The Premiere (Spain - Brickston Summit)

[Spain]

[Spain]

Madrid, España
23rd August 2023

It was hot. Really hot. Unbearably hot. At 16:00, one hour before the summit began, it was 38 degrees celsius, and that was the temperature expected in Madrid until 20:00, when it would decrease a single degree. In fact, to be able to see a temperature under thirty degrees, the Madrileños would need to wait until 2:00, when the heat would decrease slightly to hit 28 degrees. The minimum temperature expected during the night was 23 degrees. Madrid was, as some might already have realised, going through the fourth heatwave of the summer.

The newly elected President of Spain, Jean-Claude Juncker, was not in the private pool of the Palacio de la Moncloa, fighting the heat. He was not in the private residence reserved for Spanish Presidents either, but his wife, Christiane, was. Then, a question arose for the few employees that were unlucky those days and had to work during the month of August: where was the boss? He was not far away: in the Consejo de Ministros building's first floor, where the office of the Prime Minister was located. He had the window opened and the air conditioning turned off, while sitting in front of his Foreign Affairs Minister, Esteban González Pons, with whom he was preparing the upcoming summit with Brickston.

Esteban was sweating, but Juncker seemed to deal with the heat pretty much fine. When Juncker was eating a chocolate muffin, Esteban decided it was time to ask: «Jean-Claude, can we turn the A/C on, please? I'm sweating, it's 38 degrees outside!» the Foreign Minister said. Juncker looked at him, swallowed the piece of muffin he had in his mouth and answered: «the Spanish people want us to be empathic with them, Esteban. What else are you thinking on rather than this? We are working with our window opened, this is a great opportunity to gain some extra votes: you take me a photo, we upload it to Twitter and that's it!». Esteban thought that Juncker had gone crazy, but decided to move on rather than going to jail for murdering the President.

Brickston was a nation that had never had a summit with Spain, and one of the few reasonable members of ECON, the nightmare that did not let Spanish Presidents sleep well. In fact, Juncker believed that Brickston was more "independent from the alliance" that other nations, and after the United Duchies and Yosai had decided, in the same day, to start new troubles; the summit was going to take place at the right time. There were a few things on the agenda, some of them already noted by the former President. Finally, Esteban and Jean-Claude finished the pre-summit briefing, and Juncker closed the window after Esteban took the photo and he posted the tweet. «Turn it on, I will be on the room we reserve for the post-Council of Ministers catering eating something else. Come if you wish. Will you be at the summit?», Juncker inquired. «I do not have the summit in my agenda, so with your permission, I am leaving. Good luck with your guest, Jean-Claude. Do not let your first national summit make you feel scared» Esteban answered. Now it was a matter of time for the invited delegation to arrive...

[Brickston]

Berchtesgaden Airfield, Berchtesgaden, Brickland
23rd August, 2023

A typical Briekish Midlands summer afternoon. Chilly, yet overshadowed by the bright sun that did nothing to pacify the cold. Despite it being 13:00. The village of Berchtesgaden, having less than 100 inhabitants, had been insignificant until the airfield was built, specially for Presidential visits. The moment for it to shine had come, for President Lavoie was to be flown from there for a summer escape to Spain. The Presidential Plane, a new model modified by the Royal Air Force themselves, arrived at the airfield, waiting for the President's arrival.

Spain, much to the President's liking, had a particularly hot climate at that moment. He also sometimes considered Spain as his second home, perhaps understandable considering his roots were slightly Spanish, and he had a lot of friends and relatives there. He thus made elaborate plans for the summit to contribute on Brickston's part.

The Presidential car finally arrived at the airfield, with the President looking quite exceptionally delighted. Marchel, the Foreign Minister, immediately stepped out of the car and headed to the seating area, where many of the ministers attending were. President Lavoie meanwhile, read the Briekish Times newspaper, where the front page was predominantly an optimistic view about the summit, for which the President was glad.

Marchel was busy wandering about with many prominent ministers of the Finance Department, was interrupted amid a conversation regarding the reduction of tariffs for Spanish imports, by the President.

"It's time to go," said the President, following which they were escorted to the Presidential Plane which was to reach Madrid by 15:00. Marchel struggled with his 5 suitcases, for all "just in case" situations.

As the plane began its ascent to the skies, the President turned on the in-flight entertainment and waited for his arrival. Marchel meanwhile, to keep the tension low, decided to speak with the crew about his favourite Spanish restaurant in Portovo. It was only a matter of time before they arrived...