Name: The French Republic (
La République française)
Government: The French government is referred to as the “Fifth Republic” and was established in 1958. France splits political authority between the President who is head of state and the Prime Minister who is head of government. The President is charged with national-level decision making while the Prime Minister runs the operations of government and its ministries.
A bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly and the Senate pass legislative agendas. There are over a dozen political parties in France, with as few as one Parliamentary seat or as many as several hundred. They often fall into coalitions depending on election results, with the typical configuration being split between the “Presidential Centre”, “Parliamentary Right”, and “Parliamentary Left.” As of 1991, the Presidential Centre maintains a majority of 55% of seats.
Territory: France maintains official control over its European and overseas territories, the largest of which are French Guyana and French Polynesia. Algeria and Djibouti still remain officially under the control of French colonial government, and Adélie Land in Antarctica is administered as part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. Unofficial or semi-official control exists in former French colonies that were granted independence in 1960, such as Mali and the Congo, although these regions are no longer represented as part of the proper French government.
History: France has a long history dating back to the barbarian tribes of Europe known to the Romans as Gaul.
Pre-Visitation: Wartime damage to France was severe, as the end of the war led to the dismantling of Vichy France and its Nazi-run institutions. The French Resistance quickly reconstituted itself into a functional government known as the Fourth Republic, aided by immense American support in the form of the Marshall Plan. Despite this, French troubles quickly turned internal during the 1950s. Decolonization became the conflict of the decade as brutal wars in Algeria and Vietnam sent yet another generation of French troops into battle. Slowly but surely, the French lost their grips on colonial possessions in Asia and Africa. The Suez Crisis ended France’s involvement in the Middle East. A coup attempt in Algiers in 1958 shook the Fourth Republic to pieces, but Charles de Gaulle regained power and enacted reforms that established the Fifth Republic.
The Visitation: Already wracked by internal struggle, the world seemed to come to an end in the fateful year of 1961. Alien life visited Earth, however shortly, and changed everything. Stunned citizens across the world watched the strange beings come and stay for a short while, then leave as quickly as they arrived. Scientists tried and failed to contact them. Yet while their visit shook institutions like the Catholic Church, the aliens would leave far more worldly and permanent marks on the world. Materials left behind, perhaps spare parts or trash from the visitors, tumbled down to Earth. Mainland France was spared the damage and chaos that much of the world experienced, but this was not the same for its African colonies. Anomalous zones and New-Langium Compounds began developing across the deserts of Algeria and other regions, forming strange and terrifying phenomenon. The world did not end, but France’s internal struggles did: its troubles with decolonization were suddenly overshadowed by the visitors’ leftovers.
Recent History: France remained alone on the European continent after the visitation, but the paradigm was shifting in their favor. As the value of NLCs became known the world at large, the old guard of French politicians recognized their opportunity for advancement. Plans to grant Algeria’s independence were thrown to the wayside as French military forces seized and secured anomalous zones. Weak governments in Mali and Congo were powerless to stop French “treaties” demanding military and scientific bases in their land. The French Foreign Legion’s latest campaign was to spearhead the probe into anomalous zones to discover their secrets. Many of these men experienced firsthand the horror of the zones, but the survivors would go on to develop the advanced technology and tactics that are now common for zone operations. French scientists spent years studying and developing NLCs into useful technologies, the windfall of which was almost reminiscent of the original Langium discoveries.
A severe break with the old world came in the 1980s, as the United States began to encroach upon its neighbors in a desperate struggle for survival. Canada became a victim of American imperialism, forcing the French into a shadow war in Quebec. Refugees were airlifted out of Montreal by French Air Force planes as forces from an American-backed coup in Ottawa descended upon the loyalists fighting there. This was the final straw for the French, who recognized that the United States was no longer an ally. NATO itself split into two blocs, and a vote of the European nations charged France with its leadership. Reluctantly forced into the world stage, France now had to come to terms with its new role in the world. In 1984, in a gesture designed to symbolically break with the United States, France directed NATO to speak in the previously secondary language of French for all further operations and utilize its Francophone acronym “OTAN.”
French influence is now undeniable as the country once again takes up its mantle in the world. For the first time since its colonial ambitions in the 18th century, the French would be a major player on the world stage. Langium and NLC-based technology fueled a boom in French and European economies, with robotics, computing, and space travel now active projects in French industrial and scientific communities. It has taken a seat at the UN Security Council and operates in the air, space, and sea with advanced technologies across the world. With the tireless work of its government institutions, France seems poised to lead the march to discover more about the aliens, visitation, and Langium itself.
Pressing Issues: From its position of strength, France is primed to research the anomalous zones and NLCs across the world. However, bad actors seek to utilize NLCs for their own goals. Terrorist groups from colonial possessions overseas, criminal syndicates, and even cultists seek to smuggle and proliferate NLC artifacts on a daily basis. Additionally, France’s status as a global power brings it into routine conflict with the US and Soviet Union both overtly and covertly. Only time will tell if the French can effectively manage their newfound responsibilities in a changed world.
Budget: Officially released French budgetary statistics as of Fiscal Year 1990.