In a rousing speech last night at Central Square in Arvi, the largest city in Polasciana, President Gennadiy Artamova drew to a close the celebrations marking his accession to office following his inauguration on Sunday.
A four day national holiday began on Friday when Artamova replaced Pavel Lukyanov has Head of State.
As the most electorally successful President in the country’s history, having secured a second term, Artamova outlined his agenda for the next four years – declaring that he believed that ‘Polaciana’s time is now.’
A former Federal Council leader himself, Artamova is closely allied to his successor in that role – Ivan Tattar, who is considered more popular within the Unionist camp than party leader, Lazar Ulanov. The two men are believed to have met on Thursday to discuss implementing the President’s agenda. Throughout the election campaign, Mr Artamova consistently said he believed that foreign affairs, and most particularly how the country deals with its relationship with the GDF, RDTO and Gallian League, would prove to be the ‘big issue’ of this decade. In his speech the President said that it was time for Polasciana to be ‘ambitious and defiant’.
In a departure from his predecessors so-called values-led foreign policy, President Artamova insisted that Polasciana must begin to ‘reach beyond borders’ and be willing to ’embrace’ its Central Gallian and Centrican neighbours more openly, in order to strengthen its economy – which he highlighted as his other key priority.
“There are those who say the easy days have gone away, that we now must struggle to find our place at the table, due to our weak economy,” the President said. Borrowing a phrase used by his rival in the presidential election, Artamova also said he believed the country could be ‘back on track’ this year – “I believe that our best days are yet to come. I believe that Polasciana’s economy can be back on track, I believe we must work together to heal the divisions between those who are given the proceeds of growth, and those who grow. I believe in an economy that works for the working people.”
In an attempt to brand himself as a ‘unifying’ figure for the nation, the President suggested the nation must ‘put aside’ cultural and social differences in order to “unite behind a shared vision [of the] future.”
The President is due to meet for the first time officially with Prime Minister Fedorov tomorrow in a private meeting that will begin to set the future of the political landscape for the next year.
The Federal Council already met today to officially approve Mr Fedorov’s accession as Prime Minister – but the upper-house must meet again tomorrow to approve the appointments of Marina Yanaka as Foreign Minister and Benjamin Usan as Finance, Industry and Trade Minister. The approval of both Ms Yanaka and Mr Usan is expected to be much more difficult for the Progressive Centrists, who face a 12 seat Union Party majority. While the President agreed to approve Mr Fedorov’s nomination as Prime Minister, he has not officially announced whether he intends to allow a smooth path for the approval of the Foreign Minister and the Finance Minister.
Mr Fedorov is expected to discuss the economy, foreign affairs, defence and industry with the President – in what he has called a “shared agenda”. The Prime Minister’s office released details of a provisional agenda, including the discussion of a recent visit by Uttania’s Industry Minister, Rikard Magnussen who met with his counterpart Benjamin Usan on Friday in Karasicena.
The approval of Ms Yanaka and Mr Usan tomorrow could open up a new era of stability within Polascianan politics, but also counter the opinion that Artamova will lead an divisive and authoritarian administration, as was claimed during the election. The President is expected to announce details of a potential regional tour in order to ‘re-establish’ relations with some of the country’s closest neighbours, after what he calls an era of ‘misjudged silence.’
Whilst Artamova has now officially taken office, former president Pavel Lukyanov is expected to reside at the President’s second official residence in Ostrong, near the Uttanian border in the state of Buratiyan until he returns to his neighbouring home-state of Yevcimir in February.
