National Front (Arkiasis)
National Front | |
|---|---|
| National Front Logo | |
| Leader | Ralph Normanson |
| Founded | 29 August, 1972 |
| Headquarters | 3280 Eanceaster St, 01DTY741 Leighton |
| Student wing | National Students |
| Youth wing | National Youth |
| Membership (2017) |  98,302 |
| Ideology | Right-wing populism National Conservatism Arkiasian Nationalism Anti-Islam Anti-immigration Esquariscepticism |
| Political position | Right-wing to Far-right |
| International affiliation | Esquarium of Peoples and Nations |
| Esquarian Parliament | Party of Esquarian Nationalist Movements |
| Colours | Blue, Black |
| House of Representatives | 12 / 650
|
| Senate | 0 / 200
|
| Provincial Councils | 159 / 1,828
|
| Esquarian Parliament | 6 / 42
|
| Election symbol | |
| NF | |
| Website | |
| http://www.nationalfrontarkiasis.org.ak | |
The National Front is a far-right Nationalist political party in Arkiasis that favours tougher restrictions on immigration along with a greater sense of national unity and identity, as well as patriotic values between Arkiasian citizens.
Following the 2014 elections, the National Front agreed to join a coalition with several other parties in order to obtain a majority government, however in late 2015 the party was expelled from the coalition following comments from party leader Normanson that declared that Arkiasis should "Close our borders to all Muslims." which other parties labelled as "racist and xenophobic".
In 2016 the party won 11.95% of the votes and 6 out of 42 Arkiasian seats in the Esquarian parliament election, and subsequently joined the Party of Esquarian Nationalist Movements (PENM) group.
Platform
The National Front opposes multiculturalism and views it as a threat to Arkiasis culture and identity. They want to halt immigration from non-western countries and favour cultural assimilation. Since the late 1990s the party has attacked the influence of radical Islam, this was later expanded to include "Islamisation" and the increasing number of Muslims in general, especially following the 2005 Aspatria Metro Bombings. The party promises to ban certain religious (especially Islamic) practices such as niqabs and burqas, halal animal slaughter, Islamic schools and male circumcision which the party views as the "Islamisation" of Arkiasis.
The National Front maintains that "the protection of cultural identity and social peace in Arkiasis requires a stop to immigration," maintaining that its concern was not against foreigners, but to safeguard the interests and cultural identity of "native" Arkiasians.
The party supports a shared united Arkiasian identity and shared culture as opposed to Arkiasis' current policy of multiculturalism and regionalism. The party views that the Vesperian, Donnish, Hartish and Arkish groups are all apart of one Arkiasian identity and one Arkiasian ethnicity. The party is thus a strong opponent of secessionist movements such as Vesperian independence, and considers Vesperia to be apart of Arkiasian heritage and culture.
Despite the party originally opposing the legalisation of same-sex marriage back in 2005, the party has softened its stance on social issues instead now focusing on the conflict between social issues such as same-sex marriage and feminism with Islam.
Since 2015 the party has also taken a hard stance against the admission of refugees from Eastern Nautasia, the only party to currently do so, and supports the deportation of all current refugees. In 2015 alone, Arkiasis accepted a record 142,496 refugees, a number which the party claims is "unsustainable, and will destroy Arkiasis". The party also denies the word "refugee" and instead uses the term "economic migrant" to describe the trend.
The party supports the continued existence of the Arkiasian welfare state and the Arkiasis Health Service, however, it maintains that it will be impossible to uphold the welfare state if current immigration policies are continued. It criticises unemployment and alleged welfare-state abuse by immigrants which, it said, threatened the welfare state and pensioners' benefits for all Arkiasians.
The party is also very Populist and actively opposes free trade agreements, globalisation and membership in the Esquarium Community.
House of Representatvies
| Election | Seats | +/– | Government |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 12 / 650
|
 3
|
in opposition |
| 2010 | 15 / 650
|
6
|
in opposition |
| 2006 | 21 / 600
|
11
|
in opposition |
| 2002 | 10 / 600
|
1
|
in opposition |
| 1998 | 11 / 550
|
2
|
in opposition |
| 1994 | 9 / 550
|
1
|
in opposition |
| 1990 | 8 / 500
|
2
|
in opposition |
| 1986 | 10 / 500
|
|
in opposition |
| 1982 | 10 / 500
|
4
|
in opposition |
| 1978 | 6 / 460
|
3
|
in opposition |
| 1974 | 3 / 460
|
3
|
in opposition |