Scenes of chaos were broadcast from the Federal Parliament of Lauchenoiria this afternoon when Lucie Scott, the Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Green-Pacifist Alliance, a political party formed from a merger of the Green and Pacifist Parties prior to the 2020 election, threatened to withdraw her party from the governing coalition with the Liberal Party. Scott stood up in answer to a routine question regarding the trade sanctions against Xiomera to lambast Alvarez for her position on the Aurian War.
“For the last two years, I have worked with the Prime Minister for the betterment of Lauchenoiria, to ensure that we recover from the devastating war only four years ago, and so that we can move forward together in creating a society that is fair and safe for all. While I have great respect for Alvarez, I can no longer stand idly by while she puts innocent Lauchenoirians at risk. When I signed our coalition agreement and accepted joining this government, I believed I was doing the right thing. Now, I’m not so sure.”
Scott went on to accuse the Liberal Party and the Prime Minister of violating the coalition agreement when she agreed to send Lauchenoirian troops to Auria, a move that led to significant rebellion among Green-Pacifist members of parliament when it came to a vote. Alvarez denies violating the agreement, claiming that nothing in the text explicitly prohibited the government’s actions, however the Green-Pacifists maintain that the “spirit” of the agreement has been “totally and completely torn apart”.
At the end of her speech, the Deputy Prime Minister threatened to resign her position and withdraw the Green-Pacifist Alliance from the coalition agreement, a move which would immediately threaten the stability of the current Lauchenoirian government, who rely on their coalition partners to pass legislation, agree the federal budget, and survive any future votes-of-no-confidence. This will be cause for alarm to many Lauchenoirians, who value governmental stability in light of the 2018 civil war and subsequent Haven Accords.
Following the speech, the Green-Pacifist Alliance published a statement outlining their conditions for a renewed coalition agreement, stating that unless the Liberal Party was willing to enter negotiations, they would withdraw their support. If the coalition collapses, it is unlikely that the Liberals would manage to find an alternative coalition partner, as no other single party would grant them a majority, and there are few remaining combinations of 3+ parties who would be willing to work together.
It is suspected that the potential split has come to the fore after months of arguments over the Aurian issue following a ballistic missile test by Xiomera, which the Pacifist contingent of the G-PA view as an existential threat that should be countered by demilitarisation and diplomacy rather than beginning an arms race. Disagreements within the coalition have been increasing as the war in Auria and diplomatic altercations with Xiomera have dragged on, and this missile test may well have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
