Viktor Durak (born 1958) is a Kresimirian politician and former Senator for District II (Kakerovecska). A member of the Vjetrusa party, he served in the Assembly from 2002 until his electoral defeat in 2022.
Durak was the primary representative of the “Worker Nationalist” wing of Vjetrusa. Unlike the business-oriented “Corporate” wing led by Bran Maj, Durak advocates for economic protectionism, strict law and order, and state intervention to protect Kresimirian jobs. His career has been defined by his fractious relationship with the party leadership and his controversial support for the 2015 Digital Vigilance Act. Since losing his seat, he has become a vocal critic of the Vjetrusa establishment, drifting closer to the hardline ideology of the Sons of Kresimir.
Early Life and Radicalization
Viktor Durak was born into a poor mining family in the industrial sprawl of Novi Otonik. He began working in the state-run coal mines at age 16. During the 1980s, as the industrial sector destabilized under the pressure of privatization and the rise of Maj Holdings, Durak became active in labor organizing.
However, unlike his contemporary Ljubo Sanjakorin, who channeled worker grievances into the statist Blue Dawn party, Durak became disillusioned with the left. He viewed the socialist unions as too accommodating to ethnic minorities and too focused on international solidarity.
Durak was radicalized by the “cultural dilution” of the industrial workforce and the perceived weakness of the state against the Bosken insurgency. He joined Vjetrusa in the late 1990s, arguing that the working class needed “patriotism, not handouts.”
Senatorial Career (2002–2022)
Durak was elected to the Assembly in the 2002 election, capitalizing on a wave of nationalist sentiment in Kakerovecska. He secured the second seat behind Sanjakorin, displacing the CRF incumbent.
The Rivalry with Bran Maj
Durak’s tenure was marked by a bitter internal cold war with Bran Maj, the wealthy industrialist and fellow newly elected Vjetrusa Senator.
- Ideological Clash: Maj advocated for deregulation, free trade, and the weakening of unions. Durak championed tariffs, “Kresimirian-First” hiring practices, and the preservation of the state safety net for “loyal citizens.”
- The “Suit vs. Boot” Conflict: Durak frequently attacked Maj in the press, referring to him as a “vulture capitalist” who cared more about profit margins than the nation. Maj, in turn, dismissed Durak as an “economically illiterate populist.”
The party became fractured and Vjetrusa leader, Misko Maretic, was frequently forced to take sides in the public conflict.
The 2013 Integrity Act
In 2013, when Syv Iric proposed the Senatorial Divestment Bill (aimed at forcing businessmen like Maj to sell their assets), Durak broke ranks with his party to vote in favor of the bill. He argued that “oligarchs should not write the laws.” This vote deepened the rift within Vjetrusa, though the bill ultimately failed.
The 2015 Digital Vigilance Act
Durak’s most controversial legislative action occurred in 2015. The Digital Vigilance Act, proposed by Ari Stov, sought to mandate the KresiX operating system and expand state surveillance.
The opposition bloc (CRF, Northern Power, BLF) and the libertarian wing of Vjetrusa (led by Bran Maj) opposed the bill. However, Durak defied the Vjetrusa whip and voted for the legislation.
- Justification: Durak argued that the internet had become a “cesspool of sedition” used by AFIM terrorists and “foreign degenerates.” He stated, “If a man has nothing to hide from his Republic, he has nothing to fear from the Daemon.”
- Impact: His vote was decisive. The bill passed 11–9. Had Durak voted with Maj and the opposition, the bill would have failed. This action alienated him from the party leadership but solidified his support among authoritarian voters.
2022 Defeat and Aftermath
In the 2022 election, Durak lost his seat in District II. The Civic Renewal Front (CRF) swept the district, with Vesna Horvatin and Matej Kovac taking both seats.
Durak publicly blamed his defeat on Bran Maj. He alleged that the Maj-controlled party treasury had deliberately withheld campaign funds from District II to “purge” him from the Assembly. He claimed that the “Corporate Wing” of Vjetrusa had betrayed the working class, driving them into the arms of the CRF.
Drift to the Far-Right
Since leaving office, Durak has not retired from public life. He has become a fierce critic of the Vjetrusa leadership. In 2023 and 2024, he was sighted as a guest speaker at rallies for the Sons of Kresimir (SoK) alongside Malik Kondratiev. While he has not formally defected, political analysts speculate he may run under the SoK banner in future elections, potentially bringing a significant bloc of disaffected industrial workers to the religious hardline party.