Valruzia

[Aethan]

Chancellor–President Kos goes on counterattack

Housing, economic sovereignty and anti-corruption measures at the center of Kos’ strategy

August 5728

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Despite a strong first half of her term and high approval ratings, current polls paint a bleak picture for Chancellor-President Aleksandra Kos, who will face the polls again in less than a year and a half.

Although she remains the most popular figure on the current political scene, the vast majority of polls point to a virtual tie between Sovereign Valruzia and Forward Valruzia – with the latter even ranking first in some of them – and a marked decline in support for the party in favor of Worthy Homeland, the conservative wing of Valruzianism that broke away from the parliamentary group just a year ago and which current polls show has around 16–19% support.

That is why the Chancellor–President – who, in less than a year, will have to begin her campaign to be renominated as a candidate for head of government under the Valruzian electoral system – has decided to take action and use the last remaining power of the legislature, in which Sovereign Valruzia enjoys a narrow but sufficient absolute majority, to, according to sources close to her, "squeeze out every last ounce of strength".

According to these same sources, the government is expected to introduce ambitious legislative reforms in the coming "days and weeks" to "regain the initiative" and aim to retain the absolute majority that voters gave them three and a half years ago. Although they acknowledge that for now this is more of a dream than a likely reality, they have not lost hope of a comeback in the coming months as these parliamentary initiatives are rolled out.

Among the measures currently being drafted by the government is a wide-ranging housing package that would significantly expand the role of the state in the housing market. In addition to the already leaked proposal to cap private ownership at three properties per citizen and progressively absorb excess housing into the public stock through state compensation mechanisms, the executive is also considering a special tax on vacant properties owned by banks, investment funds and large landlords, as well as new restrictions on foreign real-estate purchases.

Government sources also confirmed that the administration intends to expand its subsidized mortgage programme for citizens under the age of 35, linking it directly to the planned expansion of public housing and the construction of new state-planned residential districts and urban communities.

The government is also expected to unveil what officials describe as a "new social productivity pact" between workers, businesses and the state, where companies above a certain size threshold would be legally required to share a percentage of annual profits with employees, while firms adopting worker representation mechanisms inside management structures would receive tax incentives and preferential access to certain public contracts.

At the same time, the executive reportedly wants to intensify its campaign against what Sovereign Valruzia increasingly describes as "predatory economic practices". Sources close to the Chancellor–President confirmed that the government is studying the creation of a new national economic enforcement agency tasked with combating tax evasion, financial corruption, money laundering and speculative practices linked to foreign capital and organized crime. Other measures currently under discussion include a sweeping ban on former ministers and senior officials joining private corporate boards for a period of up to ten years after leaving office.

"The fact that the conservative wing of Valruzia has broken with Sovereign Valruzia is, in a way, a relief for the party’s ambitions, as it can now stop living in constant tension and advance its agenda with a more clearly defined ideology" says a senior party official speaking on condition of anonymity. "All we have to do now is prove that we are the good choice". While some, like the Communist Party of Valruzia or the People's Front of Kampania have hailed the initiatives – with some even jockingly telling Chancellor–President Kos to join their ranks – opposition parties accuse the government of attempting to launch an "electoral spending offensive" designed to recover support ahead of next year’s election campaign.