Reftaria Background and Internal Politics

(I'll use this thread for Reftaria's background information and domestic political events that might affect RP)

The nation now known as Reftaria was barely an idea before the eruption of Mount Alvaris. The first settlements in the area were small fishing and trading villages nearly five hundred years ago. Physical evidence of this history is in short supply because early Reftarians were relatively poor and did not expect to stay in one place for long. From that point forward, Reftaria was at the mercy of invading armies and international intrigue because of its strategic position.

The people of Reftaria dealt with their political disenfranchisement with intense local organizations supported by familial, religious, and economic relationships. The near-constant migration of workers, traders, and creative adventurers gave the province a cosmopolitan vision and ambition.

The course of the nation's history changed overnight. In 2010, Reftaria was a heavily-taxed province of a larger empire with a rich local culture but little political autonomy. The eruption of Mount Alvaris left the Province of Reftaria open to the coast but isolated from its neighbors. Although sudden isolation brought an immediate famine and economic collapse, it ultimately proved a blessing as a humble and egalitarian people discovered self-governance on their own terms.

Reftaria's citizens are still somewhat shocked at the rapid change in their midst. Over the course of a decade, a relative backwater province, rich in activity and strategic value but often conquered and controlled, transformed into a stable and egalitarian democratic community, a federation of autonomous city states that thrived on culture and trade. The construction of a grand Senate Hall in the middle of the capital city seemed to mark the dawning of an era in which ordinary people could finally realize their dreams.

***

On the evening of the most energetic election since the founding of the nation, newly-elected Prime Minister Luke Carlton, leader of the Liberal Party, waved to the cheering crowd. “Ten years ago,” he began in his gravelly, earnest voice, “this nation was born unexpectedly out of suffering. If we could have seen how far we have come, we would have thought ourselves dreaming.”

“We’re risen, like the phoenix, from the ashes of the eruption as a new people, a federation of communities that dares to care itself a nation. We’ve rightfully focused on our own recovery and development. But, with this historic vote, we’ve chosen to tackle a new challenge. We have chosen to join other nations in cooperation and friendship. As my first act, I am pleased to appoint Julia Radcliffe, esteemed mayor of Finisterre City, as our foreign minister. She hails from an island that has never existed in isolation, even after the eruption that covered so much of our region with ash ten years ago. She has already been speaking to the world. Now she will do so on behalf of our Reftarian Community.

***

An hour later, Opposition Leader Opposition Leader Danielle Berrera, leader of the Federated Party, delivered her concession speech. “Reftaria has spoken,” she said evenly. “Although the Liberals have received a mandate, the Federated Party received one, too: to keep the government accountable. Lest we engage the world too eagerly, let us remember the centuries of oppression we faced at the hands of far off empires. I hope that Prime Minister Carlton and Foreign Minister Radcliffe succeed. But I also hope that they remember where we came from. And I intend on reminding them that our domestic security must always come first.