Reformist Party of Thornia-Aphthonis

**Paesdromika**, officially the **Reformist and Democratic Party of Thornia-Aphthonis**, was a centrist reformist, post-imperialist, post-nationalist political party active in Great Thornia. The party was regarded as an ideological successor to the Order of the Golden Trident, though it favours using political, diplomatic, and economic means instead of military might. The absorbtion of the remnants of the Northern Revolutionary Socialist Party had also pushed it towards embracing economic autarky and the concept of the welfare state.

Between August and November 2022, Paesdromika had ruled the provinces and city councils of Goruid in coalition with regional parties like the Goruid People's Voice and Goruid Liberation Front. The coalition came about after the August Rising when numerous regional political factions across Thornia protested (and even fought) against the government's backtracking of plans to halt further territorial expansion and the subjugation of even more indigenous groups.

In mid November 2022, the Goruid People's Voice and Goruid Liberation Front parties were dismantled during a coup led by moderate post-nationalist members of Paesdromika and Umic moderates. The Reformist Party was dissolved by presidential decree shortly after, though many members have since gone on to join the revived State Secretariat. The State Secretariat went on to become the skeleton administration of the Imperial Federation of Thornia, and then joining forces with the government of the Achalonate of Elysia to govern the Kingdom of Thornia briefly before gaining new responsibilities as the new administration of the Lands of the Crown of Thornia.

## Etymology

The party was founded as the **Reformist Party of Thornia-Aphthonis**. This reflected the mood in post-civil war Thornia where the desire to move away from both the imperialist and highly ideologically-bent governments of the past. Its specific reference of both "Old Thornia" and Aphthonis in its name also indicated a willingness to bridge the gap between both regions to prevent another split in the Umic world.

Upon the adoption of the new constitution of Great Thornia (which made petitioning and plebiscites a formal and vital part of the political process), the party earned the nickname of ***Paesdromika*** (the modern Thornian Umic word for *people's democracy*; it is also part of the formal name of Great Thornia as *Paesdromika Dagan Thonis*). The party also extended its name to the **Reformist and Democratic Party of Thornia-Aphthonis**. Even after Aphthonic reunification with Great Thornia, the party has kept "Thornia-Aphthonis" in its name in recognition of the still-important political weight of the Province of Petrodis (of which its government, also under the Reformist Party, is a continuation of the formerly independent Aphthonic government).

## Ideology

### Economy

Upon its founding it strongly favoured replacing the self-sustaining culture of the Thornian world's economy with a global trade system that relies on supply chains spanning across international borders. It has since turned towards continuing the former autarkic economic policies of past governments after determining that opening up the Thornian economy could cause a collapse in local industries outside of the country due to economies of scale.

In mid May 2022, the party began planning out the formation of partially-state-owned corporations to take over some agricultural and industrial operations in the provinces the party controls. It will also be forming a body known as **Verkken** (or *the Works*) to regulate the management and operation of these partially-state-owned corporations. This is part of a wider effort to reduce the centralisation of the state.

### International aid

The party promoted resuming the aid program to poorer or dysfunctional states that was carried out during the final months of the Kingdom of Thornia's existence.

### Welfare

Prior to the absorption of the Northern Revolutionary Socialist Party, Paesdromika was erred on the topic of welfare; instead preferring the more capitalist, libertarian route. It has since turned towards supporting extensive state intervention when it comes to welfare. This has included providing public housing for all citizens, even going as far as ensuring that each citizen (player) could have one home per major city. Villagers have also been provided extensive public housing as well as safety from mobs with the help of iron golem guards. It has also invested heavily in urban farming and growing the villager trader population to ensure that citizens could earn emeralds through farming.

### Imperialism and external territories

The party has turned from the Order's formerly imperialistic views and instead favours retaining Thornia and Aphthonis' current borders (and even selling off far-flung territories such as the Ironie Islands and Koralinisia).

### Foreign affairs and military

The party supports soft-neutrality whereby it would not enter into formal military alliances with other nations. Promoting the stability of its neighbours, specifically the Chen Empire and the Democratic Federation of Tyavyli, is a high priority as they would act as buffer states against potential future states further west. To appease the former, it ended Thornia's occupation of Xandu and did not make an effort to enforce the survival of the Free City of Shanjing as an independent state out of Chen hands.

## Track record

### March 2022

* Anti-pillager operations were ceased to allow for all resources in both Great Thornia and Aphthonis to be used for upgrading various public facilities and transport for trade.
* Conservative movements aligned with the Faith of Aiwa and Thornian Umic & Aphthonic nationalism were suppressed.

### April 2022

* The party formulated the **Sabara Economic Zone** to maximise trade between South Aphthonis and the Province of Elysia.
* Mining output on the first day of the resumption of mining operations after the civil war nearly tripled the size of the Aphthonic national treasury. This is largely been attributed to the rapid upgrading of mining facilities in the Petrodis area.
* The **Sea of Temples crisis** saw the Aphthonic government carry out the Reformist Party policy of reducing territorial holdings if the territories in question are deemed impractical to hold on to. The discovery that North Aphthonis and South Aphthonis were largely separated completely broke down the rationale for holding on to the entirety of Aphthonis (from a military strategy point of view). Aphthonis thus reduced its territorial holdings to only the more prosperous south. The crisis has also increased the chances of a potential reunification of South Aphthonis with Great Thornia.

### May 2022

* Successfully negotiated the reunification of Aphthonis with Great Thornia as the Province of Petrodis.
* Public housing program is expanded in the provinces of Elysia and Petrodis to ensure that each citizen has one home per major city (Elysia, Volovna, and Petrodis).

### August 2022

* The refusal of the military to follow government orders to halt expansion leads to the August Rising. Paesdromika is nearly overthrown by the Government of Peace (a coalition of Umic conservatives, Aphthonic indigenous militias, and military mutineers) and Goruidian nationalists.
	+ Paesdromika forms a political coalition with the Goruid People's Voice and Goruid Liberation Front in the Goruidian territories.
	+ The Government of Peace is dissolved but its members maintain control of the Province of Ume and gain the Palusia Authority.
	+ Paesdromika maintains control of the Presidency and has de facto control of the federal armed forces.