The Realm of Balder: Announcements and News

[Wycliffe]

I'm impressed with the thematic innovations. It's something I would have liked to see done a long time ago. Good stuff!

[The Holy Principality of Saint Mark]

I think your theme adjustments are nicely done ... they add texture and some clarity without being heavy-handed.
Congratulations!

[Lord Dominator]

Congrats Balder!

Still thinking of Liberating Balder?

Not sure who the heck suggested that, because I haven't seen anyone do so

[Vulturret II]

It's good to see Balder doing well. Best wishes for the recent theme enhancements.

Thank you, Cormac, for these well wishes. We look to bring this to the rest of Pacifica when the Bugle is distributed there, which will happen shortly.

I'm impressed with the thematic innovations. It's something I would have liked to see done a long time ago. Good stuff!

Thank you for these kind words.

I think your theme adjustments are nicely done ... they add texture and some clarity without being heavy-handed.
Congratulations!

Indeed, I agree. We appreciate the compliments.

Congrats Balder!

Thanks.

[Qwabour Harbour]

Congrats Balder!

Still thinking of Liberating Balder?

Not sure who the heck suggested that, because I haven't seen anyone do so

That was Cormac

[Vulturret II]

Balder Bugle Issue III
A publication of the Ministry of Communications of the Realm of Balder.

Storting Elections Conclude

Last month, elections for five seats in the Storting (parliament) of the Realm of Balder were held. Incumbent Lawspeaker Linkin Maximus and MPs Akillian Talleyrand and Aexnidaral stood for re-election and all three of them were voted back into office by the entire citizenry of Balder. In addition, four other candidates battled it out for the other two positions: Minister of Regional Development Zander Cerebella, MP and Minister of World Assembly Affairs Griffindor13, Minister of Internal Affairs Theoden Sebastian, and Minister of Communications Vulturret. The latter candidate was the only parliamentary candidate to also announce their intention to seek election to the Office of Statsminister as well as to the Storting. Winning these two seats were Theoden Sebastian, a long-time Balderan, and Vulturret, a newcomer to the region whose work as Minister of Communications was well-received by the citizenry.

What is interesting to note from the full results below is that the top four candidates were all tied for first place. This is excellent for the region because it represents how satisfied citizens are with the plethora of candidates available. There was no clear-cut front-runner, which allowed all members of the Storting to enjoy a large base of support among the citizenry, thus allowing them to have strong support among the citizenry and govern with the people of the Realm fully behind them.

The full results of the Storting elections are as follows, with the members being elected (the top five) being shown in bold, ordered based upon votes received:
1. Vulturret
1. Linkin Maximus
1. Theoden Sebastian
1. Akillian Talleyrand
5. Aexnidaral
6. ZanderCerebella
7. Griffindor13


Storting Convenes to Elect Lawspeaker

Following the conclusion of the elections to the Storting, the new members of the Storting gathered in the chamber to deliberate on the Lawspeaker (presiding officer) for the term. Outgoing Lawspeaker Linkin Maximus announced his election to stand for the position once more, which was well-received by the other elected members. Speaking about his colleague Linkin, newly-elected MP Vulturret said, "based on his long record of service to the Storting and his excellent ministerial work, there is no question that [Linkin] is highly suited to continue in the role." Lawspeaker Linkin was confirmed by unanimous support of the Storting.


Crown Prince Selected and Confirmed

Additionally, in the State Opening of Parliament, the King, North East Somerset, revealed that after careful deliberation he had selected OnderKelkia, the Prince of Jomsborg and longtime Balderan governmental figure to be nominated to the role of Vice Delegate, styled as Crown Prince. In the confirmation process that followed, all members voiced their unanimous support for OnderKelkia. Speaking to the Storting, OnderKelkia said of his nomination, “I would like to record my immense gratitude to the King and the region for the trust His Majesty has demonstrated in nominating me to serve as Vice Delegate and Crown Prince. I have enjoyed my many terms as Statsminister of Balder and I now look forward to meeting a new challenge. If my nomination as Vice Delegate is approved by the Storting, I hope to serve the King and region well in this capacity.” The Government is pleased to have Onder's senior leadership abilities in this capacity to assist the Crown and Government and ensure regional activities run smoothly. We look forward to what he will bring to the new position.


Nomination of a new Statsminister (Prime Minister)

Also on the legislative agenda for the newly-elected members of the Storting was to nominate a new Head of Government. Under the Instrument of State and Government Act, the Storting is responsible for making a recommendation of a Statsminister (Prime Minister) for appointment by the King. As almost all executive authority is held by the Statsminister, making the selection of a nominee a highly important function of the Storting.

Lawspeaker Linkin Maximus nominated MP Vulturret (who had previously released a platform for activities as Statsminister as part of his campaign for the Storting) for the position. He accepted that, thanking the Lawspeaker for the nomination, and proceeded to receive unanimous support of the Storting to form a government following an appointment by the King.


King Delivers First State Opening of Parliament of Reign

Additionally, the King bestowed four knighthoods (peerages) upon four deserving members of the region. These were made in accordance with the Ttitles and Honours Act. The following individuals were recognized for the applicable contributions:
Knight of Odin - HRH Prince Zander of Aarhus - for his idea to create the Three Viking Cities, and the associated Roleplay themes, as well as the great leadership and vision he has shown over the past two months.
Knight of Mimir - Sir Griffindor - for his excellent service in Cabinet as the Minister of World Assembly Affairs.
Knight of Thor - Sir Vulturret - for his role in creating and drafting the Balder Bugle, as well as his input into the TEP festival and setting up a new Discord bot.
Knight of Bragi - Sir Bran Triune - for organising and holding a successful cultural festival; the TEP-Balder gala.


Statsminister Delivers Opening Address and Appoints Cabinet

Upon the gracious appointment of His Nordic Majesty, Statsminister Vulturret delivered an opening address praising the success of Balder in the past and looking forward to how we can improve in the future. The new Statsminister touched on the importance of Balder sticking to its self-driven priorities as an Independent region and highlighted the critical nature of the term in shaping foreign policy. The Statsminister also highlighted his various goals for the term - including boosting the endorsement count of Delegate North East Somerset, the size of the piling force of the military, and various other cultural, civic, and diplomatic endeavors that will continue to boost the strength of Balder.

Additionally, the Statsminister appointed a team of dedicated statesmen, many of whom have been in Balder for years, to the Statsraadet, known in English as the Cabinet. The Statsraadet is as follows:

Minister of Culture: ZanderCerebella
Minister of Integration: Fuzzy
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Linkin Maximus
Minister of War: Cinder
Minister of World Assembly Affairs: Griffindor13
Minister for the Cabinet Office: Theoden Sebastian

The Realm of Balder is highly excited to see what we can accomplish this term.


Other News

Fuzzy, our Minister of Integration and the Prince of Ribe, won multiple prizes at the highly imaginative multi-regional festival organized by The West Pacific to celebrate their newly announced theme. Fuzzy was named the winner of the prizes for The Best Haiku, The Best Short Story and Best in Class for Writing. Balderans had an excellent time attending the festival and we appreciated the numerous contests that all attendees had the unique opportunity to engage with. The Realm of Balder could not have thought of a better way to celebrate with TWP than this magnificent event, which we thank them for organizing.

The regional military of Balder, the Jomsvikings, are currently deployed in Westphalia supporting the operation led by The Black Hawks.


Contact Vulturret II, of the Ministry of Communications, with comments regarding the Bugle.

[The Notorious Mad Jack]

Nice to see Balder prospering under it's new king.

[Vulturret II]

Balder Bugle Issue IV
A publication of the Ministry of Communications of the Realm of Balder.

Storting Elections Held

April saw the election of a new Storting (parliament) in Balder. The election marked the end of the first full term on Balder's new forum, and Vulturret's first term as Statsminster. The many changes Balder faced over those two months continued to shape issues in the election, with Statsminster Vulturret looking back on the challenges met and the ones still to face as Balder continues to grow and prosper. The region went into the election with confidence, looking forward to another productive term. A number of candidates stood, and five were ultimately elected:

Vulturret
Theoden Sebastian
ZanderCerebella
Griffindor13
Akillian Talleyrand

Election of Lawspeaker

With the elections concluded, the Storting's first act of business was the election of a Lawspeaker (The Storting's presiding officer). Theoden Sebastian declared his intention to run for the office when he stood for the Storting, and upon election was nominated for the position by fellow member Akillian Talleyrand, recieving the unanimous support of his colleages. Seconding the nomination, Vulturret praised Theoden's previous service in the role, commenting "Based on his record of prior service that can be found on our old board, I have no doubt he will render the region an excellent service in returning to the role." Theoden thanked his fellow members for the support and accepted his nomination.

Statsminister Election

The Storting then moved on to the election of a Statsminster. Outgoing Statsminster Vulturret had announced his intention to seek a second term at the outset of the Storting election, and upon completion of the elections was nominated for Statsminster by Akillian Talleyrand. Accepting the nomination, Vulturret thanked Akillian, stating that he was "pleased to accept this humbling honor to be re-nominated as Statsminister." Vulturret recieved the unanimous support of the Storting, with fellow member Griffindor13 commenting "You did an excellent job last term as Statsminister, and I’m certain you’ll do better this term."


State Opening of Parliament and the Awarding of Honours

With the elections complete and the Lawspeaker and Statsminster elected, parliament was opened by King North East Somerset. Formally appointing Vulturret as Statsminster, the King voiced his support, saying that Vulturret's "service over the past two months has been one of dedication and perseverance, and those are qualities that I think will serve us well going forwards."

Praising the solidarity of Balder's citizenry and government through a tough time in the Region's history, the King stated "The transition to a new forum and from a Delegate who had served the Region for over half its history, simultaneously, would normally be one of significant upheaval, but any pitfalls have been overcome with a steady hand and determined grit to move forwards...I believe strongly that the correct application of our independent philosophy will equip us effectively for whatever is thrown at us"

Thanking those who had played a significant part in these transitions, the King went on to say "I would like to pay tribute to all members of last term's Government, many of whom I hope will be serving again - and also to my fellow Royals; Onderkelkia, Zander and Fuzzy - who have provided valuable and wise counsel, to the Government and Monarchy. Together we make a strong team, and one which I have the utmost confidence in. "

Honouring those who had served Balder with persistance and dedication, the King conferred the following titles:

Baron of Hovgården - Akillian Talleyrand
Baron of Malmö - Cinder
Jarl of Nordland - Linkin Maximus
Duke of Aalborg - Theoden Sebastian

The titles are all well deserved, reflecting a long history of service to Balder. Upon awarding these titles, the king said "I hope you will join me in congratulating these much deserved Peers for their service. Their cumulative service is too detailed to go into here, but they know what they have done for the Region and over such a length of time."


Appointment of Statsraadet and Announcement of Term Goals

Following on from the state opening of parliament, newly re-elected Statsminster Vulturret appointed his new Statsraadet (Cabinet) making the following appointments:

Minister of Culture: Zander Cerebella
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Fuzzy
Minister of War: Akillian Talleyrand
Minister of World Assembly Affairs: Griffindor13
Minister for the Cabinet Office: Theoden Sebastian
Minister of Integration: Jake

The cabinet includes a mix of experienced ministers and new faces, all of whom are looking forward to the term ahead.

Vulturret also took this opportunity to set out his plans for the term, stating that "Our continued success is owing to the long record of service by the Monarchy to ensure our region is secure and our high World Assembly statistics are maintained; the Government, meanwhile, has been engaging in the creation of many programs last term that will be ready for implementation this term."

The first of these is a plan spearheaded by the Ministry of Integration which aims, among other things, to improve community engagement on Balder's RMB and increase participation in the Royal Diplomatic Service. This will be supported by the recent completion of a new set of automated telegrams, which aim to increase the King's endorsement count and promote regional integration through increased participation in regional life.

Finally, the "Information for World Assembly Voters" programme was unveiled, which aims to increase co-operation on WA affairs between the various parts of Balder's government and increase the amount of WA vote information made available to Balder residents. This aims to strenghten Balder's influence in the WA, by better co-ordinating our position on resolutions, educating our residents and ensuring that WA nations vote in accordance with Balder's official stance.

Vulturret's plan to oversee the implementation of these programmes recieved the support of Balder citizens and royalty, with Crown Prince OnderKelkia commenting "A very fine speech. We can look forward to another strong term with Vulturret as Statsminister." and Lawspeaker Theoden Sebastian stating "A solid plan of action by the government that focuses on community engagement and participation. I look forward to serving with my esteemed colleagues."


Other News


The Jomsvikings had been assisting Balder's partners in the Black Hawks with their operation in Westphalia. That operation is now concluded, and the Jomsvikings are now training for further reinforcement missions.

Contact Vulturret II, of the Ministry of Communications, with comments regarding the Bugle.

[The Holy Principality of Saint Mark]

Congratulations to the new office-holders and Peers!

[Vulturret II]

Congratulations to the new office-holders and Peers!

Thank you very much for your well-wishes!

[Cataluna]

Anything actually new happen?

[Armaros]

Anything actually new happen?

It's Balder.

Does that answer your question?

[Jar Wattinree]

Congratulations to the realm of Balder.

[Vulturret II]

Anything actually new happen?

The election of a new Storting and Lawspeaker are relatively big news items worth reporting. They are certainly new. The re-election of the Statsminister is also surely significant enough that observers would prefer to know about it.

[Cataluna]

Anything actually new happen?

The election of a new Storting and Lawspeaker are relatively big news items worth reporting. They are certainly new. The re-election of the Statsminister is also surely significant enough that observers would prefer to know about it.

Wow! Another election? If that's all it takes to do new things, maybe that's the solution to inactivity!

[Vulturret II]

The election of a new Storting and Lawspeaker are relatively big news items worth reporting. They are certainly new. The re-election of the Statsminister is also surely significant enough that observers would prefer to know about it.

Wow! Another election? If that's all it takes to do new things, maybe that's the solution to inactivity!

In a political simulation, I would think that elections in a democratic region would be regarded as a core activity, not some side note. The Realm of Balder holds parliamentary elections every two months because it is required by statute. The Ministers work hard on behalf of the Realm from the start to the end of each term.

[Lord Dominator]

Congrats to Balder on the elections I guess

[Frattastan IV]

The election of a new Storting and Lawspeaker are relatively big news items worth reporting. They are certainly new. The re-election of the Statsminister is also surely significant enough that observers would prefer to know about it.

Wow! Another election? If that's all it takes to do new things, maybe that's the solution to inactivity!

It's a widespread practice for governments to release on a regular basis "updates" where they discuss ordinary events - such as elections - that occurred in their regions but that don't merit ad hoc announcements.

[North East Somerset]

Vulturret was removed earlier today from the office of Statsminister under a provision of Balder law permitting the Monarch to replace the Statsminister where they have been absent from the forums for a period of five days. During this period, we did have brief, intermittent communication with Vulturret on Discord, but he failed to engage substantively with questions put by the Crown in our effort to investigate the incident arising from his concealment of Jake's identity as Moneyness. Jake's citizenship was removed on Friday, immediately after the information came to light that his citizenship application was granted based on false information.

All Citizens and Ministers of Balder are under a duty to provide information pertinent to the security of Balder. Vulturret did not provide an adequate response to the issues which originated with his actions. We appreciate that this is a difficult period for him, and that the circumstances and motivations for the concealment may be complex, but Balder needs a Statsminister who is able to provide effective engagement and leadership. Despite these matters, Balder is grateful to Vulturret for his excellent prior work as Statsminister and wishes him all the best in the future.

Under the Statsminister succession provision, the Crown has appointed the current Minister of Culture, Zander, as First Secretary of State, assuming control of the Government until the Storting selects a new Statsminister.

North East Somerset

King of Balder

[Lord Dominator]

Good to see some changes resulting from it.

[RiderSyl]

Best of luck to Zander, though I doubt he'll need it.

[Cormactopia Prime]

A good decision by Balder. Best of luck to the new Statsminister, whomever they may be, and to Balder's community going forward.

[The Holy Principality of Saint Mark]

I'm sure this is a difficult time for you.
We support your decision, of course.
Best of luck to the new Statsminster.

[Fooooooooo]

Balder Bugle Issue V
A publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Realm of Balder.


June Storting Elections

Balder's June election saw five members elected to Balder's Storting (parliament), marking the beginning of the third full term on Balder's new forum. Many existing members declared their intention to run, and were joined by new faces. Former Lawspeaker Theoden Sebastian declared his intention to run for the office of Statsminster, with veteran member Griffindor13 seeking to take Theoden's place as Lawspeaker. Ultimately, the following were elected to the Storting:

Theoden Sebastian
Griffindor13
Akillian Talleyrand
ZanderCerebella
Aexnidaral


Elections of Lawspeaker & Statsminster and State Opening of Parliament

With the elections complete, Griffindor13, Balder's long serving WA minister and a multiple term Storting member was nominated as Lawspeaker by new Storting member Aexnidaral. Griffindor13 received the unanimous support of his colleagues and was duly appointed as Lawspeaker.

Theoden Sebastian stood for the office of Statsminster, a position he had previously held with distinction in late 2015. Theoden received the unanimous support of the Storting and was nominated as Statsminster once again.

Appointing Theoden as Statsminster in the state opening of parliament, King North East Somerset stated it was his pleasure to do so, saying "I have every faith in his qualification and capability to undertake this office to the highest of standards due to his past experience in it."


Statsminster's speech and appointment of Statsraadet

In his speech following on from the state opening of parliament, Statsminster Theoden announced the appointment of his initial cabinet:

Zander Cerebella - Deputy Statsminister and Minister of Community Affairs
Fuzzy - Minister of Foreign Affairs
Akillian Talleyrand - Minister of War
Griffindor13 - Minister of WA Affairs

Announcing a focus on domestic issues, Theoden stated his main goal for the term is greater citizen engagement, both in government and forum-wide, with a number of initiatives being announced to take this forwards. In foreign affairs, Theoden
aims to build on Balder's close alliances and further strengthen our military the Jomsvikings.



Appointment of Minister of Discord Affairs

At the end of June, Theoden appointed longtime citizen Cinder as Minister of Discord Affairs. Announcing the appointment, Statsminster Theoden emphasised Cinder's extensive experience at all levels of government, going on to say "Considering Cinder's presence and activity in the Discord platform, which is an important extension of Balder community life, Cinder is well placed to help the government engage and assist the citizens there. I am sure that the Minister will perform well in the role."


Relaunching the Civil Service

One of the key objectives for the new term was the re-launch of Balder's Civil Service. This initiative aims to increase regional activity levels and give citizens greater opportunities to get involved in regional life and Balder's government by becoming a member of one of the three new service corps.

A key part of the Civil Service is the Community Corps, where citizens can help run community events and help run Roleplay. The Community Corps also is used to promote the Nordic culture and develop the four cities.

Another part of the Civil Service is the Media Corps. The Media Corps is where citizens are encouraged to write articles for the Balder Bugle, along with other official publications and documents for the government.

The Diplomatic Corps, another portion of the Civil Service, is tasked with being Balder’s face unto the wider NationStates community. It also assists in distribution of the Balder Bugle. All in all, the Civil Service is a great way for citizens to ‘rise through the ranks’, giving them the opportunity to show Balder what they can do, and what they can contribute to the region.


Relaunch of Balder's University

Plans are in the works for the relaunching of Balder's university, with comprised of a college for NationStates studies, a college for Balderan law, a college for natural sciences, a college for social sciences and the arts, and the refounded Museum of Balderan History. The University will enjoy academic freedom and will aim to explore and build upon this wide range of topics. The university Chancellor will be appointed by the Statsminster, with other staff appointments made by the Chancellor. The Statsraadet have recently proposed legislation for the creation of this university, and are working hard to finalise the details ahead of the launch. The university presents an exciting opportunity, allowing for a better understanding of Balder's history and NationStates as a whole.


Contact Fuzzy, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with comments regarding the Bugle.

[Numero Capitan]

Anything actually new happen?

Good to see the exact same names rotating through the same positions again in Groundhog City