barring a reboot/convention/whatever i think a dissolution of the current parties would help raise activity
That's a cosmetic change though and won't affect the fundamentals of the game one bit. I imagine within a few weeks, everyone will be back in the same cliques or whatever.
As for a reboot or convention, that's politically unfeasible as long as you have the "regional rights" and reactionaries in this game. The best way forward is to give the game a dignified death after eleven long years and start afresh on a smaller scale with more focus on what actually makes this game fun.