Politics of Tournesol
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Tournesol has a federal one-party socialist republican system. It is constitutionally defined as a Marxist–Landonist state. State power is concentrated in the Continentalist Party of Labor, which controls all levels of government and is present in virtually every political organ in the Tourneser system. The head of state of Tournesol is the President, the head of government is the Premier, and the General Secretary of the Continentalist Party of Labor is the leader of the Continentalist Party of Labor. All three posts are separate positions, of which the latter is the de facto most powerful office in Tournesol. State executive power is held by the Council of Ministers. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral National Assembly of Tournesol, who elects the President. The judiciary is independent and headed by the Supreme People's Court of Tournesol. Like other Marxist–Landonist states, Tournesol features a dual party-state structure. The Continentalist Party of Labor's highest body is the Party Congress. When the Party Congress is not in session, the Party is headed by the Central Committee, which in turn, elects members of the Secretariat.
The National Assembly of Tournesol is composed of 225 members, elected by popular vote to serve on four-year terms. According to the Constitution, the legislature is the supreme organ of the state, and is empowered to create and amend laws, adopt the government budget, review and audit the government, and appoint members of the judiciary. The National Assembly meets only twice a year and in between sessions of the National Assembly, the Council of State has the authority to exercise most of the National Assembly's powers and functions. The Council of State is composed of 21 members and is elected by members of the National Assembly.
The President of Tournesol is nominated by the Council of State and is elected by the National Assembly to serve a four-year term. The President is the de jure commander-in-chief of the Tourneser People's Armed Forces and head of the Central Military Commission. The premier is the executive of the Tourneser government and chairs the Council of Ministers. They are supported by four deputy ministers and other ministers of the state to carry out the duties and functions of the government.
The Tourneser judicial system is divided into three levels of courts: supreme, departmental, and local. The Supreme People's Court of Tournesol is the highest court of the land and the last court of resort. There are also specialized courts such as the Central Military Court and the Trade Court.
In addition to the federal government, Tournesol has 10 department-level administrative divisions (6 departments and 4 districts) which each have their own governments and constitutions. Each have three branches of government and exhibit the same dual-party government structure as the federal government.
Legal framework
Tournesol is constitutionally defined as a socialist republic guided by the principles of Marxism–Landonism and Continentalism, and its government structure is for the most part structurally based on that of the United Commonwealth. It asserts that Tournesol is currently at the primary stage of socialism and its goal is to achieve an eventual state of communism as predicted by Karl Marx in the "withering away of the state". The current constitution was adopted on November 11, 2016. There have been three previous editions in 1921, 1939, and 1987. The sole legal and ruling party is the Continentalist Party of Labor which is involved in virtually all aspects of Tourneser governance, except at the most local level. Tourneser law is largely based on Landonist law although some elements of Anglo-American common law and French civil law are present such as in contract law and torts.
State ideology
Tournesol is a socialist state under one-party rule and led by the Continentalist Party of Labor (French: Parti travailliste continentaliste, CPL/PTC). The party officially espouses Marxism–Landonism and Continentalism. The two ideologies provide the philosophical and political framework to which Tournesol abides by. Marxism–Landonism and other forms of socialism were introduced to Tournesol in the 1870s and gained traction during the early 1900s. During the Tourneser Revolution, which coincided with the Continental Revolutionary War, large parts of Tournesol were occupied by the Free States, which consisted of anarcho-communists who opposed the prevailing ideology of the Continentalist Party of the United Commonwealth. Marxism–Landonism and Continentalism were formally adopted by the Provisional Republic of Tournesol, and later the Continental Republic of Tournesol.
The early years of Tournesol were strongly guided under the direction of Tourneser revolutionary leader Émeric Vigouroux. Vigoroux, a leftist Catholic priest, supported a revolutionary, distinct blend of Catholicism and socialism. Unlike most other Marxist–Landonist states, Tournesol under Vigoroux was not anticlerical and the Church's activities were not suppressed or condemned.
During Great War I and the Interwar period, Tournesol was heavily influenced by Callahanism, which was adopted by Tourneser leader Nicolas Conradi. Conradi closely aligned himself with Warren and created his own variant, known as Conradism, which he described as fine-tuned for the social and economic realities of Tournesol. Similar to Callahan, the role of the Church in Tourneser society was significantly suppressed as organized religion was attacked. Conradi's anticlerical and state atheist policies were highly unpopular and resulted in sectarian tension by the Catholic-majority population and sections of the party cadres. Following Conradi's death and a period of Decallahanization, Tournesol moved closer to orthodox Marxism–Landonism and was influenced by Catholic social teaching and liberation theology from the United People's Committees. The role of the Church in Rome in the public sphere was revived as the Tourneser state adopted official policies of of accommodationism and secularism. The synthesis of Marxism–Landonism, Continentalism, and Catholic social teaching was promoted as André Dubois Thought by Tourneser leader André Dubois.
In the 1990s, the party experienced a period of renewed interest in Callahanism under General Secretary Étienne Renard, who resisted the perceived liberalizing tendencies of other countries in the Landonist world, especially after the collapse of the Landonist regime in Brazoria, which was Tournesol's neighbor to the south. Under Renard, Tournesol and the party focused on "looking inward" with a policy of self-reliance (autarky) with the exception of Tournesol's continued dependency on its much larger neighbor, the United Commonwealth. Following Renard's death, Renard was succeeded by the party moderate Gaston Rousseau, who in 2001, declared that Tournesol was now guided under "New Age Socialism" which sought to modernize Tournesol economically whilst remaining firmly socialist. New Age Socialism was also committed to confronting the 21st century's challenges including climate change, economic exploitation, sexism, racism, and hunger by having a more internationalist outlook.
Continentalist Party of Labor
According to the party charter, the Continentalist Party of Labor is organized under the principles of democratic centralism as articulated by Isaiah Landon. It states that it is "committed to advancing the principles of Karl Marx, Fredrich Engels, and Isaiah Landon, securing the Tourneser people's revolution, and defending the rights, liberties, and livelihoods of the Tourneser workers". As a Marxist–Landonist party and a Continentalist organization, it supports the notion of a unified American continent under Marxism–Landonism, with the eventual goal of global communism. It is ardently anti-capitalist, anti-monarchist, anti-derzhavist, and anti-imperialist. Its aim as the vanguard of the Tourneser working people is to create a strong, prosperous, and democratic nation which is committed to advancing equity and fairness. It also affirms the Continentalist statement that declares "Our goal is the happiness of all mankind", as well as the Golden Law and Ten Commandments of Landonism.
Under the democratic centralist framework, the Continentalist Party of Labor engages in criticism, self-criticism, and strict party discipline. All levels of party are organized in this way and are elected directly or indirectly by the people. All bodies of the Party must show unity in decision-making and be open to change when necessary and agreed upon. The supremacy of the Party over the state is also paramount.
Structurally, the Continentalist Party of Labor is governed by the Congress of the Continentalist Party of Labor (shortened to the Party Congress). The Congress meets at least once every five years to convene on matters such as the election of party leaders, the confirmation or rejection of proposals, and the establishment of party agenda. The Party Congress elects members to the Central Committee of the Continentalist Party of Labor to carry out the administrative duties of the Party when the Party Congress is not in session. The Central Committee is responsible for electing members to the Secretariat, which includes the post of the General Secretary of the Continentalist Party of Labor, the most powerful office in Tournesol.
Membership within the Continentalist Party of Labor is required to hold senior positions of power in the state. As of 2022, there were 600,000 members registered according to the Continentalist Party of Labor's official records.
The Continentalist Party of Labor controls the National Front, an umbrella coalition of mass movements and sociopolitical organizations which are aligned with the Party. Although the Continentalist Party is the sole legal party, "registered sections" within the Party and the National Front are permitted to operate under the supervision of the Party. All member organizations of the National Front must support the ideology of the Continentalist Party and may only serve in an advisory role. By law, no organization other than the Continentalist Party may constitute more than one-third of any state institution in Tournesol above the local level.
Executive
The President of Tournesol is the head of state and is elected to a four-year term by the National Assembly of Tournesol. Under the current constitution, the President may not serve more than three terms. The President is also the Chair of the Central Military Committee by ex officio and is the commander-in-chief of the Tourneser People's Armed Forces. The president has the responsibility of appointing the premier, vice premiers, and other ministers of the state with the approval by the National Assembly. The president has discretionary powers on matters involving foreign policy and defense, including the right to declare a state of emergency and to declare war.
The Government of Tournesol is headed by the Premier and their vice premiers. The Council of Ministers, sometimes referred to as the Cabinet, is the administrative organ of the executive government and consists of the state's senior ministers and departmental heads. The Council of Ministers is responsible for implementing the policies and activities of the state and is supported by a large bureaucratic network of civil servants, administrative staff, and government officials. The Premier is the head of government and is elected by members of the National Assembly, and serves as the pleasure of the National Assembly, at the request of the President.
Legislative
The National Assembly of Tournesol is a unicameral legislative body comprising 225 members. It is the highest organ of the Tournerser state and its members are elected directly by the people. In theory, the National Assembly exercises supreme power and control over all state activities. Delegates to the National Assembly are elected every five years through nationwide elections done by secret ballot. The National Assembly generally convenes twice a year for several days at a time to make important decisions such as the election of government officials, the recommendation and passage of laws, and the review of the state budget. During the National Assembly's recess, the Council of State is delegated the responsibility to perform and fulfill the duties of the National Assembly. The Council of State is composed of 21 members, who are all elected by members of the National Assembly.
The National Assembly is divided into eight permanent committees and ad hoc committees may be created during plenary sessions of the National Assembly. Each committee, based on their assigned competency, is tasked with the responsibility of studying, examining, and reviewing proposals, bills, and other legal documents, before recommending them before the floor of the National Assembly and the Council of State.
Judiciary
Tourneser law is based primarily on Landonist law and also contains elements of Anglo-American common law and Franco-Roman civil law in certain areas of the law, particularly in contract law and tort law. The highest court of the land is the Supreme People's Court of Tournesol, which is composed of a chief justice, deputy judges, court secretaries, and jurors. The Supreme People's Court is the highest court for appeal and review, as the last court of resort. Immediately below the Supreme People's Court are the people's courts, which includes the various specialized courts at the federal level, the appellate courts, and military tribunals. At the departmental-level are the departmental supreme courts, the departmental appellate courts, civil courts, criminal courts, and other courts of first instance.
The Office of the Procurator General represents the government and prosecutes individuals and groups on behalf of the state. It is also responsible for overseeing the judicial processes of the state and observes the actions of all levels of government and the public. The Procurator General is appointed by the National Assembly at the recommendation of the President.
Elections
All citizens who are 16 years or older are automatically registered as voters in Tournesol. All citizens, regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, language, religion, or disability are eligible to vote except for those deemed mentally unfit or incompetent by law or otherwise deprived of their right to vote by court order. Voting at all levels is completely voluntary. Citizens elect numerous officials at various levels of government, including at the local level, the departmental level, and the federal level.
Elections are generally held at fixed intervals and depend on the length of term of office of given government positions or offices. Legislative elections for the National Assembly represent the highest level of government that citizens can vote and participate in directly. At the local level, citizens elect members to municipal assemblies and departmental assemblies. Most citizens are also members of the Revolutionary Ward Committees, a volunteer-led network of neighborhood organizations tasked with providing community outreach, offering voluntary public services, and enforcing party discipline against counter-revolutionary activities.
Local government
Tournesol is a federation of six departments and four districts. Both departments and districts have their own governments and branches of the Continentalist Party of Labor. The departments and districts are further subdivided into municipalities such as communes, cantons, cities, arrondissements, and villages. At each level, the municipalities are organized by local government units that consist of people's councils and party offices.
Each department and district is administered by a People's Council, which is the "supreme organ" of the department. Members of the People's Councils are elected directly by the people and the People's Councils in turn elect members to People's Committees, which represents the People's Councils when the latter is not in session. All People's Committees are headed by a chair.
Foreign relations
Tournesol maintains diplomatic relations with most countries in the world. It is a member state of the League of Nations and the World Trade Organization. It is also a member of the international Organization for Mutual Economic Assistance and Development and the North America-based Chattanooga Pact. The Continentalist Party of Labor is a founding member of the Landonist International and maintains active party-to-party relations with other Landintern parties.
Historically, Tournesol's closest relations have been with fellow countries espousing Marxism–Landonism as their state ideologies. Its closest and strongest ally has been its neighbor, the United Commonwealth. Both are members of the Chattanooga Pact, a military alliance of North American communist states. The United Commonwealth is Tournesol's largest trading partner and largest supplier of military equipment and technology. Through mutual agreement, citizens of both Tournesol and the United Commonwealth have the freedom of movement and residency in either country. The Tournesol–United Commonwealth border is open and there are no border control checkpoints along their mutual borders. Tournesol was originally intended to join the United Commonwealth as a continental republic and was included in early drafts of the Union Treaty, but Tourneser leaders ultimately decided to opt out and remain independent. Nonetheless, the high level of dependency of Tournesol on the United Commonwealth has led to Tournesol being described as a Continental satellite state.
Prior to the Yellowrose Revolution, Tournesol and its southern neighbor, Brazoria, had strong ties. Following the end of Landonist rule in Brazoria, relations between the two states cooled, especially after Brazoria joined the CAS and later NTO. Since the 2010s, the two countries have moved towards rapprochement and Brazoria is Tournesol's second-largest trading partner.
Tournesol's relations with the CAS including Superior and the Kingdom of Sierra were fraught throughout the 20th century. The CAS had consistently accused and criticized Tournesol of "human rights violations and lack of fundamental freedoms" including free and fair elections, freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech. Although Tournesol had diplomatic relations with all of the CAS member states, relations did not improve until the 21st century as Tournesol adopted economic reforms that opened up its markets. The leaders of Tournesol and the CAS member states have met on several occasions to facilitate dialogue and cooperation over issues such as national security, energy, climate change, and peaceful coexistence.
State leaders
| 20th Secretariat of the Continentalist Party of Labor | |||||||||
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| Rank | Portrait | Information | Member since | NA Constituency | Position(s) | ||||
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Name | Gaston Rousseau | Member since the 13th Politburo, elected in 1987. 7th term. |
Manincatudie-1 | General Secretary of the Continentalist Party of Labor Chairman of the Central Military Committee of the Continentalist Party of Labor | |||
| Born | March 7, 1936 Manincatudie, Haute-Tournesol, Tournesol | ||||||||
| Gender | Male | ||||||||
| 2 (▲ 2) |  |
Name | Jeanne-Lucille Desmarais | Member since the 18th Politburo, elected in 2012. 2nd term. |
Cansezville-1 | President of Tournesol Standing Member of the Central Military Committee Chair of the National Security Council | |||
| Born | February 22, 1961 Ouichite, Arcansa, Tournesol | ||||||||
| Gender | Female | ||||||||
| 3 (▲ 1) |  |
Name | Christophe Armand | Member since the 17th Politburo, elected in 2010. 3rd term. |
Olathe-3 | Premier of Tournesol Chairman of the Council of State Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council | |||
| Born | October 13, 1959 Olathe, Tournesol | ||||||||
| Gender | Male | ||||||||