Marina LeCoultre

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Marina LeCoultre
Marina LeCoultre in 3335
Prime Minister of Dranland
In office November 3365 – April 3376
Preceded by	Marion Thompson (U)
Succeeded by	Herbert Woolridge (acting, GNP)
Minister of Finance
In office February 3358 – November 3365
Chairwoman of the GNP
In office October 3350 – April 3367
Preceded by	Francisco LaGuardia
Succeeded by	Sosuke Mori
Leader of the Opposition
In office November 3347 – February 3358
Preceded by	Francisco LaGuardia
Born	February 7, 3316 Santa Sharika
Died	March 31, 3414 (aged 98) Santa Sharika
Political party	Grand National Party
Spouse	John Westwood
Residence	Santa Sharika
Alma Mater	First Private Dranian University
Occupation	Politician, Biologist
Religion	Daenism
Ethnicity	Dranian

General Information

Marina LeCoultre was a Dranian politician of the Grand National Party formerly serving as its Chairwoman and MP for her home town Santa Sharika. From 3347 to 3358, she was Leader of the Opposition, while she was Minister of Finance from 3358 to 3365. She was Prime Minister of Dranland from 3365 to 3376. She is also the granddaughter of former Prime Minister and GNP founder Larissa LeCoultre. Starting with an all-time low of only 22% of the vote in 3365, the GNP rose to nearly 35% after her ten year-tenure as Prime Minister.

Life

She was born in Santa Sharika in 3316 as the daughter of Jacqueline LeCoultre, a teacher, and diplomat Dr. Francois Degaard. Her father was an active GNP politician in the local Parliament of Valdor Province. After graduating from school in 3334, she went on to study biology and physics at the First Private Dranian University.

Politics

In the same year, she was unexpectedly elected to the federal Parliament when the original candidate renounced his bid. She was then persuaded by GNP chairman John Courtenay to take over. After easily winning a seat, she was inaugurated as MP for Santa Sharika in September 3334, being only 18 years old at that time.

Two years later, newly-elected GNP chairman Francisco LaGuardia made her spokeswoman for environment and tourism. Political observes suggested that this decision was due to her descendance and the ongoing popularity of her grandmother Larissa LeCoultre.

In the following tenure, LeCoultre clashed with Minister of Environment and Tourism Anahí Solís (PAC) over ecological policies. Following the debate, LeCoultre called Anahí a "disgrace for our country" after having received harsh criticism from the Minister for her anti-environmentalist policies. LeCoultre later apologized for the remark.

In the elections of October 3338, she retained her seat by a large margin and was promoted to Vice Chairwoman of the GNP after Rodrigo Cortez was ousted by party leader Francisco LaGuardia.

In 3347, she succeeded LaGuardia as leader of the opposition, which was interpreted as a step to prepare her for a future role as party leader. This speculations were verified when she succeeded LaGuardia in that position in 3350 after his unsuccessful presidential bid.

In the elections of 3350, the GNP suffered heavy losses but surpassed Unity in terms of popular votes, making it the strongest party in this respect but not in seats. Four years later, the GNP hit an all-time low under her leadership, however her chairwoman position was not questioned by anyone despite the disatrous result.

In February 3358, LeCoultre assumed the position of Minister of Finance in a multi-party-coalition of Unity, GNP, PAC and PP. In the following elections, the party managed to win back many previously lost votes and take a majority of governorships, all of which LeCoultre was given credit for.

LeCoultre during her inauguration as Prime Minister in early November 3365

In the ensuing tenure, LeCoultre took a more active stance as Minister of Finance and proposed to cut the tax rate for businesses significantly. The proposal was, however, rejected by a majority in the legislative assembly.

The elections of 3362 delivered a fatal blow to the GNP, with the party hitting a new all-time low for the second time under LeCoultre's leadership, which caused internal turmoil, with individual MPs demanding the chairwoman's resignation. However, she was quickly endorsed by leading figures within the party such as Sosuke Mori. In an ensuing leadership election, she managed to score an easy victory over her opponent James McClellan, which consolidated her position as Chairwoman again.

In the ensuing tenure, LeCoultre initiated secret cabinet negotiations with all parliamentary parties except Unity and PAC. In November 3365, her cabinet proposal passed the legislative assembly and LeCoultre was sworn in as Prime Minister of Dranland, leading a centre-right coalition of GNP, Liberal Democrats and Awas Party. This made her the first non-leftist Prime Minister of the nation ever since Jennifer Howard's departure in 3318. Her government immediately proceeded to propose tax cuts for the wealthy, on luxury goods and on businesses, which she believed would contribute to her promise of "a new era of prosperity and growth in Dranland". A fact that raised criticism was that her cabinet included her own husband, John Westwood, who served as Minister of Health and Social services. However, GNP secretary Michelle Aldenberg publicly rejected the idea that he was nominated due to his personal closeness with the Prime Minister.

The coalition called snap polls in April 3366 after having passed the tax bills to fill some vacant seats and to ask for a popular mandate, which it eventually won narrowly, meaning that LeCoultre and her administration could stay in office.

LeCoultre's coalition then passed liberalizations in the area of fiscal and economic policy, such as the abolition of restrictions on gambling and industrial hemp. Furthermore, the government took a tougher stance against trade unions, giving employers the power to fire strikers after this had only been possible through state approval during the leftist rule.

In April 3367, LeCoultre resigned as Chairwoman of the GNP to concentrate on her "all-consuming job as Prime Minister", as it was expressed by her. Her interim successor was GNP parliamentary leader Sosuke Mori.

The rest of the tenure turned out to be unsuccessful for the Prime Minister, as the Health Care reform proposed by John Westwood and the attempt of Jeannine McKay to abolish the central bank both failed, while Unity and PAC managed to re-introduce subsidies for small farmers, which was strongly opposed by the GNP.

Marina LeCoultre's official potrait as Prime Minister from 3370

Nevertheless, the coalition managed to win a majority again the 3370 elections, even widening its majority. The first step after the elections that the Prime Minister took was to propose an education reform including the privatization of the school system and the introduction of a voucher system as well as ending tuition fee subsidies to university students and replacing them with means tested loans to be paid back later. The reform, however, failed to acquire a majority.

Several other reforms failed to pass as well as parties of the coalition did abstain from voting allowing the opposition to reject bills proposed by the governmental majority. This included a privatization bill and an attempt to abolish pollution standards and subsidies for renewable energy.

At the end of her tenure in 3374, the elections turned out a huge success for the GNP, overtaking Unity and becoming the strongest party in terms of seats and popular vote ever since 3330. However, LeCoultre's government fell apart when the AP collapsed and two PP Ministers resigned to aim for a cabinet reshuffle. LeCoultre's resignation was also called for by PAC Chairman Isidro Gallén, to which she responded harshly by saying Gallén should "better prepare for some more years in opposition" and there was "not the slightest chance" she would resign without a viable reason to do. so.

Snap elections were then called for, in which the GNP won big and captured 35% of vote, which was also attributed to LeCoultre and her reform course which she pushed since her inauguration in 3365. Nevertheless, she resigned in April of that year after her government fell apart with the resignation of two PP Ministers. After President Mori had approved her decision, she was succeeded by Speaker of the Parliament Herbert Woolridge. She retained her seat as MP for Santa Sharika until the next elections, when she retired.

In the ensuing years it was speculated that she might launch a bid for the position of Head of State, having been requested by her party to do so several times, yet she declined every time.

Marina LeCoultre died on March 31, 3314 at the age of 98 in her home in Santa Sharika. Many notable politicians expressed their condolences, including Green Solidarity's Frank Alvarez, who called her the "uncrowned queen of the Dranish Right-wing" and DSP leader George Butterworth, who praised her as follows:

"She was a formidable woman, and comes from what I think we can describe as a formidable family as well."

Prime Minister Margaret Woodhall had the following to say:

"I was politicized as a young girl while Marina LeCoultre was Prime Minister, and I always admired her for her uncompromising eagerness for reforming the country, overriding vested interests and obstructionism in order to create a new era prosperity. I hope that I will be a Prime Minister at least half as good as her, and she will always serve as a shining idol for my own political work."

Private Life

She is married to John Westwood, a fellow student which she met at University. They married in 3337, when they both were 19 years old. Westwood would later become Minister of Health and Social Services in her own cabinet.

Trivia

Since September 3338, she has a Bachelor in biology. In 3346, she earned her PhD in the same subject.