NABC NEWS: Democratic Socialists Win Plurality of Seats

[Alduria]

PUNTA SANTIAGO — Riding a wave of populist anger fueled by violence and political scandal, the leftist leader Marco Zimmer was elected Prime Minister of Alduria, seizing a plurality of seats in the Aldurian Parliament and upending the nation’s political establishment.

Mr. Zimmer’s victory puts a leftist leader at the helm of Eura's largest economy for the first time in its history, a prospect that has filled millions of Aldurians with hope — and the nation’s elites with trepidation.

The outcome represents a clear rejection of the status quo in the nation, which for the last ten years has been defined by a largely center-right vision and an embrace of small government that many Aldurians feel has not served them.

The core promises of Mr. Zimmer's campaign — tackle economic inequality, nationalize health care, and expand education — were immensely popular with voters, but they come with questions he and his new government may struggle to answer.

How will he pay for his ambitious slate of social programs without overspending and harming the economy? How will he achieve his leftist agenda when he will have to partner with other parties to govern? How will Mr. Zimmer govern?

“It is time for a change, it’s time to go with Zimmer and the Democratic Socialists, and see if things change,” said Felipe Noriega, 38, a teacher in Punta Santiago. “This will be my first time voting for a different party.”

In his first election as leader of the rebranded Democratic Socialist Party, Mr. Zimmer won in an off-year election held due to his withdrawal from the Prime Minister's governing coalition early in 1682. The Democratic Socialist Party won, according to early returns, 53 more seats in Parliament. It is projected to win a total of 112 seats.

But without a coalition partner, Zimmer is short of a majority by 59 votes.

In a tweet, Mr. Zimmer praised democracy and struck a conciliatory tone. "I would like to congratulate all the parties on their campaigns and I think we can all agree that democracy is a wonderful thing. I would also like to thank all our actavists (sic) and DSP voters for helping us achieve this result," he said. "Let’s move forward to a better future with a country that works for all."

In response to the results, Prime Minister Alfonso Velez also tweeted his concession saying that "as the largest party, DSP should have the first opportunity to form a Government." He also affirmed that he and the LDP were "not done fighting for Liberty & Democracy and will continue the fight in Parliament".

Mr. Zimmer campaigned on a narrative of social change, including building more housing and setting a CEO:Worker ratio of bonuses and wages.

During the campaign, he created a vision of greater involvement and control of the government over the economy but failed to mention how he would fund his programs. Activists and surrogates on the campaign trail often quoted savings that would be brought by eliminating waste, corruption, and corporate subsidies. The windfall from such action materializing, however, is doubted by many experts.