Kennedy, Austenasians rebuke fascism as party politics revive

BELLINGHAM, Washington – Last Sunday evening, Austenasian Prime Minister Joseph Kennedy condemned a new far-right party, prompting protest by the party’s leader and vocal support for Kennedy among Austenasian politicians. The furor led to the prime minister joining the Imperial Party, which some anticipate could lead to a revival of partisan politics in the empire.

Kennedy published his statement after Daniel Dankovsky, Austenasia’s intelligence director, drew international attention for making racist statements. Co-signed by two senior officials in the Austenasian Prime Minister’s Office, it distanced the government from Dankovsky before going on to openly condemn the Organisation of Austenasian Nationalists (OAN) as “repugnant to the values…on which Austenasia was founded.”

Dankovsky founded the OAN in September with a platform calling for political centralization, absolute monarchy, and aggressive militarism. Despite many Austenasians deriding it as fascistic from its creation, Dankovsky is known to have tried recruiting senior Austenasian officials into its ranks. According to high-ranking sources, he described the OAN as the party of any true patriot.

After Kennedy posted his statement in the Austenasian general Skype room “Wrythe Pub,” Dankovsky called the prime minister a coward and suggested he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan. He insisted that the OAN would win the next election, although he is its only known member. Other government members present defended Kennedy and mocked Dankovsky.

Kennedy then announced his new membership in the Imperial Party, a small center-right faction led by deputy PM Eren Scott.

“Though I initially ran as an independent, I feel like having a political party as a support base will allow me to continue to unite Austenasians under the beliefs that I ran for office with,” he said.

“Furthermore, it will allow me to better combat the Organization [sic] of Austenasian Nationalists.”

Scott made a brief statement affirming his party’s opposition to “the Fascist organization.”

The following day, Emperor Jonathan I ordered Dankovsky to apologize to Kennedy for making insulting statements. He thanked Dankovsky for his service in the intelligence agency, but warned him to “behave more appropriately.”

“Please do not force our hand,” the monarch concluded.

Advertisement

National contest held for international art show submission

ROSEWOOD – Überstadt’s participation in the 1st Venedigbiennalen for Micronations has been confirmed, and the Culture Ministry is holding a national competition to choose an artwork to send to the show in Sweden this September.

King Adam sent an announcement to all citizens Saturday night that they are all invited to submit works of art for consideration to send to the exhibition, which will be the first major international display of micronational art. The Überstadti government intends to feature all citizen submissions in a future publication aimed at highlighting artistic achievement in Überstadt.

The Vendigbiennalen will feature public displays of micronational art of various media in “micro-pavilions” roughly the size of birdhouses. According to the event website, the exhibit’s opening will feature “micro-speeches” and “micro-celebrations.” Other participating nations include Aerica and Ladonia.

Adam resigns as GUM Chair

BELLINGHAM, Washington – King Adam quit the chairmanship of the Grand Unified Micronational on 28 March, having served half of the six-month term for which he was elected. The reason cited for the resignation was an inability to spend sufficient time fulfilling the office’s duties. Henry Clement of Esse is to serve as acting chair until the GUM’s June elections.

Adam resigned in a statement given in the GUM Lounge given the day after he missed a meeting of the Quorum of Delegates he had scheduled specifically for his ability to chair on that date. Vice-Chair Henry Clement ran the meeting, and Adam indicated that he had missed it due to continued travel connected to his recent trip to New York.

At that meeting on 27 March, the Quorum of Delegates passed a motion requesting that the chair carefully consider whether he was able to give enough attention to his GUM duties, rather than holding a confidence vote. In his statement, Adam thanked the body for allowing him to assess his workload and make his own decision.

The king is in his final year of university and deeply involved in several extracurricular activities in addition to his political roles in small nations. The official explanation for his resignation published by the GUM Archivist on MicroWiki was “other commitments infringing on his available time.”

Upset over meeting attendance previously caused Adam’s first vice chair, Emperor Thomas of Zenrax, to resign his post.

King Adam delivers UN address

BELLINGHAM, Washington – On 23 March, King Adam spoke in the United Nations General Assembly Hall on Überstadt’s place in the global community.

Though acknowledging that Überstadt would never have a permanent seat in the General Assembly, Adam affirmed Überstadt’s “commitment to the values of the UN Charter and the principles codified by the international system.” He expressed hope for the global community’s respect for the dignity of small nations, or micronations, in general. Speaking from the seat of the Republic of Macedonia, he declared Überstadt’s recognition of that state by its constitutional name.

As reported before, the king had access to the General Assembly Hall to attend the final meetings of the United States’ foremost Model United Nations conference. The General Assembly was not in session at the time of the address, but this is believed to represent the first time a micronational leader was able to speak in this venue, and Adam is known to be the first sitting GUM Chair to deliver a speech at the United Nations.

BELOW: King Adam speaks at the UN General Assembly Hall. Credit: Terrah Perera

King Adam chairs first GUM Quorum, faces shock rejection of VC nominee

BELLINGHAM, Washington – On Monday, King Adam of Überstadt presided over his first GUM Quorum as Chair in a marathon session that passed 12 motions. The meeting lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours, extended in part by votes on several of Adam’s officer nominations.

After giving remarks on the start of his tenure as chair, Adam formally nominated Emperor Adam of Adammia as GUM Vice Chair. In a shock to the king and several other delegates, the vote quickly failed, posing the first challenge to the new chair’s leadership. A somewhat confused discussion of why the nomination was rejected followed. No delegation that opposed the motion or abstained from voting provided an explanation for their decision.

After a delay, King Adam nominated Emperor Thomas of Zenrax instead. Thomas, who ran against Adam for chairmanship, was confirmed vice chair with only one vote against.

Other appointments made included Emperor Jonathan of Austenasia as GUM Archivist and Bradley of Dullahan, delegate from Wyvern, as Supreme Justice.

Eight votes on membership were taken, resulting in the admission of four new observers and one new candidate for full membership. The Quorum also voted to sponsor a project to chart the diplomatic relations of members of the MicroWiki community.

Adam takes charge of GUM

ROSEWOOD – King Adam of Überstadt is the 25th Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational after winning half the vote in a three-way race. He assumed office on 25 December at 00:01 UTC, relieving Acting Chair Jonathan I of Austenasia.

Adam received nine of 18 votes, with three member-states not voting. King Eden of Edenopolis placed second with six votes, and Emperor Thomas of Zenrax came in third with three votes. Seven votes were sufficient to guarantee victory, which Adam attained two days into the week-long voting period.

Eden found some of his strongest support among younger members, while nations often counted among the so-called “old guard” of the MicroWiki community tended to favor Adam. Such preferences were not without exception. Paravia, Roseland, and Shorewell, all founded since 2014, voted for the winner. The new chair will still face a generational gap in the organization, and will have to avoid alienating younger members.

Adam has not yet made a public statement on his victory, but reports that he has already received private messages of congratulations from other GUM members.

King invites Austenasia, Sandus to talks

ROSEWOOD – Today, King Adam sent letters to the leaders of Austenasia and Sandus, inviting them to attend Überstadt-brokered peace talks.

Überstadt has long considered the two invited states its closest international partners. During this summer’s conflict that caused the two to sever diplomatic ties, Adam consistently expressed a wish for their reconciliation. The last public statement he made on the matter, though, did not explicitly mention Überstadti support for a new agreement between the feuding nations.

The king is now very public in his calls for some level of rapprochement between Austenasia and Sandus.

“I do not expect these two countries to become friends again,” he told the Chronicle. “What I seek is the resumption of diplomatic relations and the creation of an agreement that will prevent further conflict in the long term.”

Whether either invited government will accept Überstadt’s offer is open to question, with Adam saying he has received no immediate response to the letters. He expressed confidence that they would come to the table, however:

“I have faith that Sandus and Austenasia will both make the right decision to come together and settle this issue to some reasonable extent. We have seen in the past how conflicts without proper resolutions can flare up later, so I believe these talks are necessary for the community’s welfare.”

King, father survive storm that ripped up naval craft

ROSEWOOD – King Adam of Überstadt and his father, Michael von Friedeck, survived last Saturday’s strong storm that caused mayhem throughout the Puget Sound area. The royals were at sea with the entire Überstadti naval fleet when they were caught in the gale.

Adam and his father, who is a Vice Admiral in the Überstadti Navy and the kingdom’s High Chancellor, had spent the previous day studying military architecture at the 19th Century British garrison on San Juan Island, and had intended to make a day-long voyage back to port in Everett, Washington, over 60 nautical miles away. They were aboard HMNS Bert George, a 26-foot sailing patrol boat and flagship of His Majesty’s Navy, with the inflatable HMNS Bergstrom in tow as a tender.

As a result of imprecise weather information, the fleet set out into the midst of a gale. While in the Haro Strait between the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island, the vessels were subjected to winds of over 50 miles per hour and waves up to eight feet in height. Vice Admiral von Friedeck remained at the helm for several hours while King Adam remained within the Bert George‘s cabin monitoring navigational instruments and charts.

After some time of being tossed and nearly rolled by the waves, the two decided to turn back northward and seek shelter in Roche Harbor, located near the last night’s anchorage. The fleet anchored in a small bay for over an hour until the worst of the storm passed, during which time tears were discovered in HMNS Bergstrom, deflating one of its two tubes. The craft was bound to Bert George so it would not continue to take on water.

At mid-afternoon, the fleet entered Roche Harbor. Von Friedeck was found to have been injured in his fight against the storm, and Adam was weak from severe motion sickness, an unusual condition for him. The monarch hailed his father’s efforts, which he credits with saving the fleet and most likely the lives of everyone on board.

“The radio was busy with distress messages,” Adam said. “The next day, we even saw a wreck grounded against some cliffs. I have no doubt that without my father’s fortitude and divine aid, we could have been lost at sea.”

The pair resumed their journey home the next day, but unfavorable winds and tides led them to moor the fleet in Oak Harbor rather than continue southward to Everett. They returned to the mainland by ferry and will return in fairer conditions to bring the Bert George and Bergstrom back to their home port.

Pacific Northwest nations battered by deadly storm

ROSEWOOD – A powerful storm tore through the Pacific Northwest on Saturday, killing two in the United States and causing extensive damage throughout the region.

The gale, with a peak gust of 87 miles per hour on the Washington coast, caused two deaths from falling trees or limbs. Several other people throughout the state were injured, and the Überstadti Navy monitored several distress calls made by mariners in the Salish Sea.

When the storm struck, the entire Überstadti fleet, with King Adam aboard flagship HMNS Bert George, was under way in the Haro Strait between Vancouver Island, Canada, and the San Juan archipelago in the United States. Vice Admiral Michael von Friedeck, the ruler’s father, prevented the Bert George from running aground, although the HMNS Bergstrom, which was in tow, was critically damaged.

In Überstadt itself, winds ripped multiple branches off trees in Rosewood. A large one, measuring nearly five inches in diameter, nearly struck the Independence Spire, while a smaller one landed in the plots of the embassies of Sandus and Tiana. The canopy covering George Naval Base was ripped up, and a motorbike kept there was blown onto its side. Creekbed Colony has not yet been surveyed for damage.

Hyacinth and Rhododendron, the populated Northwest territories of Doria, had several tree limbs fall. A large oak tree in Rhododendron was especially effected.

Electricity was lost in both Überstadt and Doria. Nearly half a million Americans were also left without power. In Rosewood, a generator was employed to keep perishable foods refrigerated. Neither Hyacinth nor Rhododendron had electric generators available. Both countries had power restored after nearly 24 hours.

Stormy weather continues to afflict the area, although with far less intensity compared to Saturday’s event.

Opinion: Well-meaning Eastwood reforms will harm St. Charlian society

Alexander Eastwood is an ambitious man.

Having become a citizen of St. Charlie in mid-2012, within six months, he led the New Socialist Party government as the republic’s fourth prime minister. He has remained in this office for two-and-a-half years, and in this time, he has overseen the enactment of a series of policies intended to better his country.

A craftsman of bold policy, Eastwood is finally seeing his efforts to mold a highly-efficient government come to their logical conclusion: a transformation of St. Charlie into a presidential republic, fusing the political powers of the former presidency and premiership into the new office of Chancellor of the Federal Republic. He has apparently done this with the best of intentions; addressing his nation’s parliament, he explained such a reform as “com[ing] out of the necessity to simplify our bureaucratic apparatus…in order to remain active.” Changing the nature of the country’s leadership certainly fulfills that aim.

However, there is another part of the latest reform package that, while also aimed at simplifying St. Charlian government, sharpens a long-standing cultural divide. Eastwood is sorting his people into two subdivisions based on their language and culture, admittedly aiming to return to an Italophone state. The way he intends to go about this is through a systematic, anti-democratic betrayal of his citizens, and this will harm St. Charlie domestically and in the eyes of other nations.

The policy in question is that of reducing the number of federations constituting the republic to two. One is to absorb the Italophone territories, with all others becoming part of the other. At this time, there are four federations in Italy, one in the British Isles, and one in Denmark. In the past, cultural and linguistic differences have been serious issues for St. Charlie, causing problems both socially and in administration. In response to foreign critics who claim that the new policy will worsen these tensions, Eastwood offers no refutation; instead, he spins his decision as a way to solve the language problem. “Many people abroad fear that the Federal Republic will become too italophone,” he said in his parliamentary speech. “I sincerely have intention to give life to their fears.” He attempts to justify his position with an appeal to history: St. Charlie was founded by Italians and was always Italian at heart.

In saying so, Eastwood actually reveals ignorance of his nation’s roots; St. Charlie’s early days can only be described as a study in cosmopolitanism. Within a few months of the November Revolution that established the republican state, the British territory, New Branson, was established, with one of its purposes being allowing non-Italians to participate in St. Charlie (source). Early government documents and news sources were in English (note that the nation’s paper of record, the Observer, is still published exclusively in that tongue). The project’s movers and shakers in the “Golden Era” were of multiple nationalities, and many had met in international schools around Europe. Despite the fact that St. Charlie was always multicultural, Eastwood asserts that “St. Charlie was founded…with Italian traditions,” and suggests Italian culture is the source of St. Charlian identity. Although the first citizens were Italian, these claims of tradition cannot be the case when those who joined the nation did so with the understanding that they were part of something international and new.

Since the secession of Koss, there are relatively few non-Italian citizens of St. Charlie, but they are citizens nonetheless, and as their leader, the chancellor has a solemn duty to mind their concerns and needs. By trying to make St. Charlie the all-Italophone nation it never was, Eastwood is denying that these citizens are as valuable as those in the new Italian federation. Instead of striving for reconciliation and social integration, he is segregating them and attempting to engineer national society into something he approves of, but which alienates a fair number of his fellow citizens. This will only serve to strengthen the cultural divide that has caused the republic so many problems.

Of course, this is what Eastwood wants. There are three ways for him to make St. Charlie purely Italophone: teach everyone to speak Italian (which he cannot do), expel those who do not (which he will not do, as even that is a touch too authoritarian), or drive those who do not to leave. Treating those speakers of English, Danish, and who knows what else as undesired citizens will have exactly that result.

Yes, St. Charlie’s cultural problems stem primarily from a divide between the Italians and everyone else. Yes, this should have been dealt with sooner. Nevertheless, exacerbating divisions instead of bridging them will not help St. Charlie. Eastwood is trying to tear St. Charlie’s true traditions – those rooted in cosmopolitanism – apart and replace them with a nation in his own image, turning his back on what his republic was always meant to be. Foreign leaders will not take Chancellor Eastwood seriously if he does so, and St. Charlie will be left lethally efficient, Italian, torn, and isolated.

The views expressed in this editorial are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of the Occidental Chronicle or the policies of the governments of Überstadt or Doria.