European Union

Inquista

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Regional update for the month of July, 2022

European Commission
Premier Commissioner Jean Claude Juncker (Spain)
Commissioner of Internal Affairs Kevin Cotilla (Leagio)
Commissioner of Foreign Affairs Antoni Reynels (Inquista)

European Council
Speaker Iras Tilkanas (Istkalen)
Deputy Speaker Nicholas Benfield (Inimicus)

European Court of Justice
Chief Justice Judy Scheindlin (United Duchies)
Justice Robert French (United Kingdom)
Justice Raymond Gauthier (Leagio)
Justice Dayo Mwangi (Elthize)
Justice Benjamin Steyn (Inimicus)

Commission Politics

Commission Elections Swept by Progressives
The thirty-second European Commission was elected on July 26th. Spaniard Jean Claude Juncker (European Progressive Alliance) was elected as Premier Commissioner with 77% of the vote, defeating Duchian opponent Calvin Kühnert (Independent). Leagioan Senator, Kevin Cotilla (European Progressive Alliance), was elected as Commissioner of Internal Affairs with 62% of the vote, defeating the incumbent Commissioner Ilmaras Kalessed of Istklaen (Party of the European Left). Inquistan Bishop, Antoni Reynels (European Progressive Alliance), ran unopposed for Commissioner of Foreign Affairs and was unanimously elected. The election marked the first time that EPA commissioners had been elected to office since 2020.

Sliding Into DMs
Outgoing Internal Affairs Commissioner Ilmaras Kalessed has overseen changes to the EU Commission App, which will allow European netizens to directly message any European politician, and will allow netizens to also directly comment on any proposed legislation.

Council Politics

European Agricultural Fund
The European Council is currently debating an act which seeks to create the European Agricultural Fund, which will provide economic assistance to workers of European farming and fishing industries. The proposal has been put forth by Premier Juncker, who promised region-wide subsidies for European farmers and fishers during his Commission campaign.

European Order of Merit Nomination
Commissioner Reynels has nominated Eurocorps Commander Vincent Drake of the Duxburian Union to the European Order of Merit for “his contributions to European security and global peace.” Commander Drake has served as Commander of the European Corps since its inception in 2020. The nomination is now up for Council debate.

European Central Bank Election
Premier Juncker has opened nominations for a new President of the European Central Bank. Candidates from the Unites Duchies, Istkalen, Spain, and Reitzmag have been nominated, and are currently making their cases for the ECB Presidency.

Constitutional Amendment
Councillor James Mizrachi-Roscoe of the United Duchies has proposed a new clause to the European Constitution that would prevent the EU from fining European companies more than 1% of their pre-tax profits for breaches of European law. Councillors are currently voting on the constitutional amendment, which looks likely to be defeated.

Repeal of the Elected and Accountable Council Act (EACA)
The Elected and Accountable Act, which at one point in time required all members of the European Council be directly elected by the people of their country of origin, is currently being voted on to be repealed. The repeal of the EACA seems very likely, following amendments made in March 2021 that weakened the legislation, only requiring member states with less than 12 months in the European Union to elect their Councillors.

Amendments to the Mental Health Act
Councillor James Mizrachi-Roscoe of United Duchies has proposed amendments to the European Mental Health Act, which would decentralize current mental health services away from the European Health Organization, and entrust them with relevant national organisations instead.

Council Safety Act is Rejected
A proposal made by Councillor Iras Tilkanas of Istkalen to increase the security of the European Council was defeated in a 6-3 vote against. The proposal sought to ban certain controlled substances, flammable materials, and weapons from the European Council, implement cushioned ceilings, walls and floors, restrict chamber furniture (including banning sharp-edges), and would have created restrictions for entering the site.

European Council Majority Increase Rejected
Then-Commissioner Kalessed proposed a constitutional amendment which would have raised the definition of a simple majority within the European Council from 55% of those present to 60% of those present. The proposal was unanimously defeated with 5 votes against.

European Neurodivergent and Disability Rights Act Amendment
Amendments proposed by Councillor James Mizrachi-Roscoe of the United Duchies, which aim to soften certain requirements of the European Neurodivergent and Disability Rights Act, were passed with only 2 votes for and 2 votes in abstention. The amendments allow for “reasonable adaptations” of the legislation’s mandates and requirements, and spell out situations where adaptations are exempt or not necessary.

European Court of Justice (ECoJ)

ECoJ Elections
July saw a new European Court of Justice elected alongside the new European Commission. Judy Scheindlin (United Duchies) was elected Chief Justice while Robert French (United Kingdom), Raymond Gauthier (Leagio), Dayo Mwangi (Elthize) and Benjamin Steyn (Inimicus) were all elected as Justices. Justice Judy Scheindlin is the first Chief Justice to serve from the United Duchies.

News From Around Europe

Jesus Never Dies
President Jesús Aguilar of Spain has won re-election as Spanish President, following six years of already being in power. President Aguilar and his Partido Popular won the Spanish general election in July with 264 seats, claiming a slim majority of 3 seats. The Partido Socialista followed with 121 seats, VOX with 40 seats, Sumar and the SNP with 18 seats each, Esquerra Republicana with 13 seats, Unidas Podemos with 12 seats, and minor parties claiming a handful of other seats. Spanish Senate elections saw a similar distribution pattern in their results. President Aguilar will now oversee his fourth cabinet.

You’ll Win With the Right Priorities
A general election in the United Kingdom saw the incumbent Tory government defeated and a Labour government elected in its place. As their first act in government, the new Starmer government successfully repealed the country’s Adult Video Law, giving its citizens greater access to explicit adult content.

Doing the Bare Minimum
The National Congress of Leagio introduced a federal minimum wage across the country, which stands at 11 Sulias an hour. Until now, minimum wages had only been set by state and territorial governments of Leagio.

EMU Ready to Fly in Elthize by 2024
President Greenwich Grimwald of Elthize has promised that his country will adopt the European Monetary Unit (EMU) as a currency no later than January 2024. The EMU currently serves as a currency of Spain, Inquista, the United Dominions of Icholasen, Fremet, Vayinaod, Montenbourg and Leagio.

Inquistan Center for Children Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too
The College of Bishops of Inquista have passed educational reforms that will streamline and expand mandatory subjects for Inquistan primary and secondary students. Changes to secondary education will, for example, see maths, at least one science, English, Latin or a modern foreign language, religion, and at least one art class become mandatory, with only two other subjects of personal choice being permitted per year. Previously, the only mandatory subjects in secondary school were English, Latin, and religion, with all other subjects being subjects of personal choice.

AeroDux and Easyjet: Our Flights Bring You Closer to Heaven
Flights have been restored to normal within the airspace of the United Duchies following a collision in June between an AeroDux A350 and an Easyjet Duchies A320 that left 492 passengers dead.

Soiled Soil Soiling Soil
The government of Istkalen implemented land measures that included the nationalization of non-urban land, and land value taxes that were levied on land users, which ultimately resulted in mass protest by farmers. The measures went on to be repealed, but not without creating a rift with the New Agrarians, who were expected to be included in the government of the country. Ilmaras Kalessed, who is now leader of the New Agrarians following her service within the European Commission, has remarked that "so long as this government stands, the farmer will not be at peace.”

Giving the People What They Want
Two referendums were held in Lusitania and Vettonia. The first referendum concerned decentralizing greater powers to local authorities, while the second referendum asked whether voters wanted to establish a monarchy for the country, which is currently a republic. In both cases, voters responded enthusiastically in the affirmative, giving royalists and local Neathian tribes (who’ve pushed for greater local autonomy) much to celebrate. The referendums follow a period of relative political instability, where the shaky government has barely managed to survive votes of no confidence. Protests continue to be ongoing in the country due to political strife.

The Untouchable Bald Head
The National Imperial Council of Inimicus is currently discussing a new constitutional amendment proposed by the Imperial Palace, which would prevent the Council from ever being able to impeach the Inimican Emperor. This proposed constitutional amendment comes after the Inimican House of Commons indefinitely dissolved itself in June, following a previously passed constitutional amendment that requires the Inimican lower house to only ever meet by the Emperor’s decree or by the Imperial Council’s request.

Delete Your Account, Czech Bot
Spam bots originating from Czech Slavia have taken over the cyberspace of Inimicus, flooding Inimican social media and social media user inboxes with spam. The intention of the spam bots are not clear, but an Inimican professor believes that the bot accounts are operated by "individuals paid or supported by organisations or official institutions in Czech Slavia”. It has not yet been made evident if the Czech spam bots intend to make use of the EU Commission App’s new direct messaging features.

Social Distancing Now in Effect
A new law approved in Gadalland and Aspern will ban all protests that have greater than 1,000 persons in any of the country’s major cities, greater municipalities and their suburbs.

Royal Retirement
King Jean IV of Ineland has stated his intention to abdicate as king of the country after 37 years on the throne. King Jean will be turning 70 years old in September, and has alluded to his health as being a principal factor in his abdication. The Inelandic King’s announcement marks the first time that a monarch has abdicated in the country’s modern history.

My, What A Big Nuke You Have
The government of Czech Slavia has confirmed that the Czech Armed Forces have successfully tested a nuclear weapon in the region of South Moravia. The nuclear test brought a successful end to Project Morana, the Czech nuclear weapons development program. Project Morana was announced after the European Nuclear Weapons Authority (ENAA) unanimously agreed to award Czech Slavia with a limited nuclear weapons license earlier in May of this year.

This regional update has been issued by the Commissioner of Foreign Affairs.