Gustave Lynch

The Most Worthy Gustave Lynch FL OC MMT
Lord President of the Council of State
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 August 2024
Monarch	Arthur V
Preceded by	Guilherme Wünsch
Minister-President of Marienbourg
In office 1 February 2023 – 9 August 2024
Monarch	Arthur V
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Gabriel Torres
Member of the Ducal Diet
In office 9 February 2023 – 9 August 2024
Constituency	Blauberga
Personal details
Born	7 July 2000 (2000-07-07) Paulo de Frontin, Brazil
Citizenship	Marienbourgish
Nationality	Brazilian
Political party	Popular Party
Alma mater	Candido Mendes University
Profession	Student, Mediator
Religion	Catholicism

Gustave Lynch (Paulo de Frontin, Brazil), 7 July 2000) is a Brazilian-born Marienbourgish politician who served as the first Minister-President of Marienbourg. He previously was a appointed member of the Constitutional Committee that helped to establish the Constitution of Marienbourg after which he was elected as a member of the Ducal Diet by Blauberga. Along with Guilherme Wünsch he co-founded the Popular Party, becoming its Vice President. Politically, Lynch is frequently perceived as a pragmatist and as belonging to the center-ground of the Popular Party and enjoys the trust of Duke Arthur V.

In government, Lynch presided over the transfer of powers from the crown to parliament and worked towards the expansion of direct democracy, called the "Liechtensteinization of Marienbourg". His foreign policy, initially isolationist-sectoral, now works towards the establishment of diplomatic relations with what the government designated "key micronations" in regions of interest to the Marienbourgish government. But internal disagreements with the more conservative sector of his party have hampered his ability to implement his policies.

Biography

Early life and education

Gustave Lynch, born Gustavo Souto-Mayor Lynch, was born in the municipality of Paulo de Frontin, in the interior of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, in a middle-class family of Irish and Portuguese descent and has only one younger sister. During his childhood, the family moved to Miguel Pereira, eventually returning to Paulo de Frontin. Later, in 2020, Gustave, as he became known more in micronationalist politics, moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he lives with an aunt, to study philosophy at Cândido Mendes University. In 2022 he becomes an intern at a school, eventually being hired as a mediator.

Politics

Constitutional Committee

On 9 January 2023, Arthur I, Duke of Marienbourg, contacted Gustave inviting him to join the Constitutional Committee of Marienbourg, which would develop the Constitution of Marienbourg, offering him a leadership position in the new government. Accepting the offer, Gustave took office as a Constituent. His performance on the Committee was marked by his moderate ideas of balancing power between the executive and legislative powers. Inspired by the Constitution of Liechtenstein, Gustave proposed that the new state adopt mechanisms of direct democracy in order not only to strengthen the legislative power against a centralized executive power, as well as expanding the political participation of those involved with micronational politics, even seeking to attract potential new stakeholders.

Initially favorable to the installation of a constitutional monarchy that would centralize executive power in the Monarch, Gustave later proposed (and was ultimatelly able to convince the Monarch) the creation of an office that would include most of the responsibilities of a Head of Government, allowing other functions typical of the executive to be carried out at the Monarch's discretion; sometimes by the holder of the to-be created office through social convention, which is legally permitted by the system of customary law adopted in Marienbourg.

Minister-President

On 1 February 2023 the Constitution of Marienbourg was promulgated. On the occasion of its enactment, Duke Arthur I appointed Gustave as Leading Minister without Portfolio, a temporary position equivalent to the position of head of government while the newly-established government would decide the functions of the formal position that would be established to separate the head of government from the chief. of state. On the same day, in conversations with Guilherme Wünsch, both Gustave co-founded the Popular Party, which became the first political party in Marienbourg and the first to launch the campaign for the parliament, which took place on February 9 and culminated in the victory of the party, which formed the government; Gustave was formally sworn in as the first Minister-President of Marienbourg.

Gustave's government has been marked by the consolidation of Marienbourg's institutions. In his government agenda, Gustave outlined three main goals: consolidating national institutions, establishing diplomatic ties that guarantee recognition of the existence of Marienbourg as a sovereign and diplomatic entity, and the expansion of the democratic regime of law. As such, the politician continues to push bills that strengthen the legislature and popular participation in politics, in what has been called the "Liechtenstanization of Marienbourg". His policy has at times pleased the opposition, but has generated divisions in his own party, in which more conservative sectors propose that the country needs not only a strong legislature, but a strong executive, undermining, intentionally or not, the policies of Lynch's democratic advance.

Political positions

Gustave considers himself a centrist social liberal and he is "often perceived as a pragmatist and as belonging to the center-ground of the Popular Party." Among its main political flags is the expansion of civil and political rights through direct democracy. Lynch is an avid supporter of civil liberties, with the exception of freedom of speech, which he argues should be censored when that freedom allows the propagation of ideologies that spread hatred and threaten other civil liberties. Lynch advocates secularism and the secularization of politics, and is a strong opponent of religious morality in politics. He further defends same-sex marriage and minority rights, defeding even quota policies, but refrain from commenting on matters such as abortion and gender. Gustave in a staunch opponent of death penalty, racial discrimination and policies aimed at excluding people of different origins from assuming positions of power in government, actively promoting inclusive policies. Regarding economy, Gustave is a liberal and defender of Laissez-faire. Furthermore, Gustave is an ardent monarchist, defender of the representative monarchy.

In establishing the Popular Party as a big-tent party, Gustave had to make concessions to attract members to his party, such as adopting positions that contradict his personal political views on government policy. The main example was the commitment to ignore the dialogue with the opposition, something that Gustave defends as necessary for "good responsible government and the satiation of popular representation". In parliamentary sessions Gustave also made populist comments such as accusing opposition policies of promoting socialism.

Honours

As an Marienbourgish politician, Gustave shall be addressed as The Most Worthy. He subsequently is a member of the following orders:

• Duchy of Marienbourg: Knight of the Order of the Orange Blossom
• Duchy of Marienbourg: Knight of the Order of the Oak Tree
• Duchy of Marienbourg: Knight of the Order of Mines and Baths