Leonorian People's Journal [National News]

[Leonorian Federation]

The Leonorian People's Journal is the number one news source in the Leonorian Federation. It belongs to the Leonorská Národní Mediální Skupina (Leonorian People's Media Group), the biggest media corporation of the country, and the only one in Leonoria the state still owns shares of. The corporation also runs two TV stations and three radio stations, as well as the biggest press agency of the country (commonly shortcut lnms).

This is the official English-language online presence. Comments are welcome.

[Leonorian Federation]

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[Leonorian Federation]

June 17, 2017
Naturalization Of Stateless Residents Confirmed

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Yesterday, the government of Democratic Duborg officially confirmed that the citizenship of Duborger citizens residing in socialist countries got officially rendered null and void. The Leonorian government assumes a tactical approach. However, Chancellor of Democratic Duborg Miriam Prent also pardoned two terror suspects who, according to official Duborger sources, additionally had citizenships of the Leonorian Federation in addition to their Duborger ones.

The island state of Democratic Duborg officially does not recognize the Leonorian Federation as a state. While numerous other, ideologically opposed nations of the world usually deny Leonoria's pure existence as a country, Democratic Duborg, which has a history of economic and cultural co-operation with Leonoria, explicitly still recognizes the Leonorian Free State as the rightful governmental entity, and pre-coup Chancellor Lothar Morgenthau as the rightful head of state. This is a very special policy assumed to be unique in the world.

Because of this policy, Leonorians traveling to Democratic Duborg usually use their old passports – which causes trouble with Leonorian authorities who discarded these passports right after the coup d'etat. This is why it is officially recommended to show both passports at Leonorian airports. However, visa stamps (applying to citizens of foreign nations Leonoria has not opened borders to yet) of the Leonorian Federation do not caused problems, they are accepted in Duborg.

Prominent Duborgers residing in the Leonorian Federation:

• Sören Andersen (*1989), football player
• Oskar Hansen (*1956), author
• Annette Aar (*1984), journalist and author
• Lars Odin Kelly (*1983), football player
• Merle Petersen (*1994), actress
• Thore Vonstetten (*1979), Hero of the Army
• Gunnar Fafnir (*1967), actor
• Robert Schenk (*1990), actor
• Birgit Stopper (*1998), actress

Today, the Leonorian government decided to naturalize all the 50,000 Duborger citizens who currently live on the territory of Leonoria. This follows the Right to a Citizenship article of the constitution, according to which becoming stateless is illegal in the Leonorian Federation. The Leonorian government may only revoke citizenship of people who have two different ones the same time.

As some of these people are quite famous in Leonoria, a great lack of appreciation got soon expressed online. Hashtags like #Heimatlos, #DuborgDoesntNeedPeople and #VikingsWannaThankYouForNothing appeared massively.

Chancellor of the Leonorian Federation Katharina Polak announced to at least try to negotiate with the government in Democratic Duborg.

[Leonorian Federation]

June 18, 2017
Leonoria Up To Farewell Its Longest Border

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Leonoria-Vyšehrad/Tatyaninburg (lmns). As the Leonorian Minister of International Affairs, Janine Keutner, accepted the formal request by the neighboring socialist federation of Brittanova to establish an embassy, it has become very likely that the Leonorian Federation will not have an eastern border any more very soon.

The border checkpoints between Leonoria and Brittanova.

As of now, the Leonorian Federation has eight official border checkpoints to Brittanova: three in the city of Sophienstadt, two in Todendorf, and three in between. Especially the checkpoints of Kladná Hora, Brombach and Kopenreuth/Lückingerhof have a very tragedic meaning for historically-thinking Leonorians – they are symbols of the splitting of the Free State of the Kníževina, whose eastern half got lost to Socialist Brittanova in World War II, while the western part remained Leonorian until it became a part of the Bigtopian United Commonwealth.

An open-border policy as proposed would also end the most special case of a border checkpoint Leonoria has: Kopenreuth/Lückingerhof.

The border checkpoint of Kopenreuth/Lückingerhof. We apologize for that drawing. Sometimes we employ pupils too.

As visible on the map, there are actually two checkpoints. This is caused by a historical issue: the Autobahn that is the A44 today got built when the Kníževina was still united, with a wavy line routing to bypass a military area (which got abandoned and deconstructed after the end of the war). Due to the border demarcation determined in the peace treaty, the last section of the autobahn crossed the border several times. For decades, this had not been a problem. However, after the collapse of the first Leonorian People's Republic, the relations between Leonoria and Brittanova got worse, and the Leonorian government under General Drahomír Zeman wanted to prevent border crossers from uncontrolled passing Leonorian territory. Thus, a new checkpoint got established at Kopenreuth in 1976, originally planned to cross the A9, which could not be put into effect.

Lenauisch-Brittanovlianische Transitautobahn, 1981

Border crossers coming from Central and Southern Leonoria had to leave the autobahn at Lückingerhof now and to drive to Kopenreuth. This, however, caused massive traffic chaos on the federal road from Lückingerhof to Kopenreuth via Ehlen and Kerkenau, as the checkpoint was highly frequented due to ethnic Leonorians on both sides of the border visiting each other and going for cheaper refueling and shopping. So, the Lückingerhof checkpoint got re-opened in 1981, with the old autobahn as a transit route run by Brittanova. Due to surpassing prevention, Brittanova also runs three army checkpoints along that route.

Border checkpoint on the Leonorian side, Kopenreuth

Also, a dirt track in the rural areas on the Leonorian side crosses the Brittanovlian border several times. The track is frequently used by local walkers, bikers, horse riders and joggers. In 2005, the Brittanovlian government got attentive to this issue and started to occasionally control passers on that track, although it is practically impossible to get onto the other side of the transit route.

In the nearby Lake Ladislava, Brittanova still uses combat divers to make sure no one crosses illegally.

Chancellor Katharina Polak publicly said, "That wave line border thing at the checkpoint of Kopenreuth/Lückingerhof has been utter nonsense from the beginning on. It is one of the best arguments to finally end border control in the Leonorian Federation!"

Brittanova would be the third nation (after Ulan-Ata and the Milenian People's Republic) without border controls to and from the Leonorian Federation. Further openings are planned.

[Leonorian Federation]

June 19, 2017
Housing Construction Projects In Full Swing

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Sankt Georgen (lnms). It is about seven months ago that the Milenian Blitzkrieg caused several thousands of people from the former Milenian Democratic Republic escaping from the war zone into the territory of Leonoria. Chancellor Katharina Polak arranged the first major housing construction projects in major Leonorian cities. Although the former Leonorian Occupied Zone became a part of the Leonorian Federation after a referendum, people from South Milenia kept emigrating into the Old States massively. Today, significant parts of the population of South Milenia now live in the former Leonorian Free State – and there is no chance of ending this internal emigration. Especially the German and Czech-speaking minorities of the old MDR started seeking a new home in cities like Leniná Hora, Sankt Georgen, and, of course, LV.

The Leonorian government hurried up establishing new housing projects in these cities. Now, the biggest of it so far, the Wohnanlage Westend in Sankt Georgen (see picture) got finished – started already under the rule of Chancellor Lothar Morgenthau as a project for a new world metropolis and satellite city for the capital.

The Polak government expects more than a million immigrants up until the end of 2017. Many of them will most likely come from Milenia, but also from other neighboring nations, which might be a side effect of the announced policy of open borders. Not only native Milenians are expected to arrive, but also Leonorian returnees from other places who left the country before and during the 2016 coup d'etat. Additionally, it is considered very likely that the recently naturalized expatriates from Democratic Duborg will try to get their families to Leonoria.

Similar housing projects already exist in LV, Leniná Hora, Sophienstadt, Pavlové Pole, and Koldingersiel. New projects are also being established in Kladná Hora, Siebenkirchen, Paulingersiel as well as Neuenkirchen am Berge.

In the plans, it was severely paid attention to 1) a style of building fitting into the townscape of the place and 2) a balanced relation of houses and green land that saves space, but also will not burden the environment. Environmental Minister Lotte Pawelke said, "Living space is one thing. But life quality is definitely another one. We should try to get both into these places." Pawelke, who had worked in the Parks & Recreation Office in Janiná Hora before she became leader of the Leonorian Green Party, had turned her hometown into one of the major cities in Leonoria with the most greenbelts.

[Leonorian Federation]

June 20, 2017
BREAKING NEWS: Terrorist Shot In Café

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Sophienstadt (lnms). By nine o'clock in the morning, an incident happened in one of the numerous cafés in the Krajinská Ulice in the Sophienstädter district of Stotky. A man in his thirties with an obvious oriental appearance entered the café where, at this time, notably students between 16 and 19 years of age from the nearby high school, enjoying their morning break coffee. The man suddenly pointed a gun at them and lifted it up quickly, to tell them to stand up. They did so, some also put their hands up in advance. The man put his gun down – then, he suddenly heard a police siren at a certain distance and screamed, "Bůh vás všechny potrestá!" ("God will punish you all"). When he put his gun up again, suddenly a few teenagers held up guns themselves – and shot. The man was dead on the spot.

The Sophienstadt Police Department managed to identify the man quickly: Oman A., 32 years old, born in Alaouira, Socialist Shamsiya. At first, the police suspected an Islamist background, although it was seen as very unusual, considering he was from a very secular socialist country. Also, it was unusual that he spoke Czech instead of Arabic or French – as Sophienstadt-Stotky is a district inhabited by many immigrants from Socialist Shamsiya. Most of the teenagers in the café were Shamsiyan immigrants themselves.

The Leonorská Informační Služba (LIS), however, found out that Oman A. has lived in Sophienstadt for almost ten years. He had escaped from Shamsiya, where he got reknowned as a devout anti-socialist author of inflammatory writing aimed at the government. During the rule of the Old Regime in the Leonorian Free State and the city state of Sophienstadt, he, naturally, has not been considerably conspicious, and he obviously has not complained loudly enough about the regime change in October 2016.

LIS speaker Stanislav Jelinek told this newspaper, "It's still fascinating how citizens mostly do our work. In other countries, terrorists shoot people. In Leonoria, people shoot terrorists. Of course, we might all get suspicious, considering Oman A. came from a nation we plan to open borders with. But still, this was a single case. If you remember, one year ago things like these were a part of everyday life. And our comrades in Alaouira aren't from yesterday either. Leonoria is still a fairly safe place, and if it's that the people need to enforce this themselves."

[Leonorian Federation]

June 26, 2017
Janine Keutner Gives Up Communist Party Leadership – And Switches

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Leonoria-Vyšehrad (lnms). It was a big surprise for everyone: today, the Leonorian Minister of International Affairs, Janine Sarah Keutner (23), announced that she officially gives up leadership of the KKLF (Communist Coalition of the Leonorian Federation).

"There are two major reasons to do this," she publically said. "The first one is that it is very hard to go abroad and represent the government I actually ran against during the last election. I still could be happy to get into Chancellor Polak's cabinet, and I am thankful for that. The second one is a major change of thoughts. I just realized that politics is slightly more than running on the street and waving flags. I suddenly understood that it's me who has to bring the Leonorian Federation onto the international floor. Look, I know I was the leading figure of that splitting of the LDU, but I think it was a mistake. Now I understand why Chancellor Polak turned more centrist. That is, you need to be realistic if you are in power. This is why I decided to pass my leadership on – and go back to the LDU. I hope this will convince Kathie Polak to give up the last mistrust that she clearly had against me when I joined the governing coalition."

The KKLF had split off the LDU after the December Constitution got passed. Keutner and her comrades were convinced of the more absolute socialist government Polak had formed after the coup. Hardliners from the whole leftist range had accused Polak of "not knowing what she wants".

"This, indeed, surprises me," Polak stated after this got released. "She was not the first and will not be the last Comrade who will be confronted with the realism you just need to run a country. Of course, we welcome Janine Keutner back to the LDU. She has done a good job managing our international relationships so far, and will keep doing so in the future."

It was an open secret that, right after the election in March 2017, Chancellor Polak had severe difficulties trusting Keutner enough to let her participate in the new government, especially as a minister. She was worried that Keutner could plan to drag the government into a more authoritarian direction again – contradicting Polak's course. She had already been concerned when Keutner started to gain popularity, as a second place in the election would automatically have made her Vice Chancellor (a system Polak had taken over from Nanakai, where this has been normal since the 1990s) – as such, she could have abused a possible absence of Polak to start running the country after her own bias. Eventually, Green Party leader Lotte Pawelke turned out to be no. 2 and therefore Vice Chancellor, next to her position as Environmental Minister.

However, Polak had given her a chance, as a Minister of International Affairs. Keutner had used this chance, surprisingly without disappointing Polak. Therefore, she will continue her job as Minister of International Affairs.

Janine Keutner appointed the reknowned socialist resistance fighter Miloš Vítek (58), another former follower of Polak's movement who later joined the KKLF, as her successor. Since he will have another important function in the current government, he, however, needs to wait for official approval.

[Leonorian Federation]

June 30, 2017
South Milenia Going Home Again Soon?

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Leonoria-Vyšehrad/Velikonja (lnms). Within the past seven months, there was a wave of inner migration occurring that no one would have predicted: thousands and another thousands of people from the State of South Milenia had looked for a new home in the Old States. Although the former Leonorian Free State has erected giant housing projects since then, the Leonorian government is worried about the situation in South Milenia. Also, many people went to North Milenia, which exists as an independent state called Milenian People's Republic, leaving abandoned city districts and ghost towns in South Milenia.

Former border checkpoint near Badbergen (Oberneuland), 2016

A historical retrospective: In November/December 2016, the Milenian Democratic Republic illegitimately attacked the Česká Krajina. When the Leonorian Federation, with the help of troops from Ulan-Ata, stroke back, the Milenian president Mátyás Lengyel ordered to remove the counter-troops by every means. When a socialist resistance got formed in Milenia, Lengyel declared the Total War and killed several hundred thousands of his own people, partly using poisoned gas. Also, the Leonorian Armed Forces and the UA People's Army suffered very high casualties. Right after the complete destruction of the city of Szigetvár (Genibora County) through Milenian government bombings (trying to remove Leonorian military bases), Lengyel escaped from the country, leaving the chaos behind. He is still persecuted for heavy war crimes by the Leonorian Federation, Ulan-Ata as well as the Milenian People's Republic. Since Milenia is not part of the World Assembly, Lengyel could never be tried internationally. -- Eventually, the socialist armies and resistance fighters won the fight. This war got known as the Milenian Blitz. For the purpose of peacekeeping, the MDR got split up into a Leonorian (South Milenia) and an Ulan-Atan Occupied Zone (North Milenia). While the UA Peacekeeping Forces established the Milenian People's Republic, the Leonorian Occupied Zone hold a referendum joining the Leonorian Federation as an autonomous part.

Today, the UA Peacekeeping Forces are slowly being withdrawn from the MPR. Also, the Leonorian troops are not very present in the former MDR any more. The MPR is considered a stable, democratic place with reasonable civil rights.

András Csonyi, speaker of the South Milenian Regional Parliament and a devout Milenian patriot, said in public, "Since the Milenian Blitz has been over, the former Milenian Democratic Republic has turned into a peaceful and democratic place again. Also since then, Milenia has been suffering an unnatural splitting. How would you like it if established Leonorian core states got split up into two states? Exactly! And a good part of South Milenians already live in the traditional regions of Leonoria. Those who don't want to be Leonorian citizens went to the MPR. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to violently split off the Leonorian Federation. We are very thankful for what Leonoria brought us. I just believe that a nation that has stuck together for many centuries, and, unlike Leonoria, has never been subject to foreign domination, should stick together again, as one Milenian state. But this, of course, is only my opinion. How about asking the people one more time?"

Now, the Leonorian government will check over a possible second referendum in South Milenia. It is also considered to do the same in Janikora-Poortland, another region that got incorporated into the Leonorian Federation after a heavy Milenian attack.