolved | 9 April 1959 |
| Merger of | Republican Party National Party Imperial Party |
| Succeeded by | Midrasian National Party Alydian Democratic Union Republican Party |
| Ideology | Conservatism Nationalism Populism Capetism |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| Colours | Navy Blue |
| Election symbol | |
| CN | |
The National Coalition (Midrasian: Coalition Nationale) was a Midrasian right-wing, conservative political party that existed between 1935 and 1959. The party was the result of a merger between elements of the Republican Party and the National Party following the landslide victory of the Social Democrats in the 1935 election. Between 1937 and 1956, the party governed Midrasia at the highest level under the leadership of François Capet and Philippe Maxence respectively. Throughout its time in governance, the party was notable for its harsh anti-communist policies and opposition to decolonisation. Following internal division and wider economic stagnation, moderate members of the party broke off to form the Alydian Democratic Union. Further divisions following election defeat in 1956 ultimately led to the party's collapse, with remnant members forming the Midrasian National Party in mid-1959.
History
Formation
Talks of a grand coalition of the right-wing were common in the early 1920s and late 30s. The PSD-Liberal Coalitions of 1920 and 1927 had sewn doubts about the Republican party's ability to perform at the highest level of governance. These fears were only exacerbated when the PSD formed two consecutive majority governments in 1930 and 1935. The decolonisation policy of the PSD had also caused a backlash among some in Midrasian society, leading to the rise of the National Party, which gained 21 seats in the 1930 general election. Many high-profile defections had also taken place from the Republican party, with many ardent imperialist members leaving to join the National Party along with the newly formed Imperial Party which had both begun to gain considerable grass-roots support. This, in conjunction with the general disarray of the Republican party throughout the period is seen by many as the cause for the continued popularity of the PSD throughout the late twenties and early thirties.
Campaigning on a platform to improve the party's ties with other right-wing groups, Michel Leroux was elected as leader of the Republican Party in 1936 and set about improving links with the National Party and Imperial Party and other non-parliamentary groups, such as key Midrasian businesses and financiers. A notable amount of support came from the Midrasian working classes who had become aligned with the National and Imperial parties through their soup-kitchen and youth initiatives. Leroux was also able to gain a considerable amount of support from the Midrasian armed forces, notably the acclaimed Great War general François Capet. Despite initial talks favouring informal cooperation, the continued success and popularity of the PSD in Midrasian politics led party leaders to suggest much greater cooperation in order to prevent the general collapse of the Midrasian right-wing.
In 1935 the National and Imperial Parties, along with defectors from the Republicans all agreed to form a new political party, officially named the National Coalition. Upon its formation, the party boasted 161 seats within the Public Assembly, however the Social Democrats retained their overall majority by 71 seats. Although the party was able to build a considerable amount of support within the population due to its criticism of the governments colonial policy and general neglect of the military, the PSD remained in a competent position. It was not until the outbreak of the Bloody Month in 1937 that the party's support greatly improved. The inability of the government to put down the rebellion, in addition to allegations of collaboration by more hard-left members of the PSD led the National Coalition to force a snap election following the resignation of Prime Minister Erwann Berthou. In the subsequent election, the party gained the largest ever majority witnessed in Midrasian political history, attaining 341 seats with 64.9% of the vote. A record low turnout along with public fear of an imminent Communist coup can be seen to have drove the National Coalition to win the election.
Capetian era
The leadership of François Capet enabled the party to shed its image as a radical Nationalist party to one embracing patriotism and ardent anti-communism. Capet's past as a military hero, along with his capable set of advisers allowed the former general to be an effective and popular political leader, both when dealing with his own party and the opposition. Capet himself was not a natural politician, and was known for his lacklustre performances at Prime Minister's Questions and throughout election campaigns. However, historians suggest that the lack of a considerable opposition allowed Capet to retain his widespread popularity and authority. Furthermore, Capet's role as a political outsider can also be seen to have contributed to his high polling ratings throughout the period, due to the general public dissatisfaction with mainstream politics.
Under the Capetian government, the Committee for the Defence of the Realm was established to investigate individuals with alleged communist ties or sympathies. The committee, heavily criticised by many as a kangaroo court saw many individuals, be they Midrasian citizens or migrants, persecuted, imprisoned or executed following guilty verdicts. Furthermore, the party also increased screening for immigrants and tightened conditions for attaining Midrasian citizenship, even outright banning migration with a number of socialist states. The party also heavily invested in the Midrasian military, bolstering its numbers and refining conditions for national service. Throughout the Capetian administration the Midrasian military became involved in a number of costly anti-colonial wars in Arabekh and Majula; however the increased investment in the military allowed the nation to maintain its hold on the vast majority of its overseas territories throughout the 1930s and 40s.
Maxence era
Despite securing a significant majority within the 1951 election, Capet's death only several months later shocked the party. Immediately following Capet's death his deputy Philippe Maxence was appointed as party leader and Prime Minister, and won the unanimous support of his party in the subsequent leadership election. Although Maxence had served under Capet for many year he was nowhere as successful at balancing the differing factions present within the party. Initially the Maxence administration came to support a more hard-line attitude, specifically in regard to defence policies and anti-communism. However, this was also balanced with an interventionist economic approach which dissatisfied many in the party's emerging neo-liberal wing. These divisions would come to a head in 1953 when several members broke off to form the neoliberal Alydian Democratic Union. Following this dispute Maxence would lighten his tone somewhat, reshuffling the cabinet to feature more moderate ministers and policies. This political u-turn however was insufficient to prevent the party's decline in the mid-1950s, with public opinion becoming much more favourable to the Social Democrats following nearly twenty years of rule by the National Coalition.
The party lost its overall majority in the 1956 election, with the PSD forming a coalition government with the Liberals. Philippe Maxence announced his immediate resignation from politics following the election, citing his inability to lead the party and the necessity of wider reform to ensure it remained relevant to modern Midrasian politics.
Dissolution
Although the party was already divided before the 1956 election, its inability to win a majority ultimately led to its demise. Changing public attitudes along with Maxence's lacklustre leadership ability saw the polls turn against the party. The defeat in 1956 also led to a small number of defections to the Alydian Democratic Union which had managed to gain 43 seats in the election. Following the election Maxence announced his resignation as leader, resulting in a contentious leadership election which saw Pierre Laval elected as party leader. Laval's attitudes and eccentric attitudes were viewed by many more moderate members of the party to be un-electable. Citing falling poll ratings a number of party MPs gained sufficient support to challenge Laval's leadership in late 1958. Despite the opposition from a significant portion of the party Laval was re-elected as leader in a bitter 2-month long campaign. Allegations of voter fraud surfaced however which saw a group of 26 MPs officially declare their defection to the UDA. On 16 January 1959 a further 31 MPs left the party to form the Midrasian National Party citing Laval's poor performance as leader for their reason. Suffering from a number of stress-related issues, Laval announced his retirement from politics the following month. The inability of the party to agree on a new leader ultimately led to the dissolution of the party in April of 1959.
Ideology
The National Coalition is regularly viewed as a right-wing political party by historians and political scientists alike, however the party was notable for hosting a number of internal factions, which usually ranged anywhere from centre-right to far-right. Furthermore, whilst the party was particularly right-wing in terms of its social policies, this was not necessarily the case in terms of its economic policy.
In terms of social policy, the party was notable for its commitment to law and order; increasing investment in police forces, bolstering the number of active duty officers and establishing the Bureau of Investigation. Furthermore, the party oversaw the construction of the Mydro-Veleazan border wall in 1940 and a 25% increase in the size of the Midrasian Army. The National Coalition also established much stricter terms of gaining Midrasian citizenship which successfully reduced annual immigration down to around 70,000 per year. Between 1937 and 1939 the party also established an official national curfew in hopes of preventing a reprisal of the events of the Bloody Month.
In terms of economic policy, the party's outlook is somewhat different. Throughout its time in office, the National Coalition held a strong following from the Midrasian working classes and the party was notable for its cooperation with Midrasian trade unions on a number of occasions. Under the party, a number of Midrasian businesses were nationalised such as the munitions and shipbuilding industries. However successful private enterprises were left untouched by the party and even received tax breaks in an attempt to promote economic growth. The party was also notable for its heavy investment into the Midrasian Health Service and establishing a number of soup kitchens and work houses for those disproportionately affected by the post-war depression.
Anti-communism
- Main article: Red Scare in Midrasia
The vast majority of policy enacted by the National Coalition concerned issues related to the threat of Communism to the Midrasian state from both internal and external sources. The party's attitude communism and radical leftism, especially in the aftermath of the Bloody Month is also seen as the source of the party's unparalleled popularity throughout the period. Under the Capet government, the Committee for the Defence of the Realm was established to investigate individuals deemed 'subversive'. The Committee resulted in a number of arrests and a small number of executions. The vast majority of those implicated by the Committee however were merely publicly exposed which severely impacted their ability to find employment. Many criticised the Committee as mere 'witch-hunting' based on minimal evidence, a factor which contributed to the Committee's decline in the 1950s and ultimate dissolution in 1956. The party also implemented a number of measures aimed at suppressing subversive publications. Such measures included government inspection of non-whitelisted newspapers, the overhaul of the national curriculum and greater screening of teachers.
Despite the party's persecution of a number of left-wing figures, regardless of their connection to the Aeian Socialist Union or other dissident leftist groups, the National Coalition was careful to draw distinctions between the 'subversive left' and what it dubbed the 'patriotic left'. Members of the 'patriotic left' were groups or individuals with views generally deemed left-wing, but ultimately acting in the interests of the Midrasian state and its people. Such groups included the Social Democratic Party, the CGI and numerous other trade unions. Although the party was particularly scathing of the PSDs actions in the aftermath of the Bloody Month, particular effort was given to disassociating the opposition parties with Communism after 1938. Even former Prime Minister Erwann Berthou, whom party leaders expressed their dislike for, was given a state funeral following his assassination in 1939.
Capetism
- Main article: Capetism
Under the leadership of François Capet, the National Coalition can be seen to have adopted a new ideology in Capetism, which continues to be upheld by the vast majority of Midrasian parties to this day. Most notably, the Republican Party. However similar policies in line with the original thesis can also be seen to have been upheld by successive left-wing governments, especially in the Vauban government of 2013 to 2017.
Capetism itself is most concerned with the defence and foreign policy of the Midrasian state, advocating for a militarily strong Midrasia as the prime defender of Asuran liberty. The policy itself mostly materialised in the face of the Communist revolutions in Oserland, Ternca and Veleaz, along with the Bloody Month in Midrasia itself. Under the National Coalition, Midrasia perused greater ties with its Asuran neighbours and other anti-communist governments, most notably the authoritarian regime in Rohst, Tangkuo and Tarasanovia. Despite issues with decolonisation movements throughout the period, under the Capet administration, government investment in the military increased dramatically, whilst foreign missions and deployments conducted by the Midrasian army were bolstered.
Capetism also advocated for the Midrasian government to hold sole control over its defence capabilities. As such, the National Coalition was reluctant to engage with wider multinational and overseas alliances for fear of Midrasian objectives becoming subservient to that of other nations. The Capet government also advocated for research into nuclear technologies. This research ultimately culminated in the Midrasian nuclear project and the testing of the first Midrasian nuclear bomb in 1949. Under the Capet government, independent armament manufacturers and military technology firms were nationalised, with the government becoming the sole proprietor of the military's suppliers. These firms were eventually merged into the Midrasian defence firm IMM Systems which remains under government control to this day.
The party's emphasis on Capetist policy continued under the Maxence government of 1951-56, although under the PSD government of 1961-68, some aspects of the policy were dropped.
Electoral Performance
Parliament
| Election year | Public Assembly | Government | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of overall votes |
% of overall vote |
# of overall seats won |
+/– | ||
| 1937 | 12,250,145 | 64.9 % | 341 / 443
|
 144
|
in government |
| 1946 | 15,255,402 | 53.2 % | 329 / 452
|
 12
|
in government |
| 1951 | 14,897,112 | 45.3 % | 274 / 449
|
55
|
in government |
| 1956 | 13,908,525 | 29.6 % | 163 / 433
|
111
|
in opposition |