Diksha Sundriyal
In HBO’s ‘The Regime,’ Kate Winslet plays the role of Chancellor Elena Vernham of an unnamed Central European country that is going through turmoil under her reign. As she becomes more and more unpredictable in her approach to national and foreign policies, the economy of the country finds itself on the brink of being destabilized, especially after Elena refuses to sign a significant deal with an American businessman.
In the second episode, an effort is made to reinstate the trust and cooperation between the two countries, and this is when the Faban Corridor enters the fray. Its mention evokes a response in Elena that makes it seem like a sore point for her and her country. What is the Faban Corridor, and what does it mean for Elena’s country? SPOILERS AHEAD
The Faban Corridor is a Fictional Economic Corridor in The Regime
When Elena blocks America’s access to her country’s cobalt mines, US Secretary of State Judith Holt arrives to have a talk with Elena, hoping to find common ground between them. Judith had been on a tour of the region, which didn’t initially include Elena’s country, but she had to make time for Elena due to the sudden policy change. Elena states that Judith is also “having a poke around the Faban Corridor,” to which the American Senator agrees, saying it’s part of the region she is visiting.
Like Elena’s country, the Faban Corridor is not a real thing, but it is established that the Faban Corridor is of great importance to Elena’s country, historically, and that the country has been trying to reunify with the group for some time now. Why Elena’s country broke off from the Faban Corridor is not mentioned, but considering how Elena feels her country is treated like the runt of the litter in their region of Europe, it might have something to do with the inferior treatment of her people.
Being a part of something like the Faban Corridor would mean great things for Elena’s country. In general, a union like this would lead to an economic and security boost in a country. Such corridors are created between countries to ease the transport of goods, services, and even labor and capital across the member countries, leading to further development. Being a part of the group allows countries to grow together and benefit from each other’s growth. This is especially beneficial for a small country that wouldn’t have as many resources for itself if it wasn’t a part of the bigger picture.
In the European Union itself, several corridors exist between the countries. The Atlantic Corridor between Spain, Portugal, France, and Germany allows them to profit from each other’s economic growth, resulting in better opportunities for their businesses, the education sector, and the governments of the said countries. Similarly, the North Sea-Baltic Corridor exists between The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland.
Considering that we don’t know the exact location of Elena’s country in ‘The Regime,’ it is hard to pin down a specific parallel for the Faban Corridor in real life. However, at one point, Elena mentions that her country is considered “the dirt of Danube,” so one could draw a parallel with the Rhine Danube Corridor, which includes Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, France, Hungary, Austria, Romania, and Slovakia. Given our guess of Elena’s country falling somewhere in the East (but not that far East and somewhere in the middle), one could say that the country in ‘The Regime’ wants to be a part of this group, wanting a place among the bigger players.
By the end of the meeting, Elena expresses her desire for “wanting more.” We don’t know what that means yet, but if she is speaking with reference to the Faban Corridor, then it could lead to severe consequences not just for her country but also for the countries involved in the Corridor, who haven’t made Elena and her people feel welcome.
Read More: Is Kate Winslet’s Elena Vernham Based on a Real Dictator?
