Marcus Ruben

Marcus Abraham Ruben is a Darnussian politician who served as the Governor General of Darnussia and leader of the National Liberal Party (NLP) between 18 July 2016 and 1 March 2025.

He succeeded Laurent Frank as leader of the NLP following the failure of the party to win an absolute majority at the 2016 general election. Initially elected on a centre-right to right-wing platform, Ruben has drifted to the centre in recent years, particularly on social issues. In 2019, he expelled the hard-right Republican People's Party from the Government on the basis of their overly right-wing positions and chose instead to rule as a minority administration.

The NLP subsequently regained their majority in parliament in the 2021 election, albeit only by one. Almost immediately afterwards, his administration began to be plagued by a variety of petty corruption and sex scandals. This intensified with numerous revelations in the press of severe levels of corruption, including potential violations of Darnussian security.

He resigned as Governor General on 1 March 2025 after 16 NLP members of parliament resigned the whip, thus losing the NLP's parliamentary majority. The members defected after a scandal emerged that Darnussia's defence minister was allowing smugglers to illegally cross the officially-closed Darnussia-Beluzia border in exchange for bribes. Most defected to the DDP.

Ruben is a Darnussian Yeudi who was born into a middle-class family in Altrae, Clenon. He attended the University of Merenbürg and was first elected as a member of Parliament in 2001.