News Thread [Kylaris|Canon|IC]

by **Saul Volcano** » Tue Nov 22, 2022 10:00 pm

Cerqueira government proposes industry job protection bill
Known as the Iniciativa de Defesa Agricultura/Tecnologia/Automotivo or IDATA for short, it will ban offshoring to specific countries and more
Carlos Araujo (@Carlos11) | 23 November 2022 | Precea

Premier Cerqueira announcing the proposal

Precea, Paretia: Today the Cerqueira government announced the Iniciativa de Defesa Agricultura/ Tecnologia/ Automotivo proposal, or IDATA for short. It is a bill focused on protectionist policy and combating Paretian companies from offshoring to other countries. The bill was proposed by the Cerqueira government before the Senate of Paretia.

The bill has three different parts to it, mostly dealing with trade, and protection of Paretian jobs from foreign elements. Some countries that Paretia has trade deals with are exceptions.

These bills pertain to the agricultural, tech, and automotive industry. The first part of the proposal will deal with offshoring, the bill will ban Paretian companies from offshoring to countries Paretia is not in trade deals or treaties with. This would mostly target Asterian or Coian nations that Paretia is not currently in deals with. Countries that are exceptions of course include the Euclean Community. The bill is likely meant to target Shangea and Zorasan and other Coian nations.

The next part of the bill is a requirement for foreign companies coming to Paretia, it would require these companies to to get approval from Paretia's trade administration. Companies already in Paretia do not have to do so, but in the future new companies will have to meet with the administration and get approval by the government.

Exceptions from both of these parts of the bills include countries Paretia has trade agreements with, and some other exceptions, including countries like Senria and Ardesia. This would include members of the Euclean Community being exceptions to the bill. Countries that the bill targets include countries that Paretia does not have trade agreements with, mostly Coian countries.

Cerqueira stated during her proposal announcement: "To protect our workers from being betrayed the practice of offshoring, we will make sure that our businesses stay within our country. We will also make sure that foreign companies much be approved in the future in the agriculture, automotive, and technology industries. They must make sure they will not exploit our people before they invest in them. Paretia first."

The proposal is expected to pass the Senate of Paretia. Popular Victory hopes that some opposition members will cross the aisle and vote for the bill. The Popular Victory government also has stated plans for more protectionist policy before the Nativity holiday.

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In Other News:
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My Last.fm · by **West Kirkon** » Sat Nov 26, 2022 10:54 pm

Peacekeepers arrive to the Yoloten

Marie Gezevuje| 24 November 2022

Community of Nations Peacekeepers landed in Ikinaryq earlier today as they began to assemble to head towards the line of control in the Yoloten. Lavanan forces successfully retreated from southern Hacyinia, under the cover of large clouds of smoke rising from the Zhopdykulat oil fields near the Kung river. Several of the oil fields in the Zhopdykulat caught fire, which both Hacyinia and Zorasan have blamed on retreating Lavanan troops. The backdrop of smoke rising on the horizon is a good backdrop to the deadly conflict in Hacyinia.

The Community of Nations announced earlier today that a peacekeeping force composed of 7 nations: Aucuria, Emessa, Etruria, Kuthina, Saint Chloe, Tengaria, and Vinalia under the auspices of Emessan General Marko Fenech, who had served in the region back in 2007. Lavanan and Hacyinian forces vacated the line of control to establish a peacekeeping force between them both. Earlier in the week, Lavanan forces vacated occupied Hacyinia, after Hacyinia and Zorasan blamed sabotage of Hacyinian oil extraction equipment and oil fields on retreating Lavanan soldiers. Lavana, who has spent several days in high tension due to major protests throughout the country, stated that no such thing had occurred.

Infrastructure along with oil fields were said to be sabotaged, and mined by Lavanan forces stated in a joint announcement by Hacyinia and Zorasan. Several oil drills were destroyed by hidden mines and several oil fields caught fire after time delayed munitions and explosives detonated claimed Zorasan and Hacyinia. Refineries in the region are said to be empty of spare parts or had sabotage performed on them. Zorasan stated it would send specialists to oversee the situation. Lavana has called Hacyinian partisan activity to blame, along with Zorasani antagonism, saying that several oil fields were turned over to Zorasani troops rather than Hacyinian troops, who then proceeded to sabotage them. In regards to mines, it stated that Lavanan engineers had placed them in the first few days of the invasion, although troops on the ground have increasingly brought that into question.

Lavanan, and Yoloten forces also abandoned districts they controlled in the west of the border, and turned them over to Hacyinia. Convoys of equipment and troops left the Yoloten during the early hours of today, as Lavana stated it would vacate the Yoloten within two days, as it was having trouble getting casualties out of Ikinaryq. An army of doctors has been sent to assure that individuals don’t die between the transport out of the Yoloten, and into Lavana. South Kabuese, and Champanian medical personnel are said to take the brunt of responsibilities for retreating Lavanan personnel.

A sense of calm has returned to the region, as individuals see the wide diversity of individuals now sporting the sky blue helmets of the peacekeepers, which number about 2,000 in total. The vast feeling however has been that this is not the last conflict in the region. Pictures of missing Lavanan and PAMFY soldiers have appeared throughout Ikinaryq, as many have come out to question authorities regarding missing family members, and friends. Maiya Azamatevong who fled from her village in the former western border of the Yoloten, stated that she had lost her husband while fleeing her village, while her single son a private in the PAMFY, has been missing for over 3 weeks “His unit was deployed in the North, and I’m fearful he was tortured or executed. If he is dead, I hope it was quick” stated the mother who has once again come to stand in line in hopes of hearing about her son, after she is informed that there's nothing, she heads to the refugee resettlement center to look for her husband, himself a Yoloten war veteran, who was injured, and suffers from dementia. In Karaganda similar scenes as Ikinaryq take place, as refugees are being organized and distributed. Many are fearful of returning west to burnt down crops, and sabotaged infrastructure, few have ventured east, as the sight of large plumes of smoke coming from the nations oil fields, warns of possible restart to hostilities.

As the Community of Nations prepares a diplomatic mission towards Hacyinia, to investigate their chemical weapon facilities, and ensure their safety, along with compliance with international law. Lavana has pushed for such a mission to quickly reach Hacyinia, although the Community of Nations has struggled with obtaining willing nations to commit personnel to the mission. Something which the organization has called an urgent necessity.

Marie Gezevuje is a journalist originally from Dezevau, who moved to Gaullica in 2003 for university. She is currently an editor in the Coian Monitor, and has been working since 2013 in the newspaper. She is a Gaullican citizen, wife, mother to 3 daughters, and Football enthusiast. She won the young Journalist award in 2010, for her work regarding Dezevauni language policy, and is specialized in Southeastern Coius and its issues.

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Large clouds of smoke, and Hacyinian reoccupation of border positions, marks retreat of Lavanan troops.

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Bodies of Lavanan soldiers rumored to have been executed, received in the Yoloten

by **Slirnija** » Sun Nov 27, 2022 12:41 pm

by **Qianrong** » Mon Nov 28, 2022 3:01 pm

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE AIKOKUTOU?
Amidst economic & political stagnation, Senria's ruling party appears to be tearing itself apart from the inside

November 28, 2021 / Dec 2022 issue | by Nobuteru Kisida | graphics by Stéphane Lefebvre | On December 10, 2018, when then-Prime Minister Hayato Nisimura transferred power to his Minister of Revenue Reika Okura, most people expected that this passing of the torch would be uneventful, a continuation of the status quo that had dominated Senria for Nisimura's decade-long rule - the Aikokutou's dominance assured, its internal factions kept in check, the Senrian economy stable if not stellar, the country proceeding as though on auto-pilot in the hands of its "natural party of government". After all, that status quo had held for a decade, and was built upon a return to the twenty-year reign of Kiyosi Haruna, which had reshaped Senria from a military dictatorship into an illiberal but not unbearable republic and heralded decades of global cultural, economic, and geopolitical prominence.

As Okura's first term as prime minister drags on, however, cracks appear to be showing. The slow and steady economic slowdown which began in Nisimura's second term has only continued, the situation never slipping into decline or crisis but nonetheless an omen looming over the country and the world; Senria's enemies on the Coian continent are continually emboldened by their use of brute force to suppress their own peoples and subjugate their neighbors; and rumors swirl perpetually that, behind an increasingly tenuous facade of outward unity, a feud between Reika Okura and the Nisimuras - her predecessor Hayato and his wife Ayane, now Personnel Minister - is tearing the Aikokutou apart.

An institution like the Aikokutou - which lacks the dynamic, formative leaders that shaped it for the bulk of its history - can only drift on sheer inertia for so long, and it is natural for foundations to eventually become shaky under such circumstances. But for those observing Senrian politics, a litany of questions remain - why now? What caused this? What is perpetuating it? How might it end, and what would that mean for Senria, for Coius, for the world?

-◅◈▻-

Rumors of a feud between Reika Okura and the Nisimuras began to circulate in earnest in December 2019, a year after her ascension to the premiership, when Okura caved to public demands for an investigation into the shoddy re-reconstruction of Ukyou's Kouhimon Gate (the original gate having been destroyed by Shangean soldiers in 1932, and the first reconstruction having been burnt down by an agent of Shangea's Shujichu in 2008). These rumors alleged that Okura's decision to accede to public outrage was regarded as a threat by the Nisimuras, who feared that Hayato - prime minister during the reconstruction - could be implicated by the investigation as having permitted, or even encouraged, the backroom deals with corporate actors that resulted in the Kouhimon Gate being reconstructed cheaply and shoddily on the quick.

If this is indeed where the rift began, it was a no-win situation for Okura - the Kouhimon Gate is too loaded as a symbol of defiance of Shangea, Senrian pride, and historical memory for Okura to have refused to permit the investigation - but with everything so steeped in allegation and innuendo it is hard to be sure; some sources, after all, maintain that it was not any one incident which caused the rift, but rather an expectation held by the Nisimuras that Okura would act as a kagemusa, a political decoy through whom Hayato Nisimura could run the country while ostensibly being retired, which Okura failed to uphold.

What glimpses of transparency we do
get seem to vindicate the rumors, and
anyone following Senrian politics now
takes it for granted that the rumors are,
in some form, true.

Whatever the exact cause and nature of the dispute, the rumors of an Okura-Nisimura rift have only intensified in the months since. Every failure to address the issues facing Senria, every Aikokutou slip-up, every suggestion of high-level dysfunction adds fuel to the fire. The rumors are still mostly just rumors; Senria's highest levels of power are still deeply opaque. Nonetheless, what glimpses of transparency we do get seem to vindicate the rumors, and anyone following Senrian politics now takes it for granted that the rumors are, in some form, true, and all efforts by the Senrian government to reassure spectators that there is nothing to be seen seem increasingly flimsy and unconvincing.

One of the incidents which has given the most credence to the claims was the drastic political misstep of rerunning Keisi's 2021 mayoral election. The election - which saw Aikokutou candidate Nobuhiro Akiba go from losing to opposition candidate Rokurou Kozakura by a 0.02% margin to losing by a 17.07% margin - was a deep embarrassment for the Aikokutou, which had jealously clung to power in Senria's primate city for decades; Akiba's defeat also energized Senria's opposition by giving them a victory that would have seemed impossible mere months earlier.

It appears that the decision to rerun the Keisi mayoral election was a deeply reckless and shockingly overconfident gambit by the Nisimuras - it was announced by Ayane, after all, in her capacity as Personnel Minister - to demonstrate their continued power and to force Okura into backing up the move after the fact, leaving her to play a supporting role in what is ostensibly her government. If this was the goal, it backfired tremendously; certainly Okura was wrong-footed by it, but so was the entirety of the Aikokutou, the entire party having egg thrown on its face in front of a global audience. But the Nisimuras seem to have clung onto their position of influence in spite of it. Their connections are deep and numerous; it will take more than one misstep, even with a misstep that large, to oust them from power.

Another factor in the political survival of the Nisimuras in the wake of the Keisi fiasco might have been the egg thrown on Okura's face in January 2022, when Department of Culture employee Kenta Kawamoto leaked more than 6,000 documents pertaining to the Kouhimon investigation to the pro-opposition newspaper Kyouwa Sinbun. These documents included our best confirmation yet of the Okura-Nisimura feud, and proved, among other things, that Hayato Nisimura knew of the corners being cut by the contractors tasked with rebuilding the Kouhimon and failed to take action; that Okura had been tacitly encouraging investigations into the Nisimuras; and that Ayane Nisimura had provided investigators with proof that Okura, at the time Revenue Minister, had personally recommended several of the contractors involved due to her financial ties to them.

None of the revelations were exactly great for the Nisimuras; indeed, they give us a tantalizing glimpse into why the Nisimuras might have fallen out with Okura over her decision to cave to the demands for an investigation. They did, however, preoccupy Okura for the first quarter of 2022, preventing her from centralizing her position and ousting the Nisimuras. Okura was, after all, herself implicated by the leaks as having directly profited from the shoddy restoration of a cultural monument and national symbol. Her flimsy excuses (claiming that some - but only some - of the documents were fake - perhaps in the futile hope that she could convince the public that the documents implicating her were forged but the documents implicating the Nisimuras were authentic) and her decision to jail Kawamoto for leaking confidential documents, even as the actual investigation remained mired in dysfunction and obfuscation, damaged her public reputation and led to two and half months of protests in Senria's major urban centers. These protests developed into a general outpouring of public frustration and, as a result, risked becoming a serious threat to the Aikokutou's position. The protests even expanded to targeting the perceived ideological allies of the Aikokutou; when Etrurian president Francesco Carcaterra sicced riot police, mafiosi, and neo-functionalist soccer hooligans on peaceful protesters in his own country in late February, Senrian protesters turned their focus towards the Etrurian embassy in Keisi, pelting it with water balloons, red paint, and rocks.

All in all, the Kouhimon protests were
hugely embarrassing to the Aikokutou
generally and to Reika Okura personally.

Had Okura ordered Senria's police to behave as thuggishly as Etruria's do, it is possible that the protests could have escalated into riots; as it stands, the subdued police response is likely why the protests in Keisi and other cities did not spiral out of control, and instead eventually faded out - but this decision, without a doubt, signaled Aikokutou weakness to the rest of the world. All in all, the situation was hugely embarrassing to the Aikokutou generally and to Reika Okura personally, and ensured that neither Okura nor the Nisimuras would be able to oust the other, keeping both sides stuck in a stalemate.

The documents which provoked the furor also demonstrated that investigators were being led on a wild goose chase between the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Public Works, Department of Culture, Department of Commerce, and Department of Tourism & Sport, and that other figures in the Aikokutou had sought to broker a compromise by pinning the blame on former Deputy Prime Minister Akira Masuda, who left politics after a falling-out with former Prime Minister Nisimura, in spite of the fact that there was little evidence connecting Masuda to the Kouhimon scandal - further evidence of a deep, pervasive dysfunction in the upper echelons of Senrian politics, coming to increasingly interfere with the day-to-day operations of government.

And, given the proximity between Senria's public and private sectors, it should come as no surprise that dysfunction in the government risks dysfunction in the economy as well. The loyalty of Senria's keiretu, the corporate cliques which dominate the Senrian economy and Senria's economic footprint abroad, are divided amidst the Okura-Nisimura split. Okura cultivated deep ties within Senria's corporate sector during her stint as Revenue Minister; but Ayane Nisimura is by birth a member of the Siroyama family, one of the two business dynasties behind the Gosei keiretu. What this might cause in Senria's already-stagnating economic sector is hard to say, but it seems safe to presume that it will lead to nothing good.

-◅◈▻-

The fall of Kitirou Imahara might have prevented the rise of an Imahara political dynasty, but it certainly did not end dynasticism in Senrian politics - and there are examples much better-established than the Nisimuras.

The Aikokutou's middle and upper echelons are laced with nepotists and political heirs, ranging from families of local powerbrokers obscure outside their home region to veritable political dynasties whose surnames are recognized outside of Senria. The Haruna dynasty is an example of such. Their rise to prominence was meteoric in nature; Kiyosi Haruna was born into a burakumin family but rose in stature through his service in the Senrian Republican Army during the Great War and through astute politicking and power-playing within the Aikokutou, establishing himself as one of Senria's most transformative modern leaders during his twenty-year reign as prime minister (a tenure rivalled only by Katurou Imahara himself).

As Prime Minister, Haruna made sure to create opportunities for his relatives and heirs, and since then the Haruna family has retained a place of prominence within the Aikokutou's institutions. Kiyosi's successor as the family patriarch, his eldest son Hiroyosi, began his political career as a "special assistant" to his father before becoming a member of the National Assembly in 1988; after thirty years as a legislator, in which he made himself a powerbroker within the body, he was named Senrian Ambassador to the Community of Nations, a position he has held since - and passed his seat in the National Assembly to his eldest son, Masayosi.

Far older than the house of Haruna is the Nakagawa dynasty, whose roots can be traced back to the Nakagawa samurai family and whose position of prestige in the republic descends from the personal and political relationship between Katurou Imahara and Iturou Nakagawa. Iturou Nakagawa is mostly remembered outside of Senria as the namesake of the Nakagawa Plan, which sought to partition Shangea permanently by replacing Shangean identity with smaller regional identities to prevent Shangean reunification. Within Senria, however, it is well-known that Iturou was one of Senria's most important admirals during the Great War and Imahara's right-hand-man throughout much of his political career; indeed, Imahara had originally hoped to have Iturou as his successor, only elevating Hatirou Nakayama after Iturou died from a heart attack.

Iturou Nakagawa's successors have retained a place of prominence in the Aikokutou since, ever-buoyed by the legacy of Iturou's proximity to Katurou Imahara (even after Kitirou Imahara's fall from power). At the moment, the leading Nakagawa is Seitarou Nakagawa, who is the current presiding officer of the National Assembly and the floor leader for the Aikokutou, positions which make him a central power player in the party as a whole and give him a seat in Okura's cabinet.

These dynastic heirs have assets that
could make them very valuable to
Okura and the Nisimuras - or very
threatening.

These dynastic heirs have their own powerbases, their own reputations, and their own networks within the Aikokutou, the economy, and civil society, all assets that could make them very valuable to Okura and the Nisimuras - or very threatening. While there have no doubt been efforts by both Okura and Nisimura to court Haruna and Nakagawa, it appears that neither has yet committed to either side. It is possible that this is because both are waiting to see which way the wind will blow, if the match will become less evenly balanced, as a way of making sure they end up on the winning side rather than the losing one - they are, after all, inheritors to legacies they would do well not to squander.

Or perhaps it is because, should Okura and the Nisimuras destroy each other, Hiroyosi Haruna and Seitarou Nakagawa see their own chance to seize the spotlight and emerge from the ashes as the new leader of the Aikokutou.

-◅◈▻-

While most Aikokutou politicians perambulate around a status-quo-ist center ostensibly claiming adherence to a vague agglomeration of ideological principles we might call "Imaharism-Harunism" - the Imaharist tenets of nationalism, statism, and republicanism combined with a support for the reforms carried out Kiyosi Haruna but no further - there are certain wings of the party which adopt different ideological stances. Only two of these internal factions particularly matter at the national level: a hardline faction which seeks to scale back or even entirely undo the liberalization of the 80s and 90s in favor of a "purer" Imaharism and a dogmatic anti-Shangean stance, and a reformist faction which calls for broader political reforms and an effort to model Senria more closely on its allies in eastern Euclea (minus, one presumes, the possibility of the ruling party losing power).

As the Imaharist-Harunist center of the Aikokutou weakens, these fringes are emboldened.

As central party authority decays,
both Himura and Uehara stand to become
crucial figures in the party's power struggle.

Both factions, even during the late Nisimura years, were given noteworthy concessions in order to guarantee their adherence to the main party line when it counted most. As it stands, the de facto head of the reformist wing, Kaori Himura, is Okura's Deputy Prime Minister, and the de facto head of the hardline wing, Masayosi Uehara, is Minister of Justice. Accordingly, as central party authority decays due to the Okura-Nisimura feud, both Himura and Uehara stand to become crucial figures in the party's internal power struggle.

Uehara, one presumes, is already being courted heavily by both Okura and the Nisimuras. Ever since Sigesato Izumi - a leader of the reformist faction - was forced from power by the internal politicking that originally elevated Hayato Nisimura to the premiership, the Senrian government has relied heavily on rhetorical hawks and "Shangea-bashers" to bolster its popularity by evoking the looming specter of the aggressor nation, and Uehara is a Shangea-basher par excellence. While surveys suggest that two-fifths to one-half of Senrians believe the Nakagawa Plan could have worked had it not been scrapped in favor of the Treaty of Keisi, few outside of the ultranationalist Reimeisa are as vocal about it as Uehara, who proposed in 2017 that Senria should resume actively supporting the plan.

If the probable goal of both factions is courting Uehara and his hardline allies, then, it is likely that Senria's foreign service - at either the direction of Okura or the Nisimuras, it is unclear who Rites Minister Yumi Takamatu would be more receptive to - will be pushed to take an even harder line on the Shangean issue than it already does, with serious implications for the potential development of cross-Rangyoku Strait relations.

As for whether or not Himura will be courted to the same extent, that is less clear. Izumi's stint as prime minister is not well-remembered and the reformists have still not fully recovered from it, having found themselves in a position where the Aikokutou's members do not believe that further reforms are a viable strategy for the party or the country, and those parts of the population seeking reform see the reformist faction as too enmeshed within the illiberal cronyism of the Aikokutou to actually implement any change. (This dichotomy is reflected in the roles that Uehara and Himura hold in the cabinet - Uehara holds the powerful position of heading Senria's administration of justice, while Himura's position of deputy premier is impressive-sounding but largely powerless.) As the struggle becomes more desperate, it is likely that someone involved will reach out to Himura and her allies - but she will not be a first choice.

Complicating this further are the existence of the Reimeisa and Justice Party, the Aikokutou's satellite parties, each of which have ties to one of these factions - the Reimeisa to the hardliners, the Justice Party to the reformists. In essence, the Justice Party exists for voters who might vote for the Aikokutou reformists were they not explicitly part of the Aikokutou, and the Reimeisa exists for voters who would support the Aikokutou hardliners but whose positions are extreme enough that the party feels the need to pretend to be slightly less aligned with them. What these parties might do - and what might become of the relationship between these parties and their corresponding factions - as the Aikokutou flails internally is yet to be seen.

-◅◈▻-

With the Aikokutou in turmoil, its domestic opponents smell blood in the water.

Historically it has been Senria's opposition parties which embodied dysfunction. Isao Isiyama's decision to grant Katurou Imahara near-unchecked political power for the duration of the Great War provided the basis for the Aikokutou's stranglehold on power - the country will reach the centenary of Isiyama's fateful decision in 2027, marking a century of uninterrupted Aikokutou rule. Isiyama was subsequently forced out of the Kyouwakai and founded the Democratic Party, while Nobusuke Takeo - Isiyama's successor as Kyouwakai leader - systematically crippled the Kyouwakai by allowing his personal feuds with other leading figures to dominate the party. Takeo's combative personality and attempts to centralize power in himself resulted in Kantarou Harada forming the Liberal Party - which attempted futilely to compromise with the Aikokutou for the first decade of its existence - and Hisao Sueyosi forming the Justice Party - which realigned to become pro-Aikokutou in the 1980s.

The Senrian far left fractured itself between the Senroukaibu, the Kyoudoutou, a succession of minor anarchist factions, and the Farmer-Laborer Party. Meanwhile, a variety of smaller parties representing niche causes, or embodying no political ideology beyond a vague conception of "reformism" further split the opposition vote - the Sekihousa, Heimintou, Society of Independents, Conservative Party, Senrian Womens' Party, Fraternity Party, Nizirengou, Renewal Party, Koumeitou, Green Union, Progressive Alliance, New Conservative Party, Senria Renewal Association, the list goes on - not to even mention the parties representing Senria's ethnic minorities.

And yet, after nearly a century of blistering incompetence and internal bickering, it seems like Senria's opposition might finally be sorting itself out and unifying rather than fracturing. The Farmer-Laborer Party merged itself into the Democratic Party in 2021, reducing the risk of vote splitting on the political left, and as Okura's government has visibly weakened the opposition parties have gotten better at focusing their efforts on the Aikokutou, rather than each other.

The most dramatic example of this change, however, is Keisi's "rose-bellflower alliance". The decision by the Democrats and the Koumeitou to nominate the same candidate in Keisi's August election - Koumeitou politician Rokurou Kozakura - was functionally unprecedented and near-entirely unforeseen by political analysts, and it resulted first in a narrow victory for the opposition, then in a triumphant rout of the Aikokutou, in Senria's capital city.

Keisi's "rose-bellflower alliance" has
proved surprisingly resilient. As mayor,
Kozakura has shown a way for the
opposition at the national level.

It has also proved surprisingly resilient. As mayor, Kozakura has proved himself to be a highly adept politician, keeping his improbable alliance together, dislodging Aikokutou cronies, getting legislation through the city's government, and handling public relations, all while energizing Senria's opposition both within Keisi and across the nation. In the process, he has shown a way for the opposition at the national level. The Democrats and the Koumeitou are the largest opposition parties at the national level, and an alliance between them at the national level would be truly formidable - Senria's first-past-the-post system for electing legislative seats means that opposition vote-splitting vastly benefits the Aikokutou, so Senria's two largest opposition parties allying and ceasing to run candidates against each other could seriously weaken the Aikokutou's hold on the National Assembly.

Whether Democratic leader Akiko Hasegawa and Koumeitou leader Genzou Nagasawa could successfully translate the Keisi rose-bellflower alliance into a national phenomenon is yet to be seen; there are many reasons why previous efforts at opposition grand coalitions have failed. Should the rose-bellflower alliance lead nowhere, it seems unlikely that either party would be much more successful in forming an alliance with the Liberal Party or Kyouwakai - the third and fourth largest opposition parties.

In short, the opposition markedly weakening the Aikokutou's hold is rather unlikely, and the opposition winning outright is close to unimaginable - but Kozakura's success thus far in Keisi shows that there is a chance, and Senria's next general elections are in only a year. If the opposition parties are able to seize this opportunity, there is the possibility for a marked shift in Senria's political scene, one the country hasn't seen in nearly a century - if they don't succumb to dysfunction before that happens, as they have every time prior.

-◅◈▻-

The concerns emerging from Aikokutou dysfunction extend well beyond the domestic challenges to its stranglehold on power.

As noted briefly earlier, the Aikokutou's internal politicking risks sending ripples throughout the Senrian economy due to the near-inbred ties between the government and the keiretu. The keiretu system has survived as long as it has, in spite of its oligopolistic aspects and consequences upon Senrian society, by virtue of the deep financial and corporate ties that each keiretu has with every other one; they are all too big to fail, and so big that it would take a legitimately titanic event to sink them. If the Okura-Nisimura feud weakens these ties, the system would be weakened in a fashion that could - at least in the short and medium term - have serious negative consequences for the Senrian economy, inflicting serious pain upon the Senrian consumer and on Senria's economic clout abroad.

Additionally, should the Aikokutou's upper-level rot become too detrimental to the country's governance and economic stability, the risk of foreign companies and investors becoming spooked about investing in Senria and Senrian companies - for so long a solid bet for Euclean and Asterian investors - increases, with a litany of potential impacts upon the Senrian economy, the global economy, and Senria's diplomatic ties to its trade partners.

If Senria's domestic dysfunction persists,
its allies might conclude that Senria is
no longer reliable in its power projection.

Internal feuding could also be distracting Senrian leadership from geopolitical concerns. It has been noted by some that Senria's involvement in the recent flareup in the Yoloten - which saw Senrian ally Lavana face a ROSPO-backed Hacyinia - was relatively lukewarm; beyond providing credence to Lavana's claims about Hacyinian terrorism and chemical weaponry before the Community of Nations, hosting some failed talks in Keisi, and calling for a peacekeeping force, Senria did remarkably little about a conflict which could have risked one of its few allies in southeast Coius being overrun by the Rongzhuo-Zahedan Axis. If this persists, Senria's allies - its allies and partners in Coius, obviously, but its allies and partners in Euclea and the Asterias as well - might conclude that Senria is no longer as effective and reliable in its power projection as it once was, weakening its position even further.

Compounding this is the concessions that might be made to hardliners, by Okura or the Nisimuras, in the name of winning over domestic support. Senro-Shangean relations have not been good since the ascension of Yuan Xiannian, ardent autocrat, militarist, and genocide denialist, to supreme power in Shangea; if Uehara and the hardline wing of the Aikokutou end up in a position of functionally dictating foreign policy, it is likely they will only get worse, ratcheting up tensions in southwest Coius. This risks an aggressive, erratic posture that might alienate Senria's Euclean allies - particularly the Euclean Community, which is set to be dominated by the inveterately Shangeophilic Gaullicans after the election of Vivien Vallette to the EC presidency.

The butterfly effects of the Okura-Nisimura feud internationally are hard to predict; both Senria and the world are in flux. Whatever they are, it seems unlikely that they will be anything good for Senria's economic, diplomatic, and geopolitical stature. At best, they will be benign, a bump in the road which Keisi's reach survives; at worst, it is hard to say.

-◅◈▻-

It is hard to say where all this, this messy feud and the fracturing of the Aikokutou, will lead. Isao Isiyama's struggle to handle the initial response to Shangea's invasion led to his cession of power to Katurou Imahara, who ruled as a republican emperor and fundamentally reshaped Senria in his image; the implosion of Hatirou Nakayama resulted in the rise of Tokiyasu Kitamura, a bureaucrat who sought to strengthen the role of the party and state institutions while preserving an illiberal government, if a less stratocratic one; the fall of Kitirou Imahara provided a vacuum from which emerged Kiyosi Haruna, Senria's most consequential leader since the grand marshal.

Whether the modern Aikokutou has any figures who could successfully seize the day is yet to be seen; who those figures might be is a mystery upon a mystery, and who that might alter Senria's domestic and international politics an even further mystery. One could guess all day and, quite probably, never get it right, and any effort to give a specific name would - at the moment, at least - be nothing more than a guess.

What can be said is that, due to the spiraling effects of the Okura-Nisimura feud, the commanding heights of Senrian political power are in flux in a way they have not been in twenty, maybe forty, maybe even a hundred years. Whatever happens, whoever wins - indeed, even if nobody wins - Senria will be changed. We can hope that the eventual victor changes our country for the better, that Senria's stagnant economy, corruption, and societal anomie are fixed, and perhaps, one day, they will be.

But, looking at the situation, it seems likely that things will get messier before they get sorted out, and it is hard to say what might go wrong in that process, or what opportunities might be lost while cleaning up the mess. All in all, it might be more prudent to brace for impact. ❧

NOBUTERU KISIDA is a Senrian political scientist and a contributor to la Senrie, focusing on domestic politics, party dynamics, and corruption. Born in Ueda in 1971, he obtained his master's degree in political science at the University of Keisi and a doctorate from Damesbridge University. He currently works as the head of the South Coian Research Center on Party Politics, which compares the internal dynamics of the dominant parties of South Coius, analyzing how their character shapes both their domestic and foreign policy.

by **Imagua and the Assimas** » Fri Dec 02, 2022 8:31 am

IMAGUAN GOVERNMENT TO ENHANCE TENANT PROTECTIONS
Social Services and Housing Minister Minnie Fleming tables bill to officially recognise tenants' unions

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ARMEL CLARK (@ClarkArmy285)
2 DECEMBER, 2022 11:31 IST | CUANSTAD, CITY OF

Social Services and Housing Minister Minnie Fleming announcing a program to build new social housing (file photo)

Following the release of Wislas a lewa, the first Imaguan film to win an award from the prestigious Montecara Film Festival, and the first Imaguan film to be primarily in Western Imaguan Creole, the number of tenants' unions in Cuanstad has "risen significantly" since the film's release, with the number rising from around ten at the start of this year to around thirty tenants' unions.

In response to the growth of tenants' unions and growing criticism of Cuanstad's housing crisis, the Social Services and Housing Minister, Minnie Fleming, tabled a bill today to officially recognise tenants' unions as unions under the Trade Unions Act, so that they may be guaranteed the same rights as trade unions, and be subject to the same restrictions.

"The Imaguan government has recognised that the number of tenants' unions has risen significantly in recent weeks, in part because of Wislas a lewa's success at the box office, and in part because tenants are resisting against landlords who have taken advantage of the Imaguan housing crisis to neglect their apartment complexes or worse, to kick the tenants out so they can make more money by converting units into homestays," the Social Services and Housing Minister told the Chamber of Commons. "Right now, tenants' unions lack protection under the law, and this has made it difficult for a tenants' union to organise without being evicted or being otherwise intimidated by landlords."

"This needs to change," she declared. "And in order to change this, the Imaguan government needs to recognise tenants' unions and to ensure that they are given most of the same rights that other trade unions on Imagua and the Assimas."

The tabled bill would require all tenants' unions to be registered with the Imaguan government, and for tenants' unions to be recognised via the same procedures as other trade unions in Imagua and the Assimas. The bill would permit tenants' unions to engage in collective bargaining with the landlord, to allow tenants' unions and landlords to go through arbitration to resolve disputes, and the bill would guarantee that tenants have the right to decide whether they wish to be represented by a union, or not, with tenants having the right not to associate.

However, the bill would prohibit industrial action from being taken by either the tenants' unions or the landlords: this would make it illegal for tenants' unions to organise a rent strike, or for landlords to evict tenants from a building solely because negotiations between a landlord and a tenants' union failed. In addition, the bill would only protect tenants of apartment buildings who have lived there for longer than three months, so to discourage guests staying at short-term homestays from taking advantage of the bill's provisions.

After the bill was tabled by the Social Services and Housing Minister, the Leader of the Official Opposition, Ed Tagawa of the Sotirian Labour Party, said that the bill, as it currently stood, would "unfairly hurt the small landlords who will end up having to put up with nuisance tenants who cannot be evicted because the union is protecting them in a time of growing economic uncertainty across the world."

Tagawa asked "if landlords have to deal with a gang of tenants every time they want to keep up with the cost of living, do you think they will willingly cooperate with them? Or will the landlords just sell up their investment, evict all the tenants, and either let these units sit empty, making the housing crisis worse, or turn them into short-term homestays, which again, makes the housing crisis worse?"

"I think the answer will be very clear," Tagawa said. "And I do not want the small landlords in Imagua to find out the hard way."

However, Tagawa said that despite his "misgivings" about the bill as it currently stood, he approved of the provisions requiring tenants' unions to be registered with the Imaguan government and of prohibiting industrial action being taken by tenants' unions and the landlords, saying that these measures would "help sate the public thirst for tenants' unions without hurting the small landlords in Imagua and the Assimas."

The parliamentary leader of the Movement for a New Imagua, Marolo Aloisi, condemned the timing of the bill, saying that "it is a clear and blatant attempt at influencing the by-election [in Ineweyu-Guardia] on the part of the Democratic Labour government, because it is a major decision that would affect how people will vote in the by-election, as this bill does not solely apply to Cuanstad."

"It applies everywhere, whether you are in San Pietro or Nua Taois, Cuanstad or Rutigliano, and the fact the Democratic Labour Party has offered tenant protections will affect how tenants in Ineweyu-Guardia will vote, because they would see this bill, and think that the Democratic Labour government has the best interests of Imaguans in mind," Aloisi declared. "And as we can clearly see by their actions over the past two years, with their continual support of the banks through scandal after scandal, their refusal to take meaningful action to lower housing prices by banning foreigners from buying homes on these green isles and buying all foreign-owned homes back from their foreign owners at market prices, and their refusal to defend Imagua's values from the Poteri Oscuri and their sympathy to those who want to blame all our ills on Eucleans, we can say that the DLP does not care about Imaguans at all."

"The bill itself may be a good step towards protecting Imaguan tenants, but Imaguan tenants will never be protected so long as we continue to allow letting foreigners to own property on Imaguan soil, particularly those who are a burden to our country's healthcare system because they wanted to get away from their snow-covered dystopia in Scovern, Caldia, or Werania," Aloisi said.

Finally, Mystelle Stone, leader of the Green Party expressed her support for the bill as a "good first step for recognizing tenant unions and helping Imaguans suffering because of the housing crisis in Cuanstad," although she criticised the bill prohibiting industrial action, with Stone saying that "industrial action should be a last resort when all other avenues have failed, but when all other avenues have failed, then a rent strike would be absolutely reasonable."

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by **Xiaodong** » Sat Dec 03, 2022 2:48 pm

Weranian government unveil "flattened" tax proposal.
After three years of drafting, the government has proposed setting a three-rate system of 15%, 24% and 37%.
Reiner Höhmann
3 December 2022 | Wiesstadt, Werania

Minister of Economy and Industry Alexander Oberländer.
Photo courtesy of Hifax photography.

WIESSTADT, WERANIA - In a much anticipated fiscal announcement today the Weranian government has outlined its plan to overhaul income taxation based on electoral promises to move income taxation towards a flat-rate system. In the biggest reform of the system in two decades the government has announced it will merge the lohnsteuer and einkommensteuer rates into a single one and flatten the system overall by abolishing the current seven band structure into a three band one of rates of 15%, 24% and 37%.

Under the current Weranian taxation system income taxation is divided between the lohnsteuer which applies to employees and wage earners and the einkommensteuer that applies to self-employed people, freelancers, lawyers, tax consultants and doctors who have their own practice. The new proposal will centralise both types into a single income tax that will be placed into four bands -

1) Earning less than €10,745 - 0% rate
2) Earning from €10,745 to €22,686 - 15% rate
3) Earning from €22,687 to €85,681 - 24% rate
4) Earning more then €85,682 - 37%

The new system will effectively eliminate the currently maximum rate of 46% for earnings over €268,982 but will place more people in the median bracket of 25%. Overall according to the Finance Ministry the new law will cut taxes both on the highest and low income earners.

According to Economy Minister Oberländer the tax system will remain progressive in order to preserve the unofficial debt brake and restrict structural budget deficits at the federal level and limit the issuance of government debt. Initial proposals mooted to flatten the system to one or two rates reportedly have been vetoed in order to ensure the debt brake remains in place.

"The aim is to continue to move towards a single-rate system but in light of uncertain economic headwinds globally the debt brake must come first" Oberländer stated in his announcement of the new system. "Overall a flattening of the tax system will boost growth, spur investment and innovation and allow for more demand in the economy".

The Weranian government has been drafting ideas on flattening the tax system since the inauguration of the NKP-DA coalition in 2019. Then-finance minister Wolfgang Kanther stated that the implementation of a 15% flat tax was the "number one priority on the fiscal side" but that the commitment to balancing the budget meant that the proposed 15% rate would not be immediately implemented.

Reportedly plans to introduce a two-rate system were mooted under Otto von Hößlin back in May but after Raicevich and his finance minister Andrea Däubler took office in July a third, higher rate was added due to concerns of increasing debt.

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by **Saul Volcano** » Mon Dec 05, 2022 12:49 pm

NPSL proposes to remove factions from the party

Srisuriyothai Prinya| 5 December 2022

The proposal has been the scene of discussion in Nainan's government for at least a decade, but recent pushes by NPSL hardliners have moved forward with banning factionalism

Premier Quách An Tương, leader of the proposal

Today the Nainese People's Solidarity and Longevity had announced a proposal to the People's Senate, to ban political factionalism from within the party, and giving harsh punishments to members that attempt to split apart the party's interests.

The Nainese People's Solidarity and Longevity and People's Senate have about 14 unofficial factions that have formed over the years, particularly in the early 2000's did this occur. These factions are dominated by two groups, the Patriotic Faction of State Director Lê Tranh Lộc and Senate leader Tiêu Công Lý, and the Great Resolve Bloc of Premier Quách An Tương and NPSL General Secretary Hoàng Lan Mai. The former being more reformist in general and ladder in general made of party hardliners.

The proposal was heavily pushed by the Great Resolve Bloc, who support unity within the party and strict adherence to the principles of Nainan's state ideology, Tự Ý Chí. The proposal was announced by Premier Quách An Tương, and supported by members of the Great Resolve Bloc.

The proposal's leaders hope to garner support from the smaller factions, most of which represent special interests such as Nainan's ethnic and religious groups or workers' rights. The People's Senate plans to vote by the end of the week, sending the proposal to the Central Council afterward, who will be the deciding factor.

Quách An Tương stated in his announcement today, "Party unity is more important than ever, our nation's people deserve a direction that their government must go. We cannot have special interests and factionalism within the Senate cause delays and compromises to our agenda. Recent years has seen our government slow down the pace of operation due to the further splinters after the political crisis of 2007. For too long we believe this debate over factionalism has been going, the NPSL united under our nation's great Tự Ý Chí ideals will be able to accelerate our nation's progress into the future."

The Patriotic Faction is seen as the reformist front and in favor of factionalism, but have been having set backs in recent years leading towards rising support for ending factionalism and returning to hardliner ideals. Some outsiders believe this is going to set up a political conflict in the NPSL, and fear a possible political crisis in Nainan's government.

Some believe that the hardliner Great Resolve Bloc under Hoàng Lan Mai will attempt to unify the party under the faction's ideals, which are much more authoritarian than the current government.

More from the Coian Monitor

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Ceasefire continues in Yoloten

Peacekeepers arrive in Yoloten

News from Yemet

by **Xiaodong** » Tue Dec 06, 2022 1:51 pm

OPINION - RAICEVICH'S GREAT BETRAYAL
Once again, a NKP government fails to dismantle a socialist shibboleth to the detriment of the country.
Joseph Behrends
6 December 2022 | Wiesstadt, Werania

Premier Anton Raicevich.
Photo courtesy of AV photos

IT IS WITH NO relish that once again I am writing about the latest failure by Werania's myopic political class to reform our broken income taxation system. For decades the way forward for income tax reform has been clear - a flat-rate system which will constrain wasteful government expenditure, boost economic growth and produce a fairer tax system. The NKP came to power in 2019 recognising this, with former finance minister Wolfgang Kanthar calling it the "number one priority on the fiscal side" further elaborating that "the more taxes are low the more willing people are to pay them and job creators spur new employment opportunities and higher productivity". Premier Raicevich stated that due to a toxic mixture of high taxation and low growth Werania faces deflation and to prevent fiscal drag government spending and income taxation need to be cut.

All positive signs that finally, after a decade of sclerotic centre-left governance Werania finally had a government committed to a programme of unleashing economic dynamism through a timely rethink on the role of government. No longer would the government run everyone's lives but rather allow people to succeed according to their ability, not dependent on state handouts. A return to the mittelstand mindset of frugal housekeeping and balanced budgeting rather then demanding something for nothing.

Alas but this has fallen through. Predictably the NKP have capitulated, with their much vaunted "flattened" tax proposal merely tinkering with and reshuffling the system rather then reform it on market-driven, pro-growth lines.

The usual culprit for this tinkering has already been identified. The government has said the (unofficial) debt brake - that demands budget deficits don't exceed 0.35% of GDP - is behind the reasoning for retaining higher rates of taxation, with the government claiming that debt reduction trumps tax reform. As when the previous government raised taxes to intolerable levels the message is clear - higher taxation is the price worth paying for low debt.

But hang on - is taking more money out of taxpayers pocket really the best solution for keeping a sensible budget? Surely reducing wasteful government spending particularly on a bloated welfare state would be a better answer? Surely reducing government spending should go hand-in-hand with creating a dynamic economy driven by a confident private sector?

As is too common, Raicevich and the NKP have looked at the cost of doing this - taking on militant unions and having to tell people that nothing comes from nothing - and decided rather then do the much-needed but unpopular action to instead keep with the current failing system in order to stay in office.

But if the NKP go through in that direction, they'll quickly find that people fed up with a useless government will turf them out. Their "flattened" tax will revert back to even more complex socialist nonsense and the continued drift into mediocrity will continue.

It doesn't have to be like this. Raicevich and the NKP need to show some spine and put their previous words into action. It may be unpopular - but it will be the right thing for Werania.

Written by Joseph Behrends, a guest writer and fellow at the Weranian Public Policy Foundation. He formerly was the Economic Correspondent for Der Staatsmann..

by **Alleniana** » Thu Dec 08, 2022 11:51 am

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Avatar World Championship: The State of Play
2022-12-06T19:01Z
By Jezebe Zebedize

Arc de Victoire, Verlois
The first tranche of games at this year's Avatar World Championship has just finished, with three of nine rounds of round-robin done. Some teams are winless, and some are lossless. It was an exciting few days to kick off the tenth iteration of the tournament; here's a rundown on our take on the participating teams so far.

Rikan Kaminari
One of two undefeated teams so far, and one of the few fresh faces in a tournament mostly populated by last year's runbacks, the representative from Senria has been living up to their name. Quick games have demonstrated both their preferred playstyle, and the state of the global meta as Stane has settled in. They've beaten the Brown Sea team, as well as the two East Euclean teams from out-of-country, so by no means have they had a soft start. They are well placed to do better than Senria's Austral Foxes, who last year dropped out out of the round robin with only one more win than the Lightning have at present. A historically less successful region, Senrian fans can only be heartened by this start.

S5 Gaming
The other undefeated team, the returning West Euclean team won their region this year, returning to a domestic dominance which is by now long-accustomed. With only the bot roamer changed from last year, their fourth-place finish behind Team Ace (who won domestically, and who qualified as runners-up this year) may lead many to see this team as having unfinished business. While Sagacité is breaking records with his seventh consecutive appearance since 2016, the eyes are on volo_city, who has a remarkable achievement to her own name by appearing again in a different role; she played at the tournament as top roamer in 2020, but is the new bot roamer after a year's hiatus. The S5 strategy has also placed great emphasis on the early game, but more in terms of laying solid foundations rather than striking quickly; volo_city's performance has been so far been instrumental, and commendable. Such is necessary to dispel the mutters that S5 peaked in finals in 2018. S5's first victory, notably, was against last year's runners-up, MTel Lion City.

Les Amateurs
Hometown darlings (though only a minority of the team is from Verlois itself, as opposed to Gaullica), a showing of two-and-one hopes to prove that the team deserves to be here, despite being only the third seed from East Euclea; regions have only very rarely been rated strong enough to deserve three seeds, and given the turmoil in the Brown Sea region after last year's tournament, East Euclea (including Les Amateurs') poor showing last tournament, and the opacity with which Glace has made seeding decisions, controversy has been rife. Top laner XaverGamer has, on social media, been granted the dubious honour of the most Dezevauni player at the tournament (the Lavanan Red Cranes surprised, and taken the birthplace of Avatar out of contention for the sole Brown Sea seed). Curiously, Les Amateurs have beaten the winless Morwall Magpies, who won domestically in East Euclea, but lost to the SilverknightS, who were runners-up for the same. The trend of champions having the number of same-region runners-up seems to be coming apart already this year. There is less to say about the actual play of Les Amateurs, which has been more topside than bottomside-focused, and of a respectable standard, but which has otherwise shown few prominent characteristics. The members of the team also remain the same as last year.

MTel Lion City
Though beaten by the Arucian Angels at the last hurdle, the Bahian representatives were arguably the far greater underdog story last year, coming from a region which it was doubted should even send a team to the world tournament at the time. This year, the mostly Mauchan, Nambabi-based team is seeking to show that it was not a fluke, after having absolutely stomped through the Bahian regional tournament to qualify. Wiser and older than last year, where their overwhelming aggression served them well, the Lions will be looking to do even better than the respectable two-and-one they have so far. Of especial note is their victory over the defending champions (and their 2021 finals nemeses, of course), the Arucian Angels; both teams' flank-based aggression was on show in perhaps the most anticipated match of the first tranche. Watchers should not be confused by the presence of J1 on the team; he has merely changed his tag from GaBu; the team is entirely the same players as last year. Jezaga Zemhinou also makes a reappearance, the only Dezevauni coach at the tournament this year.

Team Ace
Runners-up in West Euclea after being champions last year, Team Ace will be hoping to medal again at this year's tournament, but at a rank better than bronze this time. Like S5 Gaming, their only change in roster was on the bottom side, but the laner rather than the roamer; Bardo, at 18, is one of the two players at the tournament of that age, rookie to the professional scene. Team Ace has not replicated the winning ways of their region's champion at two-and-one, curiously beating the second East Euclean team but losing to the third. Nonetheless, they are in good stead so far, with a long history of solid international performances behind them: none of Lucky's nervous foot-tapping has been on display just yet. It is hard to say, on the other hand, if rougelectrique's last tournament (before he retires) will be one to remember, as he hopes it will be.

Arucian Angels
Everyone knows that in Avatar, or in esports generally, dominance doesn't last. Yet, it still took until the opening games for people to really believe it, as the fairytale dissolved for last year's world champions from left field. Of course, three games is not much, but one-and-two (out of nine games) is already likely to result in a far cry from the Angels' overall nine-and-two record in the group stage last year. The Angels' sole victory was over the winless Red Cranes from the Brown Sea, while notably losing to MTel Lion City, whom, of course, they beat last year in a best-of-seven to take the world championship. As previously mentioned, it was an illuminating match to watch for the state of the game, especially for the continuing practice of flank-based aggression from the best (and noting the surprising irrelevance of Stane in inhibiting it). The Arucian Angels are more multinational now, with new players being the Bonaventurean midlaner GLGG and the Emeraudian bot-roamer k1ngManuel, despite Sainte-Chloé's remarkable third place showing at the Invictus Games esports tournament. It remains to be seen if their international critics can be dispelled as their domestic ones were, after rough starts in both respectively.

Grupp FALKN
Another fresh face, Grupp FALKN are the sole Asteria Superior representatives after the region was reduced from two spots to one, after a middling performance from two Rizealander teams last year. This Eldmarsk team, if nothing else, doesn't lack for personality, with a media presence unmatched by their actual success until their qualification for the world tournament (after having narrowly missed out in 2021). Writers, streamers, multi-gamers (and such) all, Grupp FALKN is unusual in a number of ways. Their playstyle is highly reactive in a meta defined by rapidly stamping one's intent on the map, with mixed results so far. Though losing to Team Ace and MTel Lion City (neither pushovers), their sole win was the first game of the tournament, seeing them beat the defending champions (and their southern neighbours), the Arucian Angels. Also, the cigar-smoking toplaner OneTrickRik is the oldest player at the tournament, in his mid-30s (S5 Gaming's Sagacité is second at 28, for those curious). This unconventional team are by no means favourites, but are at least an enigmatic dark horse (or should that be falcon?), with hopefully much more to reveal to the international stage.

SilverknightS
Unexpected 2020 Avatar World Champions, the SilverknightS are one of the most recognised teams in the world, and their fans are certainly in evidence in this tournament, hosted as it is within the Euclean Community. East Euclean runners-up after being regional champions in 2021 and 2020, however, hard questions are being posed about whether the team was a one-hit wonder, and the curse of post-victory expectations is in evidence. Anticlimactically dropping out in the group stage at five-and-six last year, one-and-two is a similarly poor performance thus far which puts it on track for the same. Its losses to strong Senrian and West Euclean showings may be juxtaposed to its win over its own region's third seed, arguably an expected win, but nonetheless one which shows signs of life. A slow playstyle, at odds with the global meta, is arguably an issue, but it is nonetheless still a playstyle which put them at second in their region, and the one through which their players are most experienced at expressing their skills. Amathia's recent silver at this year's Invictus Games in Avatar esports should also be noted. This team, unusually composed all of players in their mid twenties, should not be counted out yet, considering their history and experience. The roster is the same as last year, except for Marada, a Champanian (the sole non-Amathian on the team) who is now midlaner.

Morwall Magpies
The fresh blood at the top of East Euclea, the Morwall Magpies have gone without a win so far. It is a disappointing cold shower after a precipitous rise in fortunes since failing to qualify for the world tournament in 2021 (placing third in East Euclea), when the team had only just become professional. The loss in Round 1 to Les Amateurs probably stings the most, especially on their home ground but so close to their own (of Estmere), whereas losses to the unbeaten Rikan Kaminari and S5 Gaming (each domestic champions, too) are more understandable. Understandable or not, this is not the start that the Magpies were looking for, especially as they face the reigning world champions and runners-up in the next tranche (Rounds 4 and 6). An audacious, young, hungry team, however, the Morwall Magpies should not be taken as down for the count. Fans should watch for their famous turnarounds and rallies in the coming days. However, without the ballast of experience, losses can also be more devastating for young, new players; it is hoped that the Magpies will maintain mental fortitude after these setbacks, without which they will not be able to bring things back. All of their losses, it should be noted, could be considered close.

Red Crane
The Red Crane, solely representing the Brown Sea after its demotion from a two-team region for the world tournament, was able to punch through the slow, maybe antiquated strategies of the Dezevauni teams, representing the oldest lineage of Avatar. Having broken their traditional dominance, however, the Lavanan Red Crane is now following in their footsteps in the worst way: by doing unexpectedly poorly at the World Championship. Its three losses are, it should be noted, to two unbeaten teams, and last year's world champions; arguably, Red Crane has had a tough first tranche. Nonetheless, it must rack up the wins from here on in to qualify for the next stage, including against arguably tougher looking opponents, such as MTel Lion City in Round 5. Like the Morwall Magpies, the Red Crane is new to the international stage, and aggressive, if older in age. They will need to maintain their mental fortitude to redeem their region after its historically dismal performance last year.

For the tournament schedule, click here.

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WWodge wrote:2nd and 3rd brown sea seeds would smash these chokers in bo7s, actually rigged

Fay Fayes wrote:I just hope both teams have fun!

TWINKHOLDER wrote:dez teams are so fucking bad

KarstTopography wrote:Aggro Stane is absolutely broken right now, but no publication is talking about it because they've consumed too much Glace corporate propaganda about how Stane was supposed to fix the meta (and buff slow strategies) or something. and I don't mean in like bloomery or hyperlow crucible either where they don't even properly cycle reverse

Emi the Frog wrote:ablahblah blah alalala ababab alamamb albeh blah bleagh babababa aaa (you)
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sesquipedalian wrote:Kora Tempest ich liebe dichhhhhhhhhhh

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by **Eskaeba** » Fri Dec 09, 2022 1:44 am

At least 34 dead in shooting in Taouira perpetuated by Kulo State terrorists
Reports of gunshots outside the city's Grand Sultan Néné Mosque began around 2 pm.
Todii Asante writing from Mambiza, Garambura

The Grand Sultan Néné Mosque in 2019, seen over Taouira's main thoroughfare.

At least 34 have been declared dead in what has become the deadliest terrorist attack of the year in Garambura.

Three perpetrators, who are thought to have significant links to the unrecognised Kulo State north of Garambura, opened fire on crowds in the predominantly-Irfanic city of Taouira as they were attending Asr, one of five daily prayers that Irfanics perform throughout the day.

Two perpetrators were shot and killed by Garamburan police, while the other died in a suicide attack that damaged some of the facade of the nearly 200-year-old mosque, which is the largest and busiest in the country.

While motives are currently unclear outside the ongoing war against the Garamburan people, the site of the attacks suggest some underlying religious motivation.

When pressed by reporters, Taouira police chief Assavasda Orama accused Kulo militants of "targeting" the city's Irfanic population.

President Sikali has yet to comment.

by **Etruria2** » Fri Dec 09, 2022 12:06 pm

16 Journalists see police protection suspended by government
Government is accused of "outrageous pettiness" as it ends protection for reporters who face threats from organised crime
NOTIZIE by Aurelia Bossi

09 December, 2022

The sixteen face the loss of 24-hour police protection despite receiving death threats
from organised crime groups for years.

Sixteen journalists who have for years received 24-hour police protection in face of threats from organised crime groups, have seen their protection rescinded by the Tribune government, citing costs and the reduced threat of organised crime. However, all 16 are known to work or contribute for a number of newspapers critical of the government, sparking a backlash.

In a statement released on its website, the Ministry of Justice said it would be “ending the provision of 24-hour police protection and security granted to 16 individuals and their families. For many years these individuals have received protection from organised crime groups for their work or investigations. For many years successive governments have continued this policy, this is despite exuberant costs in money and manpower hours for officers involved.

“In recognition of the reduced capacities of organised crime groups in Etruria through the hard work of this government, the Ministry of Justice has made the decision to suspend the 24-hour protection granted to the 16 individuals listed below. This will reduce costs and free up officers that will surely aid the National Police Service in their duties of fighting crime and keeping our great country safe.”

However, the 16 journalists listed in the statement have all since been identified as all being exclusively employed by newspapers, national and regional, that are known to be critical of the government and keen in their own writings on keeping the government to account for its actions over the past six years. This has led to swift condemnations of the government’s decision as being driven by their desire to “silence criticism.”

Massimo D’Angeli, a writer for Il Mesaggero Aventino, was included on the list and has confirmed on his social media pages today that, “the police officers who have kept me and my family safe for the past eight years left this morning and did not say why. Now I know, the Tribunes thought it was a waste of money.”

D’Angeli has long written criticially of organised crime in Etruria. In 2014, he wrote a lengthy article detailing the trafficking of Satrian girls and women through Zorasan into Etruria through Centuripe, Tarpeia, and how Etrurian mafia groups would then traffic them onto the wider Euclean Community. This article sparked a national investigation into the trafficking ring and in 2015, ended in arrests of over 30 individuals and a closing of the ring. D'Angeli from the publishing of his article had long received death threats from mafia groups caught up in the ring’s demolition.

D'Angeli as a long-term columnist with Il Messaggero has long criticised the Tribune government's record, especially its denigration and erosion of Etruria's institutions and its wider democratic backsliding. He alongside the 15 others have been keen to draw attention to these issues, while also criticising the government for policies that are often exclusionary or discriminatory.

Other journalists who face their protection being lost include Vittoria Solimena of Il Popolo, Giorgio Aurelio Capponi of Il Popolo and Milan Kvoric of the Dubovica Times. These three are among the most-read and followed writers critical of the government and the Tribune Movement.

Mario Uccello, the SD’s Justice Spokesman described the decision as “grotesque and petty”, saying at a press conference in the Senate, “the decision to suspend protection on a cost saving basis is dubious enough, but once the individuals’ newspapers and platforms are taking into consideration with what they produce writing wise, it is blatantly obvious that the government is seeking to penalise these journalists with the withdrawal of support and protection. It is outrageous, they are putting these people into harms way.”

The government did not respond to our request for comment.

Over 200 journalists in Etruria receive security and police protection paid for by the government. This was established as a norm back in the 1980s as a means of defending free speech from attacks from organised crime groups.

Other News

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Tribune senators sign letter calling for an "import tax" on foreign foodstuffs
Six murders reveal return of organised crime four years after Operation Gladio
Environmentalist group reveals 38 Etrurian manufacturers violate almost 90% of pollution regulations

by **Etruria2** » Sun Dec 11, 2022 5:36 pm

Exclusive: Mastromarino's leadership hit by leaked emails revealing cover up of bullying allegations against key ally
Mastromarino's office revealed to have threatened three employers of Senator for allegations of abusive behaviour
NOTIZIE by Aurelia Bossi

12 December, 2022

Mastromarino herself called for threats to see the situation around bullying resolved.

The SD has been thrown into chaos after a series of leaked emails reveal Chiara Mastromarino’s Leadership Office had actively covered up allegations of bullying and abuse made against one of her prominent allies on the backbenches. The backbencher revealed as Luigi Carlo Tonini has reportedly confirmed he is now “considering his position”, if he resigns it will spark a by-election in his single-member constituency.

Two days ago, a large tranche of emails from within the Leadership Office were leaked to Il Popolo and Il Messaggero Aventino detailing how three staff members under Senator Luigi Carlo Tonini had their complaints of psychological and emotion abuse dismissed and then covered up by the Leadership Office in a concerted effort to protect a prominent and influential backbench ally of leader Chiara Mastromarino. The first complaint was made collectively by the three in November 2021, several weeks after the 2021 federal election, and without any formal response they made further complaints in January, February and April this year. In May, all three were transferred to another Senator’s office as part of an effort to cover up the allegations, however, the emails released show that the Leadership Office had threatened to see all three denied jobs anywhere in the SD if they took their complaints to the media or another Senator. The Leadership Office also scrubbed the allegations from the Party’s internal record keeping, violating its charter and code of ethics which mandates all allegations of bullying be made public and a party investigation take place, none of which occurred. The emails also reveal that in September this year, a new worker in Tonini’s office had made a complaint about abusive behaviour which again was covered up. It is understood that that employee has since left their post due to the abuse by Senator Tonini.

The reaction to the leaks has been ferocious with many SD senators expressing shock and horror at the efforts of the Leadership Office to protect Tonini. The three employees at the centre of the leaks have spoken to Il Messaggero under condition anonymity, detailing how they were forced to stay in place and take further abuse by a “very angry, selfish and narcissistic” Tonini despite knowing this behaviour broke every rule in the party’s code of conduct.

According to their testimonies, the Senator would often “lose his mind over social media posts about him”, taking criticism or online troll abuse as a “slight against his very existence.” He would often direct his frustrations against his staff members, especially the newest or youngest, whom he would just as often claim to their faces were “not remotely talented enough to do good by me.” He would direct frustrations by making derogative comments, blaming his staff in expletive laden rants.

“His oversized ego, his belief that he was not getting the attention or position worthy of his efforts, meant that any slight or criticism was met with this furious rage” one of the three said.

“This is despite him being genuinely one of the biggest backbench names and highly influential. He had the ear of the Leadership Office, obviously to our detriment but not his” another said.

Tonini according to the three, was poorly suited for withstanding the near daily bombardment of online trolling, often at the hands of Tribune supporters. Tonini was also the regular target of trolling by Tribune backbenchers, who were aware of his furious responses via the Povelian rumour mill.

“He would struggle to deal with the online attacks from [Tribune Senator] Leonardo Barbarigo, who would regularly claim on Chirpr that Tonini was Mastromarino’s poodle on the backbench, sort of denying Tonini his agency and freedom, that angered Tonini, ironically because he didn’t want to be seen as a sock puppet of the leadership office despite being exactly that” one of the three explained, before saying, “each outburst from Barbarigo would lead to some explosion of rage in Tonini aimed at us three.”

“He would swear at us, belittle us, blame us, slam things all over the office when the Tribunes got to him online. I wish I could say that it was harmless but often it was cruel, he knew what to say, knowing we couldn’t exactly shout back at him. He couldn’t stand being lampooned and so I think made himself feel stronger by belittling us” it was explained.

“He would do this often on a daily basis, leaving all three of us in tears at various points during the day, dreading our jobs and frankly wishing we could leave, but why should we sacrifice our dreams of working for a party we believe in and want see enter government in place of this one?” another said.

The behaviour of Tonini toward his three staff members violated the SD’s internal code of conduct and ethics, which mandates Senators treat their office workers with respect and professionalism. The very same code of conduct details the responsibility of the party when complaints are made against Senators or party workers by fellow employees, none of which would be followed.

As the three explained, they knew Tonini was close with Mastromarino politically and personally, but little did they expect the entire complaints system to shut down on que from the leader’s office to protect Tonini.

“We decided to complain collectively, hoping it would add sufficient weight to carry the complaint up the chain. We did so after one explosion by Tonini in which he questioned our professionalism and commitment to working for the party, all because one troll had called him effeminate on chirpr” one explained.

The trio went to the office of the Ethics and Conduct Officer at SD HQ, which is currently held by Margareta Patrizia Magliocco, a former state assembly member in Dinara. She was appointed to the position by the Central Party Executive in 2018. The Trio explained the Tonini’s behaviour to Magliocco personally, producing detailed diaries recording each incident involving their boss.
“She took our complaint seriously; she seemed deeply concerned that this behaviour was happening and seemed keen to see it addressed. She explained the process and told us to await further updates from her office on the matter. She said for us to brave it out until her office acted on our behalf” one said, “it is always hard taking your boss to the party, but we had to by that point, we could not carry on” another said.

However, that email or update from Magliocco would never come. The emails leaked to the press show that she had indeed passed the complaints up the chain to inform the party leadership that one of its most senior backbenchers was being accused of serious “rule-breaking behaviour” and that the Ethics and Conduct Office (ECO) had “no doubts on the veracity and truthfulness of the accusers.” The ECO announced in its email that it would begin investigating Tonini, however, this was quickly stopped by the Leadership Office, which said in its initial replay, that it would launch its own investigation. A separate email chain revealed that Mastromarino herself had emailed Magliocco separately, BCC-ing her office, asking her directly not to proceed with the investigation, saying the LO would “bring this matter to a beneficial close.” Magliocco for her part, failed to honour her own code of conduct by agreeing to the LO’s request.

When the trio received no word from the ECO on its investigation, they quickly realised that their complaint had been buried. Tonini’s behaviour continued, and it was made clear that he had not been confronted. They would complain to the ECO three more times in January, February and April, each time meeting with a case worker at the ECO rather than Magliocco and each time, the LO pushed back on any investigation into Tonini’s behaviour.

The April complaint seemed to have pushed the LO into taking more direct action. The trio received an email from the LO requesting a meeting between the trio and Mauro Vincenzo Urbinati, Mastromarino’s Chief of Staff. At this meeting, Urbinati urged the trio to “find some way of not provoking” Tonini, while admitting the LO knew of his difficult nature. When the trio countered by detailing his behaviour, Urbinati shut them down and explained Tonini’s importance to the “leadership office, especially in maintaining our united front.” He would go on to threaten the trio of being blacklisted from holding any position with the SD in future if they went to the media or sympathetic senators who may represent them in getting action taken.

“We were shocked, truly shocked” one said, another followed up saying, “I felt crushed, the party we were dedicated to was basically throwing us under the bus to protect this narcissistic bully.”

This threat according to the leaked emails was proposed by Mastromarino herself, in a series of discussions among LO workers. She said in one email before the meeting, “we need this dealt with, I do not want these three going to the press or another Senator, we do not LCT [Tonini] side-lined. Make sure they know what will happen if they leak or speak out, but also see if we can facilitate their moving to someone else.”

Within weeks of that meeting, all three had been transferred to another senator who had at that time relied on short-term contract employees and university students doing work experience. However, under threat still if they spoke out, all three have since quit working for the SD.

It was clear through emails after May, that the LO believed the issue settled. However, this would not be the case with a new complaint being lodged against Tonini in September by another employee. Mastromarino again is seen emailing the ECO demanding they not investigate Tonini and leave the issue to the LO.

Equally egregious to many commentators was the LO’s effort to see the ECO scrub any record of the original complaints by the trio. In a series of email chains, it is seen that LO workers, including Urbinati were pressuring the ECO to “remove all reference to the cases against Tonini” for the sake of “maintaining the peace.” Urbinati claimed in several emails that Tonini’s rivals on the SD backbench would “make a serious storm out of any allegation of any sort and it would be beneficial to the party that they are not permitted to do so.”

Mastromarino and her office’s efforts to protect Tonini is rooted in his ability to whip votes and maintain close ties to most factions on the backbenches. Though not universally liked by his fellow Senators, it is understood he garners a level of respect that makes him suited for keeping the leader up to date on backbench feeling and thinking. He is also known as a more capable cheerleader for her leadership personally.

The scandal of the leaked emails and the bullying has unnerved the SD, with several SD backbenchers expressing shock at the duplicity of the Leadership Office in covering up abuse of party workers. Others have denounced this as another case of Mastromarino’s top-down micromanagement style that cost them the Novalian state election. Others are expressing concern that this episode will detract from SD attacks on Tribune secrecy and its own loose relationship with integrity and rules.

Several SD senators are calling for resignations of Tonini and Margareta Patrizia Magliocco, and an investigation into the ECO’s processes.

Tonini for his part announced on social media that he will be “addressing and considering my position over the coming hours. My behaviour is distracting the party from the serious business of ending this Tribune government.” Should he resign his seat of Carpadasco e Varsi, a by-election will be required due to his seat being a single-member FTPT constituency.

Mastromarino’s office released a short statement saying, “it is important that people are reminded that this story has been perniciously and contemptibly leaked to the media. There is clearly an effort to undermine the party leadership at a time when holding this democracy-hating government to account is imperative for our republic.

“However, the Leadership Office takes seriously the concerns of SD senators and its workers, and we will strive to address concerns in due course. The SD is a party dedicated to its workers, elected or employed alike and cannot be a haven for abusive or bullying behaviour.”

Other News

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Fury as Mastromarino's office attempts to deflect ire onto emails being leaked
Tribunes hint at de-funding "ultra-left" universities
Etruria plus Euclea calls for legalisation of cannabis
Academic's book signing egged by nationalists for writing about Etruria's colonial legacy

by **Deblar** » Tue Dec 13, 2022 8:54 am

OPINION: A NEW AGE OF ANTI-GAULLICAN FOREIGN POLICY IS ALMOST HERE
With the recent barrage of legislation and activism that seeks a reckoning with our colonial past, it's only a matter of time before the executive cracks under the pressure

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Etienne Celestin (@realEtCelestin)
^{13 December 2022 | Port-au-Grégoire, Île d'Émeraude}

A recent pro-reparations demonstration in Port-au-Grégoire

NOTE: The opinions expressed in this piece are solely that of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Emerald Times.

Port-au-Grégoire, Île d'Émeraude -
The relationship between the Republic of Île d'Émeraude and her former colonial overlord, Gaullica, has always been complicated, dating back to when Gaullican explorers, led by Grégoire Vaillancourt, first landed on our shores in 1517. Since, a Gaullican presence on our island continued for a near uninterrupted period of over 400 years. In that time, our island changed in many, many ways. We were developed into a mostly sugar-cane producing colony, and numerous Euclean developments were introduced to the island, such as roads, ports, and medicine, among other things. While it's indeed arguable that the developments brought with colonialism were a net positive, many would argue that this development came at a cost too steep for the colonial government to have been so willing to pay; human lives and an untold amount of suffering. Unfortunately, there are quite a few examples of this throughout our island's history

Dating back to when the Gaullicans secured full control over the island, the colonial government began a campaign to "control" the indigenous Narapan population, believing it was the only way to secure control over the island. The Narapan had been decimated by disease up to this point, as many Native Asterian peoples were, leaving them especially vulnerable. However, none of them could've predicted what would happen to them next. Various atrocities would be committed against them, primarily by Gaullican settlers encouraged by the colonial government; it is possible that the colonial government themselves used sponsored militias and mercenaries to carry this out as well, although evidence to prove this have either been lost to history or not found yet. The atrocities committed against them were recently recognized as genocide by our government, though the debate on whether or not it was continues to rage.

Another notable example was Gaullica's role in the Transvehemens slave trade, which deeply affected Île d'Émeraude. Hundreds of thousands were brought to our island, with most staying on the island to work on the plantations. Our island was certainly not immune to the horrors of chattel slavery; in fact, it's status as a primarily sugar cane producing colony only exacerbated them if anything. Following slavery's abolition in 1834, much of the labor lost was replaced by the Gowsas, who themselves faced similar conditions. Various efforts by the colonial government to uphold their authority by force, especially under the functionalist Parti Populaire government, also resulted in thousands of deaths themselves.

In light of our, to say the least, checkered colonial past, our national leaders have had to grapple with how said past should (or, conversely, should not) affect Emeraudian-Gaullican relations since we first gained our full independence. Lou Dubois, our first President, sought a bit of a middle ground; seeking proper justice for past atrocities committed by the Gaullicans, while crafting a friendly and prosperous relationship for the future. His most immediate successor, Gautier Blanchard, also wished to continue this, though he never truly got the chance to having died of an illness only four months into his first term. Hugo Gosselin, Blanchard's successor, more or less abandoned the pursuit of justice and ushered in the first true pro-Gaullican age. This was rather short, only lasting up until 1964, when Matéo Deniaud was elected President.

Once Deniaud took power, the script had been flipped; he had fervently pursued justice for Gaullican crimes through reparations, and when the Gaullicans resisted he made the controversial decision to begin to move away from a relationship with Gaullica. He'd place limits on Gaullican investment, targeted large Gaullican-owned businesses with his land redistribution and trust-busting policies, began to decrease trade with Gaullica and increase trade with other nations like Rizealand and Senria, and even considered pulling diplomats from the Emeraudian embassy in Verlois (though he would decide against this on the advice of his Foreign Affairs Minister at the time, Isaac Lazarre). He would defend these measures by proclaiming that "...until Gaullica is able to fully acknowledge and deliver justice for their crimes during the colonial era, our Republic shall not pursue an overtly close relationship with Gaullica." His successor, P.J. Claire, would uphold these policies, though was slightly less strict; he allowed more Gaullican investment and trade compared to Deniaud. It wouldn't be until the 1980's that the Presidency of the late Jocelyne Louisette-Noel would begin to reverse this and pursue a friendly relationship with Gaullica as a part of her broader foreign policy plan, ending a period where Emeraudian-Gaullican relations had grown quite cold.

While Jocelyne Louisette-Noel did pursue friendly relations with Gaullica, she still would seek reparations, albeit without nearly the amount of fervor of her predecessors. Her successor, Patrick Metayer, her successor, would fully transition into the next pro-Gaullica age by more or less abandoning the pursuit of reparations later in his term. This would be solidified by Conservative President Henry Pierre, who served from 1997-2001. His scandal ridden term, however, would put a fairly swift end to this, as he would only last one term before André Louisette-Noel, the son of Jocelyne, would win the Presidency in the 2000 election.

André, who I would personally serve under, would pursue a more Dubois-like approach, seeking both a cooperative relationship and reparations, especially for slavery. I was able to see firsthand just how he chose to go about toeing this line in a similar manner to both our first President and his mother. This would go on to influence his own successors- his immediate successor, Lucien Abraham (2009-2017), and our current President, Benjamin Claude- who would follow a similar path.

Now, however, as it has time and time before, the paradigm has begun shifting.

There has been a recent social uproar in support of reparations from Gaullica, spurred by recent legislation such as the Narapan Genocide Acknowledgement Act and the more recent Justice for Slavery Act. Both were/are supported by a majority of people, and so far it seems a majority in the government support it as well. With this barrage of legislation and social activism in support of all this, it won't be too long before the Executive cracks under the pressure. President Benjamin Claude has so far expressed support for the JSA, but some may feel that he hasn't gone far enough in actually getting Gaullica to pay these reparations to Île d'Émeraude. With the 2024 Presidential and Senate elections beginning what's sure to be a rapid approach, this uptick in support for many of these radical reparation measures will undoubtedly influence the results in some form.

Now would a better time than ever for one or both ruling parties, the Unionists and Workerists, to capitalize on the movement to earn some momentum going into the 2024 elections. It personally seems more likely for the Workers' Party to make a more full embrace of this movement as the party could perhaps seek to expand its power in both the Senate and the Executive branch. Regardless, there is much to gain for them both should they decide to hop on board the bandwagon, as it is very likely that this movement will continue to gain more and more steam over time.

The pressure from this new radical colonial reckoning movement is beginning to increase, and will be impossible to ignore going forward. It seems that perhaps the cycle is beginning to enter the last phase of it's second full cycle. The first anti-Gaullican age of foreign policy since the days of Claire and Deniaud could very well be almost upon us, and could be much closer than many of us think. Of course, there is no way to know of this for sure, so the most any of us can do is patiently wait.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Etienne Celestin is the Emerald Time's Senior Foreign Policy Consultant, and therefore is our top mind in the realm of foreign affairs. He has over 20 years of experience in the field, having been the Consul to Imagua and the Assimas from 1993-1996, Ambassador to Estmere from 1996-2001, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2001-2003, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003-2009, and Ambassador to Sainte-Chloé from 2010-2014. He would join the Emerald Times team in 2018, and has remained with us since.

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by **Poshyte** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 10:29 am

Government u-turns on Austerity with new 'emergency budget'
The government has confirmed it will be scrapping it's cuts on VAT and will introduce the first of a series of several austerity packages before the Senate dissolves for Nativity.

Holbe Haanstra
14 December 2022| Yndyk, Alsland

Finance Minister Luka Bodenschatz defended the planned austerity measures by comparing them to "deadheading wilting flowers"

YNDYK - Only weeks after the government's budget was revealed to the public, it has all been effectively thrown out the window and been replaced by a new so called 'emergency budget' which will include cuts to public services, a rise in taxes as well as a major u-turn in scrapping the government's planned cuts in VAT. The new emergency budget was drafted as Alsland's economic forecast grows increasingly bleak and Finance Minister Luka Bodenschatz told the press that unemployment may skyrocket to over 9% by next year.

The budget which will precede a series of further austerity packages planned by the government and has controversially scrapped the government's flagship cut in VAT which will increase to 23% under the new plans, public sector workers will also see a pay freeze and the state pension age will be increased to 67 by 2024 which are some of the key parts of the new budget. Taxes on fuel, alcohol, luxury goods and cigarettes are also set to rise, the new budget also increases the air travel tax level. A proposed cut to benefits is also included in the new budget which will see the maximum housing benefit payment reduced to €450 per week. Public sectors such as healthcare and defence will also see minor cuts to their budgets. Social services and policing are also set to be hit with a maximum of a 5% cut to their annual budgets. Foreign aid will also experience a cut to it's annual budget.

The new emergency budget is a dramatic u-turn for the government which had earlier attempted to avoid introducing major austerity measures. Most of the previous measures introduced in the previous budget have effectively been rendered void with the only major exception seemingly being the government's planned special development sites and increased funding towards infrastructure projects.

Finance Minister Bodenschatz spoke to the press after the budget was introduced and defended the government's u-turn: "The economic forecast has changed since the last budget was proposed, we now understand that Alsland's economic situation is extremely precarious and urgent action is needed to reduce the economic harm that will be felt from continued borrowing and major deficits...some 'deadheading' is needed to the economy and we need to trim down on areas of the economy to rebalance Alsland's finances."

Bodenschatz's comments about 'deadheading' were immediately condemned by opposition parties who have come out in opposition to the new budget. In left-wing circles the new budget has already been declared anti-poor and anti-citizen as one ASAY Senator put it. There is widespread anger from the left-wing opposition who currently chair the finance committee in the Senate who feel that the government's quick u-turn on the budget as well as the government bypassing the finance committee to expedite the vote budget before the Nativity Break which begins next week. Trade Unions have also come out against the new budget, Socialist, Amendist and Catholic unions have all issued a joint statement opposing the budget and have said they will look at joint-action to protect their members.

Bodenschatz continues to remain vague about whether Alsland will ask the Euclean Community for a bailout to it's public debts and has told reporters that there are talks ongoing on the best way to ensure a stable financial recovery for Alsland. Liekele Ykema also told journalists at the announcement that the government has no intentions of issuing any major announcements about a bailout with the Euclean Community before Nativity.

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by **Saul Volcano** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 1:58 pm

Government passes "Homeland Workers Incentive"
Known as the Homeland Workers Incentive, it would give tax credits to companies that hire local Paretian workers, it also would create a tax on companies that hire foreign workers in Paretia
Carlos Araujo (@Carlos11) | 14 December 2022 | Precea

Paretia's agricultural sector is one of the largest areas of foreign workers

Precea, Paretia: Today the Popular Victory government passed a controversial bill that has been called the "Foreign Worker Tax" by the opposition, it was made as part of a slew of protectionist policy by the Paretian government over the past couple of months, and will be final of these bills.

The Paretian government over the past year has stated their focus for 2022 was on economic policy, starting with infrastructure bills, to tax cuts, and now to protectionist policies. Their latest bill that was passed would ban offshoring to certain countries.

Their next proposal is called the "Incentivo Trabalhador da Pátria", or Homeland Workers Initiative, by the government. It would give monetary tax credits to companies that have a percentage of foreign workers that are less than 10%, and even higher monetary rewards if they consistently stay at 0%. This is called by the government to be an initiative to get companies into wanting to hire Paretians first. Critics claim that this is grossly interfering in the free market and will only hurt Paretia economically.

The government could also be able to put a tax on companies that the bill says "hire exceedingly high numbers of foreigners". The exact number that counts as "exceedingly high" is around 40% of the workers being foreign. Creating further initiative ot hire Paretian-born workers.

Foreign workers make up a fairly large part of Paretia's economy already, especially in areas such as agriculture, where they make up nearly 20% of the workforce. Most of Paretia's foreign workers include refugees and migrants from Tsabara, where of course the current Civil War has caused life to be difficult there. Other groups include Etrurians, Amathians, and Asterians(mostly Ardesia and Belmonte). Critics of the new policy claim that this bill is government-backed intimidation towards international workers, and will lead to discrimination towards them in the workforce.

Another tax credit that is part of the bill is a tax credit for companies that hire those with disabilities, those in poverty, and those who have been unable to enter the workforces for many years. This is meant to help "struggling peoples enter the workforce my making companies look towards them". This part only comes for struggling Paretian citizens, not foreigners.

Economic Minister Rafa Peixoto stated today that the policy will "give an initiative to Paretian companies to hire Paretian and think Paretian, foreign workers should not be the focus of our country, our own people come before them, it is better their chances for opportunities comes first."

The policy will not go into effect immediately, the government has stated that it will give time for companies to "sort out" their worker situation through the beginning of next year, with the policy officially starting at the beginning of June of next year.

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by **Liecthenbourg** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 2:47 pm

The Unlikely Alliance For Civic Marriage.
An alliance between the SGIO and the PRCP seeks to end the religious exclusivity of marriage in Gaullica. And it could succeed.

Porthos Auger
December 14, 2022|Verlois, Gaullica

The Archbishop of Verlois performs nuptial blessings
on married couples.

Verlois, Gaullica - A threat is rising for the established powers of society within the Gaullican Republic; and that threat is emerging from both the far-left and the moderate-right. This unlikely alliance united in purpose but not in rationality seeks to bring about a fundamental change. This is a threat against what many Gaullicans consider to be the purview of religious institutions. This is an attack waged in the name of the government by opposition partners.

The SGIO and the PRCP seek to invest in the federal government the ability to civilly marry individuals. The government, by contrast, has no such desire.

So what is actually happening? And why is Gaullica set for a collision course with modernity within the coming decade?

Whilst the constitution of the Gaullican Republic enshrines the country as a secular nation it makes concessions for the Solarian Catholic Church which it concedes as being:

historically, culturally, spiritually, socially and fundamentally integral to the formation of the Gaullican nation as it has come into creation.

In addition to this preamble on the notion of what the Solarian Catholic Church is within Gaullica, it highlights several of the provisions and preferences allocated to the Church based on legislation that were battlegrounds between the ideological camps that created the Republic.

These include: the right to teach in educational institutions in exchange for the abolishment of private religious institutions, referred to as the 'Great Compromise', the auxiliary civil service and, perhaps most fundamentally, the Catholic wish to retain the institution of marriage as a strictly religious affair.

What differs this position from all others is that the Catholicists, as they named themselves at the time, fought for this concession for religious institutions in general. Not merely itself.

This created a situation incredibly unique within Euclea: a country with no secular, civic power in marrying two individuals. The work-around came in the form that the government would recognise all religious marriages and, for taxation purposes, be able to recognise individuals as civilly divorced whether or not their religious permitted it.

This situation has led to highly unusual circumstances; such as the Gaullican state recognising foreign same-sex-marriages well before many other Euclean countries had even instituted same-sex marriage.

And this situation is how it has maintained itself since the constitution was formulated. Up until recently, the only parties regularly contended the issue were the SGIO - who view the very concessions granted to the Catholic Church and religions in general as being antithetical to the purpose of the republic - and LV, who on occasion chant the issue as part of social policy progressive platforms.

Yet recently a new voice has joined this rank. That of the Progressive and Conservative Republican Party. The PRCP, differing from the other incarnations that the right has taken in Gaullica, is decidedly more liberal in its approach to social and economic matters. Whereas previous incarnations, such as the GC or Truth and Justice, were arbiters of the religious right, the PRCP has manoeuvred itself into a position where it aims on striking at what it perceives to be the weak underbelly of the PSD coalition: its liberally minded, socially progressive urbanite middle-class.

And to this end, the PRCP have come out in full support of investing in the state the ability to marry individuals - of all sexual orientations. Both leaders of the PRCP, Coralie Barreau and Zacharie Blanchard, issued a joint-statement today whereby they called on for: "Gaullica to get with the times, to join an endless cohort of Euclean countries in doing away with the archaic idea that marriage is strictly a religious affair. That people of all creeds, or lack thereof, should be permitted to be married away from religious institutions if they so wish. That to be a free person means to be free in all aspects of life; and that holding this power of love between two individuals within the hands of institutions is just not right anymore."

Such a change would be a radical leap against the constitutions concessions and has already brought about fierce blowback. The Catholic Church in Gaullica, though fairly silent on political issues, raised an alarming comment through the Archbishop of Verlois - Cardinal Etchegaray - who remarked that "the Church has all faith in the constitution drafted by the founders of the Gaullican Republic."

Premier Mathéo Turzyna has also shocked the nation following several comments during an interview about the developing situation where he remarked: "What is it about homosexuality and neoliberalism? Why do we have to follow the path of others, when we have done things our own way for so long? No other Euclean country is as Gaullica. Things are different!"

Despite this, the PSD looks to maintain an official course in the status quo - a strategy that seems to not rock the ideological factions within the party, though very much might. The only ally the PSD can reliably count on in attempting to maintain the current set up would be those on the right; including the CLU - who's position on this matter is clear.

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by **Imagua and the Assimas** » Wed Dec 14, 2022 11:19 pm

MNI LEADER GARON RIPLEY WINS BY-ELECTION
Ripley wins seat with 44.65% of the vote, defeating Gautiero D'Alesandro of the Sotirian Labour Party

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ARMEL CLARK (@ClarkArmy285)
16 DECEMBER, 2022 23:01 IST | RUTIGLIANO, ASSIMAS

Garon Ripley giving his victory speech

After a heated campaign between the new leader of the Movement for a New Imagua, Garon Ripley, and Sotirian Labour candidate Gautiero D'Alesandro, voters in Ineweyu-Guardia cast their ballots for a successor to the outgoing Member of Parliament for Ineweyu-Guardia, and former leader of the Movement for a New Imagua, Dalmazio Pasquarello.

With 8,769 people turning out to the polls, out of 14,597 registered electors for the constituency, the turnout for the Ineweyu-Guardia by-election was 60.07% of all eligible voters in the constituency.

Brando Bonadonna (FPI) - 68 (0.78%)
Eligio Carillo (PIA) - 203 (2.31%)
Melissa Crespi (WASWI) - 17 (0.19%)
Gautiero D'Alesandro (SLP) - 3,175 (36.21%)
Riccardo Gallicano (DLP) - 1,203 (13.72%)
Giulitta Figliahans (GRE) - 96 (1.09%)
Rafael Holbrooke (SDP) - 8 (0.09%)
Garon Ripley (MNI) - 3,915 (44.65%)
Invalid - 84 (0.96%)

At a victory party, Garon Ripley said to attendees that "the people of Ineweyu-Guardia still believe in the message for a New Imagua, in the call first set out by Dalmazio Pasquarello nearly twenty years ago," and that "when we come back from recess, I will be ready to represent not just the people of Ineweyu-Guardia, but I will represent the student who feels that he has to leave our beloved country so they can live, the mother forced out from her home so that the landlord can turn her unit into a homestay to make a few extra shillings, and the father concerned that the wokerati, whose strings extend from Verlois to Spálgleann, will corrupt his daughter."

"I will say it like it is: as MP for Ineweyu-Guardia, as leader of the Movement, I will listen to you, for the voice of the people is the voice of God, and the voice of God is the voice of the people," Ripley declared to the crowd.

In the aftermath of the Sotirian Labour Party's defeat to Garon Ripley, Sotirian Labour candidate Gautiero D'Alesandro reassured Sotirian Labour supporters that "despite our defeat to the Movement for a New Imagua, we have made a powerful dent to the Movement for a New Imagua: this was the best result we have had in Ineweyu-Guardia since 2016, and we should be grateful for it."

D'Alesandro then declared that "we must not rest on our laurels: at any moment, this government will collapse, and when this unsustainable house of cards led by Douglas Egnell collapses, the Sotirian Labour Party will be ready with someone who is a true Assiman, and someone who will help Mr. Ripley pack his bags so he can go back to his practice in Leeth!"

With Garon Ripley's election, it is clear that the Movement for a New Imagua can survive without founder and longtime leader Pasquarello at the helm. Whether Ripley can translate this success into any gains is unclear, and it is unknown whether Ripley's leadership of the Movement for a New Imagua will hurt the party's base on the Assimas.

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by **Lilitou** » Mon Dec 19, 2022 12:32 pm

by **Imagua and the Assimas** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 5:53 am

COACH DERASMO LAID OFF BY THE BANK OF THE ORIENT
Decision follows Arucian Angels' humiliating 2-7 win-loss record at the 2022 Avatar World Championships

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ARMEL CLARK (@ClarkArmy285)
20 DECEMBER, 2022 06:53 IST | CUANSTAD, CITY OF

Managing Director Benjamin Fraser (file photo)

Today, the Bank of the Orient issued a brief press release announcing that Bart Derasmo, coach of the Arucian Angels since the team's creation in 2019, would not have his contract renewed for the upcoming season. This comes after a humiliating 2-7 win-loss record for the Arucian Angels at the 2022 Avatar World Championships, and an incident where Gianluca Varrone criticised the Bank of the Orient's management, which led to Camille Leroy calling Varrone "a child" on Chirpr, with these comments deleted hours later.

"The Bank of the Orient and Bart Derasmo have agreed that Derasmo's contract will not be renewed for the 2023 season," the press statement read. "This comes due to global economic pressures for the coming fiscal year, the Arucian Angel's poor performance at the 2022 Avatar World Championships, and his inability to maintain team unity."

"We would like to thank Mr. Derasmo for his contributions to the Arucian Angels, to the Bank of the Orient, and to the e-sports scene, and we pray that Mr. Derasmo will find success elsewhere."

The press statement then said that "To help ensure that the Arucian Angels remains in top form, Chris Hudson," a Bank of the Orient mortgage advisor, "will be appointed as acting coach for the Arucian Angels while the Bank of the Orient looks for a suitable person to take on the position as coach of the Arucian Angels."

This last statement has attracted speculation that the Bank of the Orient may be seeking either Raymond Delacroix, Camille Leroy, or Toby Williams to take over as coach from Bart Derasmo, with an anonymous source from the Bank of the Orient saying that appointing Delacroix, Leroy, or Williams to the coaching position could provide the Angels with the opportunity to "hire up-and-coming players to create innovative strategies to help the Angels win in 2023." Other commentators have suggested that Lyonel Thompson, who served as Bot Roamer from the team's inception until 2021, could be brought back onto the Angels as coach, due to Thompson's lack of involvement in the "generational conflict" between those who joined in 2019, and those who joined in 2021 or 2022.

However, when ITS reached out to the Bank of the Orient, a spokesman for the Bank said that "as of this time, we have no idea who will permanently succeed Mr. Derasmo" as coach for the Arucian Angels, and that any claims that the Bank will hire one of the players currently or formerly on the team as coach are "unsubstantiated and untrue."

Comments [ 18,069 ] |

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by **Slirnija** » Tue Dec 20, 2022 8:13 am

by **Etruria2** » Thu Dec 22, 2022 4:23 am

Tribunes announce F2,300 rent support for young parents

The Tribune government has announced a monthly F2,337 (€850) payment boost for married renters with at least one child if the couple are aged 18-38. It comes as the government doubles down on its so called “Famiglia Centrale” plan to boost Etruria’s birth rate and promote traditional family values.

At a press event at the Ministry of Finance, Deputy Presidents Leandro Laezza and Vittoria Vasari jointly announced the scheme. She said, “this government is providing significant support for those who are on the property ladder and those who want to climb its first step, now is the time that we help those who rent.”

Deputy President Laezza explained, “married couples with at least one child, and the parents being aged between 18 and 38, will be entitled to a F2,337 monthly payment from the federal government that will be paid directly to the landlord. In some cases this may be the monthly cost of rent, in others, a significant proportion. This scheme will enable young families to have more disposable income and the financial safe space to begin planning entry into the property market.”

It is hoped that the scheme will further provide support to Etruria’s young families by reducing the cost of living and hefty financial commitments. This in turn it is hoped, will entice young couples to have children knowing the government will provide assistance in terms of property and financial security.

The rent support payments will come into force in the new year, alongside the federally mandated ban on Buy to Let properties as the government seeks to free up housing units for new buyers.

Deputy President Laezza said, “we know through numerous studies that home ownership plays a prominent role in family planning. That is why we are committed to ensuring our young Etrurians access to the property ladder and guaranteeing support for that.”

D. President Vasari for her part said, “the family is at the heart of this government as it has been for six years and will be for four more. The Etrurian family is one of the most powerful things in the universe it is right that we do good and elevate it.”

The government’s policies on family also include the Famiglia+ scheme and the provision of state subsidised zero percent rate mortgages. It is understood the government seeks to begin negotiations with industry to secure workplace crèches and childcare. This new scheme would follow the ban on buy to let properties through federal edict, as a means of boosting the number of housing units on the market.

The aim of the government is to return the standards of living to a level that is pro-family. As President Francesco Carcaterra said last year, “there is an obsession in the north of a certain life, but this life is anti-life, anti-family. There is no room for children in this age of narcissism.”

Deputy Presidents Vasari and Laezza both argued that homeownership and financial security were the foundations of family life. Both also argued that cost of living, the lack of homeownership and the decline in traditional values were to blame for falling birth rates across Euclea.”

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by **Lunas Legion** » Fri Dec 23, 2022 6:00 pm

by **Etruria2** » Wed Jan 04, 2023 3:13 am

Annual report shows Etruria's environment significantly declined in 2021
Surge in carbon emissions, cancellations or rejection of green energy projects and a systematic dismantling of environmental standards and regulations cited
NOTIZIE by Aurelia Bossi

04 January, 2023

The Vulcano-Santa Chiara coal power plant, one of the largest in Euclea was re-activated last year.

The Etrurian Association for Environmental Protection’s annual report on Etruria’s carbon emissions and environmental standards has revealed a significant jump in emissions emitted across the country. According to the report, Etruria emitted 485.2 million metric tons compared to 410 million metric tons last year. The same report also decried “significant declines in standards, protections and practices often at the direction of federal government.”

The Etrurian Association for Environmental Protection has produced an annual report on Etruria’s emissions and environmental status since 2014. However, its report for 2021, dubbed the “worst yet” by its lead author reveals as a decline in all areas of study, though particularly emissions and protection standards.

Etruria produced almost 75.2 million more metric tons of carbon emissions last year from 2020, despite a steady decline from a height of 490.95 million metric tons in 2006. The EAEP blamed this primarily on the re-activation of three coal-powered plants in Veratia, Novalia and Tarpeia. It also recorded more emissions in Etruria’s “città d'industria”, Solaria, Schiuntrave, Carxeri and Faulia. The report said, “our year-long recording of emissions produced nationally has revealed a considerable surge in emissions – a 60.2 million metric ton increase on 2021, this is driven primarily by the reactivation of three coal-powered plants by direction of the federal government, the largest of the three, Vulcano-Santa Chiara in Veratia is also one of the largest coal power plants in Euclea.” The report also said, “however, beyond the reactivation of three major coal powered plants, we also noted marked increases in emissions in Etruria’s key Cities of Industry (“città d'industria”) where manufacturing hubs were returning to historic practices, ostensibly to boost productivity via capitalisation of weakened environmental standards.”

The reactivation of the three coal-powered plants, as part of a federal plan to reduce energy costs for Etrurian families, also coincided with the EAEP’s criticism of the new pipeline from Soravia, agreed two years ago. The report also criticised the near total collapse in construction of “green energy” infrastructure, including the cancellation of the AquaVita off-shore windfarm planned for the Bay of Povelia off Andora. The report criticised the federal government’s rescinding of federal funds for on-shore wind and solar farms planned for Carvagna, which it claimed, with some veracity, as being down to political disputes between the federal government and the Citizens’ Alliance state government in Stazzona. It further cited the cancellation of plans for a tidal power station in Aeolia due to opposition from coastal communities around the proposed site.

The EAEP, as well as grass roots environmental groups also expressed dismay at possible re-opening of several coal mines in the Tarantine Mountains to supply Etruria with a domestic coal reserve. Following the reactivation of the three power plants this year, the federal government announced that it would “explore the viability of a domestic coal mining effort being revived to support energy security and reduced costs on families.”

The report also alerted readers to several instances of air quality falling below international standards in Tyrennus and Solaria, where in both cities, their Tribune mayors had repealed or revoked municipal measures introduced by predecessors to reduce pollution often caused by traffic congestion. Tyrennus’ decision by its mayor, Luciano Tito Faccani to cancel orders to replace the city’s buses with hybrid vehicles from Estmere was one case in point, instead, replacing the buses with non-hybrids produced by Cavalieri.

The report, citing associate environmental groups also reported a marked increase in toxins and particles in several of Etruria’s major rivers, including the Adixe, Rubicano, Trasimene and Idrijca produced by both agricultural and industrial runoff. In the summer of last year, several stretches of the Adixe were closed to swimmers and tourists due to dangerous levels of pollutants. The report blamed industrial and agricultural activities upstream for this event. The Trasimene’s water quality was “damaged in large part due to the industrial activities of Schiuntrave, where it was found that previous efforts and practices were abandoned as part of this de-regulatory campaign taking place federally.”

Conversely, the report did praise several state governments as well as the federal government for enforcing laws against the illegal dumping of raw sewage into waterways and Etruria’s coastline. Last year, AquaEtruria was fined over €8.5 million for dumping sewage into the Bay of Povelia south of Povelia, by both the Veratian and federal governments. The federal government’s decision to declare a large stretch of the Bay’s eastern coast as a Marine Conservation Zone was also applauded.

The summer of 2021 also saw major forest fires grip Tarpeia and southern Novalia, which destroyed thousands of acres of woodland and farmland. The report criticised the state governments for defunding their own environmental agencies and

However, the report was scathing of the federal government putting considerable responsibility for Etruria’s declining environment upon it. The report said, “for the past six years we have documented a steady but slow decline in Etruria’s environment across multiple areas of observation, however, 2021 is the year that these declines culminated with the largest year-on-year increase in carbon emissions since 2005. The overwhelming majority of declining areas of observation are being degraded as a result of de-regulation and repealing of various standards and practices introduced previously – this is being utilised by private and state-owned businesses actively and enthusiastically.” Since the spring of 2021, the government has actively rolled back a number of environmental standards and regulations effecting the manufacturing industry, ostensibly it claims, to facilitate “greater productivity, job creation and sustainable growth of profit.” A number of leading Tribunes have claimed these standards and regulations decrease the competitiveness of Etrurian manufacturers, against not only its Euclean rivals but those in Senria, Shangea, Ansan, Zorasan and the Asterias. The Tribunes are also known to include individuals who deny climate change outright, while a majority simply dismiss it as a predominately “left-wing theory” that seeks to undermine capitalism and industrial society.

The report further said, “the consistent de-funding of the Federal Environmental Security Office has had a serious detrimental effect on the environment, Etruria’s climatic commitments and air quality.” The EAEP had previously criticised the Tribune-led government for its denial of environmental decline, accusing the government of allowing its “economic nationalism and chauvinism to go on unrestrained.”

A spokesman for the government dismissed the report as “alarmist and misleading” but reaffirmed the government’s policy of “supporting our industry so that Etruria’s economy grows, costs of living decline for as many as possible and Etrurian families find job, financial and wage security. This government will not hinder our economic activity on the basis of scientific theories and arguments.”

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by **Etruria2** » Thu Jan 05, 2023 4:51 am

Opinion: Chiara Mastromarino’s future depends on Carpodasco e Varsi
The Novalian debacle and the Tonini scandal have left Mastromarino's leadership hanging by a thread
NOTIZIE by Giorgio Simone Parrinello

05 January 2023

The upcoming by-election will either buy Chiara Mastromarino time or bring her down

2022 was a solidly woeful year for the leader of the Social Democratic Party and Leader of the People’s Opposition. Besieged it would seem by endless leaks, blamed for the embarrassing failure to win the Novalian state elections and now accused of covering up bullying allegations on behalf of a backbench ally, she’s now facing endless criticism over her “controlling nature and addiction to micromanagement.” It is quite a fall for a politician who led the SD to winning 136 seats in the 2021 federal election, saving the party from complete extinction. So serious are the issues surrounding her, that she now requires a win in the up-coming by-election in Carpodasco e Varsi, if the SD loses the seat, she will most certainly be seen as a toxic element.

The descent of Mastromarino into turmoil was not something many a commentator saw coming. On paper, she is a fierce political operator, a charismatic force in her own right and widely perceived positively and negatively as the foil to Francesco Carcaterra – a woman, compassionate, tolerant and progressive. Her intrinsic role in securing the SD second place in the 2021 federal election is often understated, arguably without her, the SD may well have been finished off by the Tribune Movement and Citizens’ Alliance if the latter was led competently. Instead, she led the SD to reclaim over 130 seats, primarily off the Citizens’ Alliance, which is in a death spiral, as well as several swing seats held by the Tribunes from 2018. Lauded among the liberal-left in Etruria, she also won plaudits from the Euclean centre-left, who came to see Mastromarino as the woman likely to end the Tribune government and Eastern Euclea’s far-right bogeyman. Heading into 2022, Mastromarino and her party seemed to posses an enthusiasm and momentum, all roads led to an SD victory in Novalia’s state elections, a linchpin of the Tribune hegemony over politics and polls were showing a slow but steady shoring up of support. Then it all went wrong.

The Novalian state elections were for the SD to win, led by the capable and popular Izidor Augustinčić, boosted by the Novalian SD’s excellent record at the local level, the party entered the state election with a 12 point lead over the Patria Bloc (Onward Novalia, Tribune Movement and Social Party). As the campaign progressed, the SD in Novalia began to contradict itself in messaging, before moving toward national issues, a complete u-turn on its pre-determined strategy of lauding its local successes and focusing solely on issues polled as most important to Novalians within their state. Voters, confused and often disappointed began to turn elsewhere. However, not to the Patria parties, whose vicious and personalised misinformation, lies, conspiracy theories and chaotic campaign equally dissuaded support, instead a sizeable number of Novalians turned to the “autonomist parties” of PD and Jedinstvo who would go on to win a shock victory under the Novalian Option alliance, albeit with a wafer thin majority. Despite coming a close second, the SD had failed and within days of the results it was revealed how.
In a series of leaks to the left-leaning press, hundreds of emails and memos sent between the Mastromarino team and the Novalian SD HQ revealed a near-hourly campaign of interference by the federal leadership.

Mastromarino’s office regularly demanded copies of speeches, policy papers and would demand the Novalian SD begin discussing national issues and the importance of pushing back the Tribunes and their proxy Onward Novalia. It was also revealed that the federal HQ by-passed its Novalian counter-part by communicating directly with several SD candidates who had previously served in the Senate and now ran for their home state constituencies, strongarming them into adopting the federal HQ’s preferred talking points. It revealed a federal HQ deeply concerned with the independent nature of the Novalian SD’s campaign and its failure to adhere to party message discipline, especially the points over Tribune backsliding, the decay of institutions and the discriminatory politics unleashed by the Tribunes. None of these points caught the eye and ear of Novalian voters and so they abandoned the SD.

The blame came thick and fast and landed firmly at the feet of Mastromarino herself. A number of SD senators began to speak anonymously to the media, revealing they too had faced interference from her office on a regular basis, her critics in the party were quick to accuse her of micromanagement and a controlling style of leadership. Her allies defended her, claiming she merely wished to preserve party unity to strengthen its hand against the far-right. Few people bought it and soon enough the Novalian debacle turned sceptic, an open wound upon the Mastromarino leadership. In attempts to make amends, Mastromarino met with the SD senate conference and promised to change her ways, she received a reprieve and the party moved on.

Only two months later, she was once again subject to the fallout of further leaks. Four staff workers for the influential backbench Senator, Luigi Carlo Tonini had reported him to the SD’s disciplinary office over emotional and psychological abuse. Tonini was revealed to be a vain, thin-skinned narcissist who vented his fury over his inadequacies as a politician at his staff. The leaks revealed not only was Tonini protected from an investigation, but Mastromarino had personally requested that the staff be threatened with the sack from the party if they went to the media, and then all record of the allegations were scrubbed from the party record. It was a gross abuse of power by a party leader, seemingly to keep in place one of her most key allies in the backbenches. The leaks torpedoed the good will shown to Mastromarino after Novalia and destroyed the career of Tonini who resigned as a Senator effective immediately, sparking a by-election in his Chiastrine seat of Carpodasco e Varsi. The Tonini Affair has dealt a serious blow to the party’s integrity and image. Mastromarino’s ethos of the SD that is the party of “kindness, compassion, tolerance and democracy” has been blown apart by her protecting a vicious bully with the threat of sacking the victims only further darkening the episode.

The by-election set for next Thursday is one Mastromarino must win. The Tonini affair has unleashed a whirlwind of acrimony and criticism from across the SD. To the party’s left, the rapidly rising Carlo Benedetto Locatelli, who champions left-wing populism as the silver bullet that will – he claims – destroy the right-wing populism of the Tribunes has already demanded she step down at the party’s annual conference in March. The party’s right, her natural wing of the party, is struggling to defend her and many are now calling, quietly at least, for a new leader. Many SD backbenchers have used the leaks to criticise her leadership for other ills, including the continued reliance on the 2021 election platform which they claim is not sufficiently exciting or enticing enough for the party to reclaim lost working-class voters from the Tribune Movement. Others are criticising her for failing to officially adopt a formal position on EC membership, ceding much ground to the insurgent Etruria plus Euclea (E+E). Lastly, a growing number of SD senators are speaking openly about the failure of the SD to stop being outfoxed policy wise by the Tribunes, who announced last year a litany of policies that have seen it surge in polls to an average of 47%, the highest since 2018. Online, SD supporters and members have engaged in what can only be described as misogyny against Mastromarino, a number are questioning the viability of a woman leader, adhering to the Etrurian adage of “a woman takes charge only if the man drops dead.”

As one SD senator told me personally, “yes, she saved us in 2021. She brought us back from the brink and we will forever be thankful. But the general feeling is that she may not be the one to take us further in 2026, there’s a cost to our success under her and its her way of doing things – it is damaging the party brand.” And it is, the first opinion poll of the year was released today from Demos Analytica, showing a 13-point lead for the Tribunes and a near 6-point drop for the SD, near exclusively to the gain of E+E. As such, sadly for Mastromarino, the by-election is swiftly becoming a referendum on her leadership, it does not help that her office played no role at all in the selection of the SD candidate for Capodasco e Varsi, that was left entirely to the SD Constituency Association, and sure enough, the candidate, Pasqualina Orfei has distanced herself from the party leadership. The seat is not a traditional SD stronghold, being held by the now dead Federalist Party from 1984 to 2016, before being taken by the Citizens until 2021. If the SD retains the seat, there is a chance Mastromarino may be given a third chance to reset her leadership and reconnect with her Senate conference, but if they lose, it will only embolden her enemies and critics and she may well be out by March.

It is sad to see a rapid fall for such a talented and capable political leader, one who has reenergised Etruria’s opposition to the Tribunes and redeemed the country’s democracy in the eyes of Euclean commentators. Yet, this fall is on her and her alone, the inability to trust her own colleagues to do what must be done, coupled with a narrow tunnel vision left her hanging by a thread. It is irrelevant who leaked and when, what matters is that the SD lives as it preaches, if it cannot, it cannot hope to win over those it needs to end the Tribune government.

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by **Lilitou** » Fri Jan 06, 2023 11:58 am

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