Céline Beaumont
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| Céline Beaumont | |
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| Federal Representative of Oportia | |
| 19.X.1721 AN | |
| Preceded by | César André |
| Born | 12.VIII.1663 AN, Triegon, Natopia |
| Political Party | Liberal Progressive Party of Oportia |
| Profession |
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| Alma mater | Imperial University of Alexandria; Triegon, Natopia |
Céline Beaumont (born 12.VIII.1663 AN) is an Oportian diplomat, politician, and businesswoman that is the current Federal Representative of Oportia, having assumed office on 19.X.1721 AN. Beaumont assumed the office following the impeachment of her predecessor, César André, by the Federal Electorate of Oportia as a caretaker Federal Representative until new elections could occur in 1722. Beaumont is also the leader of the Liberal Progressive Party of Oportia and was previously Oportia's Ambassador to its neighbor, Nouvelle Alexandrie.
Early Life and Education
Beaumont was born on 12.VIII.1663 AN in the city of Triegon, Natopia to Humberto Beaumont and Nora Salinas. Salinas was a prominent Natopian figure in Alexandrian diaspora politics and executive director of the House of Carrillo Association from 1670 AN to 1698 AN. Beaumont pere was a renowned diplomat for the Empire of the Alexandrians when Triegon belonged to Alexandria, prior to the collapse of the country in 1651 AN. After Alexandria fell to the flu pandemic of 1650, he went on to work for the newly installed Triegon city government (under Natopian control) as a policy analyst and later as a popular and powerful City Councilman in Triegon's 3rd District.
At the behest of her parents, Beaumont pursued her primary and secondary education at prestigious institutions in Triegon, thanks to the connections of her parents and the prestige that it brought to have prominent parents. College-bound Céline, according to friends and verified sources, would have preferred to attend the Nathan & Elijah College in the bustling Natopian capital of Lindstrom instead. This was the cause of much friction between her and her parents for years. Beaumont attended the prestigious Imperial University of Alexandria, where she graduated with honors in Political Science and International Relations in 1684 AN. In 1686 AN, she obtained her master's degree in Political Science from the same university. Her academic years were marked by active participation in student politics and human rights advocacy in Natopia. She finished her education speaking Martino, Babkhi, Natspeak, and Craitish fluently.
Early Diplomatic Career
Following her graduation in 1686 AN, Beaumont applied to join the Natopian diplomatic civil service as a policy analyst initially, and then later as an interpreter. She was not hired during her first attempt in 1687 AN, where she applied for a job to serve as a foreign policy analyst for the Court of the Calm Waters. This motivated her to move to Lindstrom in 1688 AN to facilitate her next attempt at a job with the Natopian government. It was during this time that Beaumont worked as a waitress and bartender to keep herself afloat after moving to the city. She also took courses part time for a number of years, helping her get special certifications that would aid her. In 1690 AN, Beaumont became an interpreter and policy aide for the Natopian Ambassador to Constancia, later serving in other diplomatic and consular roles related to Natopia-Constancia relations with high distinction until 1702 AN, when she was appointed Natopian Ambassador to Zeed. She served as Natopian Ambassador to Zeed from 1702 AN to 1704 AN.
Business Career
In 1704 AN, Céline Beaumont resigned from her prominent post as Natopian Ambassador to Zeed to co-found the Beaumont, Roberts, & Kerularios Company (BRKC), an international trade and security company. Leveraging her understanding of international regulations and politics, Beaumont co-founded the company with Augusto Roberts and Manuel Roberts, with significant backing of Kerularios & Company. Beaumont's departure as a rising Natopian diplomat was shocking to many in the Court of the Calm Waters. Her acumen in both business and diplomacy made her a respected figure in Natopia, Constancia, and Zeed. BRKC's significant backing from Kerularios & Company significantly aided the rapid growth of the company.
Beaumont, Roberts, & Kerularios Company quickly developed two thriving main divisions: a private military contracting division and an international trade division. Beaumont pioneered the establishment of supporting military contracting and security planning packages for colonists and nations that were expanding in Eura, Cibola, and Keltia. It was during this time that Nouvelle Alexandrie quickly grew into a large Federation, with a significant territorial footprint in Eura. Constancia and other nations grew similarly too. BRKC successfully supported many of the territorial expansions of the time, providing logistical support, settlement advice and analytics, and military intelligence to nations, companies, and individual settlers, in addition to security when necessary.
During her time at BRKC, Beaumont connected with many members of the Alexandrian diaspora in Natopia, Constancia, and Nouvelle Alexandrie. Some Alexandrians in the diaspora felt that the promise of an independent and sovereign Neo-Alexandrian Republic was short lived with the Republic of Alduria. Of those voices, one of the most prominent and appealing was that of Jean Nouel, an influential and well-respected Alexandro-Babkhi entrepreneur and lawyer living in Constancia who wanted to found a new nation called Oportia in Eura. Beaumont worked closely with Jean Nouel and his Company for the Foundation of Oportia, providing advice on security, settlement, and logistical challenges to start another neo-Alexandrian independent republic.
Move to Oportia
In 1706 AN, Jean Nouel and the Company for the Foundation of Oportia achieved their goal of founding Oportia in the Euran continent. In early 1707 AN, Beaumont moved to the city of Vanie, Oportia from Lindstrom, Natopia to open and lead the newly completed Beaumont, Roberts, & Kerularios Company offices. As the leader of a key contractor for the nascent Oportian state, Beaumont's work resulted in great profits for BRKC, fueling the expansion of the company's private military contracting division and an international trade divisions.
Oportian expansionism
As the BRKC leader in Oportia, Beaumont scored larger and larger contracts with the nascent Oportian state and security forces to help expand in the Euran continent to the east and north, further into the interior. Jean Nouel saw rapid territorial expansion as a high economic and security priority as Oportia's first Federal Representative. Having founded Oportia not too far from the former islands of Altus, Nouel saw the history of Altus in the 1660's and the sight of the islands in the distance as a reminder that state building is fragile and difficult, requiring vast acquisitions of land to ensure stronger defense or more natural resources.
BRKC was the top recipient of most of the lucrative projects and contracts from the Oportian expansions of 1707 AN and 1708 AN. The Oportian expansion of 1709 AN, however, proved to be Beaumont's single largest and most lucrative contract as an executive of BRKC and office head in Vanie. This expansion was further inland into the continent, sealing the borders of Oportia with Constancia and Zeed and bringing large amounts of new lands, people, and resources into the country. BRKC also helped the Oportian state secure political, military, and economic support to fight the developing Yamaqhachan insurgency, providing advice and logistical support in its operations against the insurgency. In 1711 AN, using the massive profits from military contracting and settlement support projects, BRKC purchased vast amounts of Oportian land in the new territories, securing key deposits of oil, natural gas, and other natural resources.
In 1712 AN, Jean Nouel died at the Federal Executive Mansion in Vanie, Oportia of a heart attack. Nouel was succeeded to complete his term as Federal Representative of Oportia by the Oportian Secretary of Defense, César André, confirmed by a close vote of the Federal Electorate in the Oportian special general election, 1712. The special election of 1712 was quite contentious between four figures in Oportia that are known as the "Founding Fathers" of the nation: Francisco Bouvier, Margarita Bernier, Georges Dalles, and César André. Declining to endorse any of the candidates, Beaumont instead stayed out of the political campaign, choosing to not have BRKC seen as aligned with any candidate or party. When César André won the special election, the Oportian state and the Oportian Security Forces continued to give BRKC almost many of the largest and most lucrative Oportian state contracts for logistics, security, defense contracting, urban planning, and settlement advice in subsequent territorial expansions in 1712 AN and 1719 AN.
Ambassador to Nouvelle Alexandrie
In 1714 AN, Federal Representative César André appointed Beaumont as Oportia's first Ambassador to the Federation of Nouvelle Alexandrie. Beaumont resigned from her positions and offices at Beaumont, Roberts, & Kerularios Company to take the role. Her appointment was announced days after André had won his first full term as Federal Representative in the Oportian general elections of 1714.
Beaumont served as the Oportian Ambassador to Nouvelle Alexandrie from 1714 AN to 1721 AN. During her term as Ambassador, she established informal diplomatic ties with Nouvelle Alexandrie and greater cooperation and integration with the Euran Economic Union. Beaumont also served as a key policy advisor for Federal Representative César André and the Federal Cabinet of Oportia on foreign policy and trade issues.
In 1719 AN, an Oportian tabloid magazine called Le Pitirre revealed that "rumors were abuzz" in diplomatic circles that New Alexandrian Secretary of State Maximinus Kerularios had an affair with Beaumont. Though the revelation threatened to stir a scandal, it was quickly suppressed as two other scandalous stories ran in the same issue, damaging the credibility of the paper and its content in the eyes of the public. No evidence ever surfaced proving the allegations from Le Pitirre.
In early 1721 AN, Beaumont resigned as the Oportian Ambassador to Nouvelle Alexandrie during the 1721 Oportian protests crisis to serve as a caretaker Federal Representative of Oportia after the Federal Electorate impeached César André and the entire Federal Cabinet.
Political Career
Beaumont's political career began with her appointment by the Federal Court of Oportia as caretaker Federal Representative of Oportia in 1721 AN, after the 1721 Oportian protests led to the removal of César André and the entire Federal Cabinet. Beaumont was given a caretaker mandate to serve as Federal Representative of Oportia until a new one could be elected the following year, 1722 AN.
As caretaker Federal Representative of Oportia, Beaumont reestablished order in the country after the 1721 Oportian protests. She launched the Beaumont Inquest, a series of in-depth investigations and inquiries into how the administration of César André handled the protests and the alleged violations of human rights and violence by Oportian Security Forces.
Beaumont's economic stabilization measures
Following the 1721 Oportian protests and the consequent removal of Federal Representative César André from power, Beaumont immediately got to work to address the burgeoning economic crisis in Oportia. The Oportian economy had been showing signs of vulnerability from 1718 AN, largely owing to the country's over-reliance on the export of raw materials, particularly minerals.
Upon taking office, Beaumont prioritized economic reforms that had immediate relief and would save the economy. Her first reform was the formation of the Emergency Economic Council, an emergency council of economists, business leaders, and policymakers to assess the crisis and propose immediate solutions. The Oportian Central Bank, responding to Beaumont, began to increase interest rates and tighten monetary policy.
Elections of 1722
Limited by her caretaker status, Beaumont was only legally allowed to enact and carry out policies that were not controversial or a terrible departure from established policies. The established policies were those of her predecessor, César André, and a Federal Cabinet that is predominantly from the Conservative Nationalist Party. She quickly found conflicts and clashes with in her caretaker Federal Cabinet, which was also dominated by the Conservative Nationalist Party.
At the start of 1722 AN, Beaumont announced that she would run for Federal Representative, supported by and leading the Liberal Progressive Party of Oportia, to earn her first elected term in the upcoming general elections of 1722.
In her role as caretaker Federal Representative, Beaumont quickly became a vocal advocate for democratic reforms, economic reforms, human rights, and international cooperation. Her focus on transparency, accountability, and inclusivity resonated with the Oportian populace. She later won the special elections of 1722, leading her nearest rival by 6 points.
Federal Representative
The Beaumont administration has been marked by reforms in governance, strengthening international relations, and the implementation of a progressive system of taxation in Oportia. The passage of landmark legislation and the successful conduct of referendums on national political, economic, and social reforms have been highlights of her tenure.
Personal Life
Beaumont is known for her eloquence, intellect, and strong ethical compass. She is married to Luc Martin, a writer and historian, and they have two children: Marie and Robert. She enjoys reading, classical music, and is actively involved in various philanthropic activities.
