Nikolaos Atreides, President of the Confederacy
Presidential Palace, Valetta
Federal District of Malta, Confederate Republics of Eurasia
Tuesday 1st November 2022, 1200hrs Local Time
Across Eurasia the day was seen not just as the culmination of three years of negotiations, or as a final resolution of decades of competition between the Eurasian Republics, but as the fulfilment of a dream. Whilst it could only fairly be said that any realistic talk of Eurasian Unification had come about as a result of the Non-Aligned Movement’s formation in 2000, there had always been those that had dreamt of a unified Eurasia; from the Atlantic in the West to the Cradle of Humanity in the East. The success of the Non-Aligned Movement in encouraging defections from the three main trading blocks that had emerged during the Era of Eurasian Competition; the Association of Eurasian Nations, the Eurasian Community, and the Eurafrican Pact, had ultimately brought about the downfall of those three blocs by diplomatic means, each of which had been dominated by a major power; the Italian Republic, the Iberian Republic, and the Turkish Republic. In their place, the Non-Aligned Movement had promised true equality and co-operation over self-serving policies by the region’s larger powers. It was, perhaps, not surprising that the Non-Aligned Movement had caught on amongst the region’s smaller powers and that their combined power had rivalled any of the competing blocs.
The rise of the Non-Aligned Movement had reached it’s zenith on September 4, 2021, when the last three-holdouts; Iberia, Italy, and Turkey, had joined the Non-Aligned Movement. In a face-saving measure for these three powers, the Non-Aligned Movement dissolved itself on that day, but at the same time the Eurasian Assembly, the intergovernmental organisation that had served to represent Eurasia for decades, but had become increasingly gridlocked, adopted the structure, laws, and decorum of the Movement, and the first real talks of a true Eurasian unification began in earnest. The Eurasian Assembly was officially dissolved on April 2nd, 2002, and the Confederate Republics of Eurasia was formally established a the same time, with Confederation Day celebrated across the region, although the Confederate Constitution would not take effect until 1 November; with the first Confederate Elections taking place on September 4. The inaugural Confederate Elections had filled the House of Representatives, the lower chamber within the Eurasian Congress, which represented the People of the Confederacy, whilst the individual Republics that made up the Confederacy each appointed six individuals to the Eurasian Senate, which would serve to represent the voice of the Republics as sovereign institutions within the Confederacy.
However, the only election that had involved every citizen within the Confederacy was for that of President of the Confederate Republics of Eurasia (or President of the Confederacy, as it was already being colloquially called). It was largely for this reason that the Office of the President was expected to be as prominent as it was; although under the Constitution the President was merely first amongst equals within the Presidium, the Confederacy’s executive governing body, the fact that he was the only individual in the entire Confederacy to be elected by the entire population gave him a electoral legitimacy that was unparalleled within the Confederate Government. In the decentralised system of the Confederacy, the President like the rest of the Confederate Government had limited authority domestically, as much of domestic policy was handled by each of the individual Confederate Republics, and was instead more focused on overseeing the constitutional arrangement between the Republics, foreign policy, and defence. The President was still the most powerful individual in the Confederacy, as although he was first-amongst-equals within the Presidium the fact that he nominated all the other Presidium members meant that his position was firmly based on actual power and influence rather than tradition.
Although none would claim that the Confederacy’s first Presidential Election had been a formality, as the campaigning had been real and the vote conducted in a fully democratic way, few had really doubted the outcome. Nikolaos Atreides, originally Greek, had played a key role in the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement and had been one of the largest influences for its ideology and decorum; as such a great deal of the credit for the eventual formation of the Confederacy itself could be credited to Atreides. By the time of Confederation Day, Atreides had a large following across all of Eurasia, and it had been no surprise that he had declared his candidacy for the Presidency, and was seen as a very good candidate; if the entire history of the Movement had shown it was that Atreides was not truly the ambitious sort. He was a true believer in the concept of a Eurasian union and had committed his life to the pursuit of that dream, therefore viewing (and saying as much during the campaign) holding the Presidency of the Confederacy as the culmination of his life’s work, after which he would happily retire and enjoy his twilight years after decades of service to Eurasia.
Few would be able to argue that President-Elect Atreides had one hell of an ‘in-tray’ to be dealing with over the coming months and years; not only was he charged with merging eleven nations into one (whilst each retaining a significant amount of their own sovereignty) but he was also more than aware of the fact that everything that he did would set the precedent for future holders of his office; this was almost as a great a responsibility. Although the Confederate Congress and the Confederate Judiciary, in particular the Constitutional Court at its pinnacle, would have their own say on the interpretation of major constitutional questions, Atreides knew that for countless smaller points (less groundbreaking perhaps but ultimately just as important) would be based around his day-to-day interpretation of the Constitution. Not only would this have implications for constitutional law, but it would likely determine whether the great Eurasia Experiment would even succeed.
Fortunately, Atreides had been able to put together a top-class team of men and women to serve alongside him in the Presidium, all the best in their fields from across a range of political ideologies; for Atreides had no true ideology beyond Eurasian Unity. Despite this, Atreides knew that he would face a unique and challenging political situation; even before the Confederacy formally took over governmental power in a few minutes time the first signs of political parties had begun to form. Instead of favouring the more traditional left-right political spectrum, politics in the Confederacy was shaping up to be a balance of power between those favouring a stronger Confederate Government and those favouring an even more decentralised system. The Confederalist Parry was the former, arguing that the Confederate Constitution ought to be intepretated in such a way as to give the central government as strong a hand as possible within the broadly decentralised system. The Sovereigntist Party was the latter, arguing that the Confederate Republics ought to be the guiding force within the Confederacy, and that constitutional interpretation ought to empower the Senate (as the voice of the Republics) wherever possible.
For himself, Atreides stood firmly in the middle as a key architect of the Confederate Constitution he had been integral in developing the balance in between these two opposing views that had been present even before the Constitution had been ratified. In his view, the Constitution as written was as good a system as could be managed considering the desire to retain as much sovereignty for the individual Republics that made up the Confederacy. It was, however, inevitable that Constitutional questions would almost certainly dominate his Presidency, given that the nation-state was literally brand new, and it was not for nought that Atreides had firmly avoided any sort of endorsement from either of the proto political parties that had been forming around him. If the Confederacy was to have any chance going forwards, then it’s first President needed to be politically independent in order to instil an atmosphere and cultural of bipartisanship. Truthfully, Atreides would much prefer to avoid a two-party system, believing firmly that overtime the diverse beliefs, needs, and desires of the various Republics and their citizens would result in a number of parties; which in his mind was all for the good.
For the moment, Atreides had two key priorities in addition to mediating the numerous Constitutional questions facing the Confederacy; foreign affairs and defence, which as President were two areas in which he had absolute competency under the Constitution. It would be a difficult and unenviable task to take the individual foreign relations of eleven sovereign states and combine them into one, unified foreign policy that kept everyone happy, both within the Confederacy and without. Atreides was all too aware that some of the border Republics had less than friendly relationships with their neighbours (which could at best be called rivalries), and these dynamics would need to be carefully managed. Similarly, the Defence of the Confederacy would need to be arranged; balancing the need for a capable Confederate Armed Forces with the desire amongst the Republics to keep the Confederate Military compliant with the terms of the Constitution, which placed a significant priority on the role of the Republican Guards maintained by each Republic. In short, the Confederate Military was supposed to defend the Confederacy, whereas any true offensive action would need the involvement of the Republican Guards. Arranging a standardisation across the Confederacy alone would be a nightmare, much less achieving actual operational cohesion that didn’t require months of working-up.
Atreides was no military man, but he did not envy the men and women whose job it was to make such an arrangement work. Or indeed any of those who had to deal with the minute details in any of a dozen or more key areas that would need to be integrated and coordinated. Of course, none of those men and women would envy his job of overseeing all of their work and in making the final decision; the weight of the world was quite literally upon the shoulders of the President-Elect, and whilst most were confident that he could bear the weight there were still some who wondered if the task was too great for any one man. When questioned on this, at the last Presidential Debate prior to the election, Atreides had simply responded to this by saying that he was not bearing the weight alone; not only did he have a great team in the Presidium, but the Office of the President would be staffed by the best and the brightest, and he would have the unerring support of his family, his wife and kids, behind the scenes each and every day.
Yet, ultimately, Atreides would stand alone when history came to make its judgement; but as he waited in the wings to be introduced the President-Elect shoved any doubts aside and stood ready to assume the greatest political office of his career. Standing, just out of sight, behind the facade that had been placed behind the stage that had been erected between the two main entrances into what had once been the Grandmaster’s Palace and was about to become the official residence and workplace of the Confederate President. On stage, already speaking to the crowd that had packed into St. George’s Square, not to mention the countless dignities and television cameras that had turned out for the occasion, was Rosita Bracero, Senator from the Iberian Republic, who had been elected from amongst the Senators as their presiding officer. Atreides was silent, not talking to his family or any of his staffers, but was jolted back to reality when he heard the phrase he had been waiting for.
…it is my distinct pleasure, and unique honour, to introduce the first President of the Confederate Republics of Eurasia, Nikolaos Atreides!”
With a deep breath Atreides strode onto the stage. He cut a smart figure; jet black hair, a strong clean-shaven face yet with a genuine smile that exuded warmth and compassion as much as it did a certain sternness and determination. Waving to the crowd as he joined Senator Bracero at the podium.
“Mister President Elect, raise your right hand and repeat after me,” Senator Bracero said formally, as the Presiding Officer of the Confederate Senate she was the closest thing to a personification of the Republics. “I Nikolaos Atreides.”
“I Nikolaos Atreides.”
“Do solemnly vow and affirm.”
“Do solemnly vow and affirm.”
“That I will execute the office of President of the Confederate Republics of Eurasia faithfully.”
“That I will execute the office of President of the Confederate Republics of Eurasia faithfully.”
“That I shall preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Confederate Republics from all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“That I shall preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the Confederate Republics from all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“That I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.”
“That I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.”
“Congratulations, Mister President,” Senator Bracero finished with a broad smile.
President Atreides smiled in return and shook her hand firmly before turning to face the crowd who roared with approval. The throng that filled the square hailed from all over the nascent Confederacy, anyone who had the time, money, and desire to experience this historic moment in person.
“My fellow citizens! It is such a great honour and absolute pleasure to say that phrase; for we are now united as citizens of this great Confederacy as much as we are each citizens of the great Republics that it is made of. For some of us this has been a moment years, if not decades in the making; born of a fervent belief that Eurasia could be more than the sum of its parts. For others, this is something that has come about a little more recently, once the Eurasian Idea became a truly real possibility. Regardless of whether you have been a true believer of this dream for as long as I have, or whether you have come to experience this dream more recently, we can all agree that this is a truly historic and monumental day. After centuries of conflict, violent and bloody, and decades of competition, tense and counterproductive, we have at last chosen unity and cooperation over fear and selfishness…hope and optimism over despair and pessimism. We have chosen to work, together, for a brighter future, even as the world around us grows bleak.”
“We have made the first, and most difficult, step in making this dream of ours a reality. I do not have any misconceptions that this is going to be a long and difficult road for all of us; merging eleven nations into one whilst retaining that special something and everything that makes each of our Republics so wonderfully unique. This will be a time of great change and transformation for all of us; particularly those who stand the night-watch to keep us safe in our beds, and those who have devoted their lives to the service of their Republics and their citizens. And yet; the more things change the ore they stay the same; I pledge to you today that my administration shall use the strengths and uniqueness of our Republics to create the Confederacy; it shall be a culmination of everything we are rather than something new… the old that is strong does not wither… from the ashes of centuries of conflict and competition a fire shall be woken. I call upon each and every citizen of the Confederacy, regardless of which Republic you call home, to unite in this great national effort.”
“To our friends, neighbours, and one-time rivals; the coming days, weeks, months, and years will not be simple nor will they be easy; where previously you have had eleven polities with which to deal, now there shall be one unified foreign policy; and it is my hope that our Confederacy will be able to build and develop stronger relationships than any that our Republics have previously maintained. For some those will be a short transition, as we are almost there in some cases, for others it will be a longer process in which we will work honestly and genuinely to resolve even the longest-standing disagreements. For those in the business world; the internal market of the Confederacy shall be one in which business can flourish; with the internal barriers trade torn down unparalleled prosperity is at our finger-tips, and we will work with all those with the genuine desire to work towards mutual prosperity of the nearly half a billion men, women, and children within this Confederacy.”
“Let me make one thing clear, though, to those that might wish us ill; do not mistake our desire for peace and mutually beneficial cooperation for weakness. Nor that our constitutional system, that priorities the sovereignty of our constituent Republics over absolute efficiency, for a lack of determination or resolve. I pledge that I will always do whatever is necessary to protect and defend the Confederacy and it’s Republics, and I am confident that officers and enlistees of our new Confederate Armed Forces, and the various Republican Guards, will be forces that each and every one of our citizens can be proud of. It has taken us many years of struggle to reach this moment; I am confident that I speak for all of us when I say that we will defend it to the fullest.”
“Yet let me finish with this message… the Confederacy shall provide a world-wide welcome… all shall be welcome within our borders who come of pure intention and spirit. Flames of imprisoned lighting burn in Eurasia, not in a single torch, but across an entire nation. For centuries, Eurasia has often-times provided refuge for the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses; that shall continue, none who truly need a home shall be turned away. To all those yearning to breath free; Eurasia is a Mother of Exiles.”
Atreidies paused, looking around at the crowd with a broad smile.
“Within the pages of the monumental work known as Ab Urbe Condita Libri, “From the Founding of the City” the Roman chronicler Titus Livius tells of a moment in the history of his Empire, when despair threatened to take hold in the heart of every citizen. The words spoken those day hold special meaning for us, of the Old World, who have remained in our ancestral homelands, or those descendants of refugees who have made the Old World their home; Hic Manebimus Optime. I propose one small addition, reflective of our new Confederate future; Here we will remain most excellently… but not here alone! Thank you!”
