Jérémie Mathieu is the candidate of the Brissiac Union Party, a political party which represents the interest of the Brissican population in Kolda. Currently, Mathieu is polling at 14% nationwide with 65% in the Brissiac Region. Although unlikely to win on a national level, Mathieu and the BUP looks to maintain the maximum number of seats and retain control of the Regional Parliament.
Born into a wealthy family in Saint-Paul, Brissiac on May 17th 1989. Mathieu was educated at Saint-Paul Catholic before becoming a key party of the family owned Gran Neria Bank (GNB). Mathieu soon became a key part of corporate negations before being promoted to CEO upon the death of his father Pierre Mathieu in 2017. The younger Mathieu soon become considered as a key political figure through his donations to the BUP. Thus in the 2019 Election was listed on the party-list were he was elected to represent the Brissiac Region. Through the new position, Mathieu became a outspoken voice for Brissican Nationalism with a 2022 speech calling for “Brissiac to restore it’s status”. Although, Mathieu denied any plans for re-unification. Mathieu later stated he was referring to restoring Brissiac’s economic status in terms of domestic wine production. In 2024, Mathieu lead a internal takeover of the BUP, defeating incumbent and current Chief Minister of the Brissiac Region. Additionally, Mathieu had the support of his aunt, Victoria DeChabeou, CEO of the infamious DeChabeou Mining Company.
The Brissican Union Party (BUP) has existed since the colonial era, originally fighting for home rule, but later developed in the leading politcal power of Brissiac under the leadership of Andrien Duchamps who lead the BUP and Brissiac through the bloody Kolda War. In 1984, upon the first and one of the few free elections the BUP lost there majority. The resulting year’s saw Brissiac become isolationist, with the BUP passing policy as if war with Kolda was imminent. In addition, the BUP began to practice positive eugenics with Brissicans encouraged to have more children and reclaim farmland in the disputed Rio Verte Department. This policy eventually came to an end after the 2009 Elections in which as more moderate faction took over, this faction ended up supporting the Koldan government after the coup of 2009 and there was some hope Brissiac could come to easier relations. This was somewhat the case as thousands of Koldans were allowed to live and work in Kolda via a work-visa program leading to around 1.2 million Koldans living in the Brissiac Region in 2020 compared with less then 150,000 in 2010.
However a new movement is on the rise as those born during the Eugenics period come to voting age. These ultranationalist youth’s are called “Les Bleu” and have looked to Mathieu and DeCheabeou as there heroes. Already Les Bleu have caused trouble with work camps and Koldan migrants being attacked and Les Bleu forming radical social clubs at major university’s. If Mathieu becomes Prime Minster of Brissiac, a position he is also running for it may be possible Les Bleu’s agenda will come into effect. In terms of national results, the BUP is hoping to maintain at least 15% to qualify as a major party and control as many of 12 senate seat’s given to Brissican voters.
