DISCLAIMER: This article will not dictate the general elections, and only reflects the general outlook as seen by the press.
Election season has once again arrived in Millania, bringing with it the semi-annual spike in activity among citizens, in anticipation of the next bout of elections. However, this year citizens are likely going to be surprised by the results. The House of Peers has been shrunk by the Imperial Household to a rather small eight seats, seven of which are to be elected, from the original thirteen. With the recent annexation of the Free Commonwealth of Kayutsastan and its twelve residents, the majority Topek (a right-wing regionalist party) realm could very well flip it all red, with a Conservative minority government.
In the wake of a shockingly large Liberal win, with the Grand Alliance earning nine out of thirteen seats, including seven of the eight elected seats, the Liberals specifically may pull ahead once more, if it can hold together the fragile left-wing coalition. The only thing stopping them is the sheer amount of left-wing candidates for Chancellor, which could push the conservatives to a close win.
Thomas Andersson, the current independent Chancellor, heads the Grand Alliance, and will face a tough challenge against the new face of the Conservatives – Minister of Records Stephen Freayth, experienced Abeldane politician and Millanian national. The two are the most likely winners, and see the most popularity among the largest constituent realms. Seeking re-election, Andersson will have to patch together support from the Marketists and Paisa! to gain a strong showing.
Two other contenders for Chancellor are Republican Jack Satterfield, Leader of the Opposition, heading the right-wing dominated El Correcto coalition, and Liberal Zoey Liu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and incoming Liberal. The two are not expected to do as strongly, but will together decide much of the vote.
Likely to face defeat is centrist Charlotte Baxter-Bray (CBBP), Minister of Communications, after losing much of her reputation as a Millanian statesman by taking a gap year from the local school. Her party will have to fight hard against other small parties to obtain at least a single seat.
The Liberal and Marketist party lists involve popular names such as Crown Prince Nicolás (Marketist), who currently resides as the Lord Chamberlain, and Austin Jaax, (Liberal) Minister of Culture, alongside Liu herself. These two parties have the advantage in the popularity of their candidates, along with Andersson, and are expected to form a strong coalition once the election ends.
The Conservative list includes Captain Regent Tom Kap of Kayutsastan along with Freayth, and is expected to show extremely strong results in Kayutsastan for this sole reason. This could very well have El Correcto form a slight majority over the Grand Alliance. The right looks to the more conservative realms of Yochtia and Kayutsastan for their support.
Other smaller parties in the coalitions involve the Satterfield Republicans, ran by Satterfield himself, Paisa!, fielding Infanta Antonia, the popular Minister of the Environment, who is heading the national initiative to have Millania go (to the extent possible) carbon neutral. CBBP's Charlotte Baxter-Bray, independent Jayden Lycon and Social Ecology's left-wing leader Newton von Uberquie are expected to fight for the final seat, looking for a solid finish in the Eastern Prefectures against the larger parties.
In conclusion, the election this time around is too close to call, with larger parties seeing larger benefits, and smaller parties going toe to toe over the remaining seats further from the capital.