Alice Rettels, Baroness of Esthullen

Lady Alice Lucia Rettels, Baroness of Esthullen (29 October 2377 – 2 April 2475) was an Empheri politician who served as Prime Minister of Empherias from 2424 until her resignation in 2433. She contested the 2425, 2429 and 2432 general elections.

Early Years
Alice was born the eldest child of Sir Alistair Rettels and Charlotte Wiser on 29 October 2377. She was raised in the Rettels Chateau before going to boarding school at aged 11.

Education
She would study at the University of Rosetta due to her ties to the Rettels family. She attended between 2393 and 2396 before dropping out to pursue her political career. She returned during 2415 to finish her studies, earning a degree in history and empheri language..

Career
She entered politics just like her ancestors. Her time at university had drifted her into left-wing social democratic views because of the continuous 2395 revolution and so she joined the Populist party in 2396 and protested. She was nominated to become one of the first MPs post-revolution in 2397 by Felix D'laminet, who had noticed her activism and great results at her university. During the revolution, Rettels used her family ties and negotiated with many nobles to get favourable terms, and served briefly as the Ambassador to Palakkinen during September - November 2396. She was quickly appointed the Minister of Foreign Affairs in D'laminet's first cabinet.

Following Felix D'laminet's resignation, Rettels came fourth in the 2411 Populist leadership election, but then supported eventual winner Henry Watford. Under his government from 2412, she served as both the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the First Chief Adviser - while serving as the Shadow Foreign Minister under the shadow cabinet of Watford from 2411-2412.

Following Henry Watford's resignation and subsequent leadership of Robert Webber, he was less fond of Rettels and saw her as a possible political rival because she was so popular. Rettels stayed on as an MP but did not retain a cabinet position. Rettels used this off-time to go back to university and finish her degree. Following Webber's resignation in early 2416 as party leader, Rettels considered running in the 2416 Populist leadership election. She defeated her rivals and was elected so on 5 June 2416. However, it became clear that the Populist party's popularity was dwindling in opposition to the Socialists. Alice Rettels had several meetings with Prime Minister Elizabeth Rose, leader of the Socialist party, to propose a merger of the two parties considering their very similar ideologies. It is unknown the outcome of these meetings, but Rettels dissolved the entire party on 21 December 2417.

Following the dissolution, all Populist MPs were immediately thrusted into independent MP positions at jeopardy of their jobs. Alice Rettels was accepted into the People's Socialist Party on 3 January 2418. She rose the ranks and was appointed to the cabinet as Deputy Chief Whip on 18 March 2418 in a cabinet reshuffle. She became very well-liked and managed to be promoted to the position of Chief Whip following the 2420 general election on 1 May 2420. Then, following the 2423 general election on 26 January 2423, Rettels was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister under Elizabeth Rose.

After Elizabeth Rose's resignation, Alice Rettels ran in the 2424 Socialist leadership election to which she won and became Prime Minister on 1 May 2424.

Alice Rettels resigned as Prime Minister on 1 November 2433. She resigned as an MEP on her 65th birthday, 29 October 2442, being replaced by Socialist MEP James Tompkins.