Anastasia Karlöpög

**Anastasia Maria Karlöpög** (born 13 February 1963) is a Lashardian politician, lawyer, and socialite.

After her husband Hans Grötöjohanes was elected President of Lashardia in 2004, Karlöpög became the nation's First Lady. She served as First Lady throughout her husband's term as president, and became known as a sex symbol in the press.

In 2009, a year after her husband's term as president ended, she filed for divorce and registered as a member of the Lasdö political party, an ultra right-wing conservative and Lashardian nationalist political party which has achieved major controversy in recent years. She was a candidate for Lasdö in the 2012 and 2016 Lashardian presidential elections.

## Life and career

### Early life

Karlöpög was born on 13 February 1963 in the Deidra district of Ubenmoor. Her father Karl was a businessman while her mother Morgana was a housewife. Karlöpög has an older brother and sister while the family was upper class. She was raised as a Conservative. Her sister, Monika Karlöpög is a cast member on *The Real Housewives of Ubenmoor*.

Karlöpög attended primary school in Deidra, where she was elected prom queen and graduated in 1978. She went on to attend a business and law high school with a specialization in law, graduating in 1981. Following her graduation, she began to attend Queen's University, and graduated with a pre-law degree in 1985. She then attended Lashardian International University School of Law, and graduated in 1988. She registered herself as a Social Democrat in 1988.

### 2004–2008: First Lady

After Grötöjohanes was elected President of Lashardia in the 2004 Lashardian presidential election, Karlöpög started her tenure as the First Lady of Lashardia. During her time in office, she focused her efforts largely on the rights of women and children, in addition to the battle against serious illness like cancer and AIDS.

Also, Karlöpög began to develop an image of being a sex symbol after the press began frequently reporting photos of her red carpet outfits and beach photos. She was reportedly offered modeling contracts, but denied them because she considered herself "too old" for the industry. In 2008, her term as First Lady was completed.

### 2008–present: Political career

Shortly following filing for divorce from Grötöjohanes in 2009, Karlöpög registered herself as a member of the Lasdö political party, a party notorious for its ultra right-wing conservative policies and Lashardian nationalist mindset. She began to cause controversy in Lashardia for her outspoken distaste towards immigration to Lashardia and the continued deterioration of the Lashardian Orthodox Church.

In December 2011, Karlöpög was chosen as Lasdö's nominee in the 2012 Lashardian presidential election. She ended up placing third in the election, shortly behind Olla Ottöfrenz of the Green Party and Henrik Adamöherö of the Social Democratic Party. Karlöpög was considered a likely candidate for Lasdö during the 2014 Lashardian general elections, but revealed that she would be taking a break from politics.

She was Lasdö's nominee in the 2016 Lashardian presidential election, where she finished second to Anya Hanköfork. Karlöpög revealed that she would not run for president anymore, but was "strongly considering" campaigning in the 2018 Lashardian general election.

## Political positions

Karlöpög's current political views are categorized as "nationalist" and "far-right", despite previously being a registered Social Democrat. After changing her party affiliation to the Lasdö party in 2009, Karlöpög stated in an interview, "I've always been conservative. When I was married to Hans, I felt the need to be his supportive wife, so I pretended to agree with his positions. But I knew that I was living a lie, and I think he did too".

### Economy

Karlöpög has generally come out opposed to Lashardia's tradition of democratic socialism, even when the Social Democrats aren't in power. However, she has stated that democratic socialism is a "Lashardian tradition", and that "Lashardia isn't Lashardia without socialism". She, however, wishes to limit the effect socialism has on the Lashardian economy gradually, and "maybe within a hundred years phase it out". She has described herself as a capitalist and supporter of the free-market.

### Education

Karlöpög supports Lashardian public schooling, but believes that parents should have "options" on whether their children attend a public school or not. She opposes the ban on private and religious primary and high schools, and has stated that she would overturn the ban should she be elected.

### Energy and climate

Karlöpög dismisses climate change as "fictional". Because of this, she is a large supporter of fossil fuels, and aspires for a less regulated energy market.

### Foreign policy

Karlöpög has been described as "non-interventionist" and "nationalist". She has supported the foreign policy of promoting Lashardia's needs and interests above those of others, and only helping in the affairs of other nations should Lashardia's needs already be addressed.

She has supported lifting economic sanctions on Zakharia and Naxni, and has opposed the Asmatic Union, stating that while she'd like to leave the AU, she wouldn't do so without a nationwide referendum first.

### Health care

Karlöpög supports Lashardia's universal health care system, but believes that it should only be for Lashardian citizens, not permanent residents or legal immigrants. She especially is against illegal immigrants benefitting from Lashardian healthcare. Karlöpög has supported a privatized health care system for non-Lashardian citizens, and that they can have access to universal health care after becoming citizens.

### Immigration

One of Karlöpög's most notorious political positions are her stances on immigration. Karlöpög believes that immigrants and refugees coming from Zakharia and Pesa have brought crime to Lashardia, and have lowered the standard of living in the country. She also argues that accepting refugees from Zakharia is what is destroying Lashardia's relationship with Zakharia, and that no more refugees should be accepted in order to rebuilt the relationship between the two nations. She has called for Lashardian authorities to deport every illegal immigrant residing in the country.

Karlöpög argues for stricter immigration reform within Lashardia, and that the amount years lived in the country required to become a citizen should be increased from three to ten. She is also against emigration from Lashardia, mostly to Adoriam and Pesa, and believes that emigrants are "giving up on their country" rather than staying and helping it become a better place.

### Military

Karlöpög was adamant against President Olla Ottöfrenz's decision to disband the Lashardian military in 2015, and has stated repeatedly that if she was elected into office, the military would be reinstated. She has stated that she "admires" Zakharia's conscription system where all able-bodied men and women must serve in the military, but believes that such a system would be unrealistic in Lashardia. However, she has stated that should the military not receive enough enlistment during a time of crisis, she would not hesitate in instating a conscription system.

### Social issues

Karlöpög has called herself pro-life, and opposes abortion except in cases where giving birth could risk the mother's life. During her 2016 presidential campaign, she stated that if elected, she'd try to make abortion illegal in Lashardia. Karlöpög believes that both doctors who perform abortions, and women who receive them, should be jailed for manslaughter and child abuse.

Regarding same-sex marriage, Karlöpög has come out stating that the government should not regulate marriage, as it is a religious sacrament. She believes that the Lashardian Orthodox Church should decide whether they perform same-sex marriages or not, and that they should only be for Lashardian Orthodox Christian couples. She has stated that government should only have a part in awarding civil unions, and that they should be presented to same-sex couples in addition to heterosexual couples.

## Personal life

Karlöpög was introduced to Hans Grötöjohanes by mutual friends in 1983 while the two were college students at Queen's University. While they went on one date, they later decided to remain friends, and did so for many years. They began seriously dating in 1987, and in 1989 Grötöjohanes proposed. They were married in autumn 1990, and later had their only child Palina Hansöjohanes in winter 1992.

In early 2009, it was revealed in the press that Karlöpög had filed for divorce from Grötöjohanes citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized the following year. Karlöpög later filed for sole custody of their daughter Palina, who was still under the age of 18 at the time, but was denied. Currently, Karlöpög resides in the Hoffmann district of Ubenmoor. She is a practicing Lashardian Orthodox Christian.