effect · retire_country_leader

Hands-On Usage

retire_country_leader is commonly used in scripted events to trigger leadership succession—such as when a nation's leader steps down due to a coup, assassination, or term expiration, allowing the next candidate in line to automatically assume office. It is also frequently used upon focus completion to forcibly replace the incumbent leader, thereby switching the political direction.

country_event = {
    id = my_mod.10
    title = my_mod.10.t
    desc  = my_mod.10.d

    option = {
        name = my_mod.10.a
        # Retire the current leader; the next in line assumes office
        retire_country_leader = yes
        add_political_power = -50
    }
}

Synergy

• [create_country_leader](/wiki/effect/create_country_leader) — Use this command to create a new leader and insert them into the succession line, then execute retire_country_leader to precisely control who takes over, achieving a "designated replacement" effect.
• [add_popularity](/wiki/effect/add_popularity) — Leadership transitions often accompany ideology support fluctuations; coordinating these adjustments makes the political landscape more credible.
• [add_ideas](/wiki/effect/add_ideas) — Attach specific national spirits or advisor ideologies when the new leader takes office, reflecting the new regime's policy orientation.
• [has_country_leader](/wiki/trigger/has_country_leader) — Check in trigger conditions whether the current leader exists, ensuring the leader targeted for retirement is actually in office and preventing ineffective calls.

Common Pitfalls

1. Empty succession line leaving no one to assume office: If the current leader is the only recorded character in their party, retiring them leaves the succession line empty, potentially causing the nation to enter a leaderless state or trigger an error. Always prepare successors in advance using create_country_leader, or confirm that the vanilla game already has candidates lined up.
2. Calling outside COUNTRY scope: This effect only works within country scope; if mistakenly placed in execution blocks under state, character, or other scopes, the game will silently ignore it or log an error, causing the retirement logic to fail completely. When troubleshooting, carefully verify the scope hierarchy.