News Thread [Kylaris|Canon|IC]

by **Etruria2** » Fri Apr 27, 2018 3:02 pm

Election draws close as opposition parties clash
Citizens and Federalists enter brutal argument over who's best to offer Etruria an alternative to the Tribune Movement
Massimo Abate
^{22 April, 2018, 13.00pm | Poveglia, Vespasia, Transetruria}

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With only five days to go until the general election, campaigning is in full-swing, with polls continuing to show a strong Tribune lead over the Citizens’ Alliance. Today saw the various parties take to their bases of support, with major events by the Tribunes in Solaria, Vicalvi, Poveglia and eastern Vespasia, while the Citizens focused on the autonomous regions and northern Vespasia and Carinthia. However, bitter clashes continue between the Citizens, Federalists and Socialists.

Citizens' leader Vittoria Vetra speaking to supporters in San Alessandro

First Citizen Carcaterra was visiting supporters in Vicalvi today, where he was spotted talking to assembled workers at the Terraciano steel mill. He was there to discuss the government’s proposed “Industrial Expansion Strategy.” The Tribune Movement, while presenting this election primarily in focus of the continued tensions with the Euclean Community, has presented some major policies.

The Industrial Expansion Strategy according to the Movement’s manifesto is, “a major utilisation of federal powers, including taxation, regulation and fiscal power to support manufacturers, small, medium and large. Through the creation of geographic zones in major urban centres, the Federal government will be able to implement within these zones, major tax reductions, energy subsidies alternative regulatory schemes and competitive industrial schemes.”

First Citizen Carcaterra told workers at the Terraciano mill, “we are going to create these zones and inside them give manufacturers, Etrurian manufacturers the means and support to expand on their world-class and high precision production. While also using these zones to support start-ups, both technology based and of course, manufacturing.”

Finance Minister Vittorio Eugenio Civati was also in Vicalvi talking to the Federal Business Commission, where he also discussed the Industrial Expansion Strategy but also planned tax reform and the necessity of Etrurian corporations to recognise their social responsibilities.

“As employers, as wealth creators as the means of economic development you owe a great deal to society and to the Etrurian nation. Because without either, you do not exist. I do not say this as a threat, I say this as a reminder that you have some obligations. This is something that is often forgotten in capitalism and often or not, rejected.

“Your obligations are simple, treat your employees with respect, pay your taxes and when possible, offer something back to society. But sometimes you have no means to do so, that is why the government can and must play a role. As such, if we are victorious we will be establishing a Societal Development Fund, in which companies may volunteer to pay into this fund directly over some taxes.

“Your choice will either be to pay taxation or a portion of your annual revenues and profits directly into a fund that will be used to aid the poorest, most vulnerable and isolated of our society, our collective society” he said.

Yet while the Tribunes were taking their message to voters, the opposition parties were gripped in vicious in-fighting. Vittoria Vetra was visiting supporters in San Alessandro, where she spent much of her time slamming the Federalists and Socialists.

“You are falsely being offered four options, us, the Tribunes and of course the Federalists and Socialists. This is wrong, there’s only us or the Tribunes. Hope or despair, freedom or injustice. The other two are responsible for the Tribunes, they’re the ones who have failed consistently to stand up for you and your rights. They’re the wrongs who let corruption hollow out of our democracy” she said.

“If you read what they’re proposing, if you listen to what they’re both saying, you’ll hear and see the same old answers. We face new questions, new problems and issues, but they offer only the same solutions that created the problems in the first place” she said further.

While in Dubovica, Federalist leader Mario Cesare Tullio denounced the Citizens’ as a “protest movement rooted in lofty arrogance.”

“The citizens offer the people of Etruria nothing but shouting and protest, this is not a party of government, or responsible government. The citizens are a movement of virtue-signalling social justice warriors, who see opposition of the Tribunes as a form of self-gratification. Though they’re motto is right, we do deserve better, better than the Tribunes and the Citizens.”

The Federalists are proposing numerous reforms to taxation, education and the justice system. While the Federalists seek to repeal the JRA, they have opted to use some of the Tribunes’ language to say the justice system needs to be “cleaned up”, through independent oversight. However, the Federalists continue to languish in the polls at 2% according to the latest by Demos.

However, recent days have seen a dramatic shift toward minor parties, especially the hard-left Popular Renewal and more surprisingly the M26N. Popular Renewal is charging up on the Socialists’ left by advocating free university, free healthcare, free childcare for all and re-nationalisation of transportation and the energy market. They’re polling at over 3.5%, which is enough according to Demos to “break into the federal legislature due to ongoing splits in the opposition parties’ support.”

The Workers and Farmers Union for the first time since its founding in 1958, is fielding candidates in all 680 lower-house and 290 upper-house constituencies. However the WFU has remained focused on rural constituencies, especially around the Poveglian Basin, where its promising energy subsidies and tariffs against food imports. The WFU is reportedly seeing strong poll gains in western Etruria and southern Carinthia, where support for the WFU’s decision to back the JRA in the State Council is seeing pay-offs.

Last night, WFU leader, Milan Vučković confirmed that the WFU and Tribunes have agreed electoral pacts in several constituencies, with the Tribunes agreeing to reducing focus on certain rural seats in Western Vespasia, while the WFU agreed not to do the same in northern Carinthia.

Analysis: A splintering of the opposition, by Pietro Gianni

The past three days have seen vicious internecine fighting between the opposition parties. The Citizens condemn the Feds and Socialists as “has-beens” and “ignorant of the new Etruria.” While the Feds and Socialists claim the Citizens’ constant antagonism is producing rabid partisanship and tribalism in Etruria. In one sense, the ‘liberal’ opposition is fighting among itself on its anti-Tribune credentials.

With this lack of the focus, the Tribunes, their nominal allies in the WFU and the minor parties are pressing to the people their agendas, while the Tribunes presentation of the election as a fight against EC plots against democracy appears to be working dramatically in their favour.

What may frighten the opposition however, is not the Tribunes, but the M26N, a far-right neo-functionalist party focusing all of its efforts on Castelvitrano and the seats of the Tinian March. The M26N views the current crisis with the EC as an outright threat against Etruria and with their deep rooted hatred of all-things Florena, they’re wrapping it to great effect.

With the vote approaching on Friday, its becoming a certainty that the Tribunes will win another five years in government, but the question is how much damage will the establishment suffer in the Feds and Socialists, how much the Citizens’ gain and will Popular Renewal and M26N break into the federal level?

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by **The Kingdom of Glitter** » Fri Apr 27, 2018 3:33 pm

CASARNACH, CULLEN, AND ROYCE VIE TO REPLACE O'REILLY
The three senior TCs are the only contestants heading into Liberty's National Convention

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James Kelley (@jkelleygbf)
^{27 April 2018 | Spálgleann, Glytter}

Ex-Foreign Ministers Julie Royce and Frank Casarnach are seen as the two front-runners in the three-way race.

SPÁLGLEANN – As the deadline to enter the Liberty Party's leadership race passed, only three TCs will vie to replacing Taoiseach Jimmy O'Reilly, who is resigning over his handling of the Pietramontecorvino Incident.

Frank Casarnach, Maeve Cullen, and Julie Royce will compete to become Mr. O'Reilly's successor at the upcoming Liberty National Convention, which will be held at Sovereign's Stadium in Spálgleann.

Both Mr. Casarnach and Ms. Royce are viewed as the two front-runners, with a clear victor hard to predict. However, Ms. Cullen's entry into the race could spell trouble for Ms. Royce, as the two hold similar political views and come from the same wing of the party.

Following the June 2017 general election, Mr. Casarnach was sacked and replaced with Ms. Royce. He had served as Foreign Minister under ex Taoiseach Alexis Walker since December of 2014, having previously served as Minister of Petroleum. His tenure had provoked controversy after a series of high profile spats with foreign officials. Mr. Casarnach was the Taoiseach's main challenger at the Liberty National Convention held last March. He was ultimately defeated by Mr. O'Reilly after several ballots were cast, bearing no clear winner.

Ms. Royce served as Minister of Foreign Affairs after the 2017 election, a promotion from her post as Defense Minister. Her tenure largely saw disagreements between her and Mr. O'Reilly, who began to break with the Glytteronian tradition of liberal institutionalism and favored what the Taoiseach's former Chief of Staff, Darren McGovern, referred to as "practicalism", a fusion of liberalism and realism. Ms. Royce publicly dissented over the Taoiseach's handling of the VredoChem Scandal and the deal he bi-laterally made with Fars to secure the country's illegal chemical weapons stockpile. She was caught offering heavy criticism of Mr. O'Reilly on a hot mic in January and shortly resigned after.

The ex-Foreign Ministers, who both served Taoiseach O'Reilly at different times, have been vocal critics of his handling of the ongoing diplomatic bag scandal. Both played a pivotal role in forcing his resignation, as they led organized groups of Liberty TCs that would vote against the Taoiseach in the motion of no confidence that was to be filed by the bulk of the opposition.

The usually soft-spoken and low-profile Ms. Cullen criticized her rivals as "faithless", drawing specific attention to their public role in the Taoiseach's near-ousting.

"They broke with the party ranks and rebelled against the party they hope to lead. Their lack of fealty should not be rewarded. In the wake of diplomatic scandal of this magnitude, the last thing this country needs is one of two disgraced diplomats in Loveland" she said.

Ms. Cullen has served as Minister of Finance after a stint as ex-Taoiseach Walker's Chief Whip, has maintained a relatively low profile. Referred to as "the silent workhorse" by Ms. Walker, she has a reputation of pursing government goals and implementing government policy without taking credit. While this makes Ms. Cullen an ideal minister, it her low public profile could work against her. Likewise, her name instills loyalty within the party's ranks in the Comhthionól Náisiúnta. However, Liberty's 156 sitting TCs are only a small fraction of the delegates who will attend the convention, who number over nine-thousand.

However, her low profile could benefit her. Both of her rivals have relatively high profiles and have played very public roles as ministers. Both also have scandals of their own associated with them, something Ms. Cullen could use to her advantage. However, she seems an unlikely choice.

One senior official within the party's dominant coinbhinsiúin, The Middle, warned that Ms Cullen could serve as a spoiler candidate.

"There are concerns that [Ms. Cullen] will divide the pragmatic, moderate delegates, allowing an opening for [Mr. Casarnach] to maintain an edge through the ballots" the official said.

While The Middle maintains a strong hold over the party's leadership and parliamentary delegation, a such control does not extend to the delegates that select the new leader. Many are former elected officials who held office during the Flowerite Era and are generally unfriendly to candidates from The Middle. These delegates strongly backed Mr. Casarnach in the last convention. His new role as leader of the Flowerite Margadh Coinbhinsiún is a strong indicator that he will enjoy their strong support once more.

Despite fears that the Finance Minister may act as a spoiler for Ms. Royce, it seems unlikely that any one candidate will secure the majority needed on the first few ballots.

In order to win, a candidate must achieve 50% plus 1 of the vote. Nearly ten thousand delegates are expected to attend and cast a vote for Liberty's next leader. While in some countries, and Glytteronian political parties, prospective leaders have to lead a public campaign and are elected in a primary vote, the Liberty Party instead holds its National Convention where elected and former officials, party insiders, and donors gather to chose their leader. It is in many ways a gathering of the party elite.

New candidates can be added to the ballot at any time after the convention begins if they achieve the backing of 5% of the delegates. However, most prospective candidates enter the race in the weeks leading up to the convention's start.

The Liberty National Convention is set to take place next weekend, from Saturday 5 March to Sunday 6 March.

Compared to last year's convention, this one is dressed-down. The two day convention will only feature ballot votes and an address from the victory. The party chair, Mánus Mac Murchú, will open the convention and will be the only speaker.

The junior party's in the governing coalition have both indicated they will support whoever Liberty chooses as its next leader in a vote that is expected to be held on Monday 7 March.

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by **Etruria2** » Fri Apr 27, 2018 3:56 pm

Election 2018: Etrurians head to the polls
Voting begins for the year's snap election, with the Federal Electoral Commission estimating a turnout rate of 79%.
Mauro Tarantini
^{27 April 2018, 09.00am | Poveglia, Vespasia, Transetruria}

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Etrurians go to the polls today to elect a government following the Tribunes’ decision to call a snap election in wake of the Euclean Community’s sanctioning of government officials. Turnout is expected to be high according to the Federal Electoral Commission, with over 8,586 polling stations operating. This is the first election to see the use of electronic voting, with an exit poll expected at 10pm.

People queuing to vote at a school in Vicalvi.

The general election has reached its climax today with long ques reported at numerous polling stations across the Federation this morning. The FEC is expecting turnout to be around 79%, five points higher than in 2016, that brought the Tribunes to power. This is the first election to see the use of electronic voting machines, following the decision by the FEC to adopt the system last year.

Etrurian voters are electing representatives to 680 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 290 seats in the State Council.

First Citizen Francesco Carcaterra heading to vote
in his seat of San Pietro della Abbadia Lariana
this morning.

The election was called at the start of the month by First Citizen Francesco Carcaterra in wake of the Euclean Community’s controversial decision to place sanctions on several high-ranking government ministers, First Citizen Carcaterra included, in response to the passing of the Judicial Reform Act. Which greatly empowered the federal government to clean up the judicial system of corruption and cronyism.

Since the election was called, much more has happened. On April 14, three Glytteronian diplomats were detained after being discovered trying to smuggle forged passports to former politicians under criminal investigation. In the ensuing outpouring of anger by the international community, the Etrurian government singlehandedly brought down Glytter’s Taoiseach, Jimmy O’Reilly by revealing he purposefully lied to his nation and the international community, over the Diplomatic Bag carried by the diplomats.

Citizens' Leader Vittoria Vetra also voted this morning
in her constituency.

With the EC throwing sanctions at the democratically elected government and Glytter seemingly attempting to interfere with our internal affairs, the Tribune government under Francesco Carcaterra presented this vote as a means to stand up to the EC. His decision to call a snap election was rooted in his desire to “see if we maintain the people’s trust in wake of the EC’s decision to assault our sovereignty.”

While the ruling Tribunes have moved with laser-focus, presenting this election as a referendum on their handling of the EC, but also their extensive political programme, the opposition have floundered. The unashamedly pro-EC Citizens’ Alliance was forced to postpone its campaign launch event by three days as a result of the Pietramontecorvino Incident. Their pro-EC campaign strategy was destroyed by Glytter’s embarrassing failure, revealing the Citizens’ wish to overturn the 2016 EC referendum decision.

The establishment parties; the Socialists and Federalists have collapsed in the polls since 2016 and have appeared to fail in seeking a resurgence. Both parties have been beset by small audiences and limited enthusiasm by their activists. The Socialists have even been forced to only field 667 candidates, well short of the 970 for both houses of the Senate.

The most surprising theme of this election has been the near unstoppable but steady rise of the “minor parties”. The left-wing Popular Renewal and the far-right M26N have seen the most gains in polls. Popular Renewal, offering a hard-left programme is seeing strong standing in working class districts in Carinthia, southern Vespasia and in deprived areas of San Alessandro. The M26N, led by Gianfranco Galizia is seeing its own gains in eastern Vespasia, especially within the city of Castelvitrano.

Many pundits and commentators are in agreement that the Tribunes will be re-elected, but the questions to be answered are, how big will the Tribunes win? How much will the Citizens’ grow? How weakened will the Federalists and Socialists be? And, how much will Popular Renewal and or the M26N gain?

With Etrurian politics fracturing into various groupings, tonight’s result will have fundamental influence on the future of the country.

Stay tuned for the Exit Poll and live coverage of the results.

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by **Etruria2** » Fri Apr 27, 2018 5:07 pm

BREAKING Exit Poll shows Tribune victory and destruction of the establishment parties
Election 2018: Tribunes, Citizens, WFU and minor parties make shocking gains as Feds and Socialists are decimated.
Mauro Tarantini
^{27 April 2018, 10.01pm | Poveglia, Vespasia, Transetruria}

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Exit Poll shows dramatic landslide victory for the Tribune Movement, with 398 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 186 seats in the State Council. Citizens’ Alliance makes major gains at expense of the Federalist Party, with 174 seats in the Chamber and 74 in the Council. Feds and Socialists are decimated by voters. Democratic Alternative gains 7 seats off the Federalists, while Popular Renewal and M26N break into the federal level with 4 seats and 3 seats in the Chamber respectively.

CommissioneElettoraleFederale
@CeF

Exit Poll #Elezioni2018:

MT: 398 CR/186 SC
AC: 174 CR/85 SC
PRU: 71 CR/14 SC
VE: 11 CR/11 SC
DAE: 7 CR/3 SC
PFE: 7 CR/2 SC
PSE: 5 CR/0 SC
RP: 4 CR/0 SC
M26N: 3 CR/0 SC

RETWEETSFAVORITES
118.5k105.5k

22:00 EST - 27 April 18

The Federal Electoral Commission’s exit poll has sent shockwaves across Etruria, with a dramatic re-election victory for the Tribunes, major gains for the Citizens’, decimation of the traditional centre-left and centre-right parties of Etruria and the entry of two new parties, the far-left Popular Renewal and far-right M26N.

The Tribunes, according to the exit poll have increased their majority to 57, while more impressively they’ve secured a two-thirds majority outright in the upper-house, meaning they alone have the numbers to amend the constitution without the need for a referendum or assistance from the Workers and Farmers Union.

The exit poll shows good gains for the Citizens, with an increase of 64 seats in the Chamber and 12 in the Council. Virtually of their gains came from the Federalists, who have suffered their worst defeat since their founding the 1980s, with just 7 seats in the Chamber. The Citizens’ will now entrench their position as the sole alternative to the Tribunes.

The Greens suffered heavily in terms of vote share, but succeeded in gaining one seat in the Chamber and 5 in the Council. The party had been struggling to form a coherent policy on the EC since the Pietramontecorvino Incident, blunting its momentum from 2016.

The greatest surprises were the sheer extent of the destruction of Etruria’s tradtional establishment parties; the Federalists Party and the Etrurian Socialist Party. The Feds lost 91 seats in the Chamber and all of their seats in the Council. The Socialists for their part, suffered 42 losses in the Chamber, leaving them an ineffective rump of 5 representatives according to the exit poll.

The other surprise from the exit poll is the apparent success of three minor parties. Democratic Alternative for Etruria, a liberal conservative splinter of the Feds won 7 seats in the Chamber, though with details on vote share yet to come, it is expected that they scored higher than anticipated. The far-left Popular Renewal also gained 4 seats in the Chamber, while the controversial and anti-Floren M26N far-right party won 3 seats.

First Citizen Carcaterra’s office released a statement saying, “the exit poll is showing a result we hoped for but doubted. If this is the case, the Tribvne Movement has been granted the trust and faith of the Etrurian people to defend our great nation from the EC.”

More details as results come in.

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Greens divisions over EC grow [ 116 ]

by **Etruria2** » Fri May 04, 2018 7:07 am

BREAKING Tribunes re-elected to government in landslide as the Establishment collapses
Election 2018: Tribunes, Citizens, WFU and minor parties make shocking gains as Feds and Socialists are decimated.
Mauro Tarantini
^{28 April 2018, 10.22am | Poveglia, Vespasia, Transetruria}

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The Tribune Movement has been re-elected to government in a landslide, with 47% of the popular vote and 17.7 million ballots. The Tribunes won 11 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 17 seats in the State Council of the Federation. With their gains, the Tribunes have an enlarged majority in the lower house and more importantly, a two-thirds majority in the upper-house. The Citizens’ Alliance saw the biggest gains, winning over 60 seats in the Chamber and 12 seats in the State Council.

First Citizen Francesco Carcaterra praised the Etrurian people for giving the Tribunes their trust.

With the results officially in, the Tribune Movement has been re-elected in a landslide victory, which saw the party increase its vote share from 2016 by over 6%. The party saw its biggest gains in northern Vespasia and Carinthia, where it took 8 seats off the Socialist Party and 3 seats off the Federalist Party, while its gains in the State Council were drawn from Vespasia and Carinthia, these seats were taken from the Federalists, Greens and Citizens.

According to more in-depth results released by the Federal Electoral Commission, the surge in the Tribune vote came from the middle-class and the 24-35 age group, previously believed to be a difficult base to access, the results also showed that support for the Tribunes among the 35-70 and 70+ age groups had remained static and support among the working class had remained steady.

In wake of his victory, First Citizen Francesco Carcaterra spoke to reporters at the Palazzo Vittoria. In his speech he said, “we have received a mandate, we have received a mandate to govern, to defend, to protect and to guard. We have received the trust of the Etrurian people once more and as before, we will honour that trust” he said.

“This electoral victory is one for all Etruria, in which the people of this country reaffirmed their decision to reject membership of the Euclean Community and to say no to the EC’s bullying and vindictive tactics. Their efforts to destroy our democracy have failed and will continue to fail as long as a democratically supported Tribune government exists, that is our vow to you” he said further.

Second Citizen Ettore Mantavo said, “with this mandate, we have the tools to truly transform our great nation from top to bottom, to ensure that we are all once again, proud to call ourselves Etrurian. With this mandate we have the trust to clear out our federal and state systems of corruption, careerism, cronyism and nepotism. We have the means to bring about a revolution for Etruria, to save Etruria, to empower Etruria and restore Etruria.”

While the Tribunes celebrate their re-election for another four years in government, the Citizens’ Alliance was also celebrating. The centrist-liberal party won 64 seats in the Chamber and 12 in the State Council, expanding their position as the official opposition.

The Citizens’ gains came entirely off of the collapsed Federalists, with massive gains in northern Vespasia, including San Alessandro, Concordia Sagittaria, Aquanero and Castello Nero. Their gains in the State Council came from Vespasia.

With over 10 million votes at 27% of the popular vote, the Citizens expanded their vote share dramatically from 2016.

Citizens' leader Vittoria Vetra vowed to hold the government to
account and to build the Citizens up as the party of government.

Speaking at their result event in Stazzona, the Citizens’ leaders praised their candidates and activists. Nicolò Pecorari, the leader of the Vespasia federal branch said, “we saw amazing gains, far exceeding our expectations and we thank, with the deepest and warmest thanks, the candidates and the activists who fought hard to defend our freedom and liberties.”

Citizens’ leader Vittoria Vetra said, “while we did not unseat this government, while we did not blunt their advance or gains, we did expand our base, our seats and vote share. Tonight shows that we can be the best of Etruria, we can offer them the best future and we are making progress. More must be done to gain the trust of the people, to gain their trust to remove this right-wing government and end our crisis with the EC and all Euclea.”

“Our promise is to hold the government to account, to remind them that they are not untouchable and if they make more moves toward a police state, we will be there to shout them down and to fight them” she said to loud cheers and applause.

The electoral results show the collapse of the Federalists feeding directly into the growth of the Citizens’, they took the Federalists’ strength in the middle-class, while the Citizens’ seized a vast majority of the youth vote – with 56% of the 18-24 age group voting for the Citizens’.

The collapse of the Federalists was widely expected in this election, and while the Socialist collapse benefited the Tribunes, the extent of the collapse has shocked many in the political world. The Federalists 91 seats in the Chamber and all 21 seats in the State Council. The party received just 2% of the popular vote, though enough to retain seven seats in the Chamber. This is a catastrophic fall from the 23% they received in 2016 and the 40% in 2013.

The Federalists have not released a statement, nor has its leader Mario Cesare Tullio spoken to reporters, though he was re-elected to his seat with a comfortable majority.

There is now swirling rumours that the Federalists may dissolve or merge with the Democratic Alternative for Etruria.

The Socialists have also seen their vote collapse, winning just short of 2.04% and 730,000 votes. They lost 20 seats to the Tribunes and the Farmers and Workers, with just 5 seats remaining. Leader of the Socialists, Caterina Volpe told supporters at their HQ, “we have not done well, this is true. Our task now is to decide the future of moderate social democracy in this country, but I will not be the one to lead that” she said, confirming reporters she would resign as leader.

The Socialists were greatly hindered by a split between it and Popular Renewal, a hard-left insurgent party that took four seats in the Chamber. These four seats were taken from the Tribunes where their majorities were very slim.

The third big winners of the night was the Workers and Farmers Union, which for the first time put up candidates in seats outside Novalia. They won 9.1% of the vote, with over 3.2 million ballots – giving them over 20 new seats in the Chamber and 4 new seats in the State Council. These gains were found primarily in rural southern Vespasia, where they took advantage of slim Tribune majorities and the collapse in the Socialists.

The WFU leader, Milan Vučković told a large audience in Dubovica, “we have presented ourselves as a party for all Etruria and all Etrurians heard and gave us support. We can be a voice for the rural people of our nation, we can be a voice for the poor outside the cities, we can be a voice for the farmer and worker, we can be a voice for all states of our Union. Well done, well done to everyone who fought for our cause.”

Once again however, there is much talk of the WFU and Tribunes maintaining their tacit parliamentary alliance, with some talk of a formal agreement uniting the two parties on some issues, including economic and taxation reform. If this happens, the Tribune government with WFU support will possess the largest working majority in Etrurian history.

Though the biggest surprise of the night was the surge in support for minor parties, with Democratic Alternative, Popular Renewal and the M26N gaining 14 seats collectively.

The centre-right liberal-conservative Democratic Alternative for Etruria defeated the Federalists winning 3% of the vote, with just over a million ballots. They won 7 seats off the Citizens and Tribunes in areas dominated by young voters. Its leader, Gabriele Gaudio spoke to supporters in a live-streamed video saying, “We have become the true alternative for Etruria, while we have a way to go, we have beaten the odds by far. We now have seven representatives, people who will work hard for their constituents and to make the party a success. If the Citizens will only work to be a protest movement, then it is down to us to become the opposition to authoritarianism. We are ready for that challenge.”

Popular Renewal won four seats in and around Fiora, where the Socialist vote was once held as unbreakable. The party focused all of its efforts on these seats were the Socialists were collapsing, but voters did not feel attracted to the Tribunes or Citizens.

Most controversially for the liberal and globalist elite in Etruria, the neo-functionalist M26N party won three seats in the Tinian March region, with 538,944 votes cast. The M26N’s platform is primarily based around protecting the Tinian March from Florena and anti-immigration, with the party demanding the 350,000 Farsi-descendants be disenfranchised or evicted and deported back to Fars.

More as the story develops.

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by **The Kingdom of Glitter** » Fri May 04, 2018 10:12 am

CASARNACH BLAMES O'REILLY GOVERNMENT FOR TRIBUNE VICTORY
The ex-Minister tied the Pietramontecorvino Incident to the Tribune Movement's landslide victory.

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James Kelley (@jkelleygbf)
^{30 April 2018 | Spálgleann, Glytter}

Frank Casarnach, a former Foreign Minister, is one of the three candidates vying to replace Taoiseach Jimmy O'Reilly.

SPÁLGLEANN – Ex-Foreign Minister Frank Casarnach has accused the O’Reilly Government of enabling the Tribune Movement’s victory in Etruria’s snap election this weekend.

Offering a heavy criticism of Taoiseach Jimmy O’Reilly, Mr. Casarnach said it was “essential that the damage was reversed” and argued that it would take an experienced diplomat to “stop the bleeding”.

“The whole ordeal handed [the Tribunes] their victory. This is perhaps one of the most blatant instances of a foreign government influencing an election in history. Of course, the election was influenced in a way that is unfavorable not only to Glytter, but to the EC at large” he said.

“If we hope to have any sort of diplomatic relationship with Etruria going forward, which we both should have and must have, we must make amends. We must be sincere when we speak. We cannot mislead the public, the press, and the international community to save face, or our jobs”.

Mr. Casarnach has been a vocal critic of the Taoiseach’s handling of the Eturian Crisis, which first began after the Tribunes pursued controversial judicial reform that many in the EC and international community view as undemocratic.

The Pietramontecorvino Incident saw him increase his criticism, calling for Mr. O’Reilly to resign and promising to oust him as Taoiseach should the opposition file a motion of no confidence.

The ex-Minister and candidate to replace Mr. O’Reilly has also called the Pietramontecorvino Incident a “monumental fuck up” in a separate interview with YOG News late last night.

The Pietramontecorvino Incident consumed the O’Reilly Government, derailing the Taoiseach’s agenda and isolating him politically. Etrurian authorities alleged Glytteronian diplomats attempted to smuggle in faked passports. They claim that these passports were intended for former President Emiliano Reali, his Interior Minister, Simone Grasci, Finance Minister Marco Paccelli and three low ranking members of his executive staff. Mr. Reali hoped to lead Etruria into the Euclean Community but was defeated in his 2016 referendum. He was recently put under a criminal investigation by Etrurian authorities for alleged corruption during his presidency.

The officials were detained at the airport, which is located near the city of Vicalvi, after a flight from the Etrurian capital, Poveglia. Initial reports in the Etrurian and Euclean press and comments from Etrurian officials indicated that the officials were arrested, a violation of international protocols.

However, the diplomatic officials were not detained and the diplomatic bag at the center of the scandal was mislabeled, seemingly vindicating the Etrurian government of violating international law.

In the initial aftermath, Mr. O’Reilly sacked a number of top government officials. The Director of Riarachán Eolais Glítteann, John Birch-Kelley, the Deputy Director, Róisín Ní Fhlannagáin, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Euclea, Colmán Ó Loingsigh, and the Glytteronain Delegate to the Euclean Council, Vittorio Maulucci, were sacked. The Taoiseach also accepted the resignation of Sarah Pingins, the Minister of National Security.

After news broke that the Taoiseach lied about the bag’s label, he sacked his Chief of Staff, Darren McGovern. Mr. McGovern, who is a longtime friend and confident of the Taoiseach, was said to be the one who proposed the operation.

Mr. O’Reilly announced his intent to resign on 19 April, triggering a leadership race within his party to replace him.

Three candidates will compete this weekend to become the new leader of the Liberty Party, and subsequently Taoiseach. Mr. Casarnach faces ex-Foreign Minister Julie Royce and Finance Minister Maeve Cullen.

The three have been highly critical of one another, and Mr. O’Reilly.

Ms. Royce, who served as Foreign Minister until she resigned after a hot mic caught her making disparaging remarks about the Taoiseach, said Mr. Casarnach had “no diplomatic credibility”.

“I can think of no worse candidate, no one more crude, no one more undiplomatic, than Frank Casarnach. He should not be trusted to repair our diplomatic standing in the world” she said in a tweet.

Her direct predecessor, Mr. Casarnach, fired back, calling Ms. Royce “poorly informed” and “spineless”.

“Let us remember it was not I who rolled over and allowed O’Reilly to balls it up when it came to Fars”.

The two ex-Foreign Ministers are seen as the frontrunners. However, they also face a challenge from Ms. Cullen. The Finance Minister, who previously served as ex-Taoiseach Walker's Chief Whip, has called her rivals “failed diplomats”.

“Their records tell us all we need to know” she said.

One senior official within the party's dominant coinbhinsiúin, The Middle, warned that Ms Cullen could serve as a spoiler candidate.

"There are concerns that [Ms. Cullen] will divide the pragmatic, moderate delegates, allowing an opening for [Mr. Casarnach] to maintain an edge through the ballots" the official said.

While The Middle maintains a strong hold over the party's leadership and parliamentary delegation, a such control does not extend to the delegates that select the new leader. Many are former elected officials who held office during the Flowerite Era and are generally unfriendly to candidates from The Middle. These delegates strongly backed Mr. Casarnach in the last convention. His new role as leader of the Flowerite Margadh Coinbhinsiún is a strong indicator that he will enjoy their strong support once more.

Despite fears that the Finance Minister may act as a spoiler for Ms. Royce, it seems unlikely that any one candidate will secure the majority needed on the first few ballots.

In order to win, a candidate must achieve 50% plus 1 of the vote. Nearly ten thousand delegates are expected to attend and cast a vote for Liberty's next leader. While in some countries, and Glytteronian political parties, prospective leaders have to lead a public campaign and are elected in a primary vote, the Liberty Party instead holds its National Convention where elected and former officials, party insiders, and donors gather to chose their leader. It is in many ways a gathering of the party elite.

New candidates can be added to the ballot at any time after the convention begins if they achieve the backing of 5% of the delegates. However, most prospective candidates enter the race in the weeks leading up to the convention's start.

The Liberty National Convention is set to take place this weekend, from Saturday 5 March to Sunday 6 March.

Compared to last year's convention, this one is dressed-down. The two day convention will only feature ballot votes and an address from the victory. The party chair, Mánus Mac Murchú, will open the convention and will be the only speaker.

The junior parties in the governing coalition have both indicated they will support whoever Liberty chooses as its next leader in a legislative vote that is expected to be held on Monday 7 March.

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Opinion polls show Liberty voters split between preference for Casarnach and Royce. [ 4730 ]
EC President Walker to visit Negara, Siamat in state visit. [ 4528 ]

by **Senkaku** » Sun May 06, 2018 12:12 am

BAISHADAO JOURNAL

BREAKING: 26 DEAD, 55 WOUNDED IN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON SONGGUO'S FIRST MINISTER
Coordinated attack spares Hao but terrifies Tianjing

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Chen Mulan(@mushu98)
5 May 20:00 | Tianjing, Songguo

Tianjing, Songguo -

A day of terror unfolded in the Songhua capital today after an apparently coordinated assassination attempt against First Minister Hao Jinkai left dozens of casualties and smoke plumes rising around the Palace of the Grand Assembly. Around 4:30 in the afternoon, as First Minister Hao was preparing to depart for the airport to greet the arrival of senior Nematsujin diplomats involved with the Baishadao Accords inspection process, a team of around a dozen armed men, some on motorbikes or in cars, attacked his motorcade using rocket-propelled grenades, incendiary devices, and automatic weapons. The First Minister luckily escaped- but 81 others, including most of the attackers, were not so lucky. The Interior Security Ministry has deployed the Capital Region Metropolitan Guard, the Internal Security Service, and the Tianjing Police Department to search and lock down the city, as some of the assailants are believed to have escaped.

Prior to the attack, the First Minister had spent the day largely consumed with legislative affairs and a lunch meeting of senior Revolutionary Party officials before heading to meet the Nematsujin delegation at Tianjing's Tanluan International Airport. As his motorcade was about to depart the Palace of the Grand Assembly, the assassins, who had apparently infiltrated the complex, struck. Eyewitnesses- including your own correspondent (who was luckily unhurt)- took cover as several explosions, believed to have been from rocket-propelled grenades, destroyed a number of vehicles. The First Minister's car was hit and overturned, but he was successfully extracted as a wave of automatic gunfire, accompanied by several Molotov cocktails or some other type of incendiary device, hit the motorcade. It appears that some of the assailants may have been firing out the windows or from the roof of part of the Palace of the Grand Assembly, while others attacked from Peacock Lake Park or came up the road, and caught the motorcade, idling outside the palace, in a crossfire. All assailants in the Palace of the Grand Assembly were apparently killed, though they caused a major fire that took the Tianjing Fire Department more than an hour to fully extinguish.

The First Minister reportedly remains overnight in the hospital for observation, in case any chemical, biological, or radiological agents were employed. While his office has claimed he only suffered minor scratches and is expected to be completely fine, and that his hospital stay is merely a precaution, this reporter and other eyewitnesses vividly noted the copious amounts of blood soaking his clothing after he was physically carried from his destroyed vehicle- and given that the car took a direct hit from an RPG, it's not clear how accurate the Songhua government's characterization of his condition might be.

The first step in the investigation that is beginning has been for the Interior Security Ministry to almost completely shut down the city of Tianjing, with security checkpoints and Internal Security Service troops everywhere, to try and search for several attackers who are believed to have escaped. While most journalists have had their movements curtailed as part of the lockdown, many city residents say the mood that has settled over the Songhua capital has eerie parallels not just to the 2016 coup d'etat, but to the wave of high-profile assassinations that rocked it from 1989 to 1991 as former Grand Secretary and State Council Chairman Zhao Bolin consolidated power. It remains unclear who perpetrated the attack and why, but many Tianjingers privately doubt, if the attempt was rooted in Songguo's hardball internal politics, that the directors of this frenzy of violence will actually be brought to justice- just as Zhao Bolin was not for so many years.

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by **Senkaku** » Sun May 06, 2018 1:27 pm

BAISHADAO JOURNAL

FIRST MINISTER'S INJURIES MORE SERIOUS THAN INITIALLY REPORTED
Shootout at Tianjing apartment complex kills surviving assassins

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Chen Mulan(@mushu98)
6 May 20:00 | Tianjing, Songguo

Tianjing, Songguo -

A day after a shocking assassination attempt on First Minister Hao Jinkai rattled the Songhua capital, the Office of the First Minister has now admitted that his injuries are more serious than it initially reported, blaming a "confusing and frightening situation" for muddying the waters. Yesterday, Chairman Hao's car was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade as his motorcade prepared to head to the airport to greet senior Nematsujin diplomats. The First Minister is now conscious and in stable condition after being rushed into surgery yesterday, but suffered a shattered femur and serious blood loss from a major shrapnel wound to the leg, and will remain hospitalized for some time before returning home. However, he invited several photographers and reporters from various Songhua state media organs, including several newspapers associated with the Revolutionary Party, and smiled for the cameras from his hospital bed, reassuring the country that he will continue his duties as best he can while he recuperates. The Nematsujin delegation's leaders were seen entering the hospital, though they didn't stay long, and other senior Songhua officials have been entering and exiting the hospital presumably for normal work meetings.

While the First Minister begins his recovery, Tianjing once again saw an eruption of violence today as the Internal Security Service's troops discovered and confronted the five surviving assassins at an apartment complex near the downtown area. All five were killed or committed suicide in the subsequent shootout, which also killed or wounded a number of ISS personnel and several civilians who were caught in the crossfire. Songhua security officials have remained tight-lipped about the ongoing investigation, but it appears so far that none of the assassins have been identified, nor has a motive or backer been established or come forward. The opacity of Songhua internal politics, combined with the myriad external forces that might have the motivation and wherewithal with orchestrate such a sophisticated attack, has led to dispute among analysts and Songguo watchers about who might have perpetrated it.

The Imperial Household Agency put out a brief statement today wishing the First Minister a speedy recovery and offering whatever support he might need from the imperial family.

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Lu Bingwen finishes first round of chemotherapy [ 8,981 ]
Ferry accident in Namkwon sparks protests against lax regulations [ 4,332 ]

by **The Kingdom of Glitter** » Mon May 07, 2018 2:00 pm

CASARNACH CHOSEN AS NEW LIBERTY LEADER
The ex-Foreign Minister will succeed outgoing Taoiseach Jimmy O'Reilly

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James Kelley (@jkelleygbf)
^{6 March 2018 | Spálgleann, Glytter}

Frank Casarnach will serve as the Liberty Party's leader and will be named Taoiseach in a legislative vote tomorrow.

SPÁLGLEANN – Ex-Foreign Minister Frank Casarnach has been named the Liberty Party’s next leader and is the country’s Taoiseach-in-Waiting.

He defeated ex-Foreign Minister Julie Royce and sitting Finance Minister Maeve Cullen. Three ballot votes took place, with the third resulting in a majority of votes cast in Mr. Casarnach’s favor. The third ballot saw Mr. Casarnach secure 5,203 of the 10,348 delegates, narrowly surpassing the majority required to become party leader.

Mr. Casarnach promised a “new era of transparency” and “competent governance” under his leadership.

“Normalization of our politics will come swiftly. Our diplomatic reputation will be restored. Trust in government will return” he told the assembled delegates.

His leadership bid saw strong support from Flowerite elements within the party, who previously backed his 2017 bid against then-Minister of Justice Jimmy O’Reilly.

Support from the more moderate, pragmatic wing of the party was split between Ms. Royce and Ms Cullen. On the third ballot, a number of delegates defected from Ms. Royce to Mr. Casarnach after it had become clear that the O’Reilly loyalists backing the Finance Minister would not change their votes.

Mr. Casarnach has served as TC for Bulfawst North since 2007, having previously served as the COO of RPG. Following the June 2017 general election, Mr. Casarnach was sacked as Foreign Minister and replaced with Ms. Royce. He had served as Foreign Minister under ex Taoiseach Alexis Walker since December of 2014, having previously served as Minister of Petroleum. His tenure had provoked controversy after a series of high profile spats with foreign officials.

After he was sacked he was chosen to chair the Margadh Coinbhinsiún, a group of twenty two Flowerite TCs. His tenure as leader saw the group oppose Mr. O’Reilly’s Immigration Reform Act, forcing the Taoiseach to compromise with the Social Democrats in order to pass landmark immigration reform.

During the campaign for the party leadership, he positioned himself as an experienced diplomat with the credentials to restore trust in the Glytteronian government both domestically and abroad in the wake of the Pietramontecorvino Incident.

He was congratulated by both Ms. Royce and Ms. Cullen after his victory was announced.

The Taoiseach also congratulated Mr. Casarnach in a tweet. Mr. O’Reilly is expected to tender his resignation to His Majesty the King on Monday, after which the legislature will elect a new Taoiseach. Liberty’s junior coalition partners, the Centre Party and the Glytter Democrats, have said they will back whomever is selected by Liberty to replace Mr. O’Reilly.

Sources close to Mr. Casarnach have indicated a cabinet shakeup will come Monday afternoon after the regularly scheduled weekly cabinet meeting.

“There will be no pomp and circumstance. Name will be announced and positions filled. This is hardly a time for celebration” Humphrey Dumfries, Mr. Casarnach’s deputy, said. Mr. Dumfries is expected to be given a senior cabinet post in the shakeup. A number of senior ministers are expected to be sacked and replaced as well.

Mr. Casarnach is has promised to mend the damaged diplomatic relationship with Etruria, the nation at the center of the Pietramontecorvino Incident.

“We must have a diplomatic relationship with Etruria and I will move to work toward rebuilding a relationship grounded in trust with the Etrurian Government, for however long it takes” he said.

The Pietramontecorvino Incident triggered domestic and international outrage and culminated in Taoiseach O’Reilly’s decision to resign. Mr. Casarnach was a consistent critic of the Taoiseach’s handling of the scandal and played a role in forcing his resignation.

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by **Alinora** » Mon May 07, 2018 9:32 pm

AN END TO ASTERIAN HOMELESSNESS?
“Ricci Relief”, a Freeman-based construction company, has introduced a new, promising way to curb both pollution and homelessness.

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James Gehrner (@jamesgehrner)
May 8th, 2018 | Antona, Federation

Marco Ricci, the company’s founder, building a home outside of Antona
Photo courtesy of Janey Polito

Freeman, the Federation -

A small-but-growing company, founded and based in Freeman, has captivated much of Asteria as they continue to battle the homeless pandemic that has been raging through many parts of the country-- focused in major cities. Ricci Relief Inc., based in Freeman’s capital city and operating in many areas of the state, seeks to use recycled trash to build dirt cheap homes for the poor and homeless. The cost? A mere average of $6,000, which Ricci hopes will be subsidized by local governments.

Marco Ricci immigrated to the Federation from Marirana in 1984 - at just twenty years old - to find what most people who leave their countries to achieve: the Asterian Dream. “For me, the Asterian Dream began when I took my oath and became an Asterian Citizen” said Ricci, “before, I’d been a visitor, but now I am Asterian, and it is one of proudest moments of my life.” Ricci rented a small apartment in Antona’s north side, an area historically plagued with crime, where he would meet and later marry his wife: Asterian-born Rebecca Morton. The Riccis’ would found “Ricci General Contractors” in 1994.

It wasn’t until recession struck in the early 2000s, and Asterians across the country were cast into the streets, that the company was renamed “Ricci Relief”, and changed its efforts to helping the homeless and less fortunate. “For my wife and I, it was very simple” Ricci said to Sentinel News, “people were suffering, and we had the ability to do something about it, so we did.” Ricci Relief teamed with Antona’s largest waste management company, Brinestone Waste, to create an affordable solution to Antona’s homeless pandemic.

Using recycled garbage, Ricci Relief could build small, highly-affordable houses for the poor and homeless. Overall, the process is fairly simple: suitable garbage - mainly plastics - compressed and reshaped into blocks that are both sturdy and durable. Other parts of these homes are created by a similar process. “It’s very practical” says Rebecca Ricci, Marco’s wife. “Not only are the homeless finding a home, but we’re putting our city’s garbage to good use.”

Ricci Relief has built over thirty of these homes in Antona alone, and in recent years, has been doing so in many other towns and cities in Freeman. “I guess you can say we blew up” Marco Ricci told reporters, “we started getting requests from a number of other cities that wanted us to build these houses-- so much that it was tough to keep up.”

Since 2014, Ricci Relief has grown from a small construction crew to a hundred-employee, statewide contractor that battles both homelessness and pollution. Antona’s mayor, Keith Obermann, praised the company for its work, saying that “it’s truly humbling to see people - young and old - coming together to help their fellow man. This is truly what Asteria is about, and I could not be more proud.” In total, Ricci Relief has build nearly 300 homes in 17 towns and cities throughout the state of Freeman. Most of these contracts are given out by local governments that plan to allow the poor and homeless to live in Ricci’s houses for little or no cost-- giving Asteria’s most unfortunate an opportunity to get their lives back on track.

Ricci Relief plans on expanding operations into Marais by 2019, and into Richmond by 2020, in towns and cities that will hire them-- of which many have already shown interest. Larger companies, like Greentech, have suggested that they’d be open to synergy with Ricci Relief in the future, which could lead to their homes being seen across the Federation.

“I just wanted to do what’s right” said Marco Ricci, “it’s very humbling. The homeless can have a chance at rebuilding their lives, and in a process, over a hundred men and women can not only bring a paycheck home to their families each week, but a sense of pride and accomplishment. My only wish is that our work continues long after I’m gone.”

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by **Caltarania** » Tue May 08, 2018 9:37 am

Noud Tanker - 8 May 2018

Home · Nimear · Euclea · International · Politics · Business · Technology and Science · Arts · Education · Health · Sports · Weather

BREAKING: COURTS RULE IN FAVOUR OF LEGAL CHALLENGE TO KRUGER

The State President said he was "deeply disappointed" that the courts had deemed Koeaara's legal challenge to be valid

Sint-Nicolaas, Nimear - Breaking news from the capital this evening, as - following a deliberative session - the Nimerian Supreme Court ruled that the legal challenge against State President Lennaert Kruger over his decision to veto the "Land Reform Bill" was a valid one, and that a full trial would commence.

The news comes after Nimerian opposition leaders had claimed that Kruger's use of Article 18 - the special presidential power capable of overruling parliamentary bills as outlined in the 1939 constitution - was an unconstitutional one. The State President had cited his concerns that the bill would "[intensify] racial tensions", and that it was in violation of the 1987 Aslpaat Act, using this as pretense for his triggering of Article 18.

Opposition leaders claimed that the bill did not violate the 1987 law, and that Kruger was instead using the special power to unfairly attack opposition groups, with prominent opposition politician Mozes Koeaara decrying the move as a "definitive overreach of presidential power", and as a "clear attack" on the opposition.

The legal challenge is headed by Mozes Koeaara and his legal team, who are joined by a wide array of opposition parties and politicians, in particular the Socialist Revolutionaries and individual members of the Social Democratic Union. Pieter Tupaak, leader of the Native Asterian-focused Remedy Party, praised the move. Certain backbench members of the governing coalition also issued their support to the legal challenge, having described the Kruger's action as an "obvious attack on the sovereignty of the States General and the parliamentary process in general".

In response to the move, Chancellor Willem Marsch announced in a press conference that while the decision of the courts was "not in [the government's] favour, their ruling must be respected". He has however expressed his personal support for the State President, having said that the opposition is "building a mountain from a molehill".

Mozes Koeaara told the press that he was "overjoyed" that the Nimerian High Court had "finally come to their senses" in deciding to allow the legal challenge to continue. "Our only pursuit is that of justice" he said.

The news represents a further phase of what political pundits have dubbed the State President's "fall from grace", having been derived ultimately from his poor handling of the land reform crisis.

David Zandstege, a professor of politics at the University of Zeewald, stated in a wordy analysis to de Heraut that "the State President has dug himself into a hole". The professor noted that Kruger had alienated, in one fell swoop, the main opposition, the native political group, the minor opposition, the backbenches and the courts.

"His only remaining ally in Sint-Nicolaas", the professor said, "is the Chancellor, who owes his job to Kruger and is largely responsible for the State President's involvement in the crisis anyway". The professor noted that the crisis had, however, seen the previously unknown Mozes Koeaara join mainstream politics. "Koeaara will not be returning to the shadows anytime soon" the professor analysed. "He has risen to the forefront, and has found that his ideas are more popular on the national stage than he had previously thought."

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Government plays down talk of Oostenveld "security concerns". [ 2471 ]
Opinion: the Nimearian left needs to end self-imposed division. [ 4591 ]

by **Senkaku** » Tue May 08, 2018 11:48 pm

BAISHADAO JOURNAL

OPINION: A RETURN TO "RULE BY ASSASSINATION"?
Dr. Shang Su Yi offers commentary and a warning on Songguo's political scene

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Shang Su Yi(@MzSSY)
6 May 20:00 | Verlois, Gaullica

Dr. Shang Su Yi is a Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the Sorbonne in Verlois and regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Songhua politics. The opinions in this article are her own.

Verlois, Gaullica -

The last few days have many of my fellow Songhua expatriates revisiting uncomfortable memories from their youth or tossing and turning in their beds at night. After around three decades of watching my motherland (often from the outside), I myself feel similarly. Indeed, since the 2016 coup d'etat I have been overcome by a sense of unease, which has only been exacerbated by this week's brutal and shocking assassination attempt on Chairman Hao and the discovery, this very evening, of a car bomb near the Northern Apartments in Dongjing.

Much as I might like to offer my countrymen and colleagues reassurances that all will soon return to normal, I must regrettably ask: is this not normal? A shockingly pessimistic question, some might say- but nothing I have seen or heard leads me to believe that the political situation in Songguo is due to stabilize any time soon, nor do I believe that any coming transition of power will be peaceful. However, such bold claims require support: allow me now to offer my reasoning for making such grim predictions.

Since the beginning of the Chenghua succession crisis on June 6th, 1984, Songhua democracy and civil society have been utterly routed. Anarchy and brutal purges were followed by iron-fisted rule by the Interim State Council, whose leaders did not relinquish power even after elections began again in 1989. Yet power did eventually transition to former Grand Secretary Zhao Bolin- but not peacefully.

Many in Songguo remember the time from 1989 to 1992 as a time of "rule by assassination." No one was safe- the director of foreign intelligence, Lao Chonglin, and his influential wife Liu Lianhua, the Grand Secretary, were killed in separate, elaborate bombings and shootouts, paving the way for Zhao Bolin's accession to her post. Even a favored mistress of the Shunzhen Emperor's and darling of the gossip pages, Sirin Yehonala, was seriously wounded by a sniper; Defense Minister Shen Tai's wife was killed by a car bomb. Those close to the Grand Secretary suffered too- his youngest son and wife were mowed down in a drive-by shooting, and several of his allies in the Grand Assembly and court were brutally murdered in a string of grisly cases that terrified the Capital Region in the summer of 1991.

It was through these high-profile, stunning assassinations that power was eventually consolidated by the Grand Secretary- not by electoral victory (indeed, his favored Imperial Way Party has held the smallest share of the Grand Assembly of the three major parties since before the 6-6 Crisis). Under his subsequent rule (his chairmanship of the State Council lasted from 1992 to 2016), Songhua elections became a global joke- it wasn’t that Zhao even tried to rig them in favor of his preferred candidates, but that he simply ignored the Grand Assembly and focused power in the State Council and his own person.

Some had high hopes when, in 2016, he was deposed by First Minister Hao Jinkai following the war in Siamat. Supporters pointed to his long track record of fighting for the democratic process’ place in Songguo’s political system- he tried to tamp down the horrors of the 1984-1985 purges, helped reinstate elections in 1989, and fought against Zhao’s overrides of the Grand Assembly. But as some of us who remember his part in spearheading the overthrow of the Qin government in 1984 predicted, this has emerged to be wishful thinking- the First Minister supported democracy when it was convenient for him, and has now risen to become one of the villains he once fought against. As Chairman of the State Council, Hao Jinkai has done nothing to return power to the Grand Assembly (if anything, he has only further centralized power in the State Council).

In short, the same mechanism that led to a violent transfer of power between Zhao and Hao remains in place and stronger than ever. We know where this story leads- whenever the next transfer of power (or attempted transfer) takes place, there will be violent consequences, because that’s how this new, brutal, uniquely Songhua political system of the 21st century works.

But while this shows the violent depths of dysfunction facing Songguo’s politics, it doesn’t necessarily indicate anything is imminent- after all, Zhao Bolin ruled as Chairman for nearly a quarter of a century. For that, we must examine the shape that transitional periods in Songguo’s new undemocratic system have taken in the past, and compare these events to those now unfolding in front of us.

The massive outpouring of violence from 1984 to 1985 toppled that system, in the wake of an imperial succession, and from 1985 until 1989 the Interim State Council reigned supreme, completely unchallenged. But economic liberalization in that interval, coupled with an easing of political restrictions come the 1989 elections, led to immediate challenges to their authority: Zhao Bolin’s rise to power began. Assassinations rocked the country for the next three years- accompanied, it should be noted, by several abortive coup attempts by various factions. Elections were heated but little legislation made it through the Grand Assembly, while the State Council vainly attempted to use its police powers to crush internal dissent with increasing force and futility.

In the last two years, we have seen one violent but successful coup, an imperial succession, and now apparently a pair of high-profile assassination attempts (there have been rumors of others that have gone unreported as well). Elections have been postponed to this summer and the parties are gearing up for a brutal fight, though the Grand Assembly of late (the last two years) has done little more than rubber-stamp the State Council’s decisions. Meanwhile, repression and censorship has grown increasingly onerous across the country, including shutdowns of the Baishadao Journal’s own offices in the supposedly free zone of Baishadao and the repression of protests around Hulin Dam.

The parallels are not perfect, but they are undeniably there. The world should be worried.

[size=80]

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BREAKING: DONGJING POLICE DEFUSE BOMB NEAR NORTHERN APARTMENTS [ 14,442,331 ]
Dongjing gossip pages report imperial family not planning to visit Chairman Hao [ 29,867 ]
Tribunes win overwhelming victory in Etrurian snap elections [ 19,867 ][/size]
Can the Etrurian opposition survive?[14,237]
Recriminations and dispute in Carcosa over Security Directorate's Etrurian claims [ 9,599 ]
OPINION: Songhua political establishment hanging by a thread [ 8,984 ]
Lu Bingwen finishes first round of chemotherapy [ 8,981 ]
Ferry accident in Namkwon sparks protests against lax regulations [ 4,332 ]

by **Vredlandia** » Thu May 10, 2018 7:02 am

Terror at Eldburg Equality Parade: 16 dead, 309 in critical conditions

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Anton Graf Flottreiter (@grafflottreiter)
10th of May 2018 | Eldburg, Vredlandia

After Eldburg's Equality Parade was under attack, officers and emergency services scramble to get hold of the unforeseen situation.
Photo courtesy of Putur Fume

Eldburg, Vredlandia - Vredlandia is in mourning after yesterday's horrible attack on the Equality Eldburg Parade. Authorities currently treat the attack as an act of terrorism, after the attacker revealed himself to be a member of the so-called "God's Gryphons", who advocate for a more fundamentalist and reactionary Reform Church.

The Eldburg Equality Parade is an annual reoccuring institution that advocates for change towards ever more equality, and addresses the many construction sites and hurdles still left in society for members of the LGBTQ+ community. For its size and the involvement of many of the nation's most significant LGBTQ+ Rights advocates, the event regularly attracts nationwide media i nterest. This year, several hundreds of thousands watched live on television the celebration of diversity and liberty on Eldburg's streets brought joy to those in attendance. Hundreds of thousands watched as a deranged gunman shot down twelve and as chaos broke out which would lead to the death of four more and critical conditions for hundreds more.

Not much is known about the attacker, other than that he's a 42 year old former military officer and a member of the "God's Gryphons", which has been on the intelligence community's watch for years now, but remained invisible to virtually the whole nation otherwise. Police did not want to confirm rumours concerning the ma's identity, who claim that his ID was faked, but called those rumours "troubling" and stressed that they'd investigate this among many other things.

Vredlandia's Holy Fathedeclared a week of mourning, lowering the flag in front of his official seat as Holy Father himself. The Holy Father is set to visit victims of the attack all over the next few days, cancelling all other trips and events. Seneschal Treuwegen - who was not in attendance, unlike Seneschal Kloth in his term - offered words of condolences and a guarantee to investigate the attack. "Anything we can do to save any more citizens from losing their friends, family and loved ones will be considered."

A national mourning service will be held at Eldburg Cathedral on Sunday, the 20th of May, and will be televised live.

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Jubty · 1 hour ago
So, so horrible. I'm praying for the victims.

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Grosarnst · 1 hour ago
:(

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Chillaxer · 1 hour ago ago
How could this even happen? This whole government needs to be sacked rather sooner than later.

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by **Traditum** » Sun May 13, 2018 2:26 pm

SENATOR MARIUS BUNDETTA REQUIEM MASS CELEBRATED
After Catholic Democrat Senator Passes Quietly in Sleep, New Elections Called in the Duchy of Aelia

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Marcus Troiana (@marcustroiana )
^{MAY 13 2018 | AQUILA, AQUILA}

Senator Bundetta's Requiem Mass
Photo courtesy of Maria Bolandi.

AQUILA, AQUILA -
Three days ago, surrounded by his family and having received Extreme Unction and Viaticum, Senator Marius Bundetta passed quietly in his sleep at the age of 92. After lying in repose in St. Gregorius's palace, his body was brought to St. Pius's Church in Aquila, where Bundetta had gone to Mass frequently, for the Requiem Mass, celebrated by his confessor and friend, Father Rolandus Joani. The entire Senate and even the King himself, as per custom, was present at the Requiem. After the Requiem Mass, the body was brought through procession to St. Polycarp's Graveyard outside the city, where, with final commendation of Bundetta's soul to God, his body was laid to rest in the ground.

Bundetta was born on October 21st, 1927, in the city of Aelia, to two working class parents, Carolus and Lucia Bundetta, the fifth of twelve children. Although he could not afford an education at a young age, he and his brothers were given an education for free by an order of C.F.C. Brothers, who had established a school for the poor and needy. Bundetta excelled in his studies, and through hard work and support of his family, managed to secure a seat at the Dominican University. Deeply affected by both the Christian Brothers and by his working parents, Bundetta entered politics in order to improve the lives of the working class.

Initially a member of the Progressive Party and the Catholic Workers Association, he was one of the first to break off from the Progressive Party in 1952 due to concern of the party's secular nature, forming the Catholic Democrats Party. He secured a seat to the Aquilian Senate after the death of Donaldo Warre for the Duchy of Aelia in 1956, at the age of 28. For the next 62 years, he would serve in the Aquilian Senate, known for his desire to help the poor and the working class, as well his desire to see increased power given to the people, while still remaining a staunch Catholic and in opposition to the secularization of the state and social liberalism of the Progressives.

Senator Bundetta was one of the oldest and longest serving Senators in the Aquilian Senate. When asked about his colleague, Baro Gregorius Carrus, the venerable 97-year-old Royalist Senator from Aquila, who has been serving in the Aquilian Senate the founding of the Senate 78 years ago, and who was good friends with Bundetta, said that "[Bundetta] was a wonderful man, I very much appreciated getting to know him. I still remember the time in 1971 when he was in the Senate chamber and fell asleep. We had a good laugh then, but when you get to our age, I can barely stay awake myself! When God finally calls me home, I hope that I'll get to see him again." When asked to give a comment, the leader of the Catholic Democrats, Julius Vendus said, "He was a great colleague and a good man. His experience, his dedication and his passion will surely be missed."

With his death, elections were called for in the Duchy of Aelia. The Duchy of Aelia is traditionally the stronghold of the liberal parties of Aquila, with the Progressive Party holding 11 seats and the People's Party of Aquila holding its only seat through the Duchy, as well as one other seat belonging to the Catholic Democrats. The election is set for June 20th; the pre-election campaigns have yet to be launched. The Progressives are projected to win this seat.

Let us pray for the soul of Senator Marius Bundetta. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat eis. Fidelium animae, per misericordiam Dei, requiescant in pace. Amen.

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by **Etruria2** » Sun May 13, 2018 4:16 pm

Vittoria Vasari becomes Second Citizen in reshuffle
Vittoria Vasari replaces Ettore Mantovano as SC, Augustina Maria Lepore becomes first female defence minister.
Massimo Abate
^{14 May, 2018, 13.00pm | Poveglia, Vespasia, Transetruria}

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First Citizen Francesco Carcaterra has conducted his first cabinet-reshuffle since winning re-election on the 25th April. The biggest change came with the appointment of Vittoria Vasari as Second Citizen, Ettore Mantovano has replaced Ivano Balić as President of the Chamber of Representatives, while Augustina Maria Lepore has replaced Aurelio Graziano as Defence Minister.

Rep. Vittoria Vasari giving a statement outside her home after being appointed Second Citizen.

In a much-anticipated shake up of the government, the First Citizen opted for a limited reshuffle, but with big names. The first replacement was a surprise move, with Ettore Mantovano, the Second Citizen replacing Ivano Balić as President of the Chamber of Representatives, he in turn has been replaced by Vittoria Vasari, a Representative and current President of the Tribune Movement. Vasari is the de-facto leader of the Tribune Movement’s right-wing and a strong ally of First Citizen Carcaterra.

With Vasari set to become the Federation’s number two, there is a possibility for a more distinctive and bold policy program. According to sources inside the Tribunes, her proposal for a criminalisation of war-crimes claims in Etrurian academia and the media is set to go ahead.

Mantovano’s move according to the same sources was driven by a desire to have a prominent handler as the government reportedly prepares to present tough legislation. This reportedly includes tax reform, reform to crime fighting and policing, while introducing policies promoting the family and restricting abortion laws.

The second surprise was the appointment of the country’s first female defence minister. Augustina Maria Lepore replaced Aurelio Graziano who is set to take up Etruria’s representative seat to the International League for Democracy, his move has raised questions of whether Etruria is expecting a more confrontational response by some states, while others have raised the prospect that the appointment of a close Carcaterra-ally and known Tribune hardliner, is indicating that Etruria will take the fight with the EC to the ILD.

Lepore is a relatively unknown entity, a former academic she became one of the first TM representatives elected in 2013, maintaining a low profile, she reportedly helped refine the Tribunes’ ideology and political platform. What is known however, is that Lepore is a primary driver of the so-called “New Mare Nostrum” policy, in that Etruria should rebuild its military capability and restore itself as a primary power on the Solarian Sea. She also supports restoring Solaria as the national capital and argued for interventionist policies across northern Coius and for a greater outreach to Marirana.

Other moves included Aleksandar Malić replacing Fernando Desideri as International Trade Minister and Leonardo Salvatore replacing Vasari as President of the Tribunes. Salvatore is also drawn from Vasari’s faction of the party and is often more outspoken than her on some issues. During the general election Salvatore caused a media storm after he claimed attacks on minorities were fabrications led by pro-EC agents in the establishment media, this came some days after he said the press in Etruria was “fundamentally broken and beholden to the homosexual paradise of Glytter.”

With these appointments, Etruria seems to be heading in a new hard-line populist direction. Though some maybe surprised, the Tribunes from the beginning have hinted this would happen. In July 2016, a month before their landslide electoral victory that brought them to power, Carcaterra told La Posta, “the key is to be calm and collected at the start, to show the people you can be trusted, and we can, we will honour our promises, then once you have their trust, you can deliver the real change they want, the change others won’t want to see.”

Vittoria Vasari gave a brief statement outside her home in Tarquinia saying, “it is an absolute honour and privilege to serve as Second Citizen. It is a responsibility that I will cherish and work hard to observe. I will work hard to ensure that our promises are delivered, just as we have done so for the past two years and secondly, to work hard to protect our great nation from the arrogant powers of the EC that seek to overturn or punish our decision made at the referendum. I will also work hard to secure the opportunities being raised by individual EC memberstates toward repairing relations, separate to the EC.”

Martino Ricci, a senior consultant at the Euclean Reform for Etruria think-tank said, “these appointments aren’t really showing a major restructuring of the party around Carcaterra as many saw it, he has never supported or tolerated the party becoming a one-man show, he has always elevated popular and charismatic people to the top level to balance out influence from himself. He has seen the failure of right-wing populist parties across Euclea owing more to them being one-man or one-woman shows, but he also wants the Movement to carry on when he’s done.

“What this reshuffle shows is a dramatic shift to the right, Vasari as SC is deeply worrying. Lepore, while not right-wing as Vasari is a nationalist in terms of the military and foreign policy and the move of Graziano to the ILD, while seemingly a demotion isn’t. Graziano is a battle-axe and I wonder what this is about personally. Vasari’s dramatic promotion may also reflect that all 12 new Reps the Movement gained in the election are drawn entirely from her wing of the party, and that she is popular himself and they work well together. Etruria is heading into unknown waters with these individuals” he told Il Popolo.

The First Citizen is expected to give a major speech in the week explaining the government’s plan for the next four years.

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by **Confederate States of the South** » Thu May 17, 2018 11:14 am

President Swen Visits Skylrant
Ship Found Sunk in Lac Transversale after nearly 100 years missing

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Joe Clare (@Marco Fleury )
Tuesday, March 27, 2018 | Marquette, Duquesne

President Marques Swen arrives in Skylrant
Photo courtesy of David Capprette.

President Marques Swen Speaks Before the Skylrant National Assembly
Photo courtesy of David Capprette.

Marquette -
Today, President Marques Swen wrapped up his first state visit to Skylrant, and arrived back at Marquette Air Force Base at Five O’Clock yesterday. This was a significant step in de-isolating Duquesne, and opening up fruitful relationships with our neighboring countries. Marques Swen went into the meetings with hopes in reducing the immigration crisis and pressure coming from political migrants from Skylrant. The initial meetings were successful in negotiating terms in which the Skylrant government pledges to better secure the border, and block the flow of immigrants into Duquesne. There were no major trade discussions during the meeting, because Skylrant has nothing new to offer to Duquesne. After meeting with the President, Marques Swen and his wife returned to their temporary residence, before returning to the Presidential Palace for a state dinner, and a concert by the Skylrant Army Chorus. After the dinner and short press conference, the President and his wife returned to the residence. Yesterday morning, Marques Swen addressed the Skylrant National Assembly, particularly on the issues regarding Immigration, and Duquesne’s joining of the JDF. This move was frowned upon by Skylranters, who traditionally side with other geo-political organizations in Asteria-Superior. “As neighboring sovereign nations, we must work together to solidify our borders, and against foreign threats bigger than we can face alone.” President Swen received a standing ovation at the conclusion of his speech, and after a quick press conference, boarded the Duquesne Presidential Helicopter, and returned to Marquette Air Force Base.

A recovery team begins to assess the area around the sunken ship
Photo courtesy of Donald Gallagher.

Lac Transversale -
Investigators from a private search team funded by Verte Railroad Company executives finally found The Pride of Duquesne, which has been submerged, and hidden from investigators since the Duquesne Civil War. The ship was suicide-bombed by a radical populist, who sunk, and killed all crewmen on the ship. Since the end of the civil war, search teams have vastly searched for the ship, but, due to the massive depth of Lac Transversale, no team had been successful. The ship was believed to be carrying heavy ammunition for government artillery, and many cannon-balls and other shells have been spotted scattered around the ship.

The Duquesne Navy is now involved with the operation, as it now is tasked with patrolling the waters around the wreck to avoid potential recklessness with the operation, and with the seemingly impossible task of recovering pieces of, if not all of the ship, as well as the 34 bodies sure to be scattered in and around the wreckage of the ship. Verte Railroad Company Executive Tom Davidson said in a statement to the press “This is just the beginning in bringing back a long awaited piece of Duquesne’s History, a symbol of the mistakes of the past.”

The search team has begun a crowdfunding campaign in order to collect more funds for the million dollar operation, and has begun searching for companies willing and able to recover the ship. If you wish to donate, please look for the #donate section on our website.

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by **Skyrlant** » Thu May 17, 2018 8:00 pm

OFFICIAL RECEPTION OF DUQUESNE'S PRESIDENT
Promises to Crack Down on Illegal Border Crossings by Political Provocateurs

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Fen Wieran(@fenswakt)
^{May 17 2018| Waesingsdun, Skyrlant}

Argrevan Jerart av Westtoer and members of the Statsdain listening to the President of Duquesne's address.

Waesingsdun, Skyrlant-

President Marques Swen of the Republic of Duquesne addressed the Statsdain yesterday, as part of a general diplomatic visit to Skyrlant. His speech which included hope of future cooperation between the two countries, especially regarding border control policies, was met with ovation by the members of the Statsdain. The real interest of the government, however, was in the private negotiations conducted the day before, at which President Swen promised to strengthen the border against the illegal crossings of political provocateurs fleeing arrest.

Grevan Berktolt of Nortmark has stated regarding this meeting, "The problem is not on our side of the border. We have dealt with a similar problem in my predecessor's time, after the Civil War in Duquesne. Their oprorern [rebels/agitators] sought to escape across our borders; we dealt with them. The blame can only be on the sympathizers who encourage the oprorern to find haven in other countries, to tear them down along with our own."

Among other things discussed at the meeting was the possibility of trade. Because of the current government's commitment to fostering economic independence for Skyrlant, no agreement that would be equally beneficial to both countries could be reached.

Afterwards Argrevan Westtoer hosted a state dinner and a performance of the Statshere Chor for President Swen. When asked to comment on the event, he stated, "It has been a great opportunity to reenter the geopolitical world, which we have been isolated from since the proclamation of our Frestat. It has also been an opportunity to introduce our civilization and culture to the Autlantern [foreigners] of our northern border. Overall I will say it has been successful."

Some, however, vocally disagree. We again reached out to Josev Reinders former Untervoght of Waern and influential member of Lantfront: "Of course I stand by the decisions of our Argrevan, however I can not share his optimistic appraisal. Already the foreign media has present our country as if we were in the middle of a major immigration crisis. This is simply untrue. The real outcome of this meeting remains to be seen. However now that it is over, we can focus on those countries who will become our real allies." Among others, a leader of the Natienalik Folksparti, Grevan Ade of Neikusten also responded negatively, reflecting the majority view of his party on the current government of Duquesne. Regardless, the government has every hope of good relations between Skyrlant and Duquesne in the near future.

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by **Vredlandia** » Fri May 18, 2018 2:58 pm

Seneschal Treuwegen's Security Advisor Member Of Terrorism-Linked "God's Gryphons"

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Anton Graf Flottreiter (@grafflottreiter)
10th of May 2018 | Eldburg, Vredlandia

Seneschal Treuwegen (left) and his Deputy, Minister of Coin Töjben, at the annual Assembly Dinner Night (February 2018)
Photo courtesy of Putur Fume

Eldburg, Vredlandia - As Vredlandia remains in mourning over the terrorist attack on Eldburg Equality and the 17 dead, one of the Seneschal's closest advisors on security matters is arrested for ties to the terrorism-linked "God's Gryphons". Seneschal Treuwegen was caught on guard with the news as he visited members of the ambulance services. Before being rushed off by his aides, he reinforced that the state would do everything to fight terrorism and those linked to it.

The news of the arrest of Seneschal Treuwegen's advisor came from the Ministry of Law, where Minister Saam continues his distance to the Seneschal. Stoically he sat next to the President of the National Security Council, who told the nation that the advisor's allegiance was uncovered during a general security check in reply to and with information from the Eldburg Equality attack. There were no charges so far, although there is evidence that suggests a high probability (amounting to "closest to certainty") of the advisor not only being a member of the God's Gryphons, but also passively or actively aiding their efforts. According to the President of the National Security Council, the advisor's allegiance was previously unknown and undiscovered -- the "God's Gryphons" weren't on the intelligence community's eyes for a long time, and even afterwards the society remained mostly in hiding and mystery.

Minister Saam could have seized this moment to attack the Seneschal and take the "throne" for himself - With his popularity ever rising and the Seneschal's reaching record lows, the Assembly would take Saam with a kiss on his hand. But Saam is either not ambitious enough or too cautious of the events that have yet too unfold, and so he did what might have been an even stronger reaction at this time and simply did what's asked of him, thus giving the nation a little certainty. Saam pledged to review the authorization and security measures inside the government. He said he would personally overview efforts to root out whatever the "God's Gryphons" were, and to strengthen intelligence services generally. Asked about the Seneschal and his future, Saam simply said what he had to say now and answered that such were the concerns of the media, but not of Vredlandia's citizens, and that as Minister of Law he would first and foremost serve his citizens and thus fully focus on the current crisis -- Wittingly reinforcing the "crisis" feeling that the Seneschal and his team are working their strongest to avoid.

Now Seneschal Treuwegen could be angry at Saam's most recent little rebellion, but he has much more to fear. A first success was made when the Minister of Foreign Affairs ruled out a resignation of Treuwegen. Outside of Minister of Social Affairs Wollnitz, Minister of Defence Brauer and Minister of Health Droegen and Deputy Seneschal & Minister of Coin Eric Töjben, all of whom have never shown anything but loyalty to Treuwegen and the Unity Party, she became the first Cabinet member to back the Seneschal. And it's a vital backing at that. But this first success can't hide the major divide that remains. Obviously there is Mati Saam, seemingly ever more eager to become Seneschal soon after Treuwegen. However, the bigger uncertainty might come from Minister of Agriculture Radlinger and Home Minister Thielmann, who both attended Eldburg Equality. Radlinger went absolutely silent, and Thielmann (and with her likely her ally, the Minister of Education) was on odds with Treuwegen either way. If they choose to not stand in for the Seneschal, an all out war might break out in the Assembly.

Already there's the Grunwald faction, his former loyalists, who are reenergized by their hero's return and make the Seneschal's rule an act of torture. There are the left-liberals, who like Radlinger are cautiously distant, and the right-liberals who rally against any infringement of individual rights they fear in reply to the attack. And above everything remains the uncertainty of whether Treuwegen still has the backing of the Holy Father, who is said to not like the sight of armed officers outside his residence; who obviously listens to radio and watches the news as well.

The whole deal with the advisor could be neck-breaking, whether it turns out to be a lot of noise about nothing or to actually be something. Seneschal Treuwegen has made too many mistakes in his short term, and his only success (the new Reform Bill) ranks behind chlamydia in popularity. He would be well advised not to take all of the anger to heart and to simply continue ruling on with a steady hand and working towards a better Vredlandia. The calls for his resignation won't go away, but maybe they'll be seen as foolish ten years from now. He must only survive the next few weeks.

A national mourning service to commemorate the victims of the Eldburg Equality attack will be held at Eldburg Cathedral on Sunday, the 20th of May, and will be televised live.

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IN OTHER NEWS

TOP STORY

Police faces off with citizens over terror at Eldburg Equality [ 651 ]
Police and demonstrators clashed in several cities, as anger mounts over the handling of the Eldburg Equality massacre and everything that came before. In Vredensund, Lerth, Merevaiklinn and other cities across the country, students boycotted school and university classes. In Eldburg, several demonstrations occurred on the streets of the city. While the biggest demonstration "No more silence - Justice now" - visited by more than 200.000 citizens - went by without further news, the extreme left staged several demonstrations that turnt violent. Near the main station, mounted officers chased off demonstrators who blocked the streets. In some of the city's wealthier districts, trash cans and cars were set on fire over night. Minister of Law Matti Saam pledged that while he understood anger as a result of this national tragedy, he and Vredlandia's law enforcement agencies would crack down hard on any and all violence and crime. In the Holy Father's residential city of St. Marienburg armed officers are guarding the streets already. Read more by clicking here.
Eldburg Equality: One more falls victim to wounds [ 445 ]
New date set for Martens ./. Vredlandia, judgment expected [ 372 ]
Eldburg Equality: Holy Father makes room for LGBTQ+ activist to hold main address at national mourning service, concentrating on prayer instead [ 369 ]

by **Traditum** » Fri May 18, 2018 8:39 pm

CORRUPTION SCANDAL AMONG THE PROGRESSIVE PARTY
Startling Confession from Party Senator Launches Investigation of Party Practices

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Marcus Troiana (@marcustroiana )
^{MAY 19 2018 | AQUILA, AQUILA}

Senator Gaius Angeloni, Leader of the Progressive Party, now under Scrutiny.
Photo courtesy of Maria Bolandi.

AQUILA, AQUILA -

In a unexpected move in a press Conference on Friday, Progressive Party Senator Henricus Nolano of Aelia decided to go to the public with a confession. In his confession, he stated that under the head of party leadership, several Senators of the Progressive Party accepted personal bribes from various groups both inside and outside of the Kingdom, including groups such as the Freemasons, in order to try and influence policy that would be favorable to these groups. He commented further that these funds were used for immoral ends, including but not limited to highly sexualized parties of party supporters, and used to pay for several illicit relationships. Senator Nolano commented that "While I do not like to hurt my party, I feel like the common good is more important. These practices have gone on for far too long."

Aquilian law makes it illegal for royal ministers (Senators included) to accept bribes from outside groups. With the Good Standing Act of 1971, royal ministers must also uphold good moral standing, and are legally required to refrain from private or public forms of indecency or adultery. If these charges prove true, the Senators responsible could be arrested and dismissed from the Senate. The last time this happened was in 1993, when Progressive Senator Valero Vilall was tried and found guilty on misdemeanor charges for having an affair with another married woman, which led to his dismissal from the Senate, the only time the King has used his royal prerogative to dismiss a Senator.

During Senator Nolano made his press conference, he said that he had already talked with the Royal Council, and that an investigation is already underway. When asked to give comment, Praeco Dux Francescus IV de Cornelia confirmed that an investigation was already underway, said that "These charges are serious and must be investigated, in order to determine their validity. Should the investigation find these charges to have merit, we will hold a trial." He added that he personally hoped the allegations did not prove to be true, for both the sake of the Senators and the Aquilian people. "If they are true, it would be a great disappointment, and a disgrace to the Kingdom and to the office they serve."

Senator Gaius Angeloni, the leader of the Progressive Party, was quick to deny these claims. "These allegations are absolutely false. This is blatant slander against myself, my fellow Senators, and the party; Senator Nolano's power-mongering is a stunning betrayal to the party. I thought I trusted Senator Nolano, but I am shocked and disgusted to learn that he is willing to untruthfully destroy the reputations of his allies and friends for personal gain."

These allegations come just as the election process in Aelia for the late Senator Bundetta's seat. Aelia is a stronghold of the Progressive Party,
and this scandal, whatever the outcome, is predicted to damage the Party's chance of winning a seat. Senator Angeloni remarked that the allegations "are nothing more than lies designed to destroy the party and hurt our chances of securing the seat in the upcoming election. This is an outrage." Senator Nolano claimed that the allegations have nothing to do with the election.

Thirteen of the sixteen Progressive Party Senators were mentioned by Senator Nolano in the allegations. Of the two not mentioned, Senator Pio Helina declined to comment, and Senator Claudio Robbia responded that "As much as I am afraid to say it, these allegations are true. I think Senator Nolano did the right thing. Let justice take its course."

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by **The Kingdom of Glitter** » Mon May 21, 2018 9:43 am

GOVERNMENT TO FOCUS ON NATIONAL SECURITY, DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS
Newly-minted Minister of Defense Aodhán Ó Cadhla said the government will be "aggressive" in bolstering security

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Rónán Ó Cuillinn (@ronangbf)
^{21 May 2018 | Spálgleann, Glytter}

Minister of Defense Aodhán Ó Cadhla is a senior minister in Taoiseach Frank Casarnach's new government.

SPÁLGLEANN – The government will focus on revamping national security policy, the Defense Minister has said.

Minister Aodhán Ó Cadhla announced that a "cross-ministry effort' would be launched in order to combat inefficiencies, modernize the armed forces, and ensure maximum preparedness.

The Defense Ministry, in cooperation with the National Security Ministry and Foreign Ministry, will be reviewing "all aspects of Glytteronian defense policy". The Ministry of the Army and the Ministry of the Navy, which are both sub-ministries of the Defense Ministry, will also involved in the process. The purpose of such a review is to identify inefficiencies within the bureaucracy of the armed forces.

The government's new approach to defense policy will also include replacing much of Glytter's aging military hardware.

"We have not seriously invested in our military in decades. In fact, it took over fifteen years for the government to secure a replacement for the aging St Cuchulain-class submarines. Efforts taken by the Walker Government should be applauded, but we must go farther".

Under Taoiseach Alexis Walker and then Minister of Defense Julie Royce, the Glytteronian government agreed to purchase four A-17 submarines from Cockmus for a maximum total cost of €2.25 billion. The first two will be delivered by the end of 2019 while the second pair set for delivery in 2022. The Walker Government also agreed to purchase two additional Invertwinc-class frigates in order to phase out the nearly thirty-year-old Unicorn-class frigates still in use by the Glytteronian Royal Navy.

Mr. Ó Cadhla declined to comment as to just what the government hoped to do to bolster the country's aging navy, but he hinted that a new class of submarine "could be sailing by 2030".

"It is definitely something we are most interested in, but we have made no finite decisions or commitments" he said.

The Defense Minister also indicated the government is interested in increasing cooperation with Glytter's allies in the Euclea Community.

"President Walker has indicated she is interested in increasing defense cooperation between member-states. That is a measure the Glytteronian Government firmly supports. Through cooperation, we can ensure the EC has cutting-edge technology that prepares it for whatever challenges it may face. The Defense Ministry will be entering negotiations with the Gaullican, Estmerish, and Weranian governments in the coming months to better prepare us for any changes in pan-continental defense policy".

"Such cooperation is in the interests of the Euclean taxpayers, as our governments can share the cost of developing new military hardware and technology" Mr. Ó Cadhla told reporters.

He also indicated the government is "very interested" in conducting more military drills and trials than previously. "In order to be prepared, we must simulate the threats that face our country". The Defense Minister also said that these drills should take place "throughout the world in conjunction with our partners".

Glytter's counter-terrorism network, in addition to its domestic and foreign intelligence agencies, will be "totally revamped".

"Following the 23 August Attacks, our intelligence community has found itself in crisis. We have a rare opportunity to start over with a clean slate. This is most certainly something we will be working with the National Security Ministry on".

The Minister of National Security, John McDermott, released a statement saying he will personally oversee the review of Glytter's intelligence agencies, which are under his jurisdiction as the head of the National Security Ministry.

Foreign Minister Brian Fitzgerald, the Laird Dunbroch, praised the measures. "A strong foreign policy can only exist in conjunction with a strong defense policy" he said.

This is the first major initiative of the new Casarnach Government. Frank Casarnach, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, became Taoiseach two weeks ago after his predecessor, Jimmy O'Reilly, resigned in the aftermath of a major scandal. Since ascending the office, Mr. Casarnach has remained largely silent, indicating he would like to allow Glytteronian politics to "normalize" before introducing new policy.

"The details mustn't get lost by the fanfare and hysteria of scandal" he said in an interview soon after taking office. "We will wait to make changes, but changes will come".

His first act as Taoiseach was to sack the bulk of the O'Reilly Cabinet, replacing the ministers loyal to O'Reilly with allies of his own. He has kept some leading voices from within the O'Reilly Cabinet, however. Former Foreign Minister Robert Kean now serves as Minister of Culture and will oversee the upcoming Summer Mytikas Games this August.

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by **The Kingdom of Glitter** » Wed May 23, 2018 12:12 pm

CASARNACH NAMES HIS WIFE AS LIBERTY PARTY CHAIR
In an unexpected move, the Taoiseach named his wife, Claire Nic Haol-Casarnach, to lead his party

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James Kelley (@jkelleygbf)
^{24 May 2018 | Spálgleann, Glytter}

Taoiseach Frank Casarnach and his wife, Claire Nic Haol-Casarnach, pictured at the Exchanging of the Keys on 7 May.

SPÁLGLEANN – Taoiseach Frank Casarnach has chosen his wife, Claire Nic Haol-Casarnach, to serve as the Liberty Party's chair.

He announced the decision earlier today in a statement released by the Liberty Party.

"As I come into my own, both as Taoiseach and party leader, I find no one better to assist me than Claire. The relationship between party leader and party chair has always required the upmost trust, and that is something Claire and I have for one another. I know the party is in safe hands under her watch" the statement said.

Mr. Casarnach thanked the outgoing party chair, Mánus Mac Murchú, for his service.

"[Mac Murchú] oversaw a captivating and successful Convention and his efforts should be celebrated. I look forward to what he will achieve going forward".

Mr. Mac Murchú was appointed by the Taoiseach's predecessor, Jimmy O'Reilly, and was a close ally. He succeeded Maude O'Kane, who was appointed by Alexis Walker in 2011 and stood down in January to work for the Euclean Liberty Party in Kesselbourg. Ms. O'Kane has since left the ELP and has established a pro-Walker think tank known as One Euclea.

Party chairs are responsible for the day to day operations of their respective parties, and implementing the political operations set out by the party leader. In addition, they play a major role in fundraising efforts.

The move comes just over two weeks after he was elected party leader and subsequently took the office of Taoiseach. It is his first major political move.

It has caused controversy among some within the party ranks. Some leading officials have concerns about Ms. Nic Haol-Casarnach's political experience.

"Most voters, and most within the party, have never even heard of her" one senior official told GBF News Online. "While it is not uncommon for the party chairs to have low profiles, it is uncommon for them to be political nobodies".

"She has very brief record as a political operative, and now she is expected to oversee the largest political organization in the country?" the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A spokesperson for the Taoiseach refuted this notion, pointing instead to Ms. Nic Haol-Casarnach's experience working for Pharmaceutical Innovation Council, a pharmaceutical lobbying firm based out of Spálgleann. He dismissed criticism as "nonsensical", adding that she had "decades of experience as a political operative".

"After recent events, perhaps it is time an outsider from the private sector leads party operations" he said.

Ms. Nic Haol-Casarnach has worked for the Pharmaceutical Innovation Council for nearly two decades. The firm, which represents the interest of leading Glytteronian, Euclean, and international pharmaceutical companies, has enjoyed significant influence and access since Enda Kelley defeated Morgan Leneghan in 2002.

Healthcare activists have been highly critical of the group, as they view the firm as a way for pharmaceutical companies to keep drug prices up and undermine efforts to create a more robust universal healthcare system.

The Pharmaceutical Innovation Council has donated roughly €15,000 annually to the Liberty Party since 2000, when Ms. Nic Haol-Casarnach started working for the firm. In total, Liberty has received approximately €275,000 from the lobby firm. This figure does not include donations to individual candidates.

The Shadow Minister of Health and the Workforce, Dr. Heather Norcross-MacWilliams, said this presented a "conflict of interest" for the Liberty Party.

"When your party's chief political operative is an employee of a major pharmaceutical lobbying firm, and your party has received over a quarter of a million dollars from that same group, how can you be expected to deliver what is best for patients?" Dr. Norcross-MacWilliams, questioned.

Both the Taoiseach and Liberty Party has declined to address issues concerning the relationship with the Pharmaceutical Innovation Council, which also declined to comment.

A source close to the Taoiseach said that outcry from Liberty officials was "grandstanding". "After O'Reilly's collapse, I am not very confident these people have any real credentials to speak out about political aptitude".

It is the first instance in Glytteronian political history where married couple have played such a prominent role in party politics at a national level. The last time a single family had a strong influence over a major political party was in the 1950s and 1960s with the Fitzgeralds.

Her appointment is an indication that Mr. Casarnach will enjoy significant levels of control over the direction of his party at all levels. This includes preferred candidates for the upcoming 2022 general election. The Taoiseach could take a page from Taoiseach Walker's, his former boss, playbook and systematically dismantle the party in his favor.

"If he ousts incumbents the same way Walker did, that's a fundamental problem for most of his TCs. Casarnach will want loyalty, and if he does not get it this seems a likely path" believes senior political analyst Flynn O'Brady.

Ms. Nic Haol-Casarnach's first major undertaking as party chair will be organizing the party's conference, set to take place this July.

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by **Traditum** » Wed May 23, 2018 9:19 pm

13 PROGRESSIVE PARTY SENATORS FOUND GUILTY AND DISMISSED FROM SENATE
Historic and Landmark Ruling could mark the Downfall of the Progressive Party

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Marcus Troiana (@marcustroiana )
^{MAY 23 2018 | AQUILA, AQUILA}

Senator Gaius Angeloni, Leader of the Progressive Party, after the trial.
Photo courtesy of Maria Bolandi.

AQUILA, AQUILA -

Called before the King and the Royal Council on High Trial on Monday, thirteen Senators of the Progressive Party were called to answer allegations of bribery and misdemeanor. These allegations were first made by Henricus Nolano on Friday and later revealed in a Press Conference the same day, with the Praeco Dux Francescus IV de Cornelia confirming that there was an investigation underway. After a brief investigation, the Royal Council decided that there was enough evidence for the Senators to face High Trial, and called them to stand Trial on Monday.

It is illegal for Senators and other royal ministers to accept bribes from outside groups. Royal ministers are also legally required to refrain from private or public forms of indecency or adultery as per the Good Standing Act of 1971. The King has it in his full prerogative to sack a Senator or Royal Minister at any time for any reason, however, it is commonly only used for convicted criminals. The only example of this occurring happened in 1993, after Progressive Senator Valero Vilall, after being tried and found guilty for having an affair with another married woman, was dismissed by King Petrus XVI.

Since the announcement on Friday, there was a huge public outcry, from members of other parties and even supporters of the Progressive Party. The allegations were first made by another Progressive Senator, and AquilaPoll's survey of Progressive Party members said that they would extremely displeased if the allegations proved true. Marius Vlarendi, leader of the Aquilian National Front, said that "This is exactly what we have come to expect of the Leftists. I would like to say I'm surprised, but frankly, I'm not. They are a disgrace to this Kingdom."

The day before the trial, on Sunday, the leader of the Progressive Party, Senator Gaius Angeloni, officially dismissed Senators Henricus Nolano and Claudio Robbia from the Party for supporting the allegations, which cast even more suspicion on the issue. Both of these Senators were known previously to be more conservative leaning than their other Party counterparts. Senator Pio Helina, the only Senator of the Progressive Party not accused or not dismissed, has decided to remain silent about this issue.

The trial began promptly at 7 AM Monday morning, and with the King formally opening the High Trial, the initial charges were brought before the 13 Senators. The Senators denied the truth of the charges, and the prosecution indicating they wished to proceed with the trial. For the rest of the morning the results of the investigation and witnesses would be brought forth. From the beginning of the trial things seemed to fair ill for the Progressive Senators, as increased evidence was brought to the floor. The King and the Royal Council remained calm during the proceedings, though tempers between the production and the defendants ran high.

After going through 5 intense hours, the trial took a brief hour long recess at noon, before returning in full force. At one point, Senator Angeloni began to shout, saying that "This entire process is sham! This is a shame on justice!" The King brought the Court to order and threatened to dismiss him from the chamber for contempt of Court, causing Angeloni to sit down furiously. The trial continued for almost another five hours, where, after everything had been discussed on the Court Floor, the King and the Royal Council went to a separate room to deliberate the decision. Once the King and his council came back, the announcement was swift and forthright: all thirteen Senators were guilty as charged, and would be promptly sacked from their positions, and would face heavy fines.

After this had been said, the court was dismissed. The now-former Senators were shocked at the turn of events. After they were led out, Mr. Angeloni commented that "This was a sham, a travesty of justice, obviously staged by the rightists to further destroy liberty in Aquila. This is a disgrace, and it shows how far they will go to prevent progress from taking root in Aquila." None of the other former Senators agreed to give a comment. Senator Nolano, the leader of the prosecution, said that "in spite of this being a difficult and turbulent time, I am glad justice has prevailed."

This was quickly viewed a historic and landmark decision, being the second time in history when Senators have been dismissed, and where thirteen Senators were dismissed at one time. It was quickly speculated that this could mark the decline of the Progressive Party in Aquilian politics. Professor Marcus Burnius, and professor of Political Science at the University of Aquila, said that "This marks a significant change in Aquilian politics. The Progressive Party was the largest socially liberal party, and was, on a global scale, the largest leftist party. Even their fellow liberal counterparts in the Senate, the Catholic Democrats, are much more right than even the right wing parties of the rest of the world. On Friday, they had 16 seats in the Senate, the fourth largest party, and were likely to pick up a seat in the upcoming elections in Aelia. After the casting out of the two so-called turncoats and the dismissal of the thirteen, they have 1 seat left in the Senate, fewer than even the Aquilian National Front, losing a remarkable 15 seats in the Senate, which is 15% of the Senate. Such a remarkable change is unheard of in Aquilian politics, where change is normally very slow and gradual."

With this decision, there are currently 14 open seats in the Senate, another historical first, with nine being in the Duchy of Aelia, and the additional five being the Duchy of Sennia, making this election the most influential election since the initial elections of 1940. A Party may nominate one candidate for each open seat. After the trial was over, the popularity of the Progressive Party plummeted, with AquilaPoll publishing a survey that found the Party had an approval rating of 3.7%, marking a shocking turn around, and with scores of Progressive Party members. The political atmosphere, especially in the Progressive stronghold of Aelia, will likely undergo change.

Senator Nolano and Senator Robbia officially announced that they would be joining the Catholic Democrats Party. Senator Nolano said, "This is indeed an interesting time. Only God can guide us through it."

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by **Alinora** » Fri May 25, 2018 7:32 am

AVERY VISITS MARQUETTE
President Avery arrived in Duquesne's capital today, kicking off the two-day state visit to facilitate the country's entrance into the Joint Defense Force

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James Gehrner (@jamesgehrner)
May 25th, 2018 | Antona, Federation

President Avery and President Marques Swen seen together in the Presidential Mansion
Photo courtesy of Janey Polito

Marquette, Duquesne -

This morning, President Avery and a small Asterian delegation arrived in Duquesne's capital city of Marquette as part of a two-day state visit to the country, which was recently accepted as the JDF's newest member. After being greeted by a large crowd on the tarmac, Avery was brought to the Presidential Mansion, where he personally met with President Marques Swen. According to the official visit plan, released by the State House, this face-to-face meeting largely consisted of discussions about the logistics surrounding Duquesne's integration into the JDF.

After their meeting, both heads of state traveled to the National Assembly, where President Avery was introduced by Swen, and proceeded to deliver a brief speech to the small legislator of just fifteen. "Firstly, it is my honor and privilege to be standing here before you all," Avery began, "I thank you all very much for the overwhelming consideration and hospitality-- it's truly warming." The President would continue. "The Federation of Asteria has been a nation that, for well over a century, has been the leading advocate for greater peace and regional cooperation in the Asterias. Following the horrible devastation of the Great War, our leadership was determined to maintain the peace that had been promised at the war's end-- such tremendous loss of life, you see, should never be allowed to happen in our own back yard ever again. The collective minds of Asteria and Roeselle came together to secure that peace, and the result was the Joint Defense Force."

"As the JDF's newest member," Avery went on, "you have joined the ranks of nations dedicated to upholding justice, protecting the innocent, and maintaining peace. That is certainly something to be proud of. However, joining the JDF is not so simple as adding your country's name to a roster-- it will take time for Duquesne to become an active and established member of this organization. However, the Federation, Roeselle, and the whole of the JDF are here to help you every step of the way. That is why the Federation will be establishing a consulate here, in Marquette, and why JDF troops from all member-states will be coming to Duquesne to help facilitate your integration into the organization."

"I would like to conclude by once again offering my thanks for the warm welcome I have received here, and by saying this: Duquesne has made the right decision, and it is because of this that our two nations will begin to interact in a way we never have before in the past. This truly marks a bright new future for Asterian-Gallois relations. Thank you."

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by **Liecthenbourg** » Sat May 26, 2018 3:51 pm

LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST 'SISTERS OF CHARITY'
A group of women have filed a lawsuit against the Solarian Catholic Nuns for their 'harassment veiled as council' in regards to abortion.

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Antoinette Giroud
^{May 26, 2018| Verlois, Gaullica}

Will Secular Justice be forced to fight Ecclesiastical Law?
Photo courtesy of Lady Justice herself.

Verlois, Gaullica -

Almost two months ago, a woman in the rural town of Plazanet in Assonaire came forward to the police to highlight the supposed harassment she received within the local St. Denis Hospital. Her claims outlined that whilst in the first two weeks of her pregnancy, she sought advice -- religious and medical -- about the possibility of an abortion. She claimed that the Solarian Catholic Nunnery Order, 'The Sisters of Charity', abused their position within the hospital and 'belittled and dehumanised' her out of her abortion, highlighting that it was a 'mortal sin' and 'she would be committing murder.'

A spokesperson for the Religious Organisation fiercely debated these claims and argued that the Sisters of Charity would never directly intervene on a woman's choice, but merely sought to make aware to her the support she would receive regardless of her decision. Denying the claims of harassment, the Sisterhood instead argued that their actions have always been within the law of Gaullica and within their respective agreements with the Gaullican Health Service; council, information, care and advice.

What the Catholic Church and Gaullican Government might have hoped to have been an isolated incident could not have been further from the truth.

Two more women came forward in the town of Plazanet, highlighting similar claims within the past 8 years. A third, in the city of Thorailles also came forward, expanding the criticisms of the Sisterhood in numerous hospitals they are working in.

Three of the women have identified themselves openly; Mlle Roselyne Droz, Mlle Adélie Rémy and Mlle Janine Allard. The third women to come forward has repeatedly chosen to keep her anonymity.

All four women have announced a joint lawsuit against the Sisters of Charity due to the harassment they faced at their hands. Their lawyers are arguing that the Sisters broke the doctoral oaths they took by placing themselves in a hospital, broke the seal of trust and allowed their religious convictions to overrule medical logic and a service that is perfectly legal within Gaullica.

The Sisterhood, the Church and the Gaullican Government have so far refused to comment. It is speculated that with the severity of the following this ordeal is receiving, with a large calling online -- on Twitter and Facebook, specifically -- that Gaullica's views on abortion need to change, that the Government will be setting up a commission to investigate the proceedings once and for all.

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by **Vredlandia** » Mon May 28, 2018 6:43 am

Court Rules: Election System Violates Constitution, Martens Shall Take Seat

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Anton Graf Flottreiter (@grafflottreiter)
28th of May 2018 | Eldburg, Vredlandia

Vitas Hüld, General Secretary of the Unity Party, can't have been too happy at this bombshell ruling (Archive Photo)
Photo courtesy of Letz Terakt

Eldburg, Vredlandia - In an early morning ruling, Vredlandia's High Court ordered the Government to let Jürgen Martens take his seat. In their ruling, they declared the electoral system unconstitutional, and further ordered the Assembly to rewrite electoral laws to allow for non-Unity Party candidates and factions.

The ruling is set to overturn a decades-old system set out in the aftermath of Vredlandia's internal strife during what most of the world calls the Great War. Lawmakers barely have half a year to write new laws, all while the Unity Party is crumbling in the Assembly. Already, more than a fifth of all Assemblymembers announced their intention to resign from the Unity Party; most of who owe their loyalty to former Minister of Defence Franz Grunwald, but also the current Ministers of Home, Agriculture and Education.

Seneschal Treuwegen and Unity Party General Secretary Vitas Hüld issued a joint statement in which they disagreed with the ruling but pledged to obey it. They further announced their fullest intention to continue their work until the next regularly scheduled elections conclude in 2019. "The Unity Party is and remains the Party of Vredlandian Governance", the statement said. But while Hüld and Treuwegen sound strong, they will be aware that their situation has never been so dire. Hüld's gamble cost the Unity Party everything, and Treuwegen is ever further weakened by his mishandling of the Eldburg Equality tragedy. That's why it is only logical that they shy away from seizing the office of Party Leader, now that with the Court ruling it would no longer be inappropriate to have one. Instead, the Seneschal and the General Secretary pledge to jointly propose a candidate soon.

Jürgen Martens, in the meantime, thanked his lawyer and his fans. "This is not the end of our fight, it's the beginning", he shouted to journalists outside the Court. In a statement that followed a little later, Martens declared his intent to aid likeminded candidates in their electoral struggles, and that he and his lawyer will found a society - possibly to be transformed into a party later. "We will hunt Treuwegen and his lackeys through the Assembly, and the Vredlandian people will prevail."

As is tradition, the Holy Father did not comment on the ruling.

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Jubty · 1 hour ago
Wonder which useful idiot they want to find for party leader

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Grosarnst · 1 hour ago
Hell yes!! Justice!

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Chillaxer · 1 hour ago ago
To be entirely honest: Martens is horrible, but this is good news overall.

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