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Across nearly two decades of Europeian history, our region has been shaped by the leadership of 101 individuals—each leaving their own mark, whether large or small. The question of which of these leaders stands out as the greatest is one that has almost certainly come up before, but it has yet to be answered definitively. Today, we aim to change that. Of course, given the sheer scope of 101 leaders and 82 Presidents, it would simply be too daunting a task to rank them all, so we’ve narrowed the focus. The Executive Split, which lasted from March 2, 2019, to July 25, 2020, briefly did away with the office of the Presidency. As a result, we’ve decided to focus our polling on the 16 Presidents who have following the end of the Executive Split who are no longer in office: Sopo, Peeps, Pichtonia, Calvin Coolidge, Kazaman, Lime, SkyGreen, Darkness, CSP, Writinglegend, Icarus, Lloenflys, Rand, Pland Adanna, JayDee, and UPC. At the end of this article, we’ll honor the four most influential of these leaders by erecting a monument to their legacies—Mount Euromore—dedicated to the top four greatest Europeian Presidents in recent history.
Our poll ultimately received 25 responses—21 of which contained usable data that could be factored into results. Respondents were asked to rank each of the 16 post-split presidents they’d experienced. Based on these rankings, each president was assigned "GOAT Points" (GP) to determine their standing. To emphasize the importance of the top-ranked presidents, the first-place president received 19 points, the second-place president received 16 points, and the third-place president received 14 points, with each subsequent rank gaining one less point.
To account for the fact that ranking 1st out of 16 is more impressive than ranking 1st out of fewer presidents, we reduced the points for responses where fewer than 16 presidents were ranked. For example, if a president was ranked 1st out of 12, they received 15 GP instead of 19, and the same adjustment applied down the line. Additionally, we adjusted the points upward slightly for presidents who weren’t ranked by a respondent, based on where they would have likely placed on average.
The result? Responses from those who ranked more presidents were weighted more heavily, and the presidents ranked first or second in each response got a slight boost in points.
Now with all the details out of the way, let’s dive into the rankings!
Lime was the 71st President of Europeia and the 7th following the Executive Re-merge, serving from September 19 to November 22, 2021. Lime’s election was significant, requiring the Senate to break the tie for a Presidential Election for the first time ever, narrowly securing victory in a 4-3 vote to become President.
Lime’s term would start smoothly, with solid ratings at the Midterm. However, he would soon start to face significant criticism for seemingly ignoring an oversight question from the Senate, forcing Lime to make a statement pushing back, famously citing a criminal investigation for a high profile Europeian. While the question was eventually answered, Lime was pressured to resign, handing the reins to SkyGreen to finish the remaining 6 days of the term. Lime has made no attempt to run for President since.
Lime is by far the worst-received president in this poll. Of the 12 responses which ranked him, only 5 did not rank him last. Furthermore, every one of those five ranked him second last. There appears to be a strong consensus in the region that, of the 16 post-split presidents, Lime was among the weakest.
Darcness was the 73rd President of Europeia and the 9th following the Executive Re-merge, serving from November 28, 2021 to February 22, 2022. Darc narrowly defeated an incumbent President SkyGreen in a runoff following a surprise endorsement from candidate Monkey. Darc's platform made big promises, including a Frontier/Stronghold referendum, and famously a controversial pledge to shift polling away from the EBC towards private media outlets.
Darc's term was riddled with issues, including a then-Vice President UPC's unannounced disappearance from the region. After a sleepy term with only two speeches and a number of broken campaign promises, Darc sought re-election promising to pursue longer-term projects. In this effort, he was also unsuccessful, being obliterated in the election by a ticket of CSP and Writinglegend.
Though Darc is nearly at the bottom of this poll, there is a strong degree of separation between him and Lime. In fact, he is very much within striking distance of the three Presidents ranked above him. While his presidency was undeniably poorly received, he still has some admirers; being ranked 4th out of 16 on one response.
SkyGreen was the 72nd President of Europeia and the 8th following the Executive Re-merge, serving from November 22 to 28, 2021. In what you'll often hear referred to as his "record-breaking presidency", Sky served less than a week in office, most of which was spent righting the ship after the chaos of Lime's resignation. He also presided over the entrance of a certain adorable otter into the region.
Sky ran for re-election almost immediately after his short term began, championing the Frontier cause alongside Istillian; and while the region didn't ultimately hold his role in the Lime administration against him, he nonetheless lost in a nailbiter runoff to Darcness and UPC, the perceived "moderates" in the debate on Frontier/Stronghold.
Sky's presence near the bottom of this poll probably should not be taken as an indictment of his performance. He had very little time to pursue any sort of agenda while in office, making it difficult for him to contend with higher-ranked presidents who had greater impacts on the course of the region.
Lloenflys was the 77th President of Europeia and the 13th following the Executive Re-merge, serving from January 21 to April 1, 2023. His election was notable as he has remarked he was primarily motivated to run due to the lack of an opponent for candidate Olde Delaware. He presided over a term of relative stability; he established the short-lived "Future Commission", oversaw the establishment of Europeia as a Frontier after the F/S referendum, and the implementation of the Regional Security Council. He chose to not run for re-election.
Lloen's presidency was, as he will readily admit, quite uneventful, and while he doesn't draw the ire of the region like Lime or Darcness, respondents were obviously not motivated to rank him very highly. The higher-ranked presidents on this list tend to be far more consequential than Lloen was, indicating not so much of a dislike for Lloen's performance, but more likely just an unwillingness to rank a relatively inconsequential president over a more impactful one.
Icarus was the 76th President of Europeia and the 12th following the Executive Re-merge, serving from November 12, 2022 to January 21, 2023; she would be the first President to identify as a woman since the Executive Re-merge. Icarus would be the first in a currently unbroken chain of first-time Presidents, starting one of the longest streaks of first-time Presidents in Europeia’s history.
Icarus’ Presidency would see Europeia solidify relations with Libcord and the Defender regions following Europeia’s recent transition to a Defender military. Her administration would launch Project Athena to highlight the NS players with neurodivergent conditions such as Autism, Aspergers, and ADHD. Icarus would face heavy criticism for involving Europeia in a NS Christmas Festival which involved the donation of RL money, something many believed should’ve been cleared by the Admins.
It's difficult to know what to make of Icarus' presidency. She was certainly a consequential president, but her legacy is mixed. Sometime after her presidency, she would leave the region. She wrote an exposé about sexism in Europeia which she posted in the NS forums and eventually found herself in Lone Wolves United—becoming one of a precious few former presidents to receive a Persona Non Grata designation. Because of these things, it's hard to know precisely why she finds herself in the lower echelons of this ranking: did people not like her presidency, or did they not like what became of her afterwards?
CSP was the 74th President of Europeia and the 10th following the Executive Re-merge, serving from February 5 to April 216, 2022; He overwhelmingly won election against incumbent Darcness—the greatest margin against an incumbent President since the Executive Split. His term was marked by increased tensions with the Brotherhood of Malice, culminating in the PNG of Venico, Reventus Koth, and Ever-Wandering Souls.
After a term characterized by relatively high approval, but sharp criticism regarding the inability of citizens and even cabinet members to reach the president, CSP sought re-election alongside Vice President Writinglegend, but took an extended Leave of Absence during the campaign. Gleg would choose to create his own ticket fairly late in the election season, and go on to win three Presidential elections in a row. Poor relations with the Brotherhood of Malice and their dependencies resulted in a number of treaties repeals and actions in the World Assembly against the Brotherhood of Malice in the Writinglegend administration.
CSP's presidency is one of the most interesting in recent Europeian history. It was CSP who charted Europeia's course towards defenderdom, and because of that, he is one of the most consequential presidents since the end of the executive split. However, his lack of presence and visibility as president colored many's perceptions of him, perhaps leading to his placement in the bottom half of this list.
Peeps was the 66th President of Europeia and the 2nd following the Executive Re-merge, serving from October 3 to December 12, 2020. Prior to his presidency, he was a widely popular and successful Grand Admiral, which likely contributed to his quick ascension to the presidency less than a year after rejoining the region.
Peeps' presidency was, in his own words, "relatively uneventful." Despite this, he managed to accomplish most of his campaign promises, including the establishment of the Europeian Heroes program (which would later be merged into Heroes of Valhalla), and keeping the Ministry of Culture firing on all cylinders. Other notable accomplishments of his presidency included a treaty with Caer Sidi, and the beginning of negotiations regarding IRC. Despite regional activity being by all metrics extremely high during his presidency, Peeps struggled to communicate his successes to the region; and despite opinion polling suggesting broad satisfaction, he faced criticism for a lack of visibility. Peeps reported being "thoroughly burned out" after a single term, and declined to seek re-election.
Peeps is right around the middle of this poll, and it's not altogether difficult to see why. Though his presidency was well-received, he struggled to remain visible and communicative of his successes to the region at large, and much like Lloen, he was less consequential than many of the presidents that found their way into the top half of this list.
Pichtonia was the 67th President of Europeia and the 3rd following the Executive Re-merge, serving from December 12, 2020 to February 21, 2021; Pichto was no stranger to the higher Executive when he took office, but this would be his first term as President.
Pichtonia’s Presidency would see the condemnation and ultimate subjugation of the Fascist Regime, Confederate of Corrupt Dictators and strengthening relations with several regions, including TCB and NSUK. However, despite early success, his term was contentious as while ministries were stable at home, he oversaw the responses to foreign affairs crises such as the raid on The Embassy and UDS voting against Commend HEM. He was the first President to be unseated as incumbent post re-merge after he chose to run for re-election in a nailbiter that went to a run-off, narrowly losing to Calvin Coolidge.
Pichto's presidency is one of mixed reception and mixed results, and it's not altogether surprising to see him near the middle of the pack. Though domestic ministries thrived, his bungled responses to FA crises have likely kept him from floating any higher than he has.
Kazaman was the 69th President of Europeia and the 5th following the Executive Re-merge, serving from May 1 to July 10, 2021. After winning a close three-way race alongside UPC, he became the oldest Europeian to be elected to his first term in office.
Kaz's presidency began with an expanded cabinet: Gameside duties were split from Interior into a new Gameside Coordinator, while a diplomacy was split between a managerial FA Minister and a negotiation-focused Chief Envoy. But after some trouble with nominations, where it became clear that the FA and WAA candidates would not pass, the Chief Envoy position was scrapped. The term saw a complete revamp of Europeia's Gameside presence: new dispatches and telegrams replaced the old, inaccurate versions; the WFE was redesigned; an RMB moderation team was created; and EuroPride plans included RMB activities. Leading up to EuroPride, the region had a lively debate about the meaning of the festival, spurred by NS forum posts about whether PNGs were welcome. Controversially, they were allowed in. Another, larger controversy erupted soon afterward when Kazaman directed his Grand Admiral to discharge a sailor from the ERN, leading to widespread debate and unrest in the cabinet. This term was also busy in the FA Ministry. Two new treaties were passed: a NAP with the NPO and the Treaty of Lucent with Thaecia. The ERN participated in the antifascist raid of Genua, which set a record for the largest number of updaters. Europeia also hosted a Summit on Independence and Government, where speakers from several Independent regions gave their very different perspectives.
Kaz is in the upper half of the rankings, but is also brings up the rear of the upper half. His position in the rankings could perhaps be explained by a term of dizzying heights nonetheless mixed in with a few low points: For example, Comms and Radio suffered sporadic activity under Kaz's term, and while some of his experimentation was received well, some of it very much was not.
Calvin Coolidge, as the only post-executive split president to serve nonconsecutive terms, was both the 68th and 70th President of Europeia, and both the 4th and 6th following the Executive Re-merge. He served from February 21 to May 1, then later July 10 to September 19 2021.
Across both of his terms, Calvin saw several notable accomplishments and issues, including: rewriting the Navy's Guidelines and Operational Procedure and Ethics after The Embassy raid to decrease long-term damage to regions from the ERN, ushering in the creation of NASPAQ (the region's first card program), the institution of Guiding Principles for Europeia's World Assembly ministry, and rallying a large multi-regional movement against the newly announced "democracy/autocracy" update (later implemented as the Frontier/Stronghold update).
Both of Calvin's terms were received quite well contemporarily, so it's not difficult to see why he's in the upper half of this list. As for why he's not even higher, it's a possibility that time has erased most of the feelings people had about his presidency, but more likely there's simply too steep of competition in the top 6, with extremely well-regarded and highly consequential presidents abound.
JayDee was the 80th President of Europeia and the 16th following the Executive Re-merge, serving three consecutive terms from August 19, 2023 to March 16, 2024. His first term saw the region embroiled in a war with LWU, BoM, and TCB which would go on to shape the remainder of his presidency and his legacy. JayDee also nominated the first Frontier Delegate of Europeia in the wake of Le Libertie’s decision to stand down.
JayDee’s second term arrived with little contention or fanfare and was immediately bogged down with resignation. JayDee’s second term would continue to struggle through the midterm with a myriad of resignations and inactivity, but his administration was eventually able to find their feet and build a solid base of progress. However, JayDee’s bid for a third term would face unprecedented contention when his primary challenger dropped out, leading to a spirited campaign to re-open elections to give the region a competitive election. Initially dispirited, JayDee took the loss with grace and promised to run again, managing to secure a proper victory in a historic election. JayDee’s third term was about the promise of elevating new talent in light of many of the region’s oldest citizens, such as HEM, choosing to go on hiatus.
JayDee was not without backlash and discontent during his presidency, but it appears that the region looks back on him quite fondly. Perhaps of note is that JayDee is one of the most consequential presidents on this list by far, with his three declarations of war acting as the culmination of Europeia's rapid shift towards defenderdom.
Pland Adanna was the 79th President of Europeia and the 15th following the Executive Re-merge, serving from June 10 to August 19, 2023. He and Forilian ascended to the Goldenblock in a stunning upset against an extraordinarily popular Incumbent President Rand, following an election day surrounded by the uncertainty immediately following the MadJack affair, wherein MadJack (falsely) accused President Rand of espionage against The Rejected Realms.
Pland’s administration was able to skillfully navigate the blowback surrounding the incident while working with the Senate to maintain accountability and transparency throughout the process. Pland's presidency was not just one of adept diplomacy, however. It was also one of exceptionally strong domestic policy. Pland oversaw the reintroduction of an independent Ministry of Radio, arranged the formation of the modern Ministry of Gameside, and worked closely with Advisor for Domestic Affairs Gem (a super-minister position exclusive to the Pland Administration) to orchestrate a total revamp of Europeia's dispatch system, much of which remains in place to this day.
Pland's presidency is one the region clearly holds in very high regard. Characterized by unmitigated success both at home and abroad, it's likely that the only thing keeping Pland from climbing higher on this list is being marginally (and only marginally) less consequential in charting the course of the region as compared to those ranked at and above him.
Rand was the 78th President of Europeia and the 14th following the Executive Re-merge, serving from April 1 to June 10, 2023. Rand assumed office in the midst of Europeia’s transition to a Frontier region, which became official during his term. His administration marked the tipping point in the region's march towards Defenderdom, wherein Europeia officially became Defender, after Rand presented the Aegis Accords to the Senate for ratification.
Despite being an extraordinarily popular incumbent, Rand lost re-election in a shocking upset to a ticket of Pland Adanna and Forilian. It's possible that the MadJack affair, in which MadJack accused Rand of espionage against The Rejected Realms, played a role in this result. However, Rand was also absent for much of his re-election bid, with Vice President Writinglegend being the one to present the administration's initial statement on the MadJack affair, while Pland and Fori proved themselves exceptional campaigners.
It's not at all surprising to see Rand this high on the list. As the President who oversaw Europeia's entrance into Aegis and official induction into Defenderdom, he's undeniably one of the most consequential post-split presidents. Moreover, Rand was widely praised during his term for his strong and effective style of management, which contributed to flourishing domestic ministries under his tenure.
Sopo was the 65th President of Europeia and the 1st following the Executive Re-merge, serving from July 25 to October 3, 2020. As the first President of Europeia in over a year, since the introduction of the Executive Split, Sopo was the beneficiary of a great deal of good feelings regarding the reunified executive.
Sopo's presidency could probably most accurately be described as good but not excellent, and indeed he and most of the writers were quite surprised at his ranking this high up. During his term, the region suffered a contraction in engagement and nation count, but some areas, such as WAA, the ERN, Radio, and Comms thrived. Sopo's efforts at a "senior advisor program" landed with a thud, but his renewed Region of the Week initiative was a great success, highlighting lesser-known friends and allies. Despite challenges, Sopo was an effective communicator, pioneering bi-weekly updates, and always being transparent with the region as to what was going well, and what was not. It is likely that this earnest and honest attitude endeared him greatly to polltakers, who consistently ranked him not at the top of their ratings, but close to it.
The name Writinglegend is one known far and wide throughout the republic. It refers to a man, yes. A president too. But also, it refers to a Europeian political institution. Gleg served more time as head of government than any other person, almost double second place. Indeed, for over a tenth of Europeian history, there was a President Writinglegend in the Goldenblock. Gleg is one of an exclusive club of presidents to serve three consecutive terms, and to date the only person to do it twice.
As for his time in office after the Executive split, he was the 75th President of Europeia and the 11st following the Executive Re-Merge. He returned to the Goldenblock (which to Gleg is practically a second home) in a lopsided election victory against a tremendously popular Grand Admiral Kuramia following CSP's withdrawal from the race. Across three terms spanning from April 16 to November 12, 2022, he found himself exceptionally busy both at home and abroad. Domestically, Radio was transitioned from Mixlr to Spotify, the ERN began integration into Libcord, and the Government Accountability Office was reestablished. Abroad, Gleg spearheaded the establishment of the Modern Gameplay Compact, which almost immediately announced initial sanctions for TBH and BoM, while his presidency also saw the signing of treaties with 10K Islands, TP, TSP, and TL; an important step in the region's march towards Defenderdom.
It should come as no surprise to anyone that was paying attention that Gleg is near the top of this list. His three terms post-executive split were some of the busiest and most consequential in recent history. From thriving domestic ministries, to the end of Europeia's treaty with The Communist Bloc, to the signing of treaties with notable Defender regions like XKI, TSP, and TL, which the region would surely have scoffed at the idea of in years prior, it may have been the case that CSP was the one who charted the course, but Gleg was the one who set sail to where Europeia finds itself today.
The only interesting thing about Gleg's placing is the number next to his name. In particular, the fact that it says "2", and not "1". So who is it that could have exceeded the legendary President Writinglegend? Well...

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“There is no one in this room who can stand against me.”
There are many terms that have been used to describe UPC’s presidency. Historic, unprecedented, exceptional, etc. The GOAT Project has its own label for those 280 days: greatest. After tallying the votes, the he 81st President stood head and shoulders above the prior 16 post-split presidents, accruing 243 GOAT points, including an absurd 10 first place rankings—nearly half of all valid responses.
What is it about UPC’s four unprecedented terms, stretching from from March 16 to December 21, 2024, that landed him at the top? As with any great presidency, there’s multiple things to point to. For one, a broad rise in activity, overseeing frequent engaging action throughout the executive branch, including a revival of WAA and rebirth of Gameside. This is especially impressive to maintain over the course of over 9 months. There’s also FA accomplishments. UPC was one of the biggest players behind a massive interregional effort to repeal both Condemnations of The Black Hawks, leading the charge with his speech Damnatio Memoriae. On top of this milestone in the war against Raider Unity, he solidified ties with new Defender allies in The South Pacific and The Region With No Big Banks, and strengthened Europeia’s influence with the sharing of his recruitment bot, Asperta. There’s the legacy that will likely directly influence the next few Presidents that follow. Weekly updates were reintroduced during his second term as an adaptation to feedback over transparency, and will stick around until the end of Grea Kriopia’s presidency at a minimum. EWAC was created to help unify FA and WA discussions when necessary, and now seems to be a permanent fixture in Tomlinson. And of course, there’s the ascension of his three-term Vice President to the Goldenblock, which (though the credit does not belong entirely to him) serves to even further cement his legacy.
It was these factors that led to UPC being compared to the likes of Writinglegend of Pope Lexus X. The results of The GOAT Project suggest these comparisons are not just entertainable–but accurate. The accomplishments, new heights, and firsts of President UPC should make it uncontroversial to declare him the greatest post-split president Europeia has yet seen.
It was these factors that led to UPC being compared to the likes of Writinglegend of Pope Lexus X. The results of The GOAT Project suggest these comparisons are not just entertainable–but accurate. The accomplishments, new heights, and firsts of President UPC should make it uncontroversial to declare him the greatest post-split president Europeia has yet seen.
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And there you have it—the 16 presidents since the end of the Executive Spliit! Surprised by the results? Well, you’re not alone—some of us were just as taken aback by the choices the region made. But hey, that's the beauty of history, right? It's full of unexpected twists and everyone has a different interpretation. Now, if you'll excuse me, I’ve got to go build Mount Euromore. A little geological grandeur never hurt anyone, after all. Well, except for the people who owned the mountain, but we stole it from them fair and square!

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