- Pronouns
- He/Him
Over the holiday weekend, 25 Europeians were polled in regard to their preferences for the upcoming election for President of Europeia. Let's see what they had to say.
Is Europeia on the right track?
Yes - 68%
No - 12%
Unsure - 20%
- Excited about us reaching out to new regions
- The current administration is doing a fantastic job for the region so far.
- Idk what to say... I'm enjoying it here!
- Sopo’s maintaining the region fairly well. I don’t know if it’s progressing though...
- Could always be better
- There's a tension at the heart of its core philosophy, "Independence." In practice, we are raiders. We don't align with all raider regions, but there's nothing unusual about that: there've always been factions within each of the "two sides" of military gameplay. To see that we are raiders, rather than some third middle way, consider that our options for military and diplomatic cooperation with raider regions is basically completely open, while it is very limited with defender regions. No defender region would allow us to tag along on routine chases, for instance. The cases where we would collaborate with a defender force, like TITO, are exceptional: stabilising the rule of a feeder regime, for example. And even more partisan raider organisations would be welcomed on operations of that sort. So, in short, I think the ideas of our governing class need a rethink.
- So far, nothing makes me want to scream at the screen. That is surprisingly rare.
- The Presidency has returned and finally this region has a solid handle on Foreign Affairs
- I think everything looks fine now, could be better but we're getting there.
- Everyone's definition of a right track is different, but....yes? I guess? What do we all mostly agree our "right track" is?
- I think Sopo has been doing a good job of keeping things steady, with a few twists in his term so far. Also, the Senate is doing well, and being relatively active - all we need is more citizens ...
- Things feel like they are coasting. I'm not ready to say they are on the wrong track, but it does feel like we've lost momentum. The end of September/October are usually good weeks for Europeia, so we'll see if things turnaround.
- Our Drew boom era leaders are growing and taking leadership positions, and new people seem to be arriving in the ministries; however, there has been a drop in activity. Not sure if that’s part of a boom-bust cycle though. For now it seems like we’re still doing well.
All that being said, the region is overwhelmingly of the opinion that things remain on the right track. This coming election will not be one focused on landmark reforms, but likely one focused on competence and energy.
How satisfied are you with the passage of the June referendum pertaining to the adoption of the Executive Modernization Act?
Very satisfied - 56%
Somewhat satisfied - 32%
Unsure - 4%
Somewhat unsatisfied - 8%
Very unsatisfied - 0%
There doesn't appear to be any significant buyer's remorse after the return to a unified Executive.
How satisfied are you with President Sopo's executive and judicial appointments?
Very satisfied - 52%
Somewhat satisfied - 44%
Unsure - 0%
Somewhat unsatisfied - 4%
Very unsatisfied - 0%
What is most important to you when considering a candidate for President? Please rank your choices from 1 (most important) to 5 (least important).
For the first time, we've included a 'Personal Relationship' option and 36% of respondents place this option second among their considerations, more than half in their top three. Europeians are divided on the importance they place on platforms. In fact, 28% chose to prioritize the stated vision of a candidate for president dead last. Activity remains the most important factor, with 52% choosing it in their top two.
Which policy issues do you view to be most important when choosing a President? Please rank your choices from 1 (most important) to 5 (least important).
The data here might suggest that Europeia is not looking for a specialist president right now. Comms/Radio, Culture, and Interior don't lag as far behind the "external" ministries as much as they once did nor is there a great deal of breathing room between any of them, excepting Justice which is a different animal altogether.
Which individual(s) would you encourage to run for President?
With Lloenflys stepping back in a big way in recent weeks and President Sopo announcing that he will not seek a second term, we see numbers in our frontrunners category come back down to Earth. Near universal popularity is the exception, not the rule. Even without a major role in leadership, Istillian remains a favorite among fresher faces and Pichtonia's personal popularity guarantees a solid launching point for any potential bid for elective office.
Yet again, we see a very strong second tier take shape. Conceivably, anyone in this category could run and win. Three out of the five, Darkslayer, CSP, and Peeps are known to be covetous of the presidency. Calvin's absence from political life since leaving the Senate only fuels speculation. Malashaan may be the least likely to be considering a run, having recently returned to the Senate and genuinely enjoying that work.
The dark horses were harder to put my finger on this time around. The individuals in this category don't fit in any particular box. We know Sopo isn't running. We know that it's extremely unlikely that Lloenflys is running which is all but certainly why his support sits where it does. Maowi or Kuramia could definitely make a compelling case with good initial support. It's hard to imagine Aex making a move without seeing a distinct opportunity. Monkey, despite having been on the scene for a fair bit remains a somewhat unknown commodity.
This polling and subsequent analysis does not seek to disqualify any potential candidates, included or not. I used my own personal judgement and included anyone I viewed to be a serious candidate based on a number of factors.
