During a routine press conference on the morning of Thursday, December 10, Semanish Prime Minister Sasen Cotava commented that the Semanish military was slated to have significant budget cuts when asked a question about the government’s annual budget in FY 2021. The press conference, which took place in the East Garden of the Ministerial House in the capital city of Renkesi, also discussed matters of foreign relations. According to PM Cotava, “increasingly strong relations” with other nations has “reduced the demand to respond to foreign powers with brute force” in turn transforming the current spending of the Semanish military into a massive deficit. The decision comes hot on the heels of a poll released by Semanish analytics group Pakatasįa, revealing 67 percent of the surveyed population believed there was no need for a Semanish military presence abroad. In the same poll, 59 percent of the same surveyed group stated that Education is the government sector that currently requires the largest funding boost in FY 2021, while 24 percent and 16 percent of the surveyed population slated Healthcare and Infrastructure as the sectors in the greatest need for more funding, respectively.
increasingly strong relations [with other nations has] reduced the demand to respond to foreign powers with brute force.
Though no further details were revealed at the press conference as to what parts of the military would receive less funding in 2021, the PM did state that a detailed report of new budget allocations would become available “by the end of January”.
Since her election to the Assembly in April 2015, PM Cotava of the Labor Party has proven to be a strong presence in Semanish politics, with her internationalist and progressive policies garnering support from the general public. Since her time as Prime Minister began in January of 2018, the country has already seen a shift of biblical proportions when it comes to its foreign policy and societal norms. Though the nation still harbors a highly conservative society, people are slowly turning their eyes to the rest of the world by following Cotava’s lead. Trade has improved with neighboring nations, especially Jahta and Kojo, while the tourism industry has boomed after a successful year-long government marketing campaign in collaboration with Semanish Airlines. As a result of these improved relations, the Semanish military has seen the number of active personnel transferring to the Reserve Force skyrocket due to lower international conflict.
Since the end of the press conference this morning, the decision to “defund” the Semanish military appeared to have come suddenly. Maitak Acovna, the leader of the Social Justice Party, said that Cotava’s decision “aligned with the values of the [Social Justice Party] quite well, but the announcement should have come with a well-planned course of action where our parties can work together to better inform the people we serve”. Acovna’s party formed a coalition with Cotava’s party as well as the Green Party (led by Ostak Vaitaįele) in order to control the majority of the Assembly’s 211 seats back in January of 2017. Acovna went on to say that he “looks forward to working closely with [Cotava] to create a plan in the next few weeks” and that “wide support for the final product” is to be expected.
Another press conference has been scheduled for 4:00pm CEUT (UTC + 7) on Saturday, December 12 in the East Garden of the Ministerial House, where both Acovna and Vaitaįele are expected to join Cotava in detailing the initial planning phase of these military budget cuts.
