VICHY TIMES - Politics
Elections Called by Sartre, War Called by Deniau
September 21st, 2025

In Vichy, Grandmaster of the Ordre de Saint-Guinefort Armel Sartre has concluded a short press release regarding the organization of his new party, Guinefortisme!, by stating that elections shall be held “fifteen days on the hour.”, meaning that the final ballot will be cast on October 6th, with the results revealed the day after. This comes as a shock to only those who have no been keeping a close eye on Vichyite politics, as Administrator-Principal of the Ordre Jean-Baptiste Marchand has been campaigning since July, and has suggested several times that Sartre intends for the final result to be released in early October.

Other than the already well established Guinefortisme!, there is only one other officially-recognized party running for the 54-seat First Auvergne Council, being the White Flags of Marchand, who have split from Guinefortisme! reportedly due to disagreements with federalism, with some Ordre members reporting privately that Marchand’s split from the party has caused lasting internal issues with the wide-ranging politics of Sartre’s clique. It is clear that the running constituents of Guinefortisme! are divided on the ideologies of how much control should be allowed to the Federation, as well as how closely the Federation should control commerce, working hours, and harvest times. As it stands, many of the local electees not officially affiliated with the Ordre de Saint-Guinefort are running under Guinefortisme! as federalists, while most Ordre-affiliated party members remain largely anti-federalist, with Sartre having yet to reveal his opinion on the matter.

Other than Guinefortisme! and the White Flags, there are no parties that have yet to be accepted by the de-facto government of the Ordre as legitimate, leaving some electees who have no interest in affiliating with either party forced to run as independent. Such politicians include northern Bonapartists such as Paul Duclos, Marie Courbet, and Lara Blanc, who are running in an independent, women's liberation coalition in an effort to bring more female constituents into congress while accusing Guinefortisme! As being “obviously biased towards the fraternal organization which has the same characteristics of the party, as well as identical leadership.”, an accusation which has yet to be refuted by Sartre. Pollers in Vichy, Dijon, and Lyon predict that these three aforementioned individuals will likely win their coveted posts, as West Dijon has been home to Auvergne’s women’s liberation movements since its annexation by late Grandmaster Peter Julian in 1996.

Meanwhile, in Lyon, War Minister of the Federation and Guinefortisme! member Magne Deniau has backed the North’s call for war against Germany, calling it “Strategically advantageous to the extent that the first Napoleon would call us fools if we did not act immediately.”, harping on Southern politicians for “Clear and blatant avoidance of a necessary, honorable war, wherein the Germans have invaded our sovereignty and claimed our men, and should be reminded what it was like when France stood united against the Fourth Coalition, where even greater odds were being faced.”