IT - Inquista Today (News)
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Antoni Reynels Wins By-Election; Secretariat Reshuffled
October 1, 2021
Newly-elected Antoni Reynels will be part of the Church SecretariatAntoni Reynels has been duly elected as Bishop of Grand Canal-Pavilion following the by-election in the diocese today. Reynels was elected with 40.6% of the vote, besting the Liberationist-backed candidate who garnered 33.5% of the vote, and a Traditionalist-aligned candidate who received 25.9% of the vote. The diocese, which was vacated by Bishop Mattio Huezdron of the Liberationist bloc earlier in July, has always been considered a marginal and battle-ground diocese, but has been represented by the Liberationist bloc (and the former Green Inquista) since 2010.
Reynels' by-election victory marks good tidings for Archbishop Mikaela Kligenberg and for the Reformists, who have not only won the first by-election since the 2020 ecclesiastical election, but have also further increased their majority by one. This victory will likely be interpreted as a resounding affirmation of the Archbishop's administartion, and the overall direction in which the country and the Church have been going since last year.
The victory has also dealt a blow to the Liberationist bloc, who not only lost a seat, but were also hoping to ride the momentum of the sweeping PEL victories that took place during the most recent European elections. Liberationist leader Bishop Karinn Lallana was elected to the European Council, and has since gained further public and political attention, which many hoped would bring further popularity to her bloc. Despite this, the Liberationists have been setback.
With that said, few analysts are surprised by the outcome of this by-election. Antoni Reynels, the former European Foreign Affairs Commissioner and High Commissioner to Icholasen, was considered a star candidate, and the diocese has always been politically marginal. Reynels, who is a career diplomat with experience in positions across Europe, was a staunch ally of Chief Secretary Firoux in Europolis, which has made him naturally popular amongs liberals and pro-Europeans. Simultaneously, Reynels is the brother-in-law of Bishop JennaMarelle Johnson, who is considered the most progressive bishop of the Reformist bloc, and is known to have a close bipartisan working relationship with Bishop Lallana and the Liberationist bishops. Bishop Johnson spent much of the by-election campaign glued to Reynels' hip, and Reynels positioned himself as a more progressive candidate, which seems to have allowed him to gain the support of enough progressives that he was able to beat his Liberationist opponent.
Controversy erupted, however, as Reynels was announced as a member of the Church Secretariat before he was officially acclaimed as the winner of the by-election. Once polls closed, the Archbishop announced that she had reshuffled her cabinet, and had named Reynels to the Secretariat, which promptly angered Reynels' election opponents and their supporters. Bishop Karinn Lallana congratulated Reynels on his appointment, but remarked to reporters that "this smug and arrogant political stunt is a terrible reflection of our Church leadership, and it is a poor reflection of our democracy, where decisions are made before people have even had their voices heard."
Reynels will take over the double-duty portfolio of Secretary of Trade as well as Secretary of International Aid and Development, which were positions held by his sister-in-law Bishop JennaMarelle Johnson, who has been promoted to Secretary of Defence. General Juan-Bernardo Fernandez-Velasquez has been sacked from his post as Secretary of Defence, likely due to his public infidelity to his fiancée, the Archbishop, and due to the newly reinforced influece of Chief Secretary Firoux, who has openly and consistently opposed the former Secretary's inclusion in Church governance.
Air Marshal Hariett Copala has also been sacked from her post, and known Firoux-ally Flavia Hershal has been named as the succeeding Secretary of Justice and High Inquisitor of Inquista. Chief Secretary Firoux has also openly and consistently opposed the Air Marshal's inclusion in the Secretariat, and has been a vocal critic of hers since the Inquistan intervention in Reitzmag.
Bishop Dante Gavros, the older brother of Bishop Dacien Gavros, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, has been named as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Bishop Belina Ochron joins the Secretariat as the new Secretary of Science, Industry and Innovation. Excluding the Archbishop, the new Secretariat consists of 10 men and 10 women, once again rounding out the cabinet with gender-parity.
Bishop JennaMarelle Johnson's appointment to Secretary of Defence has come as somewhat of a surprise to many political commentators. Bishop Johnson is known as a "peace dove" in Inquistan and European politics, and has been outspoken in her anti-war, anti-violence and anti-nuclear views. As the former European Commissioner for Defence and Peacekeeping, Bishop Johnsn caused a stir when she joined forces with Chief Secretary Firoux to succefsully place a moratorium on nuclear weapons production across Europe. The Bishop Secretary also habitually criticised all of Archbishop Craticus' foreign interventions, even including his popular intervention in the Western Sahara.
Most notably, however, of all Reformists bishops, Bishop Johnson is seen as the most sympathetic to the UNSR, and has also criticised the Church's own ongoing arms race with the regime. This appointment perhaps marks an end to the Church's containment policy towards the UNSR, and an end to the arms race with the country.
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Inquistan Orthodox Church Affirms Copala City as Part of Reitzmag
October 8, 2021
The Archbishop has made the Church's position on Copala City clearIn a statement issued by the State Secretariat, the Archbishop and the Inquistan Orthodox Church have reiterated their commitments to the Nyetthem Accords, and have strongly asserted their belief that Copala City is an "unequivocal part of Reitzmag." The Secretariat's statement further cautioned "against any extremist ideologies which purport Copalan independence or irredentism, and condemns foreign actors who intend to make a mockery of Copala City's status in Reitzmag, who, by extension, make a mockery of the Inquistan Orthodox Church."
The statement and stance taken by the Inquistan Orthodox Church follows prolonged political impasses concerning Copala City, which include a controversial declaration of independence, various instances of violence, and an exodus to Anastasia City. Considering the nature of Copala City's founding, and the fact that a majority of city residents are Inquistan Orthodox themselves, it's no surprise that the Archbishop would eventually have to come to a public position.
The Archbishop has avoided any and all political controversy surrounding Copalan politics for many months, but the reports of violence in the aftermath of the Anastasian exodus reportedly left the Archbishop, and especially the Chief Bishop Secretary, feeling disappointed and disheartened. The statement likely serves as an attempt to cool down the politics of the city, as the majority of Inquistan Orthodox residents, who now make up the vast majority of the city population following the exit of many Nicoleizians and Istkaleners, will likely adopt and head the Church's position, thus bringing all notions of independence and further political agitation within the city to an end.
Archbishop Kligenberg reportedly spoke to Reitzmic Prime Minister Simon Bridges on the matter, and the two have agreed to a formal meeting to discuss Copala City in November. The State Secretariat also made it be known that the College of Bishops would soon be discussing and examining a new and larger investment and development package for the city, and will even be discussing the possibility of providing stimulus payments to city residents impacted by the recent violence and turbulence.
In another statement, the Archbishop also stated that she would like to discuss the occupation of Istkalen with the Reitzmic Prime Minister, as the Inquistan Orthodox Church has already condemned Reitzmic occupation of the country as imperialist, and that she would be looking to see a peaceful withdrawal of non-EU Council backed forces as soon as possible.
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Archbishop Kligenberg's SECRET ENGAGEMENT Revealed Following SHOCKING ROBBERY of Atlantis Jewel
Article by Kathy Vickers
November 1, 2021
ENGAGEMENT ALREADY AT A ROCKY START: Archbishop Mikaela Kligenberg (L) announced that she's engaged, but her engagement ring, which contains the Jewel of Atlantis (R), has been stolenThe Archbishop's Palace made a blindsiding announcement today, stating that the Archbishop has recently become engaged unbeknownst to the public, but that her engagement ring has now been stolen. The Archbishop last wore the ring to a Halloween party over the weekend, where it suddenly went missing from the Archbishop's finger without her noticing. Inquistan police are currently investigating the matter, and the Archbishop has offered a private sum of money for the return of the ring.
The Archbishop's Palace did not name the individual who the Archbishop is engaged to, but insider sources claim that person to be Tomáš Krejčí, a mining machine operator from Czech Slavia. Krejčí is believed to be from the town of Lišov, Czech Slavia, which is located near a rare earth metal mine. Insider sources claim that the Archbishop met Krejčí when she toured the Lišov mine alongside President Albína Reiserová when she visited the country in February. It is claimed that the Archbishop tripped while touring the facility, where she was caught by Krejčí, who saved her from falling on the ground. The Archbishop supposedly dropped her phone while she tripped, and the phone was later returned to the Archbishop by Krejčí shortly before she left Czech Slavia, which led to the two exchanging phone numbers, and the two have been said to be in constant communication since.
RARE EARTH METAL DIGGER: The Archbishop's unnamed fiancée is said to be Tomáš Krejčí, a Czech miner of a modest background, who is marrying way beyond his own means or leagueKrejčí was last spotted in Inquista three weeks ago, when he attended the Archbishop's 39th birthday on October 12th. Sources claim this is when the Archbishop and Krejčí became engaged. Insider sources claim that the Archbishop's close friends and family heavily disapprove of the engagement, as Krejčí's family are said to be "literal peasants", and worry that the Archbishop is being married to for her wealth, which the Kligenberg family is especially concerned about following the the scandal of her previous engagement. Despite this, sources claim that Krejčí is not a suspect of the robbery, as he left Inquista to return to his work at the Lišov mine on the 13th of October.
The stolen ring features a sapphire jewel known as the Jewel of Atlantis. The 86.45 carat sapphire was discovered by archaeologists who explored the the underwater ruins of Atlantis, who found the jewel locked within a golden chest in the ruins of what seemed to be a throne room. The Archbishop reportedly paid Ꮠ6 million for the jewel. The Archbishop had the Jewel of Atlantis fashioned into a ring, and told insider sources she would gift the ring to any future would-be-fiancé, who in turn would have to use it when proposing to her.
The Archbishop was spotted attending a Halloween party on the weekend wearing the ring, where was seen dressed as a "slutty bishop". Police are currently questioning all those who attended the party. Anyone who might have any information on the whereabouts of the ring are being advised to contact the Inquistan police.
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Silas Kligenberg: "Czech Opposition Parties Trying to Destabilise Europe"
November 13, 2021
Bishop Secretary Silas Kligenberg made his opinion known to the Czech EmbassySilas Kligenberg, Inquista's Bishop Secretary for the Economy and Treasury, lodged an official complaint to the embassy of Czech Slavia today, alleging that the opposition parties in Czech Slavia were attempting to "destabilise Europe", and in particular, Inquista. The Bishop Secretary requested that the government of Czech Slavia discipline these parties appropriately.
The complaint follows an incident on Friday, where members of an organization known as Češi za svobodu heckled the Bishop Secretary during a press briefing. Češi za svobodu is a civic and émigré organisation for Czechs living in Inquista, and the organisation holds considerable political sway over Inquista's Czech immigrant community. Opinion polling has consistently shown that many Czech immigrants in Inquista maintain a very unfavourable view of the current Czech government, its ruling party, and especially President Reiserová. Češi za svobodu has staged various protests, rallies, and leaflet campaigns throughout Saint Dominico in the last two weeks, where they have denounced and deemed the recent elections in Czech Slavia as fraudulent, and have cried out against the upcoming referendum in which President Reiserová will likely be made president for life. The group seeks to have Inquistan leaders and the Inquistan Orthodox Church publicly condemn these latest developments in Czech Slavia, and reverse Inquista's course of maintaining positive relations with the country.
Bishop Secretary Kligenberg did not react to the hecklers kindly, and swiftly had members of his security detail remove them from his press conference. Bishop Secretary Kligenberg went on to point out that Češi za svobodu had endorsed various political opposition parties in Czech Slavia during the recent elections, namely the AIMCD, the PDL, and the Green Party, and that it recently celebrated the re-registration of the Czech National Democracy party. The Bishop Secretary slammed Češi za svobodu for "acting as international agents and agitators on behalf of foreign entities," and branded them as "mouthpieces and puppets" of Czech opposition parties, which he then told to "focus on Czech affairs, not Inquistan affairs."
The Bishop Secretary then promptly lodged his complaint to the Czech embassy, where he stated that "Czech Opposition parties are trying to destabilise Europe", and alleged that the country's opposition parties are trying to influence the rest of Europe against Czech Slavia using organisations such as Češi za svobodu. Bishop Secretary Kligenberg went on to ask the government of Czech Slavia to "please deal with the agitators before they create an international incident or resort to extremism, which will inevitably lead down to a path of terrorism."
Chief Secretary Edward Firoux was quick to play down Bishop Secretary Kligenberg's complaint, and instead released a statement of his own in which he emphasized that Inquista is a country in which every person is entitled to the right to protest and participate in free political discourse. Chief Secretary Firoux reiterated that the Inquistan Orthodox Church holds no positions on internal Czech political issues, but that he welcomes Češi za svobodu and any other organisation to exercise their democratic rights and freedoms in Inquista.
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Inquista and Czech Slavia Solidify Alliance; Reiserová Awarded Highest Inquistan Honour
March 25, 2022
Archbishop Kligenberg and President Reiserová pose inside an Inimican nuclear arsenalIt has been announced that Inquista and Czech Slavia have agreed to form an alliance between their respective states, which will also include a defensive-pact agreement. In a statement released by the State Secretariat of Inquista, a vow was made that the "Most Blessed State of Inquista stands ready to the defend the Czech motherland and her people against any and all threats which may threaten their sovereign lands". In return, Inquista will expect Czech Slavia to protect Saint Dominico and Inquistans all the same.
The announcement of the alliance was made a mere hour after the ENAA delivered a verdict in which it agreed to award Czech Slavia with a limited nuclear weapons license, and a maximum ceiling of 200 nuclear warheads. Coincidentally, Archbishop Kligenberg, who sits on the ENAA, delivered the verdict.
Keen followers of Archbishop Kligenberg's Instagram account have pointed to a post that was made earlier in the year, where the Archbishop appears to pose inside of an Inimican nuclear arsenal with the Czech President. Inquistan political commentators have now speculated that the the alliance, as well as Czech Slavia's nuclear ambitions, have been a long contrived plan. Thus, some commentators have criticised the Archbishop for not appearing impartial while on the ENAA, while others have criticised the Archbishop for seemingly supporting nuclear proliferation, despite the Archbishop's and Inquistan Orthodox Church's strong stances against nuclear weapons.
Others, however, have welcomed the alliance with Czech Slavia. Inquista and Czech Slavia have already made agreements on several areas of cooperation, and even signed a formal declaration of friendship last year, in which the bond between Inquista and Czech Slavia was described as being an "unbreakable sisterhood". This alliance seems like a natural continuation of the deepening bonds between Inquista and Czech Slavia, which have blossomed under the watchful eyes of Archbishop Kligenberg and President Reiserová.
Unsurprising, then, that it has also been announced that President Reiserová will be awarded with the Order of Inquista, which is the highest civil and secular honour that can be awarded by the Inquistan Orthodox Church. President Reiserová will receive the honour from Archbishop Kligenberg herself, and will be inducted into an extremely small and exclusive hall of honorees.
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Archbishop Mikaela Kligenberg Adopts Two More Children
May 4, 2022
The Archbishop's Palace announced the adoptions todayThe Archbishop's Palace has announced that Archbishop Mikaela Kligenberg has adopted two more children today.
The first of the new adoptees, a boy now-named named Tyceon, has been adopted from Nofoaga. According to the statement released by the Archbishop's Palace, Tyceon was born shortly before the volcanic disaster that destroyed much of the Nofoagan island in 2021, which led to him becoming an orphan. According to the adoption papers obtained from Tyceon's orphanage in Nofoaga, he is 14 months old, and is of mixed Black-Nofoagan background. Tyceon's birthname has been redacted in the released adoption papers.
The second new adoptee, Cyran, also a boy, is of Sahrawi background. According to Cyran's orphanage, Cyran was born to a Sahrawi war-widow in the Sahrawi Union, who fled to Inquista as a refugee in late 2019. Cyran became an orphan shortly after, when his birth mother passed away from an undisclosed illness in a refugee transition centre. According to Cyran's refugee claim, his birthdate is unknown and is simply listed as January 1st, but he is believed to be born in early 2019, and is 3 years old. The Archbishop and her fiancé were spotted visiting Cyran's orphanage several weeks ago.
The Archbishop's two new sons join her growing family, which includes her first adopted child, her daughter Alexandria, who is now 7 years old. The Archbishop adopted Alexandria in her capacity as her godmother when Alexandria's birthparents passed away in 2020, which at the time also required amendments to the Fundamental Laws of the Inquistan Orthodox Church, which previously prevented the Archbishop from having children, including adopted children, without being married.
The Archbishop has promoted adoption and concepts of a non-nuclear family throughout her time as Archbishop. Archbishop Kligenberg has spoken publicly many times in favour of adoption as a legitimate form of parenthood and against stigmas surrounding the practice. The process of adopting children has been greatly eased by the current Church administration, which has made substantial effort to simplify adoption regulations. Adopting children abroad, which was previously made almost impossible by Archbishop Cratius, has beeen equalised alongside local adoptions laws. Since legalising same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples in 2020, the Archbishop and the Church have also marketed adoption to the LGBTQ community as a means to parenthood.
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Inquista Passes Significant Education Reforms; Dashes Craticist Policies
July 29, 2022
Hope Mission Secondary School in Saint DominicoThe College of Bishops has passed very drastic educational reforms, which will alter primary and secondary school curriculums and scholastic approaches. The new education reforms, which are informed by "evidence-based educational outcomes", will notably streamline and expand mandatory subjects that all students will have to learn, thereby limiting their subject choices, but ultimately lead to what is being described as "comprehensive and well-rounded" educations.
Currently, the only mandatory classes in Inquistan secondary education (Grade 9 to 12) are English, Latin, and religion, which must be taken each year, with all other classes being subjects of choice made by individual students (with 8 subjects being taken each year, divided by 2 semesters). In Inquistan primary education (junior school from Grade 1 to 4, and middle school from Grade 5 to 8), mandatory classes include general science, maths, social studies (history and geography), English, Latin, religion, physical education, with only one additional subject chosen by personal choice (7 classes are taken year-round, with Latin and the option class alternating every other day).
Changes to secondary education will see maths, at least one science (of biology, chemistry, and physics), English, Latin or a modern foreign language, religion, and an art class (theatre, dance, choir, band, visual arts, graphic design, or fashion) becoming mandatory, with only two other subjects of personal choice being permitted per year. Primary education will become completely streamlined, following the same mandatory subjects as previous, but a choice of a modern foreign language will also become an alternative to Latin, and the one subject class will have to be an art class (primary art choices will only be limited to theatre, dance, choir, band, and visual arts).
Additionally, a 'homeroom' class will take place once a week before normal school time begins for the duration of primary and secondary school. In primary school, homeroom will primarily focus on free time for students to cultivate personal interests of their choice, build social relationships with other students, play games, and participate in activities that promote communal engagement and leadership. Starting in middle school (Grade 5), homeroom will also begin teaching sexual education (currently being taught in physical education class). In secondary education, homeroom will shift focus towards cultivating life skills and preparing students for life outside of the classroom, teaching students personal accounting and bookkeeping, home economics, career and further educational planning (for example, resume writing and interviewing workshops), advanced sexual education, and so on.
Furthermore, starting in middle school and continuous throughout secondary education, students will also be expected to enroll in at least one school-related extracurricular activity or club, such as a social or special interest club, a club relating to their art subject(s), or a competitive sport.
The reforms follow a 2-year long consultation and review process, which was launched shortly after Archbishop Kligenberg appointed her Church Secretariat. The Bishop Secretary of Education, Bishop Audrey Eaton, has spearheaded what she describes as "a thorough and extensive reworking of primary and secondary education, which was moulded by an exhaustive consultation of parents, educators, Inquistan education scholars and even leading international education experts from across Europe."
According to Bishop Secretary Eaton, the reforms are predominantly aimed at ensuring that Inquistan students develop "a wider and more comprehensive knowledge base and skillset, rather than a deeper and more specialist knowledge base and skillset. It's important that Inquistan graduates leave school with advanced Grade 12-level maths and numeracy skills, at least one science, and literacy and language skills, rather than allowing students to typically specialise and corner themselves in just mostly science, or humanities, or simply art-related classes."
The Bishop Secretary also emphasised the importance of the homeroom class, involving students in extracurricular activities, and in making at least one art class mandatory.
"Education isn't simply about informing and teaching students about their specific class subjects, but it's also about preparing students for life outside of the classroom. It's important that we set them up with skills that will prepare them for the 'real world', and it's important that they leave school feeling ready to tackle their adulthood. It's also important that they feel engaged as socially-involved members of their community, and that they also foster interests besides just school, with the chance to develop their creative talents. Creative talents are just as transferable as any other scholastic skill. Inquistan education isn't just seeking to develop scholars, it’s looking to help build fully-formed individuals, who also happen to be creatives and athletes."
More controversially, however, are reforms that will be softening Craticist-era educational policies, namely changes to the science curriculums, sexual education, and Latin classes.
Inquistan science curriculums have been lambasted by the Inquistan scientific community as only "roughly based on actual science", taking aim at Archbishop Craticus' implementation of a syncretic approach to science that prioritised traditional religious and moral teachings over the scientific consensus, namely including teaching theories of creationism in further depth than theories of evolution in science classes. The new science curriculums, however, scrap this syncretic approach, and only include evolution and "evidence-based and scientifically proven information" in courses, and explicitly omit the teaching of creationism within science classrooms. Creationism shall still be taught in religion classes, but "in a way that is congruent with evolution and in a way that is generally scientifically coherent."
Archbishop Mikaela Kligenberg moved to have the Inquistan Orthodox Church both acknowledge and accept evolution as the leading theory behind human development, but acknowledged that "evolution is a process that is only possible and originated with God's creation". Similarly, theories surrounding man-made contributions to climate change, acknowledged as a 'climate crisis' by the Archbishop and her Secretariat, will be included in science classrooms. The Secretariat for Environment and Climate Change earlier acknowledged in 2020 that "while Earth's climate has had historic heating and cooling periods, the current climate emergency has most certainly been forcefully exacerbated and very powerfully impacted by human activities."
"Inquista's school curriculums will be completely evidence-based and will teach precisely what the current and leading scientific consensus says," Bishop Secretary Eaton emphasised, which will also include sexual education.
Sexual education will start being taught in Grade 5, rather than in Grade 7, and will be explored in much further depth. Crucially, these classes will also be informed by the current scientific consensus, particularly surrounding contemporary understandings of sexual and gender identity expressions. Bishop Secretary Eaton further added that the new sexual education classes will be "completely comprehensive, and will be both inclusive of and relevant to those of a minority sexual or gender expression, who are currently being failed by sexual education systems. The Inquistan Orthodox Church maintains committed to equality in all facets of life, which includes education and health. The Church also maintains that LGBTQ people are made in God's image, and are equally worthy of living healthy and prosperous lives as anyone else."
Latin, Inquista's second official language, was introduced as a mandatory subject which all students had to take throughout their primary and secondary school years by Archbishop Craticus. The educational reforms now allow students to take a modern foreign language instead as an alternative of Latin if they so wish. Current popular foreign languages taken by students primarily consist of Spanish, Czech and Nicoleizian, but with these reforms, the Education Secretariat is hoping to see Inquistan students also learn other relevant foreign languages, such as French, Hassaniya (Sahrawi) Arabic and Hellenic.
With the reforms now passing the College of Bishops, they will take effect in the upcoming school new year, which begins on September 5th.
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Inquistan Orthodox Church Sidesteps Czech Nationalization Fears as Ecclesiastical Elections Loom
April 5, 2023
Bishop Secretary Silas Kligenberg has bullishly advocated for Inquistan-Czech economic tiesThe College of Bishops sat in its final legislative session today before being dissolved tomorrow in preparation of Good Friday and the remainder of the Easter season. Campaigning for ecclesiastical elections, currently scheduled in May, will follow the Easter season, and is top of mind for many Inquistans. The recent announcement that Czech Slavia will be nationalizing all foreign assets in their country, with the exception of Inquistan, Yosainese, and Briekish assets, has thrown an early wrench into Inquistan election discourse, and has punctuated the last day of the College’s legislative session.
The Inquistan business community has naturally reacted rather anxiously, calling for Bishop Secretary Silas Kligenberg to intervene to save Inquistan assets, which remain on the line to be nationalized pending a deal with the Czech President for Life. The Inquistan Chamber of Commerce has denounced the effects the Czech nationalizations may have on international markets.
Bishop Secretary Kligenberg, who is the Bishop Secretary of the Treasury and Economy, the CFO of Kligenberg Industries, and considered an inside ally of the Inquistan Chamber of Commerce, has so far chosen to completely downplay the nationalization of foreign assets in Czech Slavia. The Bishop Secretary stated that he would indeed meet with the Czech President for Life to discuss a deal, but has framed the exemption of Inquistan assets from the immediate Czech nationalization strategy as a victory, has credited himself and the Archbishop for that exemption, and has opted to flatter the Czech President for Life.
“Czech Slavia and Inquista are strong economic partners and allies. Czech Slavia is free to pursue its best economic interests, just as Inquista does, and rather wisely, the best interest for both countries is continued cooperation. Her Holiness and I have always championed Inquistan economic interest and Inquistan-Czech cooperation, and we are now seeing the success of those endeavours. Inquistans have the Archbishop to thank that their assets in the Democratic Republic will not yet be nationalized. This is a win for Inquistan consumers and businesses, who have nothing to worry about, as the Czech President for Life is a very capable and intelligent lady – with a great smile, people aren’t talking about her cute smile enough – who values Inquistan partnership. We will no doubt reach a win-win deal for Inquistans and Czechs, as we always do.”
The Archbishop and Bishop Secretary’s closeness with the Czech President for Life is under deep scrutiny and has evoked mixed and divisive reactions from the Inquistan public. Those mixed reactions are only becoming more complicated, as the Inquistan-Czech relationship has bore fruit for Inquistans in some instances, but has also put the Inquistan Orthodox Church in a precarious position of supporting a government that is pursuing a doctrine of Socialist Republicanism. Critics of the Archbishop are likely to use these recent developments in Czech Slavia as a lightning-rod issue in the coming election.
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Chief Secretary Edward Firoux Announces Retirement; Will Not Run for Re-election
April 13, 2023
An end of an era for Inquista's foremost figure of liberal orthodoxyIn a surprise announcement made at an impromptu press briefing, Chief Secretary Edward Firoux has announced that he will not be seeking re-election in the upcoming ecclesiastical elections. The Chief Secretary also announced that he will retire from politics to spend more time with his wife, former European Premier Gisela Stuart-Firoux. The Chief Secretary further elaborated on his reasoning, citing that “more than a decade of relentless public scrutiny” has taken a toll on his personal life and marriage, and stated that he has “accomplished much of what he has sought out to do” as a public servant.
This announcement will shake up the coming ecclesiastical elections and will offer both boons and setbacks for all theological blocs within the College of Bishops. Chief Secretary Firoux is widely seen as the most polarizing figure within Inquista’s current political climate, but is also largely regarded as the most effective and shrewd legislator and political operator. While critics often invoke the Chief Secretary as a political boogeyman, he also acts as a shield for his allies, absorbing much of the public’s criticisms. Opponents will now have to find new political boogeymen to vilify, who are less likely to be effective targets, while allies will now have to defend for themselves, which many have little experience of doing.
The Chief Secretary began his public service journey as a career diplomat within Inquista’s Foreign Service. After establishing himself as renowned technocrat within the foreign service, Firoux was eventually named as Inquista’s Ambassador to Halsberg upon Halsberg’s entry into the European Union in 2010. Firoux rose to international prominence when he successfully persuaded the government of Halsberg not to intervene in Inquista’s decision to force the independence of the Sahrawi Union from Marrakechia. Firoux broke from public service convention by then openly criticizing his own government, taking aim at Archbishop Craticus for escalating tensions and conflict in the Western Sahara. Firoux’s criticisms of the Archbishop’s militarization spring-boarded his political career, as he then announced his intention to run for Inquista’s seat on the European Council, which he ended up winning in a great political upset.
Firoux served on the European Council from 2013 to 2021, and as Council Speaker from 2019 to 2021. Firoux’s storied European Council career was notable for his extensive achievements in advancing human rights and expanding the UDoHR, creating new environmental protections, and most controversially, at one point placing a moratorium on the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Firoux received widespread criticism for using his position as a European Councillor to intervene in national politics of Inquista, such as when he legislated equal marriage rights for same-sex couples in the backdrop of Archbishop Craticus’ defence of heterosexual-only marriage. When Archbishop Craticus and his allies held a super-majority within the College of Bishops, Firoux emerged as his only political threat while in Europolis.
Firoux officially entered Inquistan national politics proper when he was elected as the leader of the Christian League, the largest opposing political party in Inquista at the time in 2019. Political parties were shortly disbanded thereafter, and Archbishop Craticus passed a law that barred non-Bishops from leading any newly formed theological blocs. Political tensions came to a head in 2020 when Archbishop Craticus recalled Firoux from his position as Councillor for Inquista. In the ecclesiastical elections that ensued the revolution, Firoux was seen as the popular favourite to become Archbishop, but very narrowly lost that vote when all of his political opponents banded together to support the second favourite of his political camp, Mikaela Kligenberg, to become the Archbishop.
Despite not being named Archbishop, Firoux used his significant influence within the Reformist Bloc to leverage a position as the Archbishop’s Chief Bishop Secretary, in which he has effectively been made the head of government in all but name. The Archbishop has delegated virtually all legislative responsibilities to the Chief Secretary while she has focuses on matters relating to that of a head of state. As a result, the Chief Secretary has been the architect of much of the Archbishop’s legislative agenda and has had an omnipresent hand in the legislative proposals that have passed through the College of Bishops during the Archbishop’s tenure. The Chief Secretary is considered the engineer behind much of the Church’s sweeping liberalization of social doctrines since 2020 and was a key figure in pushing for the Sahrawi Union to be released as a protectorate of Inquista.
It has been publicly known, however, that there are significant political differences and tensions between the Chief Secretary and the Archbishop’s cousin, Bishop Secretary Silas Kligenberg. The Chief Secretary has acted as a sobering and moderating force against Secretary Kligenberg’s influence, and the Chief Secretary has had to on several occasions either contradict or dismiss statements and positions put forward by Secretary Kligenberg. Political insiders and former Secretariat staff have reported that the Chief Secretary has more than once attempted to persuade the Archbishop to demote her own cousin and has consistently raised objections to governmental contracts that Secretary Kligenberg has awarded to his own businesses or business associates in his role as Bishop Secretary for the Treasury and Economy. The Chief Secretary, an avowed anti-nuclear weapons dove, was also reported to have been perplexed with the Archbishop’s perceived push for the nuclear arming of Czech Slavia and her approval of the country’s ENAA application. Divergences between the Firouxian and Kligenbergist camps have been mounting, which may have perhaps contributed to the Chief Secretary’s decision to bow out of politics before those political lines become irreconcilable and fully rupture.
The Chief Secretary’s announcement now leaves a void within the Reformist Bloc. Ambitious allies may be less willing to be team players and could potentially displace Archbishop Kligenberg as the favoured Reformist-aligned nominee for Archbishop. It also begs the question as to who will take on the role as the new Chief Secretary and lieutenant to the Archbishop if she is re-elected.
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Archbishop Kligenberg Dresses Populism in Pink as She Announces Doctrine of ‘New Public Prosperity’ at Campaign Launch
April 15, 2023
The Archbishop has ignited a pink political waveWith the College of Bishops now dissolved and an election date fixed in May, ecclesiastical election campaigns are officially underway. Archbishop Kligenberg announced her candidacy for re-election as the Bishop for Eamony, but is also making her case to be re-elected as the Archbishop of Inquista, building support from the public and other potential bishops to support her candidacy. Bishops will elect an Archbishop amongst themselves when the College of Bishops first convenes following the ecclesiastical elections. The College of Bishops does not allow for political parties, and instead, bishops loosely organize themselves among theological blocs, and are free to individually vote for any bishop to become Archbishop.
At the Archbishop’s campaign launch event, a sea of pink-clad supporters came armed to the teeth with pink flags, pink balloons, and other pink pieces of merchandise to display their continuing loyalty. Fight For This Love and other popular songs from the Archbishop’s discography blasted over loudspeakers while supporters organised themselves in an enthusiastically warm and excited manner that was quite characteristic of the Archbishop herself.
Archbishop Kligenberg took to the stage and unveiled an election platform that has positioned herself as a populist candidate. A political chameleon, the Archbishop has seemingly made a very significant pivot in her political positioning – not that it was ever steadfast to begin with – by announcing a doctrine of ‘New Public Prosperity’ at the launch.
The term New Public Prosperity has not been defined itself, but it appears to be characterised by the introduction of many new public enterprises and very significant investments in public education, healthcare and social services. An outline of the Archbishop’s proposed New Public Prosperity initiatives and their details have been published online on the Archbishop’s campaign manifesto, which is appropriately named the Pink Platform.
New Public Prosperity calls for the creation and introduction of several dozens of new Church-owned commercial enterprises, dubbed as ‘Public Prosperity Corporations’, in many different critical sectors of the Inquistan economy, which, for example, include the creation of Inquista Post and Inquista Telecommunications. The purpose of Public Prosperity Corporations are to provide low-cost public commercial services to Inquistans and other enterprises in important sectors of the Inquistan economy, and to compete in those sectors to provide more accessible and affordable services to the public, and to make those sectors even more competitive. The range of identified economic sectors are diverse, and even point to the creation of Church-owned technology companies such as a proposed internet security corporation. New Public Prosperity Corporations are also pledged to be carbon-neutral and are to act as leaders in incentivizing more widespread environmental sustainability. Additionally, it was outlined that the Church would buy several existing private corporations, such as the Inquistan Broadcasting Corporation, Inquista Airways, and Inquistan Railways, bringing them under the public fold.
The creation of these Church-owned enterprises would be met with massive new spending injections in education, healthcare, and social services. The Archbishop has already passed reforms strengthening Inquista’s primary and secondary educational curriculums, but made vows today to make Inquistan Orthodox schools “world leaders” in primary and secondary education outcomes. The Archbishop also pledged to increase funding for Inquistan Orthodox Schools abroad to meet the needs of international Inquistan Orthodox communities.
The Archbishop is looking to boost her signature policy of free hair and body care (free publicly funded gyms and salons), but has now also pledged to provide publicly available dentistry, optometry and dietician services. The Archbishop has also pledged hefty new funding for existing healthcare services, including to mental health services and addiction services, the latter of which have already received significant new funding following the decriminalization of drugs.
The Pink Platform also promises large investments in many areas of social services, including child welfare, disability assistance, domestic and family violence services, and has promised new Church-funded public childcare. The Archbishop has made much of her own status as a single mother, which included amending the Fundamental Laws of Inquista to allow her to adopt a child as an unmarried woman, and she has since adopted two more children. The Archbishop has relaxed the country’s adoption laws and has now additionally promised tax credits and deductions for single parents.
How the Archbishop intends to foot the bill for her New Public Prosperity initiatives remains to be costed or financially explained anywhere in the Pink Platform. The Archbishop has up until recently been seen as a very friendly face to the Inquistan business community and Inquistan taxpayers, having not raised taxes during her time as Archbishop thus far. Despite this, the Archbishop has produced large budget deficits in all three years of her tenure – quite uncharacteristic for Inquistan politics, which usually favours fiscal prudence – following already implemented spending increases in areas of education, healthcare and social welfare that has seen poverty and wealth inequality decrease quite substantially during the Archbishop’s incumbency. Further funding increases are not likely to be financially viable without increases in taxation, although Inquista’s traditionally low levels of government debt will allow for some breathing room in the interim.
Supporters of the Archbishop's campaign have already caused widespread confusion and annoyance by hacking popular websites and subtly embedding links to the Pink Platform and some of the Archbishop's most popular songs, which some internet users are unknowingly or accidently clicking on.
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Reformists and Kligenbergists Split for Election
April 19, 2023
Bishop Secretary Emerett (L) and Archbishop Kligenberg (R) are vying for victoryIt has been reported that Archbishop Mikaela Kligenberg and 35 other bishops from her camp have officially split from the Reformist Bloc to form their own Kligenbergist Bloc. The split became publicly known as the Reformist Bloc began issuing endorsement for bishopric candidates which did not align with endorsements made by Archbishop Kligenberg, who began issuing her own separate slate of bishopric endorsements since announcing he own re-election bid. While this might appear as a political divorce, analysts have categorised this split as a mutual separation that is a natural outcome stemming from Inquista’s system of theological blocs.
Theological blocs, which are groupings of bishops loosely organised around similar theological ideologies or support for specific Archbishop candidates, can be considered more like political brands and do not possess any institutional or structural power that political parties would have. Following Chief Secretary Edward Firoux’s retirement announcement, and the Archbishop’s ambitious re-election campaign, it only became a matter of time before Kligenbergist and Firouxian forces would part ways to grow their own respective factions to vie for the Archbishop’s seat. Bishop Secretary Anja Emerett, Inquista’s Foreign Secretary and former Premier Commissioner of the European Union, and best friend and long-time ally of the Chief Secretary, has been named as the Reformists’ preferred candidate for Archbishop. The Reformists outnumber the Kligenbergists 98 to 36.
As the Foreign Secretary with former Premier Commissioner experience under her belt, it will come as no surprise that Bishop Secretary Emerett has launched an outward-looking political platform that has emphasized the revitalization of Inquista’s engagements with the European Union and greater European integration.
While key Kligenbergist and Firouxian allies have remained loyal to their respective sides, Bishop Secretary JennaMarelle Johnson and Commissioner Antoni Reynels, who have acted as political bridges and insider allies to both camps, have opted to join neither side, and are instead running as un-affiliated candidates, although both Kligenbergists and Reformists blocs have endorsed the both of them.It is unlikely that either Reformist or Kligenbergist blocs will posses a majority within the College of Bishops after the election, and so it will remain to be seen if the split is temporary or reconcilable, but for now, it appears amicable.
Beyond the ecclesiastical election, this split also poses serious repercussions for the simultaneous European Councillor election. The Reformists have already backed Emiliano Florin, Inquista’s Secretary for Immigration and Citizenship, for Councillor. Archbishop Kligenberg has given Bishop Secretary Adalyn Galena, who serves in two secretarial positions as Bishop Secretary of Public Services and Disabilities and Bishop Secretary of Seniors and Pension, the thumbs up as her preferred candidate for Councillor. It is reported that both factions had attempted to court Commissioner Reynels to run as their Councillor candidate, but he declined both offers. Polls have previously suggested that a Reformist-backed candidate would easily win the Councillorship election, but that could now evolve into a battlefield.
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Endorsements and Bot Activity Shake Up Final Election Stretch
May 27, 2023
Commissioner Antoni Reynels (L) and Bishop Secretary JennaMarrelle Johnson (R)With less than a week to go before Inquista's ecclesiastical elections, political machinations continue to mount. Archbishop Mikaela Kligenberg has further cemented her front-runner status with endorsemengts coming from Commissioner Antoni Reynels, Inquista's Bishop Secretary of Trade and International Development and the European Commissioner of Foreign Affairs, and Bishop Secretary Jenna Marelle Johnson, Inquista's Secretary of Defence. In addition to their endorsements, the two have also stated that they shall sit as Kligenbergist bishops if elected.
For the past few weeks, the Kligenbergist and Reformist camps have both thrown themselves at the two bishops to gain their fealty. The two bishops, who used to represent the most progressive-wing of the formerly united Reformist bloc, have been dubbed as "queenmakers" in recent times, straddling the line between the factions loyal to Archbishop Kligenberg and Bishop Secretary Emerett. Bishop Secretary Johnson's endorsement means a lot in particular, as she known to hold very significant political support among Inquista's black population, who make up roughly 15% of the country's population.
More than anything, however, the endorsements mean one thing: the two bishops clearly don't see a path for Bishop Secretary Emerett to become Archbishop, and so they've sided with who is very likely to win. The Archbishop's campaign is gaining more momentum, while Bishop Secretary Emerett's campaign is fizzling out. These endorsements suggest that the latter's campaign is done, and the public will likely react to these signals.
In return for their endorsements, Bishop Secretary Johnson could hold on to her job as Secretary of Defence, while Commissioner Reynels could potentially pluck the Secretary of State job directly from Bishop Secretary Emerett herself. Commissioner Reynels' endorsements may be harder pill for Bishop Secretary Emerett to swallow, as the two share a connection of being EPA-aligned European Commissioners. Bishop Secretary Emerett was elected as the second European Premier Commissioner under the EPA banner, after Eilidh Whiteford - who also happens to be a close friend of Commissioner Reynels.
The growing momentum for Archbishop Kligenberg's campaign has also created some irritation online. Pietist and Reformist candidates have voiced their concerns about being beleaguered by online bots who have plagued their social media spaces in the past week. Spam and troll accounts have ramped up attacks and have spread misinformation about Pietist and Reformist candidates and policies, and have also praised the Archbishop, and, at times, Bishop Karinn Lallana's campaign for European Councillor.
Economists have suggested that troll and spam accounts have disrupted scrutiny and discourse surrounding the Archbishop's doctrine of New Public Prosperity and her Pink Platform manifesto. The doctrine, which includes the creation of many new state-owned corporations in sectors of the Inquistan economy, the public purchase of several significant private corporations, and spend-spend-spend fiscal budgets, has become controversial in some circles as the Archbishop has simultaneously promised to never raise or introduce any new taxes - save for a carbon tax - during her tenure, and has committing herself to keeping Inquista as a business friendly tax haven. Misinformation online has depicted the Pink Platform as fully-costed and approved by renowned Inquistan economists, while casting negative and dubious economic forecasts on opposing economic plans.
Bishop Michael Cunard, leader of the Pietists, has alleged that these troll and spam accounts are products of foreign interference, and cites their perceived preference for the Archbishop and the Inquistan Councillor as stemming from "that Scarlet Red Witch."
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Archbishop and Secretariat Sworn-in Following Pink Wave
June 22nd, 2023
The Archbishop celebrates being handily re-electedThe College of Bishops met to today to elect the Archbishop of the Inquistan Orthodox Church. Archbishop Mikaela Kligenberg was re-elected in the first round with 161 votes, while Bishop Michael Cunard received 76 votes and Bishop Karinn Lallana received 3 votes.
The Archbishop was supported by her legion of 149 allied bishops who were elected under the Kligenbergist tent, as well as the 11 bishops who were elected under the Reformist banner, including Bishop Secretary Anja Emerett.
The formerly Reformist bishops announced they would support the Archbishop and join her bloc following the election results. While the Kligenbergist Bloc was already 150 members strong, the additional 11 members will be quite welcome, as they will provide the governing bloc with a super majority, which requires 159 voting members of the 240 member legislature. A super majority within the College of Bishops will allow the Archbishop to accelerate or circumvent certain aspects of the legislative process, diminishing the political tools of her opponents.
The Archbishop then swore-in the Church Secretariat, the executive body of the Church. Silas Kligenberg has been named Chief Secretary, which means the Archbishop's cousin will have his hands in much of the Archbishop's proposed legislation. Chief Bishop Kligenberg has been considered an inside architect of the Archbishop's New Public Propserity agenda.
Antoni Reynels has been named as the new Bishop Secretary of State, replacing Bishop Secretary Emerett. Despite being sworn-in as the country's new Secretary of State, Bishop Secretary Reynels also continues to serve as the European Commissioner of Foreign Affairs.
Bishop Secretary Emerett was also named to the Secretariat, making herself the only former Reformist to make it into the executive body, perhaps for her decision to join the Archbishop and provide her bloc with a super majority, and heal any linger divides between the cohort of former allies. The Bishop Secretary was made the new Home Secretary, which is a brand new position born out of a merger between the Secretariats of Public Safety and Immigration and Citizenship. Bishop Secretary Emerett's new position represents neither a promotion nor a demotion from her previous position as Secretary of State, as the Home Secretary will be considered a core Secretariat position. Bishop Secretary Emerett herself was once a longtime civil servant within the Church's Immigration Secretariat, was Secretary for Immigration under Archbishop Alexander Kligenberg, and is popular with both Sahrawi and Czech immigrant communities, and so makes an ideal fit for the position.
With the exception of the Home Secretary, all other positions within the Church Secretariat are made up of members of the Klingenbergist Bloc who had previously pledged their loyalty to the Archbishop. The Church Secretariat has been slimmed down to 21 members, representing 19 secretariats and 2 executive offices. The previous Secretariat maintained gender parity between members, but the new Secretariat features only 9 men, while 12 women make up the majority. This is the first ever woman-majority Secretariat in the history of the Inquistan Orthodox Church.
The Archbishop and the Church Secretariat are now tasked with executing on their bold and ambitious election pledges, which notably includes implementing New Public Prosperity. While a mountain of work lies ahead, the governing bloc has mustered a super majority to move things forward, and otherwise faces little opposition.
In spite of the Archbishop's sweeping victory, Bishop Lallana managed to cling onto re-election as Inquista's Councillor to the European Union, barely managing a comeback during the second round of voting before reaching a decisive victory in the final round. The Archbishop and Councillor have promised to work cordially together despite their political differences, which could certainly develop into a closer working relationship as the Archbishop's fiancé appears poised to become a European Commissioner under Bishop Lallana's Everyone's Front eurogroup.
