Statement from the Emperor as Prince Dionisiy resigns – Gordon new PM

The following statement was released by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I at midnight this morning, concerning what seems to be the final stage of the tumultuous week Austenasia has been through:

To the Empire and to the world, our greetings.

You will be aware of the troubles which have beset our country over the past week. We have been moved by the statements and messages of goodwill and support from our many friends around the world.

Differences of opinion in regards to the direction Austenasia should take resulted in bitter arguments and divisions within Parliament, culminating in a proposal by the then Fatherland Party that they and the lands which fell under their administration secede from Austenasia. As the unfortunate depth to which these arguments had sunk became clear, this proposal was withdrawn, and consensus was reached that all Austenasian leaders would work together on reforms to fix the problems with our country, under the provisions of emergency powers which our Imperial Majesty reluctantly assumed for that purpose.

The next day, the system of political parties which had been a root cause of so much division was abolished, and Friday 29th saw Lord Edward Gunderson, whose presence was becoming detrimental to the cause of re-establishing order, leave Austenasia with the dissolution of his town of Dragovina.

The Prime Minister Prince Dionisiy, his electoral rival and now deputy Lord John Gordon, and former Prime Minister Joseph Nobilissimus Caesar worked with our Imperial Majesty to draw up a new Constitution which would provide thorough and lasting reforms to bring Austenasia into a new age.

Today was to be when this new Constitution was to be officially proposed. Unfortunately, we address you today with bad news. After a week of reflection, Prince Dionisiy has resigned as Prime Minister and will be leaving Austenasia, together with his friend Lord Krištof Fondrk. This will mean the dissolution of the Towns of Theodosiopolis and Gebirgspark, Harlemum March, and the Territories of Laranda and Seleucia ad Cilicia. Such was the huge array of lands which Prince Dionisiy brought to Austenasia.

These changes have come at a cost. The Austenasian population has fallen by ten people, from 91 to 81. However, we also have some good news. As well as these losses, Austenasia has also made a gain; a net gain, in fact. A huge new territory has been claimed for Austenasia by Prince Dionisiy as a gesture of goodwill, a territory the annexation of which has actually increased the overall land area of Austenasia despite the losses of the previously mentioned claims. This new territory, Chersoneses, will be administered as a Crown Dependency by Mr Oliynyk, a relative of the Prince.

We may also note that the Town of Chalcedon and the Crown Dependency of Trebizond are remaining in Austenasia, despite being included in the initial declaration of secession when this crisis began. What could have been a unilateral secession of more than half the country has become the amicable departure of fewer claims and fewer people.

This past week has been a very difficult time for our country. There is no way to pretend otherwise. But with a new month comes a new start.

Lord John Gordon is now the Prime Minister of Austenasia, appointed directly to the position under our emergency powers. He is the longest continually serving Representative in Parliament, having represented Palasia continuously since July 2013, longer even than our current tenure as Representative of Wrythe. During that time, Lord Gordon has served as Deputy Prime Minister twice, and held office as Home Secretary and as Minister of Defence. We are confident in asserting that there is no more suitable person for the job, and Lord William Wilson has been appointed his Deputy.

The referendum which was scheduled to take place this month will be cancelled, until a new consensus is reached concerning what if any changes to the Constitution may be desirable.

There remain no obstacles to Austenasia’s stability and prosperity. We have had people and places come and go, but remain a vibrant, diverse nation spanning the continents, a nation of 80 people and more land than we have ever had before. We have every confidence in the new administration of Lord Gordon, and as such we plan to surrender our emergency powers nine days before planned, on June 4th, Imperium Day. On this public holiday, Austenasia celebrates its imperial status and Roman heritage. Let it be a day for us to also celebrate the endurance of this great country, its perseverance, and its bright future.

Imperator Caesar Jonathan Augustus
1 June 2020

Lord Gordon appointed Deputy Prime Minister as Dragovina dissolved

Yesterday saw Lord Edward Gunderson replaced as Deputy Prime Minister with Lord John Gordon, after Gunderson’s town of Dragovina was dissolved.

Lord John Gordon, Viscount of Thetford

Using the emergency powers he assumed on Monday 25th to restore order and unity to the country, Emperor Jonathan I yesterday dismissed Lord Gunderson from his Austenasian positions and offices, and appointed Lord Gordon as his successor in the position of Deputy Prime Minister.

Shortly afterwards, Parliament was convened and passed an Act dissolving Dragovina.

The wording of the legislation alludes to Lord Gunderson causing difficulties in the process of restoring unity to the government.

Lord John Gordon is the longest continually serving Representative in Parliament, and previously served as Deputy Prime Minister to Countess Eritoshi between 2013 and 2015. He recently received 40.9% of the vote as opposed to Prince Dionisiy’s 52.3% in February’s general election.

As such, being appointed as Prince Dionisiy’s deputy is to be seen in the context of cementing the drive for unity and common ground agreed upon by Parliament earlier this week, with the two rivals now agreeing to work together.

Statements by Austenasian officials in Parliament and associated chat groups following yesterday’s events suggest that the current period of crisis is seen to be coming to an end.

Emperor assumes emergency powers to heal deepening divisions in Parliament

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I this evening made an unprecedented announcement, assuming emergency powers in accordance with the Constitution’s provisions for an “existential threat to the state” with the support of the Senate, the Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition.

It is understood that in the space of the past 48 hours, disagreements primarily related to recently proposed constitutional amendments have spiraled out of control, splitting the House of Representatives deeply along party lines. A vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister was tabled by opposition Representatives but failed, there are rumors that a coup was considered, and some Representatives suggested secession as a response to the ongoing arguments. The announcement by the Emperor is reproduced in its entirety as follows:

In accordance with Article II, Section E of the Austenasian Constitution of 2011, with the support of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and a majority of the Senate, we hereby temporarily enact the following provisions and accordingly override the Constitution where necessary in order to enable their enactment and exercise:

1) The House of Representatives shall not meet or convene without a prior summons from the Monarch.

2) All titles, offices and positions shall be held at and by the sole will and permission of the Monarch.

3) The position of Proconsul is hereby created, to be held by two individuals each of whom will hold the powers and authority of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister shall not be divested of his powers and authority, but the three shall work together under the direction of the Monarch to aid in the re-establishing of civil order and constitutional government. Lord Edward Gunderson, Count of New Grémmia and HG Bradley, Duke of Dullahan shall serve as the first two Proconsuls.

These three provisions will remain in place until 13 June 2020, when they will be reviewed to ascertain the necessity of expanding, extending or revoking them.

Threats of coups and secession, civil strife, and the inability of incumbent Representatives to productively work together has resulted in what can accurately be called “a time of great crisis and existential threat to the state”, as required by the Constitution for these emergency measures.

Furthermore, we hereby decree that the referendum scheduled for 30 June 2020 to vote on the proposed Third Constitutional Amendment is brought forward to 12 June 2020.

Decreed at Wrythe this twenty fifth day of May during the eighth year of our reign, in the year of the consulship of Hannah Augusta and Brenda Bargerii Nova Richmondiae Domina, anno mundi 7528.

*

It brings us no pleasure to make this announcement. Many of you may not even have been aware of the deep divisions within Austenasian government. However, such divisions exist and have been getting worse. With the support of our Prime Minister and newly appointed Proconsuls, we shall work together at healing these divisions moving the country forward into a new age. All around the world, societies are falling prey to division, hatred and strife due to political differences. Austenasia shall prove to the world that in this respect, as in many others, there is a different and better way. This way is what we shall find and follow, towards the goal of a brighter future for our beloved country. God bless you all, and God save the Empire!

Two new claims join the Empire

Peach Ponds, an area of parkland in North America, and Dinkeaw, a garden bordered by Thailand, were annexed to Austenasia yesterday evening by an Imperial Decree.

Peach Ponds (above) and Dinkeaw (below)

Both areas of land are uninhabited, and were offered by different individuals who approached the government with the request that said territories be claimed by Austenasia.

Peach Ponds was claimed by Casper von Navārdia – who also serves as President and Foreign Minister of Phokland (a state of the Holy Roman Empire) – and consists of Huddleston Pond Park of Peachtree City in the U.S. state of Georgia.

Peach Ponds was annexed as a Territory, and Casper von Navārdia was appointed its Governor and given the noble title Count of Cowyetton.

Lord von Navārdia already administered the park on behalf of the local city council, and as such was in a perfect position to both claim and subsequently govern the new Territory.

Dinkeaw consists of the garden of the Thai residence of Yai Khadpo and his family. Mr Khadpo’s mother requested that their garden be claimed by Austenasia; it has been annexed as a Crown Dependency, with Mr Khadpo appointed its Governing Commissioner.

Lord Edward Gunderson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, recently announced that Parliament would only consider urgent bills due to the pressures faced by its members relating to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The annexations were therefore made law by Imperial Decree, something which has not been done since an expansion of New Richmond in April 2015.

National Liberal Alliance established, forms coalition with Imperial Party

Lord John Gordon (left) and Duke Bradley (right), founders of the new National Liberal Alliance

As partisan politics sees a resurgence in Austenasian political culture, the National Liberal Alliance has been established by Lord John Gordon, Viscount of Thetford and HG Duke Bradley of Dullahan.

The National Liberal Alliance, or NLA, describes itself as a classical liberal and monarchist party. The NLA registered with the Secretary-General’s Office earlier today following weeks of deliberation between its founders. Lord Gordon, who currently serves as Representative of Palasia and has previously served as Deputy Prime Minister, was selected as the party’s first chairman. Duke Bradley, who currently serves as Minister of Defence, Princeps Senatus and Commissioner of the Border Enforcement Agency, has been named party secretary.

In the hours following the establishment of the NLA, talks were held between the party’s leadership and the Prime Minister Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy – Leader of the Imperial Party – in regards to the creation of a coalition between the two parties. A decision was reached, and the newly formed coalition now holds five out of eight Cabinet positions and three out of seven seats in the House of Representatives.

The establishment of the NLA follows the establishment of the Fatherland Party, a socially conservative organization, last month by Lord Dionisiy Tedzhan-Smahin, Count of West Frisia – the Representative of Theodosiopolis – and Lord Edward Gundersen, Count of New Grémmia – the Representative of Dragovina. The Fatherland Party currently holds two seats in the House of Representatives.

 

Dragovina annexed as a new Austenasian Town

An aerial view of Dragovina.

A new Town – Dragovina – was yesterday annexed to the Empire of Austenasia, increasing the number of Representatives in Parliament to seven.

Dragovina has a population of three, all of whom are Roman Catholic, and is bordered by the U.S. District of Columbia.

It is currently represented in Parliament by its founder, Lord Edward Gunderson, who although not a resident of the town itself lives within the requisite twenty five mile radius.

Dragovina consists of a residential property, along with its front and back gardens.

This most recent annexation – coming only a month after the next most recent Town to be claimed – has increased the Empire’s population to 87.