[Lauchenoiria]

Lauchenoirian Guardian

Trade deal with Shuell to be voted on by Parliament this week
10th November 2019

A proposed trade deal that has been negotiated with the Incorporated States of Shuell is to go to vote in the Federal Parliament this week. The deal, which Prime Minister Alvarez says will be greatly beneficial to the Lauchenoirian economy, has been worked on for several months, and covers areas such as Shuellian investment in Lauchenoirian industries, cybersecurity, and defence equipment.

Alvarez has described the deal as “mutually beneficial to both nations”, and has claimed that the deal is “proof” Lauchenoiria is not just focusing on mending the damage done by the war, but is also looking to the future and seeking “new ways to improve the lives of the Lauchenoirian people”. It is expected that the coalition government will look for cross-party support on the deal.

The deal is not without controversy, however, with some claiming that it will “inevitably” lead to environmental deregulation, increased wealth gaps and Shuellian interference in Lauchenoiria. These theories have been dismissed by the government as “scaremongering”, and have assured Lauchenoirians that a trade deal with Shuell will not lead to any Shuellian involvement in domestic politics.

The Green Party have come out as neutral on the deal, in a surprise to many, with Green MPs being given a free vote on the matter. Leader Lucie Scott said: “while there are naturally many flaws in this deal, and I cannot urge members of my party to vote for it, I recognise there are positives which will be greatly beneficial to our country. It is a complicated issue, which is why every Green MP should be given the chance to decide for themselves whether or not to support the deal.”

The Communist Party opposes the deal, having campaigned in the June election on opposing trade with Shuell and a number of other nations they describe as “hyper-capitalist”. Leader Élia Agramunt voiced her opposition on social media today, calling the deal a “betrayal” of democracy, citing Shuell’s autocratic nature as a reason why parties claiming to support democracy should not be willing to trade with them.

It is expected that the deal will manage to pass without issues, although it is anticipated that the debate in parliament will be heated. It is also expected that a number of new bills will be announced by the government this week, after details emerged that an early morning cabinet meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow at 7:30am. No topic of discussion has been announced, though the government has been quick to state that it is not an emergency meeting.