Dorvisch Soziale Union (Dorvik)

The Dorvisch Soziale Union (DSU) (Luthorian: Dorvisch Social Union; Lorman: Dōrviskas Uōniskan Søsjal) is one of the major political parties functioning in Dorvik. It espouses the principles of liberal conservatism and generally sits at the centre of the Dorvish political spectrum. The DSU positions itself to the right of the Dorvisch Social-Liberal Party and to the left of Fortschritts Partei, Dorvisch Konservative Fraktion and Radikale Partei.

Principles and Beliefs
The principles of the party are based on liberal conservatism and values of individul freedom of present and future generations, responsibility, human rights and human dignity, a just society, political freedom, religious freedom, national unity and equality of opportunity. Party believes in Hosian Democracy alongside promotion of religious freedom. The DSU was the first proponent of the social market economy in Dorvik, although the party has addpoted more liberal economics policies since Johanna Lauernberg's death. In terms of foreign policy the DSU commits itself to the Artanian Integration.

Beginning of the DSU Movement
The Dorvisch Soziale Union started as a think-tank in Haldor in 4087. Lawyer Johanna Lauernberg and her two friends, economists Olaf Fasbender and Angela Schultz conducted meeting with people in major cities throughout Dorvik. First meeting held in the norhtern city of Hauzenwald on April 14th gathered 116 spectators. Lauernberg, Schultz and Fasbender discussed local problems with citizens and asked for their expectations of what should change in the government stance. Next meeting held in Kordaw on May 15th gathered 492 guests and for the first time Lauernberg announced her and hers friends' plans for the DSU.

"''I want you to know that we don't gather here to just talk, we gathered here to get to know your problems and think of the way to solve them. You have the biggest legitimacy to change what you want to be changed. And my Friends and I are here because I want you to know that DSU is not going to fade away into the pages of history. DSU is going to fight for your rights and will protect your intrests. Yes. Yes. Yes, togheter we can do it!" ''

~ Johanna Lauernberg

Formation of the Dorvisch Soziale Union
On December 21st, 4088 political trio filed documents in order to register as a political party under the name "Dorvisch Soziale Union". Due to the strict regulations in dorvish law the party-to-be had to secure funds for its existance, secure a place fo headquarters and draft a party statute. Movement leaders continued the tour throughout the country and raised money for the party registration. In March 4089 fund raise was finnished and needed 120.000 DDO were collected. Angela Schultz had leased one of her buildings in Haldor. So the problem of headquarters also disappeared. On December 5th the party was officialy registered and obtained full rights as a political party in the Dorvisch Republic. On December 10th Lauernberg, Schultz and Fasbender held a meeting called "Founding Congress of the Dorvisch Social Union" (Dundorfian: Gründungskongress der Dorvische Soziale Union). It took place in Capital Congressional Center in Haldor. It was attended by over five thousand spectators and prominent politicians who at that time were closely associated with the Progress Party and Alternative für Dorvik. After the Founding Congress, Beatrix Scheller, Joseph Raustaaler, Aaron Posse and Ainikki Laakkonen became closely associated with DSU. Party started to build its foundations and structures. The main offices were opened in Haldor, Schrudehofen, Zitadelle, Ussendorf, Medestein and Trelin. Accordingly to the Statute of the Dorvish Social Union a Party Congress was established and 99 members chosen to elect the first party leader. The elections took place on May 2nd, 4090 Angela Schultz and Olaf Fasbender announced that they would not seek to be the party leaders and collectively endorsed Johanna Lauernberg. Due to lack of other candidates she was elected by acclamation.

Extra-Parliamentary Period (4090-4093)
In 4090 Dorvish Social Union was on the stage of creating the electoral lists and selecting the candidates. The party started its campaign in December 4090. During those three years (4091-4093) party was building its electorate. On differet occasions prominent party leaders held a meeting with voters who did not yet were convinced to vote for DSU.

First Elections of 4093
After the Dorvish State Election, 4093, the Dorvish Social Union with the score of 19.79% became third biggest party in the Staatsrat with 99 seats in the Parliament. DSU's candidate for President, Mrs. Margarethe Berge-Kranz took third position with 21.65% not proceeding to the second round. DSU won in only one of the national provinces - Kordusia.

Early Elections of 4094
Immediately after the election of 4093 mambers of Sozialliberalen '47 gave up their parliamentary legitimacies which is equal with refusing to serve as the MP. Therefore Fortschritts Partei called the parliament to vote under a proposal of early election. Every party voted in favour and the next election were scheduled for January 4094. In Dorvish State Election, 4094 DSU recorded an increase in support. 21.20% allowed the party to introduce 9 new members to the parliament with 108 in total. Party kept controll over one province - Kordusia. In the Presidental election Mrs. Margarethe Berge-Kranz took third place with 21.29% not proceeding to the second round. During the parliament sessions DSU introduced numerous proposals. The most significant were Abortion Bill of 4094, Public Radio Broadcasting Bill and Public Television Broadcasting Bill both from 4096. Johanna Lauernberg actively and repeatedly supported income tax reduction proposals. It is believed that its DSU's efforts what made coallition of Fortschritts Partei with NVP and RP to reduce tax rate from irrationaly high level of over 60%.

Elections of 4098
DSU suffered a defeat in 4098 elections. Support for the party dropped significantly from 21.20% to just 7.51% with only 37 members of the Staatsrat. Johanna Lauernberg admitted that this result was unbelievable and that se will no longer apply for the leader position. During this term DSU was rather quiet and concetrated on analysing debated proposals.

Elections of 4102
In the election of January 4102 Lauernberg policies caused even bigger drop of support. This is considered to be the worst time in the DSU's electoral history. Members of the party started openly criticising Lauernberg's actions and discredit her in eyes of the public. Johanna Lauernberg released a statement that she would end her term as the party leader earlier and asked Party Congress to elect a new leader in three months. Wanting to finish her duties as party leader she asked for a three month prolonagtion period. Unfortunately on February 12th 4102 Johanna Lauernberg and her husband Peter Lauernberg died in a car crash on highway between Haldor and Obenfeld. Mrs. Lauernberg lost control over her vehicle due to extreme weather condition and crashed into an acoustic screen. Accordigly to the coroner's office both died in the result of impact.

Leadership Crisis of 4102
After Johanna Lauernberg's death Party Congress gathred to chose new leader of the party. The obvious choice was to pick someone between Angela Schultz and Olaf Fasbender.

Initially Margarethe Berge-Kranz also entered the leadership race but after one week she withdrew her candidature and endorsed Olaf Fasbender. Angela Schultz also released a statement in which she resigned from leadership race due to health problems and endorsed Fasbender too. Party Congress elected Olaf Fasbender as the new party leader on March 15th. Party's approval ratings started to rise and charismatic Fasbender attracted new, young electorate to the party.

In 4107 DSU leader Olaf Fasbender held a press conference on which he declared that in the upcoming elections in December of 4107 Dorvish Social Union will create a electoral coallition along with the Liberal party, Direkte Demokratie (Direct Democracy) and Partei fur Umweltschutz (Environmental Protection Party).

Elections of 4107
In December 4107 the electoral coallition Dorvisch Soziale Union and under the leadership of the DSU socred 15.03% which is an increase of 3.40% compared with the previous elections. Party's candidate for the President, Geraldine Tesla scored 14.60% and got to third place not preceeding to the second round. Elections results allowed the DSU to introduce 73 members of the parliament (mainly from Miktar province), 3 of whom were from the coallition parties of Labour (MP Rebekka Williamsen), Direkte Demokratie (MP Christina Fernandez-Kutz)  and PFU (MP Lumi Männistö). Party Leader, Olaf Fasbender asked the party's congress to conduct new leadership elections. Voting took place in January 4108. Olaf Fasbender, the current leader competed with Beatrix Scheller. Fasbender got 55 votes (55,5%) while Scheller got 44 votes (44,5%). The party's congress also decided to nominate Mrs. Ainikki Laakkonen as the DSU's official presidental candidate in the 4111 elections. Ainikki Laakkonen graduated from Haldor Law University in 4088. She was a mayor of Kordaw from 4095 till 4101 when she announced that she resigns from the office to commit to her family and two daughters. After her daughters Lara and Lena graduated from collage in 4107, Ainikki decided to make a comeback to the big world of politics. She was a member of the DSU since its creation in 4089 and always stayed in touch with prominent party members. She was one of the party statute authors. In January 4108 she annouced her candidacy in DSU's primaries. Other candidates were Sigmundur Burtland and Aaron Posse. She got 87% in the primaries and was announced the official candidate for the President of Dorvik in the 4111 elections. Olaf Fasbender had the right to promote one of the party members to the rank of deputy leader. He chose Solange Lauernberg, daughter of Johanna Lauernberg - former party leader. Solange was born in 4072 and graduated from University of Hauzenwald in 4100 with Master's degree in Law and Political science and Bachelor's degree in Economics. She's been a member of DSU since 4097. She is the DSU's justice spokeswoman in the Staatsrat.

Elections of 4111
In the elections of December 4111 DSU scored 12.40% which has been recieved as a failure of Fasbender's policies and lack of public promotion. Ainikki Laakkonen took fourth place being overtaken even by the little known Marco Kornberg from Social-Liberal Front. The main factor of this were complex campaign funding and differences amid party leadership. Olaf Fasbender has called party's congress to conduct a new leadership election. The election took place January 15th, 4112. Olaf Fasbender announced his candidature. He had to compete with party's finance spokeswoman Angela Schultz, foreign affairs spokesman Aaron Posse and defence spokeswoman Antoinette Wellner-Tesla. Party congress formed of 99 delegates has elected Angela Schultz as the new party leader. Schultz recieved 51 votes while Fasbender took third place and recieved 11 votes ex-aequo with Antoinette Wellner-Tesla. Second place was taken by party's forreign affairs spokesman Aaron Posse who was chosen as a new deputy leader. Angela Schultz decided to keep Solange Lauernberg as the party second deputy leader. Despite the defeat, Olaf Fasbender accepted the results and congratulated Schultz on her victory. He also ensured Schultz that he will wholeheartedly support her. Due to his economic background he replaced Schultz as a finance spokesperson of the DSU.

Angela Schultz negotiated with Progress Party and Liberal-Socialist Front on conducting vote of no confidence against the incumbent President Oscar von Lichtman and against the Staatskanzler Ferdinand von Brun due to the nepotism and ineffectiveness of the government. All parties agreed to the conditions and the proposal of early eletion passed.

Early elections of 4112
In the early elections of 4112 DSU got fourth place with 12.87% and 61 seats in the Staatsrat. DSU announced that in the upcoming elections party would endorse Progress Party's candidate Philip Scheibel. With support from DSU, Alternative and LSP he won narrowly with Oscar von Lichtmann in the second round of the presidental election. In August FP, DSU, LSP, and AfD decided to negotiate the future cabinet. Angela Schultz declared that her party would only accept proposals with the Liberal-Socialist's candidate as head of government. In December 4112 the Progress Party introduced a coallition cabinet proposal with Liberal-Socialist Party member as the Staatskanzler. Dorvisch Soziale Union was given three ministries to run: Justice, Defence and Infrastructure and Transport ministries.

Angela Schultz declared that the justice spokeswoman Solange Lauernberg, defence spokeswoman Antoinette Wellner-Tesla and I&T spokesman Sigmundur Burtland will be serving as ministers in the upcoming coallition government.

O Apeil 1st new government was sworn in, with Leonhard Hilbert from Liberal-Socialist Party as Staatskanzler.

Early elections of 4115
In December 4114 National Party of the People (NPdV) has been dissolved and former members merged into DSU and Progress Party. Dorvisch Soziale Union, Progress Party, Alternative and LSP concordantly agreed for ealry elections. The elections were held on January 5th, 4115. In the Presidental election DSU's candidate Ainikki Laakkonen won the first round with 40,19% while the Progress Party's candidate Phillip Scheibel - incumbent President of the Dorvisch Republik got 35,56%. The second round was also won by Ainikki Laakkonen with 58,26% of votes while President Scheibel (with suport of Radikale Partei) got 41,67%. This was historical moment in Dorvik's history. For the first time a black woman became the President of the Dorvisch Republic.

Parliamentary election were held simultaneously with presidental election. Dorvisch Soziale Union came first with 37,07% with 185 members of the parliament. The party won in three of the five national provices - Miktar, Largonia and Dorvan. Progress Party came second with 139 seats, Liberal-Socialists third with 125 seats and Radikale Partei fourth with 51 seats. Immediately after elections DSU and FP started negotiations on the future cabinet. Due to the effective work of the previous DSU/FP/RP/DLSP coallition both parties decided to cotiune working together. To keep the balance in the executive branch DSU proposed the position of Staatskanzler to the Progress Party's candidate and inculded the Radikale Partei in the coallition.

Progress/Radikale - DSU coallition combined held 375 seats. In the coallition government between Progress/Radical Alliance and the DSU, the Dorvisch Social Union controlled six ministries:

- Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Aaron Posse

- Ministry of Finance - Olaf Fasbender

- Ministry of Defence - Antoinette Wellner-Tesla

- Ministry of Justice - Solange Lauernberg

- Ministry of Science and Technology - Rebekka Williamsen (Liberal party)

- Ministry of Food and Agriculutre - Joseph Raustaaler

DSU governmental club has prposed series of reforms and proposal. Minister of Foreing Affairs proposed a treaty to be negotiated with Bundesrepublik Dundorf about good relations and friendly co-operation (Dundorfian: Vertrag über gute Beziehungen und freundschaftliche Zusammenarbeit zwischen Bundesrepublik Dndorf und Dorvisch Republik). Minister of Defence Antoinette Wellner-Tesla proposed a reform to the nuclear weaponry usage law to limit the possibility of nuclear warfare usage only as a response to other countries nuclear attacks on Dorvik or its allies. Minister of Justice Solange Lauernberg proposed a limitation of police department permission to acctively conducting house raids which was accordingly to Lauuernberg violation of a basic rught of freedom. Minister of Finance Olaf Fasbender propsed a series of economic changes. Changes included taxation reform with Income Tac rates adjustments and Corporate Tax rate rise form 15% to 17%. Fasbender proposed a budget which better adressed the needs of Dorvikans and secured the development of the Country.

Presidential primaries of January 4117
On August 17th 4116 Dorvisch Soziale Union's Party Congress informed that on January 31st the assembly will intoduce the official presidential nominee for the presidential election of 4119. Incumbent President Ainikki Laakkonen announced her candidacy the same day. Other candidates for the highest office in country were Sigmundur Burtland, Jessica Martzten, Hillary Wenz and Bernie Beck. For the first time the candidate was going to be elected through an electoral contest by 3,625 delegates - 725 from each Province. After four debates conducted in October 1st, 4116, December 1st, 4116 and twice in the first week of January 4117 it was quite clear that Ainikki Laakkonen would be Party's offical candidate. Accordingly to the polls she won three of those debates by landslide and the last one beating Wenz narrowly. First Province to vote was Dorvan, the election took place on January 14th. Ainikki Laakkonen got 699 out of 725 delegate's votes. Hillary Wenz got 26 delegate's votes. The next province to conduct the election was Largonia, they voted on January 15th. Laakkonen got all 725 votes. Miktar's delegates voted on January 17th. Laakkonen recieved 672 votes, Wenz 28 votes, Beck 15 and Martzten 10 votes. Voting in Kordusia took place on January 21st. 599 votes were casted for Laakkonen, 100 for Wenz and 26 for Beck. The last province to elect the nominee was Westmark Province - on January 25th. Here Lakkonen recieved 486 votes while Wenz got 239 dlegates' votes. On January 31st DSU's Party Congress announced that in the upcoming election in 4119 Ainikki Laakkonen would be the official Presidential nominee.

Elections of 4119 Campaign
DSU created an electoral platform under the name Liberal '19 Allianz (Liberal '19 Alliance) which focus every party wanting to co-operate in the upcoming term of the Parliament. Dorvisch Liberal Sozialistische Partei (Dorvish Liberal Sociallist Party) declared possibility of co-operation with DSU.

Elections od Jannuary 4119
In the elections of January 4119 DSU won with 23.38% of the popular vote and 117 seats in the Staatsrat. The part lost 68 seats due to the formation of Dorvisch Conservative Fraction which scored third with 108 seats. Dorvisch LIberal-Socialist Party came 4th with 106 seats in Parliament making the Liberal '19 Aliance the biggest in the Staatrat controling 223 seats in the chamber. Dorvisch Social Union started negotiations with the Dorvisch Konservative Fraktion about the possiblity of co-operation. But DKF refused to co-operate with the Liberal '19 Allianz due to too much difference and too liberal agenda.

In the first round of presidental election incumbent president Ainikki Laakkonen came second with 24,8% of the popular vote. In the second round Ainikki Laakkonen won with 54.03% of the popular vote entering her second term as the President of the Dorvisch Republic.

Economy
Dorvisch Soziale Union believes in social economy market (Soziale Marktwirtschaft). DSU supports liberalization of market with private enterprises, alongside high social policies' standards which provide fair competition within a welfare state.

Infrastructure
DSU supports ivestments in national infrastructure which would allow to put the economy back on the track of progress and gave the citizens of Dorvik possibility of obtaining well paid jobs. DSU supports protection of environment and setting high standards of protection and using high-tech, advanced technologies in industry and infrastructure sector. Party members actively promote "umweltschutz" (protection of enviroment) and voted numerous times aggainst the lowering or deregulation of high standard in environemtal issues.



Social policies
DSU's social policies predict direct financial income to families with low income per capita, large families, single parents and poeople touced by the social exclusion. Mrs. Christina Fernandez-Kutz supports establishing new social policies and providing high level of healt, social and work security for citizens of Dorvik.



Defence
Dorvisch Soziale Union supports war with terrorism and supports secure borders alongside functioning borderlands cooperations with Dorvisch Republik's neighbours. Mrs. Antoinette Wellner-Tesla who is a DSU defence spokeswoman also supports mutual disarmament and ban of ABC weapons.

Education
DSU supports public coverage of tuition fees for all students. Free education is one of basic values written in DSU's agenda. Dorvisch Social Union also supports the co-existence of public education alongside the private one. DSU believes that the future generations should have free access to high quality education with advanced technologies and wide range of possible paths in education. Party's education spokesman publicly expressed his oppinion that public schools are sometimes a better solution for the students "at risk" (having learning disabilities, special needs or come from dysfunctional homes) and that private sector of the education is beneficial for the ecnonomy because it creates jobs and make education more competitive. DSU's election slogan concerning education was "Equal chances for all - variety of paths."

Health
DSU believes that everyone should have equal acces to comprehensive, continous, coordinated and compasionate health service provided by both public and private sector.

Electoral History
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