The 2057 Housing Crisis

## Lead-up

After the formation of the European Federation, the EU was reorganized into a single nation state, with one president, a lower and upper house of parliament, the European Court, and the cabinet of ministers consisting of each people's prime minister. The European Federation faced heavy opposition, but it managed to come into being following the end of the conflict in Ukraine and the climate catastrophes of the 30s and 40s. Established in 2050, the EF was mostly led by the Germanic states of the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, and Luxembourg.

As more and more people moved to these places which offer more opportunities and safety from hostile weather conditions, so too did the demand for housing increase. City populations exploded overnight and homelessness became the primary issue of the time. These mass migrations caused ethnic upheaval within the previously homogenous societies of the central European states. As nationalism was banned following the end of the Ukraine War, nationalist elements within these countries were further radicalized in secret and emboldened by the government's suppression of their ideals.

Meanwhile, student protests erupted across the Federation, supporting immigration and opposing the rising cost of rent.

*"We share our age with these vultures of men who would fashion themselves kinds of this neo-feudal world order, wherein we are no more than serfs, tied not by land but by loans to the state, to the banks, to the wealthy capitalists who run them. Why has the cost of housing increased over 500% in the past two years, but our wages have only gone up by 5%? We cannot all be doctors or scientists? What of your artists and your scholars? As we fight against nature and history to forge a new and better world, who will fight for our humanity?*

*First, they made us believe that capitalism was the only option. Then, they fooled us into thinking STEM is all that mattered. Then, they told us taking out crippling loans was part of the process. Then, they told us we could no longer be homeowners, but slaves to the whims of neo-feudalists and market forces. Finally, they made us believe we all wanted and deserved this. No more. They will only listen to us if we scream loud enough!"*

The initially peaceful protests in 2057 suddenly turned violent under the leadership of the Red Star, a student revolutionary, himself an immigrant and a devout socialist. Socialism only grew in popularity over the past thirty or so years, as the youth became more and more disillusioned with the system at the time.

## The Uprising

As the protests turned violent, they started to be collectively refer to as the Uprising. Young people of all backgrounds took to the streets of every major city in the Federation and began destroying government property, attacking the private property of rich businessmen, politicians, bankers, landlords. Entire complexes were seized and proclaimed as "Communes".

While many protesters were killed, including the Red Star, their message was received loud and clear and their ideology lived on. The federal government had gone through massive changed in the following years, culminating with the election of Daniel Sutra as the President of the European Federation. He was a follower of the Red Star and a massive advocate for progress. He campaigned on a platform of total transparency, innovation, and revolution. He won by a slim majority and eventually proposed a new form of government, only possible thanks to recent technological advances. In his papers: The Sutra Protocol, which he shared on September 3rd 2062, he outlined how this government should function. This protocol would eventually become the basis of all human civilization in the future.