Balush Gjintelma

**Balush Gjintelma** (born 25 January 1967) is a Notoshan politician and lawyer who has served as prime minister of Notosha since 2014. He has additionally served as leader of the New Notosha Alliance since its creation in 2010, and is the founder of the Onwards Forwards political party.

Born in Astina, Gjintelma graduated from secondary school in 1985. After graduating, he received a law degree from the University of Astina in 1991, and subsequently received a master's degree in international and human rights law from the University of Keln in 1992. After working as a lawyer in Keln, Gjintelma joined the Notosha Liberation Army (NLA) amidst the outbreak of the Notosha War (1994–2000). Initially working as a legal advisor out of Keln, he returned to Astina in 1995. In 1999, Gjintelma became the chief legal officer of the NLA, facilitating discussions between the NLA and the Republic of Lorbia. Following the end of the war in 2000, Gjintelma returned to Keln to continue his law career, working with non-governmental organizations in human rights law.

With the dawn of Notoshan independence, Gjintelma returned to Astina again in 2009, and founded the political party Onwards Forwards in order to advocate for a pro-independence and socially liberal platform. Following the declaration of Notoshan independence the following year, Gjintelma negotiated and formed the New Notosha Alliance, a political coalition that he led with the intent of standing in the upcoming 2010 parliamentary election as a prime ministerial candidate. The party ultimately did not win enough seats and became the chief opposition coalition. Gjintelma subsequently became a widely known name within Notosha in the run-up to the 2014 parliamentary election, where he was once again the prime ministerial candidate for the New Notosha Alliance. The coalition ultimately won a majority in parliament, and Gjintelma became the prime minister of Notosha. Following his election, his first cabinet was sworn into office. As prime minister, Gjintelma advocated for the strengthening of relations with the remainder of Eurea, in addition to socially progressive reforms meant to "modernize" and "Eureanize" Notoshan culture. He led the party into the 2018 parliamentary election, where he was reelected and formed his second cabinet.

## Early life and education

Gjintelma was born on 25 January 1967 in Astina to parents Stefan Gjintelma (born 1935) and Liriza Gashi (born 1937). Both of his parents worked as teachers, with his father teaching mathematics and his mother teaching primary school, and the family was middle-class. Gjintelma is the second of four children; his siblings include Elbuna, born  (1964-10-01) 1 October 1964 (age 59), Zbardhor, born  (1969-03-28) 28 March 1969 (age 54), and Adeli, born  (1971-06-13) 13 June 1971 (age 52). He was raised in a modest four-bedroom home.

Gjintelma began his education in 1973, attending a public, primary school in Astina. While in primary school, Gjintelma was a charismatic and gifted student, who dreamed of becoming a lawyer. After graduating from primary school in 1981, he enrolled in a public secondary school, graduating in 1985. After completing secondary school, Gjintelma enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Astina, where he graduated with his law degree in 1991. He then moved to Keln to enroll in the University of Keln, graduating with a master's degree in international and human rights law in 1992.

## Law career and Notosha Liberation Army

After graduating with his master's degree in 1992, Gjintelma remained in Keln and worked as a lawyer at the non-government organization Chariots, where he specialized in immigration law assisting refugees receiving asylum in Frankenland. Following the beginning of the Notosha War (1994–2000), Gjintelma joined the Notoshan Liberation Army (NLA) in order to assist in defending Notosha and the Notoshan people against Lorbian nationalists. Initially, he served as a legal advisor and worked out of Keln, but later returned to Astina in 1995, in order to have a more hands-on position.

Upon returning to Astina, Gjintelma became one of the top legal advisors within the NLA, assisting with legal matters and policy discussions. In 1999, he became the chief legal officer of the NLA, facilitating discussions between the NLA and the Republic of Lorbia. Following the end of the war in 2000, Gjintelma returned to Keln where he began working at the non-governmental organization the Notosha-Frankenland Alliance, where he represented victims of human rights violations during the Notosha War. He left his law career in 2009, in order to enter Notoshan politics.

## Political career

### Early politics

With a burgeoning independence movement, Gjintelma returned to Astina once again in 2009, in order to assist with the independence movement. Looking to become involved in politics, he founded the political party Onwards Forwards in order to advocate for a pro-independence and socially liberal platform, initially intending to contest the party in the 2010 parliamentary election. Following the 2010 declaration of Notoshan independence, Gjintelma negotiated a coalition deal to form the New Notosha Alliance coalition, which he became the leader of. The coalition was formed to contest the 2010 election and challenge the ruling Democratic Notosha coalition.

Gjintelma led the coalition into the 2010 election, where he ran as the coalition's prime ministerial candidate on a socially progressive platform that sought to modernize Notoshan culture. The coalition ultimately did not win a majority and became the chief opposition to the ruling Democratic Notosha coalition. Nevertheless, Gjintelma continued his campaigning and became a widely known name within Notosha. He later contested the 2014 parliamentary election as the prime ministerial candidate of the New Notosha Alliance coalition, where the coalition won a majority in parliament.

### Prime Minister of Notosha

Following the coalition's victory in the 2014 election, Gjintelma was sworn in as prime minister of Notosha along with his first cabinet. Upon taking office, Gjintelma pledged to strengthen relations between Notosha and other Eurean nations, while also advocating for a socially progressive platform. Under his leadership, the government passed anti-discrimination legislation for LGBT people, eased abortion restrictions, and ended the ban on same-sex marriage. In the run-up to the upcoming 2014 presidential election, Gjintelma selected Ilzabete Kafriti as the coalition's preferred presidential candidate, subsequently electing her to the office; with her election, Kafriti became the first woman to serve as President of Notosha.

Widely popular throughout his first term in office, Gjintelma was predicted to easily win the 2018 parliamentary election. Seeking a second term as prime minister, the New Notosha Alliance coalition was ultimately reelected with an even wider margin than their first term, with Gjintelma being effectively reelected as prime minister. Later that year, the party additionally reelcted Kafriti in the 2018 presidential election, making her the first Notoshan president to win a second term. In 2019, Gjintelma and his government legalized same-sex civil unions in Notosha, granting all legal benefits of marriage to same-sex couples.

## Personal life

Gjintelma began a relationship with Zogëla Metarapi in 1996. They became engaged after only five months of dating, and later married in 1998. Gjintelma and Metarapi have four children together: Blega, born  (2000-07-03) 3 July 2000 (age 23), Alkan, born  (2001-12-28) 28 December 2001 (age 22), Shefqet, born  (2003-09-20) 20 September 2003 (age 20), and Yllka, born  (2006-10-19) 19 October 2006 (age 17).

Gjintelma and his family own two residences: one in Keln and one in Astina. His family primarily resides in Keln, although Gjintelma primarily resides in Astina for governmental work. Gjintelma has identified himself as a Eurean Muslim. He is fluent in Asbanian, Lorbian, Lungarian, and Ditrovian.