Gregory J.H. Mertens

Gregory 'Greg' J. H. Mertens (born Gregory James Holdyk Martin) was Governor of Seven between 1974 and 1982.

Biography
Mertens was born as Greg Martin in Los Angeles in 1923 to an American father and Belgian mother. His family was upper-middle class, and Mertens received a good education, graduating from law school in 1944. He spent nine years living in Salzburg, Austria, between 1946 and 1955, assisting with the administration of the American occupation zone, but when Austria received full independence in 1955, Martin decided to return to America. After spending so much time in war-damaged Europe, he found his return to America something of a shock, especially as both his parents had died in the interim period. In 1957, he, together with his wife and son, moved to Lovia, where they settled in Noble City. He found a job working for Lenehan and Tsokos Legal Advice and Solicitors, and continued working there in the capital until, in 1963, he was asked by his boss A. K. Lenehan to open a branch of the firm in Kinley to the north.

It was in Seven Martin became interested in politics, joining the Unionist Party in 1965. As a convinced liberal, he campaigned strongly against incumbent Anny Smith Peterson, supporting fellow Unionist Davis Miller instead. Because of his remarkable activity in the run up to the election, which Miller believed was a key reason for his victory, he received a senior position in the party. Later, in the 1968 elections, he obtained a seat in the Seven State Council, until the Socialists swept back into power in 1970.

During Peterson's third and fourth term, Martin was once again a vocal critic of the Socialist rulers, and in particular of Peterson's Lovianization policies. In 1972, he became leader of the party, which caused some criticism due to the relative short amount of time he had been member, but opposition was soon silenced due to his charisma and intense popularity. In 1973, he even changed his surname to Mertens in parody of the process. Peterson, on the other hand, had become very unpopular, and Mertens became governor in 1974 after winning 57% of the vote in the state elections.

Mertens remained in power for four terms, with approval ratings consistently over 70%, making him one of the most popular governors of all time. He often boasted that he had never lost an election in his life. He refused to run again after the 1980 state election, claiming that elections were no longer democratic and citing his 73% share of the vote in 1980, which was partly due to the disappearance of his main opponent, the Socialist Party. Mertens remains one of the most popular governors in polling, but has in recent years been criticised for moving from his initial position of liberalism towards populism to increase his popularity. John Fisher Nattar in particular claims that after his first term his government was devoid of any real moral or ideological framework, instead 'pandering to the people' and running up large budget deficits.

Mertens was found hanging from a tree in his garden in 1986, and it was presumed he had committed suicide. This shocked a number of people, as it did not seem consistant with his tough, cheerful image.