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RE: Kalopia - novarei - 02-07-2026
Dýnamis Faces Internal Strain After Failed Government Vote
Helios, February 5738
Allegations of factional purge follow leaked Mavros-Berisha call
Dýnamis is facing growing allegations of internal conflict after the party's vote against the proposed Fifth Thanopoulos government, with reports suggesting that supporters of Minister Arben Berisha have been removed from several party and movement positions following a leaked phone call involving Political Secretary Ajax Mavros.
The proposed government, backed by Phalanx and the Citizens' Movement, would have included Dýnamis as a coalition partner and given the party several ministries. However, because the proposal required every named party to vote in favour, Dýnamis's decision to vote no caused the government to fail.
Inside the party, attention has shifted to the leaked call, in which a voice identified as Mavros angrily criticises the cabinet list, the Citizens' Movement, First Minister Babis Thanopoulos, and Berisha himself. The call appears to show a sharp disagreement between Mavros, who objected to the coalition and his exclusion from cabinet, and Berisha, who seemed to favour keeping Dýnamis at the negotiating table.
Since the call became public, several figures associated with Berisha's institutional wing are reported to have been dismissed, reassigned, or publicly excluded from internal meetings. Berisha-aligned members have privately described the moves as a targeted effort to weaken their influence before the next party congress. Dýnamis officials have not confirmed the details, with one source close to the leadership calling the changes "routine."
Tensions have also reportedly spilled beyond formal party offices. Several confrontations between supporters of Mavros and Berisha have been reported at Action Group halls and party-linked gyms in Helios and Mossavi. None appear to have resulted in serious injuries, though police have reportedly been involved.
The dispute appears to centre on the party's future direction. Berisha and his allies argue that government participation allows Dýnamis to shape policy, and normalise the movement as a governing force. Mavros's supporters, by contrast, appear to view coalition politics as a threat to discipline and ideological purity.
Yet the deeper concern may be the role of Director-General Hektor Nikandros. Berisha refers to Nikandros during the leaked exchange, but the call ends before the point is developed. Since then, the Central Directorate has stated that the vote against the coalition was a settled and "unanimous" leadership decision. The statement has not ended speculation that Nikandros is becoming increasingly aloof from the day-to-day leadership of the movement he built.
That uncertainty has given the internal dispute greater significance. If Nikandros remains distant, the struggle between Berisha's gradualist wing and Mavros's more radical supporters may become harder to contain. For now, the scale of the alleged purge remains difficult to verify, but Dýnamis appears to be facing its most serious internal strain in years.
The question is no longer only whether Berisha's supporters are being marginalised. It is whether Nikandros still intends to personally govern the movement, or whether Dýnamis is to be shaped by those fighting in the space his absence has left behind.
RE: Kalopia - novarei - 02-07-2026
Arben Berisha Dead After Car Crash
Helios, March 5738 -
Former Minister Arben Berisha, and presidential hopeful, has died following a car crash late last night, according to officials familiar with the matter.
![[Image: xxDianaLastYear5-superJumbo.jpg]](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2017/08/29/world/01Diana5/xxDianaLastYear5-superJumbo.jpg)
Details remain limited. Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the crash or but have confirmed that other vehicles were involved.Former Minister Arben Berisha, and presidential hopeful, has died following a car crash late last night, according to officials familiar with the matter.
Berisha's death comes amid rising internal tensions within Dýnamis, following recent allegations of factional purges and disputes over the failed Fifth Thanopoulos government.
Dýnamis has not yet issued a full statement.
RE: Kalopia - Aethan - 02-07-2026
Kalopian Spring demands resignation of Prime Minister Thanopoulos in exchange for government support
![[Image: YKmCv3U.png]](https://i.imgur.com/YKmCv3U.png)
HELIOS – More than half a year has passed since last Kalopian legislative elections and the country is still without a functioning government. Dynamis' decision to not continue supporting Babis Thanopoulos' government after a leaked call following Phalanx's cabinet proposal that excluded Ajax Mavros from his role of Second Minister and his ministry of Health, Social Welfare and Sports in favor of the newly founded Citizens' Movement.
Following the defeat of his cabinet proposal, acting prime minister Babis Thanopoulos turned then to his ally-turned-enemy Kalopian Spring, whom he previously expelled from government in February 5735 after voting in favor of a veto override that removed the Central Bank under the direct supervision of the Head of State and led to new early elections. Speaking of "rethinking their current rivalry" and "step over the hurdle" that separated both parties, Prime Minister Thanopoulos attempted to attract Kalopian Spring back again to Phalanx's orbit. However, in his address to Parliament following the prime minister's intervention, KA general secretary Telemachos Chondrotsis surprised everyone by announcing that they would support a "reset" in his party relationship with Phalanx under one single condition: the resignation of Babis Thanopoulos and all the ministers that served under him alongside Kalopian Spring when they were "unfairly" expelled from government. Accusing phalanx of "straining the relationship with every party they come to rule with", Mr. Chondrotsis has made clear that their condition is unnegotiable, and with the clock ticking, it is unknown whether Phalanx would be willing to accept such a petition or the country might be headed towards yet a different government coalition proposals or new elections altogether. Kalopian Spring has refused to make any further comments following the speech of their general secretary, claiming that everything that had to be said had "already been said", and that the ball was now in Phalanx's roof. "It's a pretty easy decision: country over party or not?" has said a senior figure of Kalopian Spring under the condition of anonymity.
In other news, Kalopian Spring has sent its condolences to the leadership of Dynamis following the death of minister Arben Berisha in a car crash whose details remain limited.
RE: Kalopia - Wu Han - 03-07-2026
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Casino Magnate Kastrinos Elected President in Stunning Runoff Upset
King of the Casinos, Now King of Kalopian Politics
![[Image: Kastrinos.png]](https://i.ibb.co/4nVJnZHw/Kastrinos.png)
14 June 5738 – In one of the greatest electoral upsets in modern Kalopian political history, Markos Kastrinos has defeated Citizens' Movement leader Stavros Vidalelis in the second round of the presidential election, securing 53.3% of the vote to Vidalelis' 46.7%.
The result marks a dramatic reversal from the first round of voting in April, when Vidalelis appeared firmly on course for victory after placing first with 34.5%, while Kastrinos placed a distant second with just 17.8%. Few observers believed the political newcomer could overcome such a large deficit, making his victory one of the most remarkable comeback campaigns in the republic's history.
Kastrinos, either 58 or 59, is the founder and leader of Evelixía ("Flexibility"), a political party established only two years ago. Despite attracting significant attention during the campaign, the party does not have any representation in Parliament. As such, Kastrinos' path to the presidency depended on assembling an ideologically diverse coalition after the first round. Eliminated candidates and several opposition parties across ideological lines rallied behind Kastrinos in what many described as a "coalition of exhaustion" against the Citizens' Movement and the other large establishment parties of Kalopian politics, Phalanx and Kalopian Spring, which endorsed Vidalelis in the second round.
A key factor behind the success of Kastrinos' coalition is his avowedly anti-ideological stance, a position which he has termed "radical flexibility." Unlike conventional political parties organized around coherent ideological platforms or policy agendas, Kastrinos' party was founded on the explicit principle of having no principles. The party describes itself as a "political instrument" of the nation's majority, the sole purpose of which is to implement whatever policies command majority public support at a given time.
Supporters portray the approach as the purest form of democratic responsiveness and accountability, arguing that governments should faithfully reflect the evolving preferences of voters rather than the fixed doctrines of political elites. Critics, however, contend that the philosophy amounts to opportunism and cronyism laundered as a governing principle. This criticism was heightened in the final days of the second round campaign as reports began to emerge of Kastrinos' alleged connections to organized crime. In any case, the question of how Kastrinos intends to translate a platform defined by ideological flexibility into the practical exercise of presidential power remains one of the central questions posed to the incoming administration by his critics and opponents.
Prior to entering politics, Kastrinos was best known as one of Kalopia's wealthiest and most flamboyant businessmen. A charismatic and often controversial public figure of profoundly uncertain origin, he built the Kastrinos Group into one of the country's largest privately held conglomerates. The company, now led by his son Leonidas, owns many of Kalopia's premier casinos, luxury coastal resorts, hotels, and entertainment complexes, while also maintaining extensive investments in commercial and residential real estate. This latter component of his business portfolio placed Kastrinos in direct competition with former President Antonios Lakaridis, whose wealth was built on his own extensive residential rental holdings.
However, in yet another unexpected twist of the campaign, numerous unconfirmed reports emerged in the tabloid press late last month that Kastrinos' luscious daughter, Valeria Kastrini, is reportedly engaged to Lakaridis' eldest son. This development has been widely interpreted, if true, as bringing an end to years of personal and commercial hostility between the two dynasties. Neither family has publicly commented in detail on the engagement, although photographs of the couple together, including particularly scandalous photos of the two bottomless on the Lakaridis family yacht, have circulated extensively in the tabloid press. Some analysts suspect this reported union to be a contributing factor behind the majority of first-round Phalanx voters, loyal to outgoing President Antonios Lakaridis, breaking with the party to back Kastrinos instead of the party's officially endorsed candidate in the second round.
Η ΑΓΚΥΡΑ ("The Anchor") is a politically moderate broadsheet newspaper published in Helias, Kalopia.
RE: Kalopia - novarei - 04-07-2026
BERISHA INVESTIGATOR DIES IN FALL FROM SINGLE-STOREY HOME
The Kalopian Herald — October 5738
HELIOS — Inspector Loukas Pandeles, 51, the senior investigator assigned to the Berisha crash, has died after falling from the roof of his home.A ministry spokesman confirmed Pandeles had climbed up to inspect a television aerial at approximately two in the morning, during a rainstorm, in his dressing gown. The house is single-storey, and the fall was of just under three metres. Colleagues note Pandeles did not own a television.
RE: Kalopia - Pragma - 05-07-2026
Ο Πρωταθλητής
Kastrinos Impeached; Citizens' Movement Takes Poll Lead
King of the Casinos, Now King of the Unemployment Line
![[Image: image-2026-07-05-134231747.png]](https://i.ibb.co/Vc0mCJcx/image-2026-07-05-134231747.png)
5 January 5739 – Elected narrowly as President as recently as June last year, casino magnate Markos Kastrinos has been impeached and removed from office by the legislature in a vote of 228 to 72, clearing the two-thirds threshold. This makes him the first President in modern Kalopian history to be removed from office; a dark mark on an already shattered legacy.
Kastrinos was found guilty by the vast majority of assembled representatives of corruption, as charged by the Minister of the Interior, Marios Karaliades. Kastrinos' first act as President was to completely deregulate gambling, a move that clearly benefitted not only his own financial interests as a gambling businessman but also the financial interests of his family and business associates. While impeachment was opposed by Dýnamis, Kalopian Winter and the Flexibility and Liberty parties, it was supported by all three governing parties and the Kalopian Democratic Party (KDP). The recently established Kalopian Renewal Movement also issued a statement in support of impeachment.
In a heated debate on the chamber of the legislature, Minister Karaliades's charges of corruption were met with a stream of defensive abuse from the now-former President, who presented himself as a man of the people despite his vast personal wealth and self-interested dealings. His speech was embarrassingly defended by the deputy director of the Kalopian Winter party, which most impartial analysts consider a parody or joke outfit, on the grounds that the President is a 'useful idiot'. The spectacle was far less well received by the KDP, who cast the decisive vote to eject the President.
Vasos Mavridis how ascends to the role of Head of State, but it is the party that brought impeachment proceedings - the Citizens' Movement - that has ascended to the top of the polls. Overtaking their coalition partner Phalanx, the Citizens' Movement now polls at 23.1%, up 6.4% from last election, to Phalanx's 19.4%, down 12.5% in the same timeframe. This would leave the Citizens a whole 12 seats clear of the next closest party, almost assuring that they would be granted the position of First Minister in any new cabinet. Given the crucial role of Marios Karaliades, the current Second Minister, in the impeachment of Kastrinos, it is entirely possible that he may be the First Minister-in-waiting.
Science & Technology Minister Dragon Xhanari is also increasing his profile online and among younger voters with his compelling communication style, while Finance Minister Marianna Anthou has earned praise for her competent handling of the Kalopian economy. The opposition parties, meanwhile, seem increasingly bereft of leadership, with reports that Phalanx soon plans to introduce proceedings into the impeachment of acting President Mavridis as well.
Ο Πρωταθλητής ("The Champion") is a middle-market daily newspaper founded by businessman and Citizens' Movement founder Stavros Vidalelis, printed in Helias, Kalopia.
RE: Kalopia - Aethan - 05-07-2026
Ministry of Justice Announces Criminal Charges Against Former President(s)
![[Image: MOROS9U.pngg]](https://i.imgur.com/MOROS9U.pngg)
HELIOS – The Ministry of Justice and Public Order has confirmed that it is preparing criminal proceedings against former President Markos Kastrinos and, if impeached, President Vasos Mavridis – whose impeachment is currently underway – over what it describes as "a coordinated pattern of corruption, abuse of public office and illicit self-enrichment".
Speaking at a press conference earlier today, Minister of Justice and Public Order Paris Ballelis announced that prosecutors have been instructed to begin formal proceedings following months of political controversy surrounding a series of executive orders issued by the two heads of state.
"The Presidency of the Republic is a public trust, not a private investment vehicle" Ballelis declared. "No officeholder, regardless of rank or former status, is above the law. Using the excuse of having been "elected by the Kalopian people" to avoid any kind of accountability is not only wrong, but is a new level of moral wrongdoing and shameful self-justification"
The investigation follows the repeal of President Markos Kastrinos' controversial "Games for All" Executive Order, which removed virtually all regulation of gambling nationwide while simultaneously eliminating mandatory age verification for the purchase of video games. At the time, the Ministry argued that the measure overwhelmingly benefited Kastrinos' own gambling interests, as the former president had accumulated much of his personal fortune through the casino industry before entering politics. The Executive Order was repealed by Parliament only weeks after its adoption, with lawmakers condemning it as legislation designed to enrich the President and his associates at the expense of ordinary Kalopians.
Those concerns ultimately led to Kastrinos' impeachment with 228 votes in favor in the 300-seats chamber, after Parliament concluded that he had abused the powers of his office for personal financial gain. According to the Ministry, subsequent developments only reinforced suspicions that the Executive Order had not been an isolated incident.
After Kastrinos' removal from office, Vice President Vasos Mavridis assumed the presidency and rapidly issued a series of executive orders dismantling long-standing public policies, including protections for social housing, welfare programs, environmental regulation, progressive taxation and reproductive rights.
Government officials argue that many of those decisions disproportionately benefited politically connected individuals and economic interests aligned with the previous administration, while bypassing normal legislative scrutiny.
Although impeachment proceedings against Mavridis remain ongoing in Parliament, the Ministry stated that criminal investigations do not depend upon the outcome of the political process.
"The legal system has an independent responsibility to determine whether criminal offences have been committed" the Ministry said in a written statement. "Political accountability and criminal accountability are separate matters"
The Ministry confirmed that prosecutors are examining evidence relating to several potential offences, including corruption, bribery, illicit enrichment, influence peddling, abuse of public office, cronyism and misuse of executive authority. Officials indicated that additional charges could be considered should further evidence emerge during the investigation.
While declining to comment on specific evidence, Minister Ballelis stated that investigators will examine financial records, communications, links between executive decisions and private beneficiaries, and any possible exchange of political favors for personal gain.
"Our democracy cannot function if executive authority is used as a mechanism for private enrichment" Ballelis said. "Every Kalopian deserves confidence that the law applies equally to every citizen, including those who once occupied the highest office in the Republic"
Neither Kastrinos nor Mavridis has publicly responded to the Ministry's announcement.
If prosecutors determine that sufficient evidence exists, both presidents could become the first heads of state in Kalopian history to face criminal prosecution for corruption-related offences committed while in office.
Minister Paris Ballelis is seeing as an increasingly rising figure within Kalopian Spring, with some political commentators viewing him as a replacement to current Spring leader Telemachos Condrotsis, and drawing comparisons with Citizens' Movement and fellow minister Dragon Xhanari.
RE: Kalopia - novarei - 05-07-2026
INVESTIGATOR ON BERISHA CASE DROWNS AT CLOSED BEACH
The Kalopian Herald — JANUARY 5739 MOSSAVI —
Inspector Sotiria Vlachou, 44, the lead investigator on the Berisha inquiry, has drowned while swimming at a public beach near Mossavi, eleven days after receiving the file. Colleagues expressed surprise at the circumstances, noting that Vlachou was a former national junior swimming champion, that the beach in question has been closed since 5729, and that it was raining at the time.
RE: Kalopia - carson153 - 06-07-2026
The Academian
Kalopian Renewal Movement Legislative Wing Founded In Response to Growing Political Turmoil
The Academian - An Independent Journal of Public Thought and National Renewal.
Recent months have seen Kalopian politics consumed by growing instability. Following the impeachment of President Markos Kastrinos and continued infighting among the Republic's major political parties, many citizens have begun questioning whether the nation's political class remains capable of providing stable leadership. With these recent developments, the Kalopian Renewal Movement (KRM) has officially entered electoral politics after five years as a civic and intellectual movement.
Founded in 5734, the Movement is built upon the philosophy of Kalopian Restorationism, developed by the renowned historian and political philosopher Professor Minoas Tassallis. Through his study of Kalopian history, Tassallis concluded that the Republic's greatest periods of decline were consistently preceded by the weakening of a shared national identity. Restorationism therefore argues that Kalopia's future depends upon restoring civic unity, national confidence, and responsible governance while embracing the country's diverse cultural heritage under one common Kalopian identity.
These ideas quickly gained popularity within the nation's universities, leading to the establishment of the Kalopian Restoration Society (KRS) in 5726, an intercollegiate honor society dedicated to scholarship, civic leadership, and public service. Though officially non-partisan, the Society has become the intellectual home of the growing Restorationist movement and has helped introduce its philosophy to a new generation of Kalopians.
With political tensions continuing to rise, many supporters have called upon Tassallis to move beyond academia and bring Restorationism into the halls of government. In recent essays, he has argued that Kalopia now faces a defining choice: continue the nation's recent renaissance through competent leadership and renewed civic purpose, or allow partisan division to erode the progress that has been made.
Earlier this month, delegates at the Second Restoration Congress voted overwhelmingly to establish the legislative wing of the Kalopian Renewal Movement and formally register it as a political party. Professor Tassallis was unanimously elected as its inaugural Chairman.
While early polling places the KRM at just 2% nationally, party officials remain optimistic. Rather than pursuing quick political victories, the Movement intends to grow through grassroots organization, its academic tradition, and a commitment to bringing Restorationist ideas into the national conversation.
Whether the KRM develops into a major political force remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that Kalopian Restorationism has evolved from an academic philosophy into one of the Republic's newest political movements at a time when many citizens are searching for a new direction.
RE: Kalopia - Pragma - 06-07-2026
Ο 'Ηλιόσιος Αγγελιαφόρος
Mavridis Nears Impeachment; New Elections Expected
The runners and riders for the next presidential election
![[Image: image-2026-07-06-140606393.png]](https://i.ibb.co/fVWMLzzf/image-2026-07-06-140606393.png)
15 April 5739 – President Vasos Mavridis is set to become the second Kalopian president in succession to be impeached by the legislature, with 228 of 300 deputies voting for his removal from office. All governing parties, as well as the Kalopian Democratic Party (KDP), are voting for his impeachment - the same parties that supported the impeachment of his predecessor, Markos Kastrinos.
Without a deputy of his own to succeed him, Mavridis' removal would lead to a fresh presidential election which is expected to host a very wide array of candidates. The Heliosian Messanger seeks to dive into the profiles of the announced candidates and, in doing so, paint a picture of the current divisions in Kalopian politics.
The KDP is fielding a ticket of Georgios Karassos, the party chairman and former Trade Minister, and Nikodemos Krateros, the party's general secretary and former Finance Minister. Both members of the ticket have cabinet experience, and with their party polling at 11.4% they are a credible option for centre-right voters looking for stability. The KDP finished fifth in the last presidential election and subsequently endorsed Markos Kastrinos, but later expressed regret for this and voted for his impeachment.
Hektor Nikandros is the candidate of Dýnamis and the party's Director-General. He has not announced a running mate thus far. The party ran in the last election with Arben Berisha, who received 3.1% of the vote after dying in a car crash during the election. The party has slumped to 7.1% in the polls, around half its support in the last election, amid a storm of scandals engulfing the party. It also endorsed Markos Kastrinos in the second round in 5738 and voted against his impeachment. They have announced they would support Kastrinos again in the second round if he progressed there.
Maya Theodora Straka is the candidate of the Liberty party, of which she is the founder. A shipping magnate and daughter of LGBT activists, her right-liberal politics are directly opposed to the left-conservative positions of the incumbent coalition. She was the party's candidate during the 5738 presidential election as well, receiving 4.2% of the vote and endorsing Kastrinos in the second round. At just 27, she would be the youngest president in modern Kalopian history. Her party is polling at just 1.1% - but as proven in the last elections, engaging candidates can far out-perform their party's brand. They would also endorse Kastrinos again in the second round if he were to advance thereto.
Markos Kastrinos's run is perhaps the major story of the election. He was removed from office just a few months into his term by the governing coalition on charges of corruption, dividing the nation. While his party languishes in legislative polling, Kastrinos himself remains a much larger brand. Having defied the odds to win the 5738 presidential election from behind, his campaign this time around seems certain to be a referendum on the impeachment process against him. He has the pledged support of the opposition bloc if he reaches the second round, quite possibly against another government-aligned candidate, which would set up an extremely divisive runoff. He is again joined on the ticket by Vasos Mavridis, who is currently in the final stages of his own impeachment. Were Kastrinos and Mavridis to run again, the government would be faced with a stark dilemma. Either they would have to accept his mandate, shrinking from their previous impeachment proceedings and being publicly defeated on the matter, or impeach him again and risk a constitutional crisis and accusations of anti-democratic behaviour. All the while, Justice Minister Paris Ballelis of Kalopian Spring is currently commencing corruption probes into both members of the ticket, which even further complicates the possibility of Kastrinos returning to the presidential address. A Kastrinos victory, whatever the margin, would almost certainly be the 'chaos option' for Kalopia, but those opposed to the government would also see it as a way to deal a cutting blow to the ACA alliance.
Stavros Vidalelis was the Citizens' Movement's candidate in the last election. He seemed assured of victory after storming to a 17-point lead in the first round, and picking up the endorsement of all three parties in government. His bitter and narrow loss to Markos Kastrinos set off a highly contested and contentious period of Kalopian politics leading to a raft of executive orders, corruption probes, two impeachments, multiple attempts to change the constitution and finally this presidential election. Vidalelis is a diamond mining magnate who performs exceptionally among Siphinan voters thanks to his high profile in the region, where diamond mining is an exceptionally important industry. He is now joined on the ticket by the sole Siphinan member of any announced ticket, Dragon Xhanari - the Minister of Science, Technology and Development. Xhanari is the party's rising star and co-deputy leader. At just 31, he is viewed as a potential future head of the party and may run for the presidency on his own terms in the future. Polls suggest that 66.5% of ethnic Siphinans would vote for the Citizens' Movement in an election held today, and Vidalelis won the region by nearly 70 points over Kastrinos last year. So far, the Citizens' Movement's overwhelming and increasing domination of the Siphinan demographic has powered them to first place in legislative polls, but was not enough to win them the 5738 presidential election. A Vidalelis victory would be the simplest and most contenting result for the governing coalition, though it would be a source of rage for opposition supporters who view the Citizens' Movement as having orchestrated the removal of two democratically elected presidents in order to re-roll the dice for their own leader.
Dionissia Galanaki is the candidate of the Kalopian Winter party, supported by Lydia Melliadi on the first all-women ticket of the election. Kalopian Winter backed Markos Kastrinos in the 5738 presidential election runoff and plan to do so again if he reaches the second round this time. The party polls at 7.6% in current polling averages, only slightly down from what it received in the last legislative election. The party previously ran Louiza Moustakopoulou in the 5738 presidential election, but she finished last with just 1.2% of the vote.
Minoas Zorbakis is Kalopian Spring's candidate and a new face for the party. Kalopian Spring endorsed Stavros Vidalelis over Markos Kastrinos in the 5738 election and are likely to do so again, given that KA and the Citizen's Movement are in government together. The party's last presidential candidate was Theseus Moraitou, who received 14.8% of the vote and narrowly missed the runoff. The party polls at 12.3% today, roughly the same as when the last elections were held.
The United Kalopia Party's Alexandros Nikolaidis and Bakr Erbaken form the only entirely non-Kalopian ticket in play in this election - the first presidential contest in which they have participated since their party's formation. The party has made a strong impression in the polls, currently at 11.6% but without any legislative or cabinet experience in their roster. In 5738, the party endorsed Markos Kastrinos and voted against his removal from office, aligning them with the opposition bloc.
Phalanx, the largest party in the legislature, is fielding Panteleimon Sarropoulos as its candidate. He is a former career officer and cabinet minister who served as Minister of National Defence for seven years. He is supported by Babis Thanopoulos, who was First Minister of Kalopia and Phalanx party leader together for seven years - having previously been a civil servant. Phalanx's former president, Antonios Lakaridis, was unexpectedly eliminated in the first round of voting in the 5738 presidential election after two terms of office. Pundits predict that Phalanx will be one of the key contenders in the election, with the most experienced candidates in the field. Sarropoulos may also appeal to voters focused on national defence. Phalanx supported Vidalelis in the 5738 runoff, and the Citizens' Movement and Phalanx have publicly stated that they would endorse each other if one advanced the second round while the other did not. Phalanx polls at 23% currently, down 9% from its 5737 legislative election result but still nearly double that of the third placed party and only narrowly behind the Citizens' Movement.
Update: The Liberty party has since announced Maariya el-Shaikh as Straka's running mate. She is an ethnic Majatran and the party's Secretary of Regional Representation, and makes this the second all-female ticket.
Update: Kalopian Spring has announced that Justice Minister Paris Ballelis will be Zorbakis's running mate. Ballelis is a cabinet member and rising star in the party, and has gained a public profile for issuing a corruption investigation against Presidents Kastrinos and Mavridis.
Ο 'Ηλιόσιος Αγγελιαφόρος ("The Heliosian Visitor") is a daily broadsheet printed in Helias, Kalopia.