Inside Government: An Interview with First Minister Pichtonia






Inside Government
An Interview with First Minister Pichtonia

Interview conducted by Istillian




As a part of the Europeian Broadcasting Corporation's column 'Inside Government' we generally report on affairs relating specifically to the executive government; but this interview is a little different in that it doesn't just provide information on the executive government, it gives an insight into the career and personal experiences of a now twice elected first minister of Europeia with a résumé spanning years, and awards that truly don't do the man justice.

This first minister has shown himself to be a person of intelligence, wit, loyal dedication, and humour; with extensive experience in the Senate, Europeian Republican Navy, and foreign affairs, and minister and deputy minister roles in the Ministries of Communications, Culture and Radio - and much more beyond this. His qualifications for the office of first minister are clearly apparent. I feel a great sense of honour at being given the opportunity to write and ask an incredibly long list of questions for him to answer - and answer them he did!

It is my pleasure to present to you all an interview with First Minister Pichtonia. Please join me in reflecting on Pichtonia's time in Europeia.

Please note, for relevance of events: this interview was conducted on September 30, 2019.



How long have you been a part of the region for?

I joined Europeia in 2016. There was a time between early or mid 2017 and mid 2018 where I took a break, which I thought necessary for myself and my relation with the region. But I always remained a citizen, which has been the right decision for me. I love being in Europeia.

Did you feel that Europeia was a welcoming place when you first joined, and do you feel the same way now?

Yes. I always felt very welcome, even at times when I would now shake my head at newcomer-me. There was my first Senate run, which in hindsight was really not well done, but of course you always feel differently when you're the one running and when you've invested so much energy and time in it.

Nobody, to my recollection, was outright mean or dickish about my run. In fact, many more veteran members encouraged me to try again at a later election. Malashaan is one of those whose encouragement I have not forgotten. Aexnidaral definitely has, and he went on to become a sort of mentor figure. To this date, he's one of the few (and often enough the only one) who will receive an advance-copy of my statements and campaigns. HEM has certainly stood out as well, especially as a friendly voice in Cabinet.

It's difficult for me to judge whether we are still as welcoming. I'd like to think so, and there are some factors as to why I think that way. For one, we still have a whole bunch of members who will comfort a failed Senate candidate and encourage them. We still have mentor-figures. Even HEM is still around. ? But another factor is that every now and then, a newcomer will return to the region after a while and say that they couldn't forget about us and how welcoming we are. And that's beautiful, really.

Do you remember what your first steps were when you first joined? (e.g. what ministries did you join straight away)?

Roughly, yes! I wouldn't get the timeline correct if you asked me, but what I remember is that I joined the Ministry of Communications (where I soon headed the Dispatch section as Deputy Minister for Kuramia) and the news media of United Vietussia, the Europeian Conservative Messenger.

Both of these were great, because covering news and events in the region allow you to really get a better understanding for what's going on. And as Deputy Minister of Communications, I was allowed to sit at a table with then-President Trinnien, who held talks with DMs to see where each Ministry is standing. (This is something we revived and that Astrellan is doing now) Certainly this will have influenced me to apply as Minister of Culture, which I also became - my first Ministerial office and probably the end of my "first steps".

What inspired you to run for the position of First Minister?

I had wanted to run for a while. In fact, I recently found myself amused by the fact that I ran in every single First Minister election: Two times as Deputy, and then finally as First Minister. But it was not my intention to run when I "finally" did. Quite frankly: in that election, I only ran because nobody else was running.

You see, I had only just resigned as Radio Minister two weeks earlier, citing the uncertainty surrounding my two-month stay in France. (And indeed I hesitated to do voice stuff for a while) Yet fortunately, once I was in France, I felt very relaxed, almost as if I was on vacation. So I decided to slowly get back into action, which I wanted to do by reviving the rather dormant Europeian Cosmopolitan Party. I rejoined it on the 27th of June, one day after standing commenced, and even at that date I didn't think I'd run for First Minister. But one day went by without anyone standing for First Minister, then another. Private talks with four major contenders didn't find anyone interested either. So I grew alarmed and restless, and on the third day of nobody standing, I asked Whitmark - an outstanding Minister from the term before - to run with me.

It felt a little as though the region was drained from energy. Two Ministries, the Culture Ministry and the Radio Ministry, lay dormant. Many veteran members who had held the ground wanted to take a break and, seemingly, nobody new had risen to a situation where they felt comfortable running. Could I have let this election slide? Yes. That would have been a lot easier, actually. But with my confidence in my record, backers in my sleeve and enough time for at least one term, I decided I should run.

And nowadays, I think I would have come to regret a decision to the contrary.

What attributes and skills do you believe make a good First Minister?

This is difficult and takes some consideration. What is clear, I think, is that you should be active and have the ability to motivate others to engage. Maybe that's even more vital than knowing your way in each and every Ministry, because while you can learn about the Ministries on the job, you need to be active and motivate your team on day 1 and then throughout the term. There's no way around it. If you then also have some knowledge of the Ministries, that'll be a great aid, because you can teach your Ministers and exchange ideas with them. (So, if you are not as knowledgeable in a Ministry, it can be good to choose someone more veteran for it)

You also have to be decisive, though. Personally I like to engage with my Cabinet in a fun, relaxed way. We exchange gifs and joke around. If my Ministers don't understand my ramblings, they can always come to me and ask what I want from them - or they can outright tell me an idea is dumb. I find this way of communication effective, because it allows me to better understand my team. When it comes down to it, however, you must make decisions. You must create an agenda for your whole team and enforce it, sometimes brutally. And ultimately, you also have responsibility for the mistakes that are made. I think you can only do with this confidence and determination. Luckily, I've received good feedback in this regard.

There is also another attribute, best shown in a First Minister's interactions with the Senate: Sometimes, you need to be willing to sit back and let someone else win. As First Minister, I try to follow every legislative debate, and sometimes the ideas I see are very much not aligned with my own views. It would be exciting, politically, to fight all these ideas to an extent where they die. -- Wow, First Minister Pichtonia, defeater of the Senate! What a title that would be! But what does it do with the defeated? Those who have worked for hours and through tiresome nights to deliver a bill they think best, to little or no acclaim? I think we can all imagine how demotivating that would be. So even if I *do* get involved in a debate because I am so strongly against a bill, I try to leave opportunity for the Senate to claim victory.

So, maybe, we can summarize the main attributes as the following: Activity, determination, empathy.

What are your favourite aspects of the job?

Maybe I could ask you, or the reader, the same and we would all give similar answers. I'll let you think about this for yourself. For me it's feedback. I love it when our actions don't go unnoticed, but create new activity. This is also why I'm always excited to include EBC comments in my Weekly Wrap-Up. What I also like a lot is when I "sit down" with a Minister or staffer and we discuss new ideas. Creative exchange is something I enjoy a lot.

As the current serving First Minister, what regular challenges do you face?

Personally, the challenge of time. I work fourty hours a week, usually a bunch more due to overtime, and then the remaining time has to suffice for: Sleep, food, entertainment, friends and family and love, Europeia and my very own household (laundry, administration,..). At best you'd want to have everything to its fullest extent in a day, but then your day would need about fourty hours or more. So where do you make cuts?

Professionally, planning ahead and the difficulties of that in an environment with high fluctuation. I was pretty fortunate with my Cabinet last term - sadly, this term, we already have a first loss. And that's for a Ministry where our campaign was a direct fit for the nominee. This is a setback, of course, for a First Minister. And challenges like these come to your mind every day, sometimes smaller and sometimes even bigger.

What would you say the general expectations are of the role of First Minister?

Activity, a good vision and a good (recent) record, probably? Maybe I am projecting my own view onto general Europeia, but that's what I would look for in a new First Minister and what influences my vote.

What are some of your favourite experiences in Europeia, and favourite experiences as First Minister?

In Europeia, my favourite experience was probably the EurOlympics or the first term as Minister of Communications. The EurOlympics were a cultural event I hosted as first-time Minister, with (as I think) some fun and innovative games and a few interesting discussions as well. My first term as Minister of Communications saw the successful return of the column system and a fancy End of Term Party.

As First Minister.. That's more difficult to say. I feel like I can give you a better answer when I've had a bit of distance to the office. What continues to amuse me is my work on the start of term address.

What have been some difficult or controversial decisions you’ve had to make as First Minister?

Unsurprisingly, this was the decision to ask Whitmark to resign. That was the most controversial and the most difficult decision I had to make. We were elected on the same ticket, both with one democratic mandate. How could I allow myself to ask him to resign? That decision remains morally ambiguous at best.

More regularly, I have to make a decision on whether to sign or veto a bill. That's always potentially controversial. We very nearly had such a confrontation when the Executive Disclosure Act looked like it would make it through the Senate: I was informed of some concerns with the bill and subsequently shared these concerns, even holding background talks with the Senate. When the bill was then moved forward without alleviating any of my concerns, I already saw myself in a sort-of legislative situation room. But the bill was - surprisingly - voted down the very last minute. What made this situation even more tricky, and I hope nobody is angry at me for revealing this, is that the Attorney General did not share my concerns.

Ever since, even though I've dibbled my feet aggressively in the Executive Oversight debate, I think we've had a relatively uncontroversial legislative discussion. At least where it concerns my role as First Minister.

What areas do you feel you need to improve or work on in the region and in your role?

An ongoing construction site is (and probably will remain) that we need to make it ever easier and ever more desirable for citizens to invest their time and energy in Europeia.

How do you feel about the current Ministers in the region?

Simply terrible! What a bunch of good-for-nothing hooligans.

I jest, of course. I enjoy working together with them a lot and to see their results. Even better: When I look at my Ministers of this term and the last, I can comfortably say: These folks are made for a greater role.

It is my hope that one of them will eventually run to succeed me. That'd mean a lot.

Do you see any obstacles or issues for them in the current or upcoming term?

They will have to ask their heart whether to run or not. I have already talked to some Ministers about this and made it clear that I would be very happy to see them run and to assist them in whatever capacity.

Would you/have you run for the Senate?

Yes. I ran for Senate seven times and was elected six of those times. As if that wasn't enough of an honour, my colleagues chose to elect me Speaker of the Senate twice, which was lots of fun.

I would love to return to the Senate one day, though that'll have to wait until the end of my FM tenure.

What are your thoughts on the current Senate, and do you see any obstacles or issues for them in the current climate?

The new, current Senate is something I'm very excited about. I feel like it has a great mix of legal veterans and newer members, which is significant. If a bunch of newcomers handles the legislature, they may feel and seem like headless chicken sometimes, or don't dare to tackle bigger challenges. But if we only had the legal veterans, I feel like we'd also move in the wrong direction. So the mix is great, and the only obstacle I could potentially see is that newer Senators could shy away from arguing with legal eagles like Drecq or Mal.

They haven't shied away thus far, however.

Have you had experience in foreign affairs, and/or is this something you’d like to experience more of?

Yes and yes! I love Foreign Affairs, and I have been very involved with it before my aforementioned break from Europeia. Most strikingly, I was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs several times.

I have also been Foreign Affairs Minister and advisor, as well as World Assembly Delegate, for a now-inactive mid-sized region, Olympia, for which I also negotiated with Europeia. That was a funny situation.

Surprisingly, my most active Foreign Affairs involvement may have actually been as Minister of Communications. You must know that the Ministry of Communications was a lot more outward-looking at the time - probably not least due to our efforts within the Coalition Against the Ideology of Nazism. For this project, I worked with Foreign Affairs a few times (on articles, but mostly Dispatches). It was also as Minister of Communications that I negotiated with another region on how we could combine media efforts. These negotiations ended nowhere, however, because crisis would soon overshadow our region's relations.

Now, while I'm sure all of this sounds fabulous, I must add a huge "but" (and surely some of your readers will already have noticed). BUT: All this has been a long while ago. Ages in NS time. Many of my contacts are outdated, and I never delved much into the wider Gameplay world.

So this is something where I wish to learn more, and am currently doing so by engaging in our Navy and Foreign Affairs as well as by exchanging with Prim regularly, including on interregional opportunity.

What do you hope to achieve in Europeia in the next six months?

For now, I am fully intent on serving my term in full. Afterwards, I honestly don't know where I want my future to carry me. I'd certainly feel willing and able to run for a third term, if nobody else wants to continue my vision. It'd also be fun to return to the "roots" and work as an Assistant Minister for a while, or to run for Senate. Time will tell, but what you can hear from this is that I definitely don't intend to retire anytime soon.

If you could only change one thing in the region what would it be?

I'd give us an extra bunch of active citizens. We're a great region with wonderful institutions, but we don't always have the numbers to fill these institutions. It would be amazing, for our simulation and its immersion, if we had an active University. Or if we didn't need citizens to work in two or three jobs at once.

Is there anyone in particular you would like to work alongside that you haven’t had the opportunity to yet?

This is difficult to answer.

As Cabinet member and later as First Minister, I worked with five Presidents, two Chief of States, two First Ministers and 29 other Cabinet members. Beyond those 38 individuals, I worked with 11 more in the Senate. I will not go back and count every Deputy Minister or everyone who I've worked with in another capacity now, but the list would probably go well beyond 50 individuals. It includes newer members like Maowi, but also legendary Europeians such as Vinage, who I was Deputy Minister for during his brief return.

And even if we exclude those who I've already worked alongside with in a higher office, then are there really that many who I haven't worked alongside with? Take the two of us - just recently we worked alongside as sailors in the Navy, under the command of Grand Admiral HEM. And that was so much fun, I refuse to discount it. So I guess if I had to choose someone, it would be someone from the early days of Europeia; someone who I never witnessed and only heard fabled legends of. It would be fun to observe these days.

Do you have any advice for new comers in Europeia?

Feel free to voice your concerns when you're unhappy and to ask around when you're unsure. We will always be willing to assist you! Many of our citizens have been here for years, some for a decade. And usually, they didn't start out smarter or better than you- Join us in our chats, our Ministries and Councils, engage with us and we'll be sure to welcome you! (And to find you a suitable job while we're at it, if you're willing!)

Do you have any advice or suggestions for people that have been a part of Europeia for some time (more than 12 months)?

You have been in Europeia for a while, you'll know how vital it is to receive feedback. When you see someone apply, welcome them. If you read an article, comment on it. This can only make us better.

Otherwise, thank you for your service and for staying with us for a year. ? Of course the same counts for you: If you're interested in an office, don't shy away from it. Even if you've been out of the game for a while, we will be the first to welcome you back into our region and our Ministries (or other jobs).

If you could approve a regional food dish for Europeia, what would it be?

The hot dog.

Anything else you’d like to say or add about your time and experiences in Europeia so far?

It has been fun to reflect on my own history in Europeia for many of these questions. I thank you for your time and look forward to reading the comments below the article. Maybe we can get a little chat going.


 
An excellently structured interview, Istillian, with answers from Pichto that were of COURSE interesting and educative to read!

Only one of Pichto's responses was lacking:
Do you have any advice for new comers in Europeia?

Feel free to voice your concerns when you're unhappy and to ask around when you're unsure. We will always be willing to assist you! Many of our citizens have been here for years, some for a decade. And usually, they didn't start out smarter or better than you- Join us in our chats, our Ministries and Councils (the Ministry of Communications is the best), engage with us and we'll be sure to welcome you! (And to find you a suitable job while we're at it, if you're willing!)
 
An excellently structured interview, Istillian, with answers from Pichto that were of COURSE interesting and educative to read!

Only one of Pichto's responses was lacking:
Do you have any advice for new comers in Europeia?

Feel free to voice your concerns when you're unhappy and to ask around when you're unsure. We will always be willing to assist you! Many of our citizens have been here for years, some for a decade. And usually, they didn't start out smarter or better than you- Join us in our chats, our Ministries and Councils (the Ministry of Communications is the best), engage with us and we'll be sure to welcome you! (And to find you a suitable job while we're at it, if you're willing!)

You are right, this was a missed opportunity. I love all the Ministries, of course, but in an EBC interview something of that sort would have been playing to the audience well. Oh, well, I will learn from this! :LOL:

Pichto I am very disappointed you didnt use this time to unequivocally state that a hot dog is a taco.

But is it?
 
An excellently structured interview, Istillian, with answers from Pichto that were of COURSE interesting and educative to read!

Only one of Pichto's responses was lacking:
Do you have any advice for new comers in Europeia?

Feel free to voice your concerns when you're unhappy and to ask around when you're unsure. We will always be willing to assist you! Many of our citizens have been here for years, some for a decade. And usually, they didn't start out smarter or better than you- Join us in our chats, our Ministries and Councils (the Ministry of Communications is the best), engage with us and we'll be sure to welcome you! (And to find you a suitable job while we're at it, if you're willing!)

You are right, this was a missed opportunity. I love all the Ministries, of course, but in an EBC interview something of that sort would have been playing to the audience well. Oh, well, I will learn from this! :LOL:

Pichto I am very disappointed you didnt use this time to unequivocally state that a hot dog is a taco.

But is it?

It's how I look at the world mi amour.
 
Using this post as a virtual bookmark to remind myself to read this in-depth later
 
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