Tristian Matternich just before his death in 3378.
Matternich's Faction reflects its brand of libertarianism, favouring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets and strong civil liberties as argued by the party's founder Tristian von Matternich in 3372.
Matternich and several intellectual friends including the now party leader, Milton Hayek, founded the party in the smokey coffee shops of the Imperial Commonwealth of Narikaton and Darnussia's capital Maerenburg in 3372. Disgruntled with the increasingly intrusive nature of successive governments of all parties within the nation, Matternich, Hayek and several other intellectual colleagues formed the faction and named it after the charismatic and intellectually witty Tristian Matternich.
Hoping to move the Commonwealth of the two nations into a more secure and democratic age, Matternich and his fellows published the 'Liberal Manifesto' in 3376.
The Liberal Manifesto[]
Published in 3376 and with many liberal and libertarian contributers from universities and policy groups, the manifesto was envisioned to put forth a classical liberal school of thought that could be presented to the electorate.
Preamble: Matternich's Faction reflects its brand of libertarianism, favouring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets and strong civil liberties as argued by our friends and colleagues within this faction.
Clause 1: To strive for maximum freedom for the individual both economically and socially giving regard to decent moral values. Commitment to minimum restrictions on freedom of speech and expression - the ability for the individual citizen to go about his life with minimum interference from the state.
Clause 2: To acheive a secularized state; no interference from religion in government.
Clause 3: Taxation of any form is an immoral form of theft and must be avoided.
Clause 4: The decentralization of the education system, and the introduction of a grammar school system.
Clause 5: our party believes in the decentralization of healthcare and the "migration from State monopoly to an insurance-based system" but remain strongly committed to the long term care of the elderly and mental health services.
Clause 6: National defence is of the utmost priority to us and we maintain a strong interventionist foreign policy to ensure security throughout the region and a foremost commitment to higher spending on national defence.
Clause 7: We maintain that Federalism and decentralization of powers will create a peaceful and lasting union within our country.
These 7 Clauses make up the Liberal Manifesto of the party and were voted for unanimously by the factions loose members college.
The Death of Matternich[]
In March of 3378 Tristian Matternich died in his sleep at his city residence in Merenburg. As shockwaves ran through the largely unorganised voting colleges of the faction, Milton Hayek, perhaps Matternich's intellectual equal stepped up to the task of leading Matternich's Liberal Faction. In July 3378 Hayek was voted in to the position of leader of the faction with a 78:12 majority.
Hayek's Era[]
Under the leadership of Milton Hayek the faction attracted a large fundraising capability due to connections within the business world thanks to the parties appealling free-market policies. Hayek lead the party in their first contestion of seats in the 3405 general election - although receiving hardly any support and virtual conservative media ridicule the faction hopes to fight a 3411 electoral breakthrough and has tabled several 'Liberty' motions to the House within the first few months of 3406 alone.