News from Neu-Scharmbeck

[Neu-Scharmbeck]

Neu-Scharmbeck has quite some news sources. There is no government-funded media source apart from the government bulletins publishing government decisions, like e.g. new laws, retractions of old laws, modifications of old laws, budgets etc.

The most important newspapers are Occidentia, Neu-Scharmbecker Zeitung, Die Presse, Westersteder Abendpost, and a newspaper specially dedicated to the Mennonites: Lennestadter Zeitung.

The most important radio and television broadcasters are Rundfunk Neu-Scharmbeck (RNS), Die Freie Rundfunk (DFR), Columbus Rundfunk (CR) and Rundfunk Westernesse (RW).

 

[Neu-Scharmbeck]

Neu-Scharmbeck prepares for elections in May

As always in May of an even year, Neu-Scharmbeck prepares for elections. Both local, and at memberstate level, and at national level. Mayors, Legates, the President, but also all parliaments will be voted on. The local parliaments are voted on by means of 100% proportionate representation with a 5% hurdle, while the parliaments of the memberstates and the national parliament are for 50% subjected to a first-past-the-post system per district and for 50% to proportionate representation with a 5% hurdle. The most important political parties are:

1. Neu-Scharmbecker Volkspartei (very conservative, close to far-right but without the violence, corporatism) (political leader and presidential candidate: Gerlach Auernheimer).
2. Die Republik (moderately conservative, corporatism) (political leader and presidential candidate: Horst Greiser (incumbent)).
3. Frei-Demokratische Union (classic liberalism) (political leader and presidential candidate: Ditmar Hector).
4. Sozial-Demokratische Union (social democrats) (political leader and presidential candidate: Dieter Hofmann).
5. Ökologische Volkspartei (green) (political leader and presidential candidate: Wernhild Altermann).
6. Anarcho-Kollektivistische Partei (adepts of El Presidente of Josepania) (political leader and presidential candidate: Bertwald Kleinfeld).

The district seats are filled in one to three rounds, in which one candidate has to obtain at least 50% of the votes plus 1. At the first rounds, all the registered candidates are on the ballot. If none of the candidates reach 50% plus 1, a second round will take place with the three candidates with the highest number of votes. If the second round still does not reveal a candidate with 50% plus 1, a third round will take place with the first two candidates of the second round.

Presidents and legates are limited to a total of five two-year terms.

The incumbent president Horst Greiser is candidating himself for his second term. He is a quite popular president, so chances to his re-election are standing good. It could be though that he will have to cooperate with a Rat des Volkes that does not have a majority of the seats though, which means that he will have to make deals with the opposition to get majorities.