On February 13th, 2026, the people of Myria voted in a national referendum on the future of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), the emergency body created at the height of the economic crisis to stabilise the nation’s collapsing markets.
The Committee, composed of senior government officials, labour representatives, and industrial leaders, had been granted sweeping authority by presidential decree. At the height of the downturn, it possessed the power to issue binding economic directives, coordinate wage agreements, impose temporary price controls, allocate credit, guarantee private debt, and direct public investment through a stabilization fund operating outside the ordinary appropriations process. These extraordinary measures, alongside the sacrifices made by the Myrian People, restored the economy back to its pre-crash state. However, this also meant that the committee and its authority had less and less justification every passing day.
Critics argued that the ECC’s authority, though justified during the crisis, rested largely on presidential decree rather than statutory law. It was viewed as incompatible with normal democratic governance. The Legislature attempted to draft a framework law defining the Committee’s long-term status, but clashing proposals from across the political spectrum led to legislative deadlock.
The Government Proposal, which has gained much traction, would see the ECC relinquish its emergency powers and return all fiscal measures to the normal budgetary process, and any future extraordinary interventions would require explicit legislative approval. In addition, the Committee would be integrated as the “Economic Planning Board” to the Office of the Prime Minister. Unlike its predecessor, the Board would operate under statutory authority, with members subject to legislative confirmation and its activities overseen by a parliamentary committee. Its mandate would shift from crisis management to long-term economic coordination. Rather than issuing binding directives, it would produce multi-year economic strategies, coordinate industrial policy, advise on full-employment objectives, and facilitate structured wage negotiations between labour and business.
Faced with legislative impasse, the President referred the issue directly to the electorate, probing its support.
The ballot question read: “Do you support the implementation of the proposal endorsed by the Presidential Government and the Ruling Party?”
The result was narrowly in favour of the government’s proposal. 51.2% of votes cast, which represented 56.9% of the electorate, supported the restructuring plan.
Opposition parties have stated that they will accept the outcome of the referendum and will work to ensure that implementation of the government proposal proceeds within constitutional and democratic norms. In remarks following the vote, the President stated, “The renewed mandate for coordinated economic governance will ensure the prosperity of Myria through cooperation between the state, business, and the workers.”
