Mihai Vulcan

**Mihai Alexandru Vulcan** (born 4 August 1975) is a Karsylvanian politician, businessman, and the current first gentleman of Mortonia since 2018. He is married to the current president of Mortonia Kirsti Aalu, and has additionally served as a member of the Supranational Council General Assembly for Karsylvania since 2006. He is a member of the Liberal Karsylvania political party, and is internationally affiliated with the Eurean Party of Liberals and Reformists.

Born to a wealthy business-oriented family in Caratina, Vulcan attended private schooling in Karsylvania and boarding school in Orgland, graduating in 1993. After graduating, he moved to Altavorno and enrolled in the University of Altavorno, graduating with his business degree in 1996. Vulcan subsequently entered the private sector, beginning his career as a vice president at his father's energy company, until leaving the company to work as a vice president at a different company in 2001. In 2003, Vulcan entered politics after he was hired as a trade policy advisor for the Liberal Karsylvania political party, later being promoted to director of trade policy in 2005.

Vulcan entered elected politics in 2006, after he was elected to the Supranational Council General Assembly for Karsylvania in the 2006 Supranational Council elections, representing the Liberal Karsylvania party with an international affiliation with the Eurean Party of Liberals and Reformists. He has subsequently been reelected to the position in 2010, 2014, and 2018, becoming the longest-serving member of the Supranational Council General Assembly in Karsylvanian history. He was selected as the Karsylvanian nomination to be a Supranational Secretary in 2015, but was not selected.

## Early life and education

Vulcan was born on 4 August 1975 in Caratina to parents Alexandru (born 1945) and Bianca Vulcan (née *Ripnu*; born 1947). His father was a self-made millionaire, who was the founder and chief executive of the energy company Ilzina, while his mother was a homemaker. The family was wealthy, and Vulcan spent his youth residing in the affluent Brăigiu district. He is the elder of two children; his younger sister is Georgeta, born  (1978-01-11) 11 January 1978 (age 46).

Vulcan began his education in 1981, attending a private primary school in Caratina. He left his primary school in 1987, and enrolled in Clarke School, an independent, coeducational boarding school in Carlisle, Orgland. While in boarding school, Vulcan was a popular student and became devoted to playing football; he initially aspired to play football professionally, but ultimately decided to pursue a more academic path. After graduating from school in 1993, Vulcan enrolled in the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Altavorno, graduating with a degree in business administration in 1996.

## Business career

After graduating with his business degree in 1996, Vulcan was hired by his father as vice president of quality assurance, at his father's energy company Ilzina. Vulcan found working with his father to be a tumultuous experience. Vulcan found that his father was overly tough on him compared to the other employees, which put him at a natural disadvantage to the point where he felt as if his father "would never be satisfied" with his work at the company.

Due to disputes with his father, Vulcan left his job at Ilzina in 2001, and was hired as vice president of quality assurance at the energy company Oracea Energy. Vulcan has stated that his father took him leaving Ilzina "as a betrayal," but they have since reconciled. Vulcan left his job at Oracea Energy in 2003, in order to enter politics. He was hired as a a trade policy advisor for the Liberal Karsylvania political party, later being promoted to director of trade policy in 2005.

## Political career

### Supranational Council General Assembly

In 2006, Vulcan was included as the lead candidate for the Liberal Karsylvania political party in the 2006 Supranational Council elections in Karsylvania. A relatively new and minor party, the party ultimately won one seat, allowing Vulcan to be elected to the Supranational Council General Assembly for the Karsylvania constituency. While in Supranational politics, Vulcan affiliated himself with the Eurean Party of Liberals and Reformists, a coalition of centrist and liberal Eurean political parties.

Upon his election to the SCGA, Vulcan decided to focus his work on trade policy, supporting liberalizing trade laws between countries throughout the world. He additionally supported furthering economic and social liberalism, specifically throughout other Eurean countries. He has subsequently been reelected to the position in 2010, 2014, and 2018, becoming the longest-serving member of the Supranational Council General Assembly in Karsylvanian history. He was selected as the Karsylvanian nomination to be a Supranational Secretary in 2015, but was not selected.

In 2018, Vulcan was rumored to stand as a candidate in the Liberal Karsylvania leadership election, but ultimately declined to do so and endorsed Doina Pogonat-Babeș instead for the position.

## First Gentleman of Mortonia

Vulcan became the first gentleman of Mortonia on 15 June 2018, succeeding first lady Evelin Kõiv. Upon assuming the role, he became the first man to hold the title of spouse of the president. The position of first gentleman is an honorary and unofficial one, with no clear duties besides accompanying the president to official events. As first gentleman, Vulcan assists his wife in greeting foreign dignitaries to Mortonia, and making international state visits.

Due to his duties as a member of the Supranational Council General Assembly, Vulcan is less visible in day-to-day Mortonian life than previous presidential spouses have been. He also is the first presidential spouse to not reside in the Presidential Palace full-time; due to his political career, Vulcan must maintain his primary residence in Karsylvania, and works in Bletzel. He is additionally the only presidential spouse to not be a citizen of Mortonia, neither through birth nor naturalization.

## Personal life

Vulcan began a relationship with Mortonian politician Kirsti Aalu in 2006, while both were working with the Supranational Council in Bletzel. They became engaged in 2008, and later married the following year. Vulcan and Aalu have two children together: Christian, born  (2013-08-16) 16 August 2013 (age 10), and Catalina, born  (2017-05-10) 10 May 2017 (age 6). They split their time between Otesalu, Caratina, and Bletzel.

Vulcan is fluent in Karsylvanian, Ditrovian, Regian, and Maldonian; since becoming first gentleman of Mortonia, he has studied the Mortonian language. Vulcan is an Eastern Eurean Christian, but has also supported causes that emphasize the separation of church and state.