Nearly a Month Into Her Leadership, SDP's Jeskia Is in Trouble

Vice President Jeskia's leadership of the Social Democratic Party has gotten off to quite a rough start.

Jeskia was elected Leader of the Social Democratic Party on 11 September 2021, officially succeeding incumbent President GeorgeChambers on the top of the party. For months now, from the very onset of her political career, Jeskia reportedly came to be seen by some, most notably by DNP and Green Party members, as "quite volatile" and "controversial" as a politician.

Indeed, over the past few months, Jeskia has picked several fights with various politicians in Demarcia, something which seems to have hurt her almost immediately.

For instance, in July 2021, while her party (she was its Deputy Leader at the time) was in a coalition with the Green Party, she threatened a full-blown investigation into former Vice President hircine regarding his role in the Novaland affair. Reportedly, this strained the relations between the SDP and the Green Party - possibly for good. Soon after that controversy, however, she alleged voter fraud in the August 2021 elections, called for a release of voter records (something the Greens strongly objected to) and for an investigation into the election.

Jeskia indeed remains a controversial figure on the Demarcian political scene. From talking to Demarcian citizens, we are increasingly getting the feeling that she is not as popular as previous Social Democratic leaders (Penstubal was quite popular and seen as competent, Vincent_Wolff was seen as a stable leader who knew how to conduct herself, and GeorgeChambers is noted for his compassion and his desire for compromise). Meanwhile, the public's opinion on Jeskia hasn't quite formed, and where it has formed, it has been slightly negative.

The most sharp reaction is from the Green Party. After her election as the SDP's leader, the Green Party's MikeBodwin immediately declared his opposition to her and support for her likely opponent, the Demarcian National Party's leader Vincent_Wolff, feeling that Vincent_Wolff is a much less "chaotic" choice, while lambasting Jeskia's inexperience.

Jeskia's interview for the Demarcian Inquirer has not quelled concerns about her character, integrity and readiness to be the most powerful person in Demarcia. Her interview was filled with scathing attacks against MikeBodwin above all - calling him a "hopper" in politics, somebody who "truly has no values". She also refused to back down from the idea of an investigation into the Novaland affair, something bound to upset the Green Party.

Public opinion seems to have turned from openness to giving Jeskia a chance to outright disliking her, in great part due to her inflammatory rhetoric. The Social Democrats remain behind Jeskia and believe that her good qualities will show as time goes by over whatever bad ones she might have. It remains to be seen whether this will become the case and it remains to be seen how the public attitude towards her will change.

One thing is for certain though - Jeskia has to adjust. She has to appeal towards voters who might not be fully aligned with her and who might even be closer to her rival parties. Most importantly, she might have to come closer to the Green Party's stances on military issues if she wishes to win over their votes in a crucial presidential election - which the Vincent_Wolff might actually win.

Laura Cooper,

Demarcian Inquirer