Steve Bennett (Pacifica)
Steve Bennett | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Prime Minister of Valkyria | |
| Assumed office 26 July 2022 | |
| President | Kate Murphy |
| Preceded by | Stella Kaufman |
| Leader of the Socialist Party | |
| Assumed office 18 January 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Amalia Rollins |
| Member of the Valkyrian Parliament for Ravneby's 2nd | |
| Assumed office 19 June 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Devon Macdonald |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Steffan Torsson Bennett 13 June 1981 Ravneby, Qvait |
| Political party | Socialist |
| Parents | Tor Bjarkarsson Bennett Sanna Hendriksdottir |
| Alma mater | University of Ravneby |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Qvait Valkyria |
| Branch/service | Qvaitican Navy Valkyrian Special Forces |
| Years of service | 2003–2017 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Njord Group |
| Battles/wars | 2014 war of the South Pacific |
| Awards | See below |
Steffan Torsson Bennett (born 13 June 1981) is a Valkyrian politician and former naval officer who has been serving as the prime minister of Valkyria since 2022 and leader of the Socialist Party since 2020.
Early life
Steffan Torsson Bennett was born on 13 June 1981 in Ravneby, Qvait, where he grew up with his father, Tor Bjarkarsson Bennett, a professor at the University of Ravneby, and his mother, Sanna Hendriksdottir, a socialist activist who served in the Ravneby Storting from 1980 to 1990. His parents met in 1967 during protests against the authoritarian dictatorship in Qvait, during which they were arrested. The two would spend three years in Ravneby Prison before their unconditional release in 1970 following the collapse of the Fallenist regime. During their imprisonment, Bennett's parents endured inhumane treatment from the prison guards in the form of beatings and malnourishment, similar to what most other prisoners faced at the time.
Born 11 years after the successful transition to democracy, Bennett grew up in the capital and graduated from Torshov High School in 1999. While studying political science at the University of Ravneby, Bennett joined the Socialist Youth in 2000 and served as its president from 2002 to 2003. In May 2003, Bennett earned his bachelor's degree and graduated second in his class.
Military careeer
Bennett joined the Qvaitican Navy in June 2003 after graduating from the University of Ravneby. After spending two months in officer training, Bennett earned the rank of junior lieutenant in August and was stationed on the Valkyrie class frigate QRS Mist for three years. In that time, the Mist travelled on the open seas of the Southern Pacific Ocean, making various stops on allied ports. After his promotion to lieutenant in 2005, Bennett returned to Qvait to undergo special forces training, which lasted for six months. He ended up graduating with honours, earning commendatory remarks from his instructors due to his exhibition of leadership while under stress.
In October 2005, Bennett joined Njord Group, which was recognized by the military as the most elite special forces unit in the Qvaitican Armed Forces. Most of Bennett's activities as part of the unit remain a secret, but declassified government documents show that Bennett took part in special operations and underwent periodic training alongside allied special forces. In 2014, Bennett was a participant in the 2014 war of the South Pacific, fighting in the water as part of underwater demolition and sabotage operations and on the ground in the Battle of Gullkysten against invading Sporaltryan forces.
Bennett's time during the Battle of Gullkysten was the most meritorious period of his military service, earning him six military orders, including the Order of Mjølner, the highest honour given to a soldier who does not die in battle. During the five-week battle, Bennett was credited for 86 confirmed kills as a sniper, some of which were against people who posed an immediate threat to fellow Qvaitican soldiers. At times, Bennett was also fighting on the ground in close-quarters combat. Though, the act that earned Bennett the Order of Mjølner was his unit's impromptu evacuation of 17 civilians away from the battle, all of whom were successfully rescued. However, Bennett suffered a gunshot wound that fractured his clavicle and four other squadmates were killed in their effort to evacuate the civilians.
Because of his injury in Gullkysten, Bennett spent the remainder of the war in an underground bunker in northern Qvait that was repurposed as a hospital for wounded soldiers and civilians. After the war, Bennett spent most of his time doing clerical work while undergoing rehabilitation. Despite the surgery to his clavicle, Bennett continued feeling pain for a year after the intial wound. In 2015, he again underwent a surgical procedure to correct a malunion. While the procedure was successful in reducing his pain, Bennett said in 2021 that he still feels a dull pain in his left shoulder from time to time.
Because of complications involving his clavicle, Bennett was at-risk of being medically discharged from the Navy, but he was granted an exemption from Vice Admiral Karlinna Danielsdotter and worked in her office through Njord Group's transition from the Qvaitican Navy to the Valkyrian Special Forces in 2016 before requesting his discharge in 2017 soon after his promotion to colonel.
Dates of promotion
| Ins. | Rank | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austral | Valkyrian | ||
|
Colonel | Oberst | January 2017 |
|
Lieutenant colonel (2016–2017[lower-alpha 1]) Commander-captain (2014–2016) |
Oberstløytnant Kommandørkaptein |
January 2014 |
|
War captain | Orlogskaptein | March 2011 |
|
Captain lieutenant | Kapteinløytnant | February 2008 |
|
Lieutenant | Løytnant | March 2005 |
|
Junior lieutenant | Fenrik | August 2003 |
Political career
Member of Parliament
In 2017, Bennett stood for election in Ravneby's 2nd constituency of the Stortinget as a member of the Socialist Party, challenging the Labour Party's Devon Macdonald. In his campaign, Bennett made promises on nationalising "essential industries" as a means of preventing corporations from profiting from the daily needs of the people and strengthening labour rights. Bennett also stressed Macdonald's liberal credentials, criticising him for voting in favour of legislation that increased economic inequality in Valkyria and contributed to the rising cost of living, the effects of which were felt in the constituency they were campaigning to represent.
In June, Bennett defeated Macdonald and his other opponents by winning 59 per cent of the vote, considered a landslide victory. In the neighbouring 3rd constituency, Kate Murphy won the seat, succeeding the retiring Malcolm Fitz after running on campaign promises largely similar to the ones Bennett made despite being a member of the Labour Party. Because of their similarity, liberals within the Labour Party accused Bennett and other Socialists of swinging the 3rd constituency over to Murphy and the Labour socialist wing by encouraging tactical voting. However, Bennett denied the accusation by saying that "democracy speaks for itself".
Socialist leadership
2022 general election
Prime minister (2022–present)
Political positions
Personal life
Awards and decorations
Order of Mjølner
Order of the Dauntless
Grand Order of the Protectors
Order of the Southern Cross
Order of the Heroes
Order of Blood
Service Medal
Humanitarian Medal
Precision Medal
Notes
- ↑ Bennett and his unit, Njord Group, transferred to the Valkyrian Special Forces after the unification of Qvait and Fjernøy in 2016. Due to the transfer, the newly-created Special Forces adopted a land-and-air-based officer rank system, resulting in Bennett's fifth rank becoming lieutenant colonel (oberstløytnant).