Nordic Countries
Denmark
Norway
Sweden
Iceland
Finland
Finland
Finnish Democratic Republic
Official Name: Finnish Democratic Republic
Ruling Party: Suomen Kommunistinen Puoluenote Communist Party of Finland
Ideology: Communist
Yrjö Hakanen
Role: Head of State
Party: Suomen Kommunistinen Puoluenote Communist Party of Finland
Ideology: Communism
In-Game Biography Click to Show
British Isles
Republic of Ireland
Official Name: The Republic of Ireland
Ruling Party: Fianna Fáil
Ideology: Dominant Party Democracynote Paternalism
Bertie Ahern
Role: Taoiseach note Head of State
Party: Fianna Fáil (Careerists)
Ideology: Dominant Party Democracynote Paternalism
In-Game Biography Click to Show What does Bertie Ahern honestly believe in? That’s a question that only the man himself can answer — but, as hundreds of frustrated reporters could tell you, getting anything out of him besides the same tired, overwrought platitudes is an exercise in futility. Thankfully, it doesn’t take a gifted mind to infer that Bertie Ahern is upwards of lukewarm toward the age-old vices of money and power.
First elected to the Dáil as a low-key backbencher, Ahern moved to the frontbench as a faithful Fianna Fáil spokesman following the 1982 Election — a contest which the party would ultimately lose to a cross-party coalition. When Fianna Fáil returned to power three years later, Ahern’s distinguished record would lead to his appointment as Ireland’s Minister for Finance.
Almost immediately, Ahern took full advantage of his new position to establish connections with the well-to-dos of the Emerald Isle. Never a master of subtlety, he didn’t back down from politely requesting “discretionary contributions” from his new friends in exchange for favors.
Ahern would become party leader in 1990, but his significant baggage from his time as Minister of Finance sparked embers of corruption within Fianna Fáil; embers which consumed the party like a wildfire by the time the 1994 elections rolled around. Thankfully, the contest went off without a hitch, and Ahern would find himself nominated Taoiseach after all the ballots were counted.
As Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern employs his party’s tried-and-true populist rhetoric and generous welfare schemes to maintain a high degree of popularity among his constituents. Despite this, the road ahead will not be an easy one, as whispers of Fianna Fáil’s corruption seep into the public consciousness. This, coupled with the recent wave of support for liberal reform, threatens to topple Ireland’s shady sovereign from his gilded throne.
Desmond O'Malley
Role: Tánaiste note Head of Government
Party: Fianna Fáil (Moderates)
Ideology: Conservatismnote Conservatism
In-Game Biography Click to Show Taoiseach Ahern’s faithful deputy, and one of the biggest names in Fianna Fáil, Desmond O’Malley is widely known for his flexible mindset, staunch moral values, and his ability to hold a grudge.
First elected to his uncle’s seat in 1968, O’Malley was a fervent supporter then-Fianna-Fáil-leader Jack Lynch. Under growing pressure from a faction of the party led by Charles Haughey, however, O’Malley’s political idol was forced to resign in 1976. Unsurprisingly, it was Charles Haughey himself , the man who led the charge to oust Lynch, who would take his place as party leader and Taoiseach.
Outraged, O’Malley ferociously opposed Haughey from day one, going so far as to attempt multiple no-confidence votes in an effort to oust the usurper. Eventually, O’Malley would be granted his wish, and when Bertie Ahern finally replaced Haughey, the newly-crowned Taoiseach nominated O’Malley — one of a handful of men who could hope to unite the quarreling party — to be his deputy.\n\nAs Tánaiste, O’Malley’s policy positions gravitate toward the liberal end of things, a stark contrast to his overwhelmingly conservative peers within Fianna Fáil. O’Malley has used his platform to call for a number of liberal reforms — the most controversial of which being his proposal to establish a constitutional separation between the Catholic Church and the Irish Government.
Somewhat disappointingly, though, O’Malley seldom has time to push for reform — the majority of his efforts are spent keeping the Pro-Haughey and Anti-Haughey wings of the party from clawing at each other’s throats.
Willie O'Dea
Role: Security Minister
Party: Fianna Fáil (Careerists)
Ideology: Dominant Party Democracynote Paternalism
In-Game Biography Click to Show In most other countries, the Defense Minister — the top dog of the military hierarchy — commands just as much hard power as he does respect and prestige. In Ireland, a dinky nation with a dinkier military, the job is considered a low-level ministry position. Someone’s got to do the job, though, and as of right now, it’s Willie O’Dea.
First elected in 1982, O’Dea, a Haughey supporter, was confined to the backbenches until assuming a minor Minister-of-State role following the 1985 election. He returned to the backbenches after the party’s defeat in 1990, but when Bertie Ahern brought Fianna Fáil back to power in ‘94, O’Dea was rewarded for his decade of loyalty with an appointment as Ahern’s Minister of Defence.
As Ireland’s Defense Minister, O’Dea is hardly content to simply collect a paycheck for a do-nothing job; he is determined to reform Ireland’s stagnant armed forces into a capable fighting force. How successful his planned reforms will be — and more importantly, who will foot the staggeringly-steep bill — is anyone’s guess, however.
Micheál Martin
Role: Foreign Minister
Party: Fianna Fáil (Moderates)
Ideology: Conservatismnote Conservatism
In-Game Biography Click to ShowIt doesn’t take a crystal ball to accurately predict that, if you were to tour the world asking the average citizen who their nation’s Foreign Affairs Minister was, you would be met with quite a lot of blank stares and shrugged shoulders — with one notable exception. With the Irish public caring quite a lot about their nation’s image abroad, Ireland’s chief diplomat receives no shortage of media coverage, making the prestigious cabinet position a household name. Today, the man lucky enough to hold the job is Micheál Martin, a relatively new face in Irish politics.
Starting his career as the Mayor of Cork City — the ‘cultural capital’ of Ireland — Martin was first elected to the Dáil in 1989. He was appointed to the front bench as Fianna Fáil’s spokesman on Education and Health following Bertie Ahern’s rise to power in 1990, and when Ahern announced his new cabinet after becoming Taoiseach in ‘94, he made the surprise decision to appoint Martin to his current job.
Now enjoying the national limelight as Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Micheál Martin's daily life is a high-stakes balancing act. He walks a precarious tripwire between appeasing two of the world’s most powerful international alliances — Germania’s Europakt and Washington’s OFN. Thus far, it’s been smooth sailing on the ship of state, but stormy weather may lie in wait just beyond the horizon...
Brian Cowen
Role: Economy Minister
Party: Fianna Fáil (Careerists)
Ideology: Dominant Party Democracynote Paternalism
In-Game Biography Click to Show In Irish politics, the position of Finance Minister is a double-edged sword. As the steward of Ireland’s treasury, he is beholden to circumstance — depending on the way the winds blow, he is either the hunched, pitiable suit dodging tomatoes as he announces controversial spending cuts, or the knight in shining armor that tends to the people with popular welfare schemes.
Brian Cowen, like his predecessors, does his best to be viewed as the latter. Elected in 1984 to replace his father in the backbenches, Cowen emerged as a prominent critic of Fianna Fáil leader Charles Haughey early in his career. Cowen was promoted to the frontbenches in 1990 when Bertie Ahern succeeded Haughey, and in 1994, Cowen would join Taoiseach Ahern’s cabinet after Fianna Fáil returned to power.
During his tenure as Ireland’s Finance Minister, Cowen hasn’t been shy about spending the nation’s coffers on lofty public welfare programs — a reputation which has earned him a great deal of popularity among Fianna Fáil’s populist voting base. Cowen’s name is so well-regarded, in fact, that many speculate him to have a decent chance of succeeding Ahern as the Emerald Isle’s next Taoiseach.
The Shetlands
Official Name: The Shetland Islands
Ruling Party: Independent Liberal Party
Ideology: National Liberalismnote Liberalism
Jim Wallace
Role: Head of State
Party: Independent Liberal Party
Ideology: National Liberalismnote Liberalism
In-Game Biography Click to Show Shetland’s First Prime Minister since Independence is, ironically enough, someone born on the British Mainland. Born in “Occupied Britain” in Southern Scotland, Wallace was only a teenager when the British Civil War broke out, and his family fled to the Shetlands for Safety. Despite not being a native Shetlander, he became interested in Shetland Politics and joined the Independent Liberal Party in the late 70s, which called for greater autonomy for the Islands. Wallace was at the forefront of the Autonomy Movement and even sued the Canadian Government to try to force their hand on autonomy.
He became leader of the ILP in 1984, and when the Shetlands became a Crown Dependency the following year, the ILP became the largest party in the Island's first national elections. Since 1985, he has led the Islands as their Prime Minister. He has become immensely popular thanks to his Bipartisan Nature, successful push for Oil Exploration around the Shetlands and promoting Shetland's Unique Culture. He has also made strides in uniting the Native Shetlanders, British Refugees and Norwegian Refugee Populations on the Islands.
Beyond anything else, Wallace and everyone in the Shetlands are determined to keep the light of British Freedom and Liberty Alight, even as Great Britain chaffs under Fascist Rule.
Tavish Scott
Role: Head of Government
Party: Independent Liberal Party
Ideology: National Liberalismnote Liberalism
In-Game Biography Click to Show
Nigel Essenhigh
Role: Security Minister
Party: Royal Navy
Ideology: Military Mandate note Paternalism
In-Game Biography Click to Show
Michael Stout
Role: Foreign Minister
Party: Shetland Movement
Ideology: Moderate Technocracy note Liberal Conservatism
In-Game Biography Click to Show
William Smith
Role: Economy Minister
Party: Labour Party
Ideology: Left-Wing Agrarianism note Progressivism
In-Game Biography Click to Show
Faroe Islands
Official Name: The Faroe Islands
Ruling Party: People's Party
Ideology: Market Liberalism note Liberal Conservatism
Anfinn Kallsberg
Role: Head of State
Party: People's Party
Ideology: Market Liberalism note Liberal Conservatism
In-Game Biography Click to Show No one likes cleaning up someone else's mess, but unfortunately for Anfinn Kallsberg, that's his new job as Prime Minister of the Faroes.
Born just a year after Independence, Kallsberg joined the People’s Party and became an MP in 1985. When the People’s Party entered into a Coalition Government with the Republicans in 1989, he became the Fisheries Minister. While in Coalition, he became aware of the nation's almost total reliance on the Fishing Industry. However, before he could do anything meaningful to fix this, the Coalition Government Collapsed and the Equality Party returned to power.
Kallsberg became party leader in 1992, right as the Faroese Economy began to collapse. The Equality Party’s poor response and Kallsberg’s early warnings about the economy helped lead his party back to power in 1993 and form a new government alongside the Centre Party. Kallsberg’s Government had successfully stabilised the economy, but the slow economic recovery has agitated many Faroese Citizens, who could once again return to the Equality Party under the Dam Family to save their nation.
Jenis av Rana
Role: Head of Government
Party: Centre Party
Ideology: Christian Conservatism note Conservatism
In-Game Biography Click to Show
Finnbogi Arge
Role: Security Minister
Party: People's Party
Ideology: Liberal Conservatism note Liberal Conservatism
In-Game Biography Click to Show
Bill Justinussen
Role: Foreign Minister
Party: Centre Party
Ideology: Christian Conservatism note Conservatism
In-Game Biography Click to Show
Jørgen Niclasen
Role: Economy Minister
Party: People's Party
Ideology: Market Liberalism note Liberal Conservatism
In-Game Biography Click to Show
