Republic of Kaskiv

The Republic of Kaskiv is a sovereign state located to the east of the Divine Republic of Kresimiria. It shares a long, flat border with the districts of Kakerovecska and Pologradska.

Historically a province of the Vosti Empire, Kaskiv is Kresimiria’s most stable and friendly neighbor. Unlike the hostile southern border with Boskenmark or the chaotic western frontier with Valkaristan, the eastern border is open to trade and relatively demilitarized.

Kaskiv is a secular parliamentary republic with an economy based on vast agricultural steppes and natural gas extraction. It plays a critical role in the Kresimirian economy, supplying the natural gas that powers the heavy industry of Novi Otonik and serving as a secondary market for Kresimirian technology exports. Under Vera Donini, Kaskiv serves as a haven for secular Kresimirian intellectuals and is a quiet supporter of the Civic Renewal Front.

The capital, San Branik, is located in the west of the country. It is the political seat of the Republic and the primary hub for the natural gas trade with Kresimiria.

History

The Eastern Province (Pre-1918)

Under the Vosti Empire, Kaskiv was the “Imperial Granary.” Culturally similar to the Kresimirian east, the region was nonetheless distinct for its lack of religious zealotry. While Kresimiria was dominated by the Sanctian Church, Kaskiv developed a more secular, mercantile culture focused on the grain trade along the great steppe rivers.

The Velvet Exit (1918)

During the Collapse of the Vosti Empire in 1918, Kaskiv achieved independence without bloodshed, a sharp contrast to the Kresimirian Unification War.

As the Empire disintegrated, the local governor in San Branik simply declared the Republic and nationalized the imperial garrisons. Kresimirian General Dominik Loncar, occupied with the war in the south and west, signed the Treaty of San Branik (1919) with Kaskivian Governor Matteo Vorelli, a non-aggression pact that recognized Kaskiv’s borders in exchange for neutrality. This allowed Loncar to pull troops from the eastern front to besiege Ravna Skrad.

The Energy Partnership (1980s–Present)

Relations deepened in the 1980s under PM Dario Moretti. As Kresimiria industrialized under Ljubo Sanjakorin, it needed more energy than its domestic coal and hydro sources could provide. Kaskiv, having discovered massive natural gas reserves in its eastern steppe in 1977, became the primary supplier.

The construction of the Trans-Republic Pipeline in 1985 linked the gas fields of Kaskiv directly to the steelworks of Maj Steel in Novi Otonik.

Politics and Society

Kaskiv is a secular democracy, a fact that often causes friction with the Kresimirian Council for Divinity.

• Religion: While Kresimirianism mandates religious adherence for citizenship, Kaskiv has no state religion. The Sons of Kresimir frequently denounce Kaskiv as a “godless bazaar,” warning against the cultural influence of Kaskivian television and literature crossing the border.
• Diplomacy: Despite ideological differences, the Council for Foreign Affairs prioritizes the relationship. Kaskiv serves as a diplomatic buffer, protecting Kresimiria’s eastern flank.

Economy

Agriculture

Kaskiv competes with Ravna Skrad in wheat production. However, through the Eastern Trade Accords, the two nations have established quotas to prevent price wars. The National Grain Trust frequently purchases Kaskivian grain during drought years to maintain the strategic reserve.

Energy

The Kresimirian industrial sector is dependent on Kaskivian gas.

• The Pipeline: Operated jointly by National Energy and the Kaskiv State Gas Company, the pipeline is considered critical infrastructure.
• Leverage: Kaskiv occasionally uses gas prices as leverage in trade negotiations, forcing Kresimiria to lower tariffs on Kaskivian consumer goods.

Cross-Border Life

The border is defined by the flat steppe, marked only by customs posts.

• Novi Otonik: The city has a significant Kaskivian expatriate community, working in logistics and trade.
• Smuggling: While less severe than in the west, there is a steady flow of “secular contraband” (uncensored books and films) entering Kresimiria through the eastern checkpoints, often distributed by the CRF-aligned underground.

Elections

2023 General Election

Prime Minister Vera Donini sought a fresh mandate to continue her “Green Steppe” diversification reforms. A factor of the election was fought on the issue of the Kresimirian “Digital Vigilance Act,” which Donini strongly opposed. The LCP, led by a new business-centric leader Giovanni Russo, argued that Donini’s hostility toward the Stov administration was hurting Kaskivian logistics companies. Donini held a reduced majority, relying on the support of the Green Left and progressive independents.

Total Seats: 200 | SDP-Green Left Majority: 6

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2018 General Election

The “Modernization” election. After 14 years of LCP rule under Elena Fiori, voters were fatigued by the “Gas Politics” and stagnation. Vera Donini (SDP) ran a dynamic campaign promising to modernize the economy and improve civil rights, capitalizing on the unpopularity of Fiori’s trade wars with Kresimiria. Fiori’s LCP suffered its worst defeat in decades, winning 61 seats, the worst since 1992.

The 2018 election resulted in a gridlocked parliament - the left-of-centre bloc of the SDP and the Greens held 99 seats, and the right-of-centre bloc of the LCP and Kaskivian Flame also held 99. One of the independent MPs, Speranzio Vivaldi, who was suspended from the LCP by Fiori in 2016, decided to break the deadlock and vote to confirm the SDP-Green government.

Total Seats: 200 | SDP-Green Left-Indps Majority: 2

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2004 General Election

The end of the “Tycoon Era” and the rise of the “Iron Lady.” With Silvio Ponti retiring amidst corruption scandals, Elena Fiori took the helm of the LCP. She shifted the party’s focus from finance to national sovereignty and energy security, securing a landslide victory against a disorganized left wing. Fiori was a conservative who clashed with the Kresimirian technocrat Ari Stov. She frequently threatened to cut gas supplies over Kresimiria’s strict border checks and the treatment of Kaskivian truck drivers. She warmed relations with Kruhlstutt to reduce dependence on the Kresimirian market.

Total Seats: 200 | LCP Majority: 30

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1992 General Election

The “Tangentopoli” (Bribesville) election. The traditional political order was shaken by corruption investigations, and Dario Moretti resigned as LCP party leader as the party collapsed in the polls. Into the vacuum stepped Silvio Ponti, a media mogul who founded his own party, New National Voice. He promised to leverage his friendship with Kresimirian oligarchs to bring wealth to Kaskiv. A flamboyant media mogul and businessman, Ponti forged deep personal and financial ties with Kresimirian oligarch Bran Maj and Maj Holdings.

His own administration was later plagued by corruption allegations regarding “Grey Market” smuggling through Kresimiria via Novi Otonik.

Total Seats: 200 | NNV-LCP-Free League Majority: 28

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1978 General Election

The “Gas Election.” With the discovery of vast natural gas reserves in the east, Dario Moretti (LCP) campaigned on a platform of “Energy Superpower,” promising to use gas revenue to abolish income tax. The SDP argued for nationalization of the wells, but Moretti’s free-market promise won over the electorate. Moretti negotiated the 1985 Energy Accord with Ljubo Sanjakorin, leading to the construction of the Trans-Republic Pipeline. He famously used gas prices as leverage to force Kresimiria to lower tariffs on Kaskivian wine and luxury goods.

Total Seats: 200 | LCP Majority: 10

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1964 General Election

A historic shift. After 16 years of agrarian conservative rule, the urbanization of Kaskiv led to the victory of the Social Democrats. Giancarlo Totti ran as a “Modernizer,” advocating for the opening of markets to Kresimirian goods and the establishment of a welfare state. The first Social Democratic PM, Totti strengthened ties with the liberalizing Kresimirian government of Ante Brov. Totti reduced tariffs on Kresimirian manufactured goods, integrating the regional economies..

Total Seats: 200 | SDP-RSP Majority: 6

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1948 General Election

The election where the “Republic was Saved” according to conservative voters. Facing a strong challenge from the Popular Democratic Front (backed by elements in the Kresimirian east), Lieto Ezzo consolidated all right-wing and centrist forces under the LCP banner. The election was defined by the influence of the Pravoslavic Brotherhood and the agrarian vote. Ezzo maintained a pragmatic, transactional relationship with Kresimirian Chair Luka Matar and Chancellor Kresimirovic II. While politically distant, Ezzo ensured Kaskivian grain fed the Kresimirian industrial workforce during the “Iron Era.”

Total Seats: 200 | LCP Majority: 40

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1932 General Election

The “Secular Shift.” Alessandro Silvi took over the LCP with a radical agenda to separate church and state, contrasting Kaskiv with the rising RPP in Kresimiria. He purged the clerical faction from the party, leading to a narrower but decisive victory against the religious hardliners led by Ovidio Odorizzi. A staunch anti-clericalist, Silvi codified the secular constitution to contrast Kaskiv with the theocratic rise of the RPP in Kresimiria. Relations cooled significantly during his tenure; he closed the border to Kresimirian “missionaries” but kept it open for grain exports.

Total Seats: 200 | LCP Majority: 10

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1919 Constituent Election

Formerly the Vosti Imperial Governor of the province, Matteo Vorelli declared independence in Nov 1918 during the collapse. He signed the Treaty of San Branik (1919) with Kresimirian General Dominik Loncar, securing the “Velvet Exit.” He maintained strict neutrality during the Kresimirian Unification War, refusing to aid either the Centralists or the Confederacy. The primary opposition came from the revolutionary socialists and the remaining Imperial loyalists.

Total Seats: 200 | LCP Majority: 60