Elthic News Media
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List of media outlets in Elthize
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The Tribunal: Officially The Forecoaster Tribunal until 1969, it is the most popular newspaper in Elthize. Since 1981, the newspaper has been owned by Riga Holdings, controlled by Elthic billionaire Headley Ralf, an ally of current president Greenwich Grimwald and former president Archie Franklin.
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Elthic Affairs: Founded in 1931 in the city of Hattington solely to rally the Elthic independence movement, Elthic Affairs is now one of the most well-known newspapers in Elthize. The newspaper is known for its centre-left coverage and has been endorsed by dozens of Green and Labour politicians.
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BBC Elthize: BBC Elthize was founded in 1929. It is the Elthic branch of the British Broadcasting Corporation and alongside Elthize, the channel operates in Spain and its home country, the United Kingdom. It is a popular news site in Elthize and hosts a radio channel in the country.
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NET: NET stands for National Elthic Television, and it is the state-funded broadcaster of Elthize, founded in 1979. It broadcasts parliamentary sessions, news and other government-related content. While it had a more extensive scope of content, repeated cuts to its budget since the 2000s meant the broadcaster had to downsize. It makes most of its budget through advertisements. It became a member of the European Union Broadcasting Committee in 2022.
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LNN: LNN stands for Local News Network. It is a private broadcaster founded in 1999 with the unification of various local news channels across Elthize. Truthful to its name, it is mostly concerned with news at the provincial level.
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2022 Elections: A fine day for Grimwald and his friends. For others? Not so much.
by Janice Kyou - April 14, 2022
Image: Greenwich Grimwald speaking to the public in his election campaign, February 24th, Hunnicutt. (original source)
The election season commenced in Elthize, with millions going to the polls to vote for candidates and parties. Held between April 1st to April 8th, the elections saw nonsignificant, but not unnotable changes for President Greenwich Grimwald, incumbent since July 2014, and the ruling coalition. One would probably think there would be more grand changes across the board, as this election season was easily the most heated and controversial in a very long time, with intense debates about the country's ascension to the European Union, its internal affairs, and its adoption of the EMU, short for European Monetary Unit, a common currency for various nations across the European Union.
The incumbent president Greenwich Grimwald, his party The Third Option and the other two parties of the ruling coalition, New Democracy and The Nationals, the latter of which changed their name from Liberal Democrats in September 2019, fully supported the Elthic ascension to the European Union. President Grimwald claimed that the country "has nothing to lose and everything to gain with joining the EU". He also created the temporary position of Ministry of Membership to the European Union, which is expected to be abolished by the end of June at the latest.
The Labour Party and The Greens remained neutral, instead proposing a nationwide referendum to decide on EU membership, while For The People, Future Together / Socialist Alliance and the communist party Crimson opposed membership. The isolationist far-right party For The People stated that the European Union would destroy the Elthic economy and "put Elthic society into unstoppable decay", while FT-SA and Crimson opposed the EU as a principle for their anti-neoliberal stance.
Regardless, Elthize’s membership in the European Union was confirmed on April 14th. Following the European Accountable Council Act, the first-ever councillor elections were done on April 18th, with Liam Zachary, candidate of The Third Option and New Democracy and the third Minister of Membership to the European Union, winning the election with 35,9% of the vote. Nolan Brunson of the Labour Party and The Greens came second with 30,1% of the vote. Independent candidates Tara Dianne and Alexander Clarke came third and fourth, getting 10,3% and 9,4% of the vote respectively. National candidate Devon Albert came fifth with 8,5% of the vote, while Leon den Hollander, the joint candidate of FT-SA and Crimson came sixth with 3,3% of the vote.
Taxation was another heated topic this election season. The Labour Party, The Greens, FT-SA and Crimson rallied for a progressive tax rate, something which Grimwald heavily opposed. However, the coalition didn't completely back Grimwald this time, with The Nationals supporting the idea and New Democracy opposing it. This is possibly the reason why inside the coalition there was a shuffle in seat count between the two parties: The Nationals won ten seats at the National Assembly and four seats in the Senate, while New Democracy lost ten seats at the National Assembly. While New Democracy didn't lose any seats in the Senate, The Third Option lost three seats there, possibly also connected to this issue. The People also opposed progressive tax rates and asked to join the ruling coalition, something Grimwald didn't accept.
The adoption of the EMU was a large issue, too. On January 1, 2021, President Grimwald announced that he would make EMU legal tender alongside the florin, obtaining a “shared circulation status” by the Treaty of Finisterre. Grimwald stated that this move was made to improve relations and trade with Leagio, however, its legality has been questioned by the opposition. Recent polls show that around a quarter of Elthize opposes the adoption of EMU, about a third, supports its adoption, while the rest either did not know or refused to answer. Regardless, many businesses in Elthize accept the EMU today.
Overall, in legislature elections, the ruling coalition successfully kept their majority, winning a seat in both Senate and the National Assembly.
The Third Option got 29,2% of the vote in the National Assembly elections and 29,9% of the vote in the Senate elections, getting 73 seats in the Assembly and 30 seats in the Senate respectively.
New Democracy got 15,8% and 15,6% of the votes in the legislature elections, which translated to 40 seats in the Assembly and 16 in the Senate. The Nationals, the biggest winners of this election, got 5,9% and 6,1% of the votes, getting 15 assembly seats and 6 senate seats.
The Labour Party lead the opposition front by gaining 25,7% and 20,1% of the votes, getting 63 assembly seats, and losing one, and 21 senate seats. The Greens followed them, getting 9,1% and 7% of the votes, which translated to 23 assembly seats, gaining three, and 7 senate seats.
FT-SA got 4,4% and 3,4% of the votes, they got 11 assemblies and 3 senate seats, losing a senate seat on the way. For the first time in history, Crimson joined the Senate race, stopping their two-decades-long boycott of the institution. They got 1,4% of the vote and one senate seat. In addition, they got 2% of the vote in assembly elections, gaining five seats, two less than in the last election.
The presidency remained in Greenwich Grimwald’s hands, though it was a closer race than he would usually be comfortable with. He got 43,3% of the vote. The main opposition candidate, Matthew François, supported by Labour, The Greens and FT-SA, got 40,3% of the vote. Bernard Lee of For The People got a surprising 7,6% of the vote. Independent candidate Latifah Marques followed with 5,5% of the vote, and the Crimson candidate Alfred Phillips got only 1,3% of the vote.
In general, these elections were an utter disappointment for the opposition, expecting to boot Grimwald out this year, whose popularity had been steadily declining for a few years. Instead, the status quo remained. It is unclear what kind of path the opposition will take next, as it doesn't seem to be united as the ruling coalition.
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Councillor Liam Zachary reportedly forced to not vote against NPA amendment
The councillor abstained due to pressure from Forecoaster, Europolis reports claim
April 29, 2022
European Councillor Liam Zachary was apparently forced to not vote negatively for the recently proposed NPA amendment, sources close to Europolis reported to local media. The amendment, which would affect the Nuclear Proliferation Act of 2009, was proposed by Councillor Donald Tusk of Spain. The amendment proposed to remove the Korojaunu of the United Dominions of Icholasen (a position defunct since the communist takeover in 2020) from the position of a permanent member, replacing it with the Emperor of Inimicus. The amendment saw another amendment proposed to it, which came from Councillor Iras Tilkanas of Istkalen. Her amendment sought to change "permanent members" with "nations of representation", as well as proposing to temporarily suspend Icholasen, instead of removing it as a permanent member.
According to reports from Europolis, Councillor Liam Zachary was going to vote against the amendment completely. While he did vote against Tilkanas' amendment, he abstained in the final voting, probably due to pressure from Forecoaster, as it would go against President Greenwich Grimwald’s foreign policy, which discourages hostility towards other nations as much as possible no matter what. Various reports also state that the call came directly from Grimwald, though this could not be confirmed. Zachary did not speak in the council, though this was probably because he came in late, missing the debate period.
Councillor Liam Zachary took it to social media to deny such allegations, stating "Not even Grimwald can force me to do that. I'll do my job the way I want to do it because Elthics chose me for that". Likewise, President Greenwich Grimwald also denies any intervention in Zachary's vote, stating that while he disapproved of the abstention and supported the amendment, he "unconditionally respected Zachary's decision". Oscar Crofton, Minister of Foreign Affairs, called the reports “a complete sham” and affirmed Zachary’s freedom of choice, as well as criticising various opposition figures of sharing misinformation.
Zachary later explained his decision to abstain in an interview with NET, claiming that he did so because neither the original amendment by Councillor Tusk nor the amended version by Councillor Tilkanas satisfied him. He also claimed that while he felt more positive about the latter for the rewording in Section II, he did not approve of Icholasen being stripped of its membership in ENAA in any capacity. "I abstained from the final vote because voting against the amendment would imply that Elthize was against Inimicus. It is not. On the other hand, the country of Icholasen does not deserve to be kicked out at all, no matter which government runs it. That's what I'm against,” Zachary claimed.
Alongside Zachary, Councillor Linoel Morel of Leagio also abstained from voting. The amendment ultimately failed in the council, with Spain and Inimicus voting for it, Elthize and Leagio abstaining, and Nofoaga, United Duchies, Ruthund and Reitzmag voting against.
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Unification of governing parties failed again as The Nationals refuse to negotiate, reports TTO delegate
- Grimwald's plan to unify the three coalition parties, TTO, ND, and TN doesn't seem to succeed as The Nationals refuse the plan, reports an anonymous TTO delegate
- The plan, unofficially called The Greenwich Plan, was reported first sometime around 2016
- The Nationals have requested "to put an indefinite hold" on the plan, possibly due to their success in the 2022 elections
Freddie Bonnay - May 12, 2022
The negotiations of unity between the three parties, which commenced once again after the 2022 elections, have been largely unsuccessful as TN "shockingly" rejects the plan, says an anonymous TTO delegate. The unity plan, unofficially titled The Greenwich Plan, named after the creator and the largest supporter of the idea, President Greenwich Grimwald, was first coined in the early 2010s, first reported in 2016 by The Tribunal, and also introduced to other parties of the coalition that same year. The plan aims to merge The Third Option with The Nationals and New Democracy, effectively making a larger big tent party. Throughout the years, the plan had been revised and discussed, with the approval fluctuating in both TN and ND.
While the plan was first introduced around 2016, it wasn't publicly announced until five years later, by President Grimwald himself at a rally leading up to the election. It was one of the greater promises of the election, as Grimwald & Co. talked about the inefficiency of a three-party coalition on and on, during rallies, TV interviews, and news articles. However, the plan seems to have failed yet again, as The Nationals have rejected the plan in the recent coalition meeting led by Grimwald, with the TN leader, Francis Elvin, asking him to "put it on indefinite hold".
“The Nationals have largely became disillusioned with [The Greenwich Plan], especially after the campaigns leading up to 2022 elections,” says the TTO delegate, who has chosen to speak with the Elthic Affairs under the condition to remain anonymous to protect their safety. “Grimwald has chosen a path that has damaged the unity in the coalition, not enough to dissolve it just yet, but enough to make some rifts that are either really hard or impossible to repair.”
Liberal Democrats: Once the undisputed ruling party, now the desperate coalition member
Since 2014, Elthize has been governed by the coalition of three parties under President Greenwich Grimwald: The Nationals (Liberal Democrats before 2019), New Democracy, and Grimwald's party, The Third Option. This combination came after Grimwald's sweeping victory then, at a time when the last two years before were filled with corruption and nepotism scandals, which destroyed Liberal Democrats (who had been the largest party in Elthize and ruled the country alongside their coalition member, New Democracy, since 2001) and their leader, Archibald "Archie" Franklin, who had been the president of Elthize for thirteen years. Franklin died a while after he got out of office, and Liberal Democrats would never ride the highs they once rode, being reduced to a small member of the coalition.
The Nationals being a part of the coalition was, according to many experts and speculation of many people, a necessity. The former head of The Nationals, Ned Hook, had made this very clear in a 2015 interview: "At this stage, Liberal Democrats being in the opposition would mean suicide." They could not handle to oppose Grimwald, who was at his career's peak. This doesn't mean that there was no opposition to Grimwald at the time, Labour, The Greens, and other leftist parties still existed, but The Nationals were in a peculiarly difficult position following the 2012-13 scandals.
"When Grimwald first came to office, he saw the LibDems as his new puppets," continues the TTO delegate. "Most of the LibDem politicians who were spared by the Elthic public at the time just silently immigrated to TTO. No one cared because they trusted Grimwald to keep them in check. For those who remained... They could either oppose Grimwald and lose their seats or remain dormant as a coalition members. There was no better option for TTO at the time, either, For The People was too unstable and radical and the rest were mostly leftists that Grimwald hated."
The LibDems be damned! Long live The Nationals!
After Ned Hook resigned from his office as the leader of LibDems in August 2019 over the poor performance in the 2018 elections, Francis Elvin, a LibDem senate member, took over as the new leader, and he had big ambitions for the party: A new face, first of all. Liberal Democrats were no more. It was now The Nationals.
Image: Current The Nationals logo, unveiled September 2019.
Elvin didn't just stop with the rebranding and renaming. He also ousted the remaining politicians of the Franklin days and replaced them with newer, relatively unknown people. He lead the party to a more moderate position, leaving some of its libertarian principles behind and adopting new center-left policies, like expanding universal healthcare and progressive tax rates. The party slowly distanced itself from Grimwald over time: Politicians who could not speak out against Franklin then were now openly opposing some of his plans. It all peaked in 2021 when Francis Elvin openly stated that it was a mistake for his party to be in a coalition with TTO. While he quickly backtracked this statement and issued numerous apologies, it was already too late. This did not affect his success though, in the 2022 elections, the amount of seats TN had risen for the first time since 2001, all of which they took from New Democracy. They got 14 fresh new seats, four in the Senate and ten in the National Assembly.
The Nationals, who were once essentially Grimwald's puppets, were making a comeback, and Grimwald had no other choice but to tolerate them, as he still did not have another option for a coalition partner.
“It would be career suicide for Grimwald to cooperate with people who he denounced harshly almost every day of the week. You don’t get to call whole political parties “Murderers of the Elthic spirit” and go make friends with them, you know? You’ll lose votes.” commented the TTO delegate. At this point, all of us at Elthic Affairs are questioning why on Earth this person is still at the party, but regardless.
What now?
Well, we don't know, but we can speculate: The Nationals will probably stay in the coalition, as they still do not have enough support on their own. They will be excluded from the main opposition parties, and TTO will tolerate them as long as they do not threaten Grimwald's position of power. However, the new face of The Nationals, led by Francis Elvin, has changed Elthic politics as we know it, and it may have other effects that we haven't seen yet in the long term.
It is unknown whether Grimwald will continue with his plan without The Nationals, merging with New Democracy instead, who has somehow stayed in government and cabinets for more than two decades now, thanks to being the safest and most agreeable party in Elthic politics. This would put some pressure on The Nationals, at which point they would either leave the coalition, leaving Grimwald with a minority in parliament, or they would concede and unite once and for all, though Elvin probably has no intention of doing the latter. All in all, Grimwald has been struggling the most since he took office, Elvin is making big gains on his way to becoming a political icon, and significant changes are underway. Let's hope Elthize and Elthic people get through all of this mumbo jumbo with the least pain possible.
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Elthics go hot-headed and empty-handed as they can't find air conditioners anywhere
The country is experiencing a cooler shortage in the middle of a heatwave
June 6, 2022
For Elthize, the month of June brings the summer, the pride, the rainbows, and, the most detested, scorching heat. As the first week of June brings temperatures all around the country to above thirty degrees Celcius, Elthics are desperate, trying to find a way to cool off by any means possible. If they want an air conditioner, though, chances are they won't find one. That's right, Elthize is now experiencing an air conditioner shortage. Especially in big cities, where all the retail stores and online shops have run out of ACs, and other cooling technology, like fans, are also in dire supply.
“I went through like six stores with my wife,” says Hassan, a St. Lucas resident, whose city is experiencing consistent 35-degree weather, with no cloud in near sight. “There’s not even a fan! They took it all, my house takes so much heat I feel like we’re gonna burn in it!”
The heat is not only affecting St. Lucas, either. Throughout Elthize, particularly along the coast, the temperature is rising to levels never seen in decades.
“It is definitely concerning,” says Bree Garnett, a meteorologist based in Port Nelson. “Like here, in Port Nelson, for instance, it’s hit a high of thirty-five degrees. That’s something you used to see in late July-early August for three days max, now it's average June weather, like, it's the new normal and it's definitely gonna get worse in the coming years."
"We are expecting the heat to cool off a little in the coming weeks, but we're not sure if it'll be enough," claims Harrison, Bree's friend, also a meteorologist. "There doesn't seem to be any precipitation coming soon."
A heat warning has been issued in the southern provinces of Elthize due to the rising temperatures, and a warning for the rest of Elthize is expected to follow suit. Citizens are advised to not go outside unless absolutely necessary. If you have to go outside, you should wear sunscreen [Remember: the higher the SPF value, the better!] and have a bottle of cold water with you at all times. Fair coloured, loose-fitting clothing will also help you endure the heat better.
In addition, you may see a rise in your water bills. The Venée Water Company, which controls around 35% of the Elthic water market, announced that their customers would pay at least 30% more for their bills in June, July, August and September. Such price rises are common for Venée customers. NEWC also issued a similar statement. You are advised to check for updates from your water supplier, just to be safe.
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Opposition "severely concerned" about Elthize's relationship with Inimicus
by Frances Irving - July 4, 2022
Image: A yacht passing by the Artabanos Canal shortly after its opening. The canal had an opening party on June 18th, which many heads of state attended, including President Greenwich Grimwald.
Last week, Michael Jenkins, head of the Labour Party, released an open statement last week about Elthize's relationship with Inimicus. The article states that Labour, along with other opposition, was "severely concerned" with Elthize's ever-growing relationship with the empire, which, according to the text, didn't, for the most part, represent the actual Elthic opinion of the country. In addition, Jenkins warns that being too close to authoritarian nations will damage Elthic democracy one way or another. In addition, he gives Czech Slavia, Istkalen, Inimicus and Red Croatia as examples of "authoritarian nations". The statement was endorsed by Matthew François, head of The Greens, Leon den Hollander, head of FT-SA, and Alfred Phillips, head of the Crimson.
The statement comes after two incidents: First is allegations around Liam Zachary. In late April, rumours specifically rose around the Elthic councillor that his vote on an amendment to the Nuclear Proliferation Act of 2009 was influenced by threats from President Greenwich Grimwald, reportedly to not upset Inimicus. However, both Grimwald and Zachary have denied the allegations. Liam Zachary further elaborated on his decision in an interview: "I abstained from the final vote because voting against the amendment would imply that Elthize was against Inimicus. It is not. On the other hand, the country of Icholasen does not deserve to be kicked out at all, no matter which government runs it. That's what I'm against."
The second incident is the Artabanos Canal Party, which Elthize attended, sending the most people out of any with twelve, including President Grimwald, his three children, Minister of Foreign Affairs Oscar Crofton, his wife Eva Crofton, and Councillor Liam Zachary and additional security, the last one is blamed for inflating the guest numbers, as it is included there in a big way. Many people criticized the administration over the number of people sent, most notably the Labour MP Freida Coupe, who mostly said that the attendance was "shamelessly disgraceful". She was also one of the first notable people to announce the allegations against Zachary.
Michelle Teel, the spokesperson for The Third Option, called the statement "outrageous", "rancid" and "not based in anything close to reality". In addition, various ruling coalition MPs basically have called out the statement as disinformation. Oscar Crofton, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has specifically called out Jenkins on Twitter. "Dear Michael, are you gonna call us out every time we interact with other countries? If you want to make Elthize a hermit kingdom, you can say that!" So far, President Greenwich Grimwald has not commented on the statement.
Elthic opinion of Inimicus is usually negative, as it is seen as an authoritarian nation. According to the most recent polling from last year, only around 15% of those polled viewed the country positively, compared to around 25% of those polled that had a negative opinion. The remaining polled either didn't know, had no opinion, or refused to answer.
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Two-thirds of Elthize say they won't vote in the commission elections
- Around two-thirds of the Elthic population eligible for voting will not vote in the European Commission elections, says the Polling Institute of Elthize (PIE)
- PIE states that most Elthic people are uninformed about the elections and feel apathetic towards the candidates
- The remaining will most likely vote for Cotilla and Juncker
Kelly Meghan - July 11, 2022
In the European Union, every four months, commission elections are done to elect the following three positions: the Foreign Affairs Commissioner, the Internal Affairs Commissioner, and the Premier Commissioner. The positions are self-explanatory: the Foreign Affairs Commissioner manages relationships outside the European Union, the Internal Affairs Commissioner does peacekeeping within the EU and ensures that member states aren't at each other's neck, and the Premier Commissioner essentially acts as the President of the union as a whole, managing the budget and the economy. This marks the first time that Elthize will participate in the commission elections in the European Union since the country joined in April... Or will it? Because according to recent polling from the Polling Institute of Elthize (PIE), the majority of the country is not considering voting at all. For those that have been polled, around two-thirds (63.2%) of the country's eligible voters (aged 16 and up) said that they did not plan on voting in the commission elections. Young people were particularly disinterested in the elections. Around eighty per cent (81.6%) of the polled who were aged 15-25 said they had no intent to vote.
But why though?
Well, thankfully, the PIE has questioned some of the polled on their reasoning, and here are some slices from the full report: According to The Tribunal journalist Janice Kyou, who was involved with the report and works for the institution part-time, those who are not considering to vote this election are usually apathetic towards all candidates, meaning they don't find them significant enough to cast a vote. The other possible reason for the low turnout is the fact that this is the first EU election Elthize will participate in since its accession to the European Union this April, and because of this, it is predicted that not many Elthics are aware of how EU institutions work and how they can vote. Because of this, many experts expect the turnout to rise in the coming elections, as Elthics gain more knowledge about the European Union.
There is also another, third reason: There are voters who do not vote out of protest, particularly those who disapproved of Elthize joining the European Union, which accounts for around twenty-five to thirty-five per cent of the population, according to various polls. (PIE's polling in March 2022 put it at 29.9%.) As these people dislike the EU, they do not have any desire of helping them out by voting.
What about the other third?
There are five candidates in this commission election: Jean-Claude Juncker of Spain and Calvin Kühnert of the United Duchies will compete for the position of Premier Commissioner, while Kevin Cotilla of Leagio and Ilmaras Kalessed of Istkalen will compete for the position of the Internal Affairs Commissioner. Meanwhile, Antoni Reynels of Inquista ran for the position of Foreign Affairs Commissioner. He is unopposed, which is usual, as the last time the position had two candidates run for it was in the February 2021 election.
So, which of the four candidates will get the remaining third's vote? Well, it doesn't seem to be that competitive. In the Internal Affairs Commission elections, Cotilla, to put it simply, decimates Kalessed in the PIE poll with a seventy-eight-point lead (83.7% - 16.3%). It is predicted that the candidates' nationalities heavily influence these results. There's also the fact that the ruling coalition (The Third Option, New Democracy & The Nationals), as well as many members of the Grimwald cabinet, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Oscar Crofton, has endorsed Cotilla. FT-SA and Crimson endorsed Kalessed, and, while not official, many members of The Greens and a small portion of Labour MPs have endorsed her as well.
The Premier Commissioner race is closer, but still, Juncker remains the clear winner against Kühnert (59.1% - 40.9%). Juncker enjoys name recognition in Elthize, as he was the Internal Affairs Commissioner two years ago, and remains a popular figure in the country today. While The Third Option did not officially endorse any candidate, many party members approve of Juncker more. Meanwhile, the other two member parties of the ruling coalition have endorsed Juncker. The opposition has not officially endorsed either of the candidates, though many members of these parties there also prefer a Juncker premiership, particularly Labour.
Can this issue be solved?
Most experts blame the government for the low turnout, citing that it didn't do enough to introduce the European Union to the Elthics. Mareen Orthaneez, an economist at the University of St. Lucas, said the following: "Simply put, Grimwald did not explain how or why Elthize joining the European Union would benefit the country, and, whenever he came close to explaining, his answers were unbelievably vague. He just said that it would benefit the economy, again, not explaining why, and people believed him. Most Elthic people are politically apathetic, so he got away with it." Some, however, think that low turnout is not an issue and doesn't need a solution. Malikhi, a prominent political blogger, said that the low turnouts were "democracy in action", further writing that "one cannot have democracy by force".
Many experts also agree that it is too early for judgement, as this is the first EU election Elthize will participate. Orthaneez agrees: "It is understandable why not many would support something they don't know and have no clue about. It's been three months. We need to give it time. One year from on, I see it increasing to 50%, honestly."
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Controversy ensues after Grimwald's "undemocratic" decision to vote on ECOJ elections alone
President Greenwich Grimwald has said that the measure was because of a lack of planning. (image credit)
This Monday, President Greenwich Grimwald announced that for this month’s European Court of Justice (ECOJ) elections, he will vote on behalf of the entire country.
This has caused massive controversy among Elthic politicians and the public, and many have expressed strong disapproval of the move. Grimwald has cited “a severe lack of planning for the voting process” for the move and has assured that this is a “one-time procedure”, but a lot of Elthics are sceptical and believe this will be the norm going forward.
The opposition has condemned the move, with Head of Labour Party Michael Jenkins calling Grimwald’s excuses “absolutely non-sensical”. He further posted on social media that “Grimwald has no concern for the health of Elthic democracy.”
Matthew François, head of The Greens, made similar statements, calling the move "undemocratic" and claiming that it is “not acceptable under any circumstance”. Alfred Phillips, head of the Crimson, said that the move was “an outrageous example of how the Elthic working class can easily be disenfranchised”.
It wasn’t only the opposition that condemned the move, either. Francis Elvin, head of The Nationals, demanded an investigation of the act and questioned why the voting wasn’t given to the legislature. Rosa Jacklin, one of the spokespeople of New Democracy, called the move “possibly unconstitutional and breaking the Elthic law”. And she’s not the only one who has noted this decision’s possible illegality. The Forecoaster Bar Association (FBA) have stated that they will sue Greenwich Grimwald and take the case to the Constitutional Court and Supreme Court if necessary. Soon after their announcement, other bar associations made similar statements, and they may unite for this case.
Currently, citizens who are against the decision are preparing for protests. In addition, some government workers have pledged a strike, effectively threatening to shut down the government. Melissa Chai, the mayor of St. Lucas, has issued a warning for the city for two weeks and warned the citizens to “exercise an above-average degree of caution due to disruption that might be caused by the recent political events”. Hunter Vance, the governor of Montgomery, has stated that he would increase the level of security in city centres all around Montgomery as a response to the protests. In Forecoaster, the city centre will be shut down to car traffic for three days.
Greenwich Grimwald has doubled down on his decision and condemned the opposition for “provoking the Elthic people and causing the disruption of status quo”. He tweeted that “All Jenkins knows is chaos and nothing else”, though he deleted that tweet shortly after. As of current, no other person in The Third Option has commented on the matter.
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Breaking: Cotilla and Juncker win in Elthize
July 21, 2022
After a day at the polls, the victors of the first European Commission elections in Elthize are now known: Jean-Claude Juncker of Spain and Kevin Cotilla of Leagio have been voted for Premier Commissioner and Internal Affairs Commissioner, respectively. The turnout was less than forty percent, one of the lowest in all elections done in Elthize, though many predict it will increase in the coming elections.
In the Primary Commissioner elections, as you can see on the map now, it was a clear win for Juncker, who had a nine-point lead over his opponent, Calvin Kühnert of the United Duchies. The different tones of purple indicate the districts that Kühnert won, while the different tones of orange indicate the districts that Juncker won. Why are there different tones of orange and purple? Simple, the more intense the colour is, the bigger the winning margin in that district.
(Map for July 2022 PC election results in Elthize)
Here's another example, here you will see the Internal Affairs Commissioner map. Cotilla, shown in blue, has won almost every district in Elthize over Ilmaras Kalessed of Istkalen, who only won a few districts in St. Lucas, shown in the brightest red possible. You can actually miss it if you look at it far enough. Quite daunting:
(Map for July 2022 IAC election results in Elthize)
Overall, Cotilla has a sixty-nine-point lead over her, which is unheard of in this country, where elections are usually competitive. In addition, Antoni Reynels of Inquista ran unopposed for the Foreign Affairs Commissioner and is expected to be the next holder. He also held this office from May 2020 to January 2021 with high approval ratings. The new commission is expected to start its term next Monday, on July 25th.
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President Grimwald promises that Elthize will enter the EMUzone before 2024
by Janice Kyou - July 29, 2022
President Greenwich Grimwald and The Spanish Minister Of Social Affairs Barack Obama visiting the El Prado Museum in Madrid, November 2019. (image credit)
In his address to the nation last Tuesday, President Greenwich Grimwald announced that Elthize will switch to EMU no later than January 2024. The EMU, short for European Monetary Unit, is the common currency of six countries: Spain, Inquista, Vayinaod, Fremet, Montenbourg and Leagio. It was introduced in October 2020 after the Treaty of Finisterre, whose talks started three months earlier in July that year. In addition to all countries listed, the exiled free government of Icholasen also signed the treaty. However, the illegitimate communist government currently occupying the country doesn't recognize the said treaty, so no one in Icholasen uses the currency. Regardless, the treaty focuses on economic cooperation between the European nations and was a landmark moment in economical integration within the European Union.
One of the most asked questions leading up to the general election this year was whether or not Elthize would ditch the florin and use EMU as its currency going forward. In January 2021, Grimwald stated that Elthize would use a "special circulation status" with the EMU, accepting the currency alongside the florin. He explained that this move would improve relations with neighbouring Leagio, which is a member of the EMUzone. Grimwald also claimed that the move would improve tourism, a large sector of the Elthic economy. The move was approved by both houses of the parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate, and was approved by Grimwald himself in February of that year. While some MPs in the opposition questioned the action's legality, not much came of it, and while it is not technically the official currency of Elthize, many stores in Elthize accept the EMU today.
And it doesn't seem like President Grimwald is going to back down from embracing the EMU any time soon. In fact, in his latest address to the nation on July 26th, he made a promise: "I will make sure that Elthize meets the requirements and becomes a signatory of the Treaty of Finisterre before January 2024."
He also said: "We have been rejected from joining the treaty because we didn't meet the standards. I disagree. I believe that Elthize is a perfect country. However, my job is not to bicker and whine about it, it is to ensure that Elthic people have more convenient lives. It is also to keep my promises, as I have done in the past eight years as your president. So once again, I promise to put Elthize to EMUzone no later than January 31st, 2024. Mark that date."
This statement comes after the summit with Spain last month, in which Grimwald participated, alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs Oscar Crofton. Crofton stated that the EMU was one of the main discussion topics with the Spanish delegation. He also assured that Spanish President Jesús Aguilar and the rest of the Spanish government looked forward to Elthize joining the EMUzone in the future: "So far, we do not see any blocks in the way of Elthize completely switching to the EMU."
The country being a signatory to the Treaty of Finisterre is supported heavily across the political spectrum. The polls right before the 2022 election showed that only one-third of the country saw Elthize switching from the florin to EMU as a positive change. Today, that number has grown substantially, with 52% of the polled Elthics saying that Elthize switching to the EMU would be beneficial to their lives. 39% of the polled said they didn't mind a currency change, and only 7% of the polled said that the change would be negative for them.
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Grimwald condemns Reitzmag over its "reckless" ruling to leave the EU
The Reitzmic House of Commons (pictured) voted for a bill to push Reitzmag out of the European Union. (image credit)
On a speech he gave this morning, President Greenwich Grimwald condemned Reitzmag's decision to leave the European Union.
The decision comes after and seems to be entirely motivated by Jean-Claude Juncker getting elected to the position of Premier Commissioner two weeks ago. House of Commons, the lower house in the Reitzmic parliament, passed the Krexit bill that would initiate the process of the kingdom leaving the European Union. The bill is now waiting for confirmation from the House of Lords, which is the upper house of the country's parliament.
While the specifics of the bill are not known just yet, President Greenwich Grimwald was quick to comment. In a speech he gave to the nation this morning, he reacted to the decision: "It's a reckless decision caused by overreaction. I do not support it, I condemn it, and I want Reitzmic officials to stop being inflammatory and heavily reconsider this. It will do more harm than good in the long term, both for Reitzmag and the European Union. I want both sides to reach an agreement and solve their problems as peaceful and as respectful to the status quo as possible."
Before being elected as the Premier Commissioner, Juncker served as the Internal Affairs Commissioner from May 2020 to February 2021. During his term, he oversaw the Caspian Sea dispute, which happened in late 2020 after Reitzmag built artificial islands in the centre of the Caspian Sea. While the Reitzmic government claimed that this project was for emergencies and security, it was wildly unpopular among other Caspian nations, who largely saw it as an invasion of territorial waters and Reitzmic expansionism. Because of this, in December 2020, he initiated a summit among nations that had a coastline on the Caspian Sea.
The summit did not go well, however. According to leaked audio from the negotiations that BBC Elthize can verify as legitimate, Simon Bridges, Prime Minister of Reitzmag, claimed that the project did not break European law, as the location of the islands was not in the claimed waters of any nation. However, everyone else disagreed. Metodi Pravoslav, Prime Minister of Pravoslaviya, stated that the project was "an insult and an aggression against [Pravoslaviya]". Three days before the summit, Tupac Shakur, Defence Minister of Pravoslaviya, had released a statement condemning the "land grab". Pekcan İnge, President of North Diessen, called the Reitzmic government "expansionist and devious" over the issue. During this summit, Juncker also attempted to build the Caspian Sea Authority, which was a legislature consisting of Caspian nations for matters regarding the Caspian Sea.
While Juncker's attempt failed, his successor, Münevver Birdane, would set up a similar institution called the Caspian Council, which functions to this day.
Meanwhile, İnge and Pravoslav did not back down from their commitment to the demolition of these islands, which is something that Juncker also supported. This is where things escalated: Bridges called the destruction of these islands "an act of war". John Peter Key, Prime Minister of the United Duchies, tried to compromise, suggesting demilitarization of the islands if they remain, as the original Reitzmic plan was to build military installations there, but Bridges refused. Furthermore, Juncker called the project "dangerous for the Caspian stability" and doubled down on his support for destruction, which infuriated Bridges.
The summit was called off after further attempts at an agreement failed. It is considered to be one of the biggest failures of Juncker and the main reason why Juncker is unpopular in Reitzmag today. There are other reasons, though. For one, Juncker supports further integration within the EU, also called Eurofederalism, which is something most Reitzmics oppose. Juncker was also criticised in Reitzmag when he did not criticize the strait taxes imposed by the Spanish. And today, now that he's back in the commission, it seems to be the last straw for Reitzmag.
"Krexit looms again" was the headline that CBC, the Reitzmic state-run television agency, ran on July 17, a week before Juncker was elected. In it, the channel declared that Juncker's reputation was tarnished across the nation due to "acting against the country in various circumstances". Joe Biden, the Premier Commissioner that preceded Juncker, issued that he would only support Juncker's candidacy if he issued an apology to the Reitzmic nation, and called for Reitzmen to give him a second chance if he did so. Whether Juncker will try to compromise with the Reitzmic people and administration however remains unclear.
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A far-right divorce: Four MPs resign from FTP, create a new party
Three National Assembly members and a senator have created the Christian People’s Movement (CPM)
August 6, 2022
This afternoon, three assembly members and a senator from the far-right party For The People (FTP) have announced their resignation to create a new party titled the Christian People’s Movement, CPM for short. Senator Todd Kitchens, MA Lincoln Wheatley, MA Shad Wilfrid and MA Kennedy Botha have resigned from the party due to their dissatisfaction with the current leader, Bernard Lee.
Lee, a reformist, as well as a member of the National Assembly, took office in November last year after his predecessor Houston Earl passed away. After taking office, Lee announced that the party would be reforming its policy, most notably its view on religion. He re-branded the party as a secular party and removed any reference to Christianity in its manifesto, as well as taking other reforms that would make the party seem more moderate, like taking a weaker stance on Euroscepticism. His reforms showed some success: In the elections this year, the party gained two seats: one in the National Assembly and one in the Senate, thanks to an increase in the votes.
However, not everyone was satisfied with Bernard Lee, most notably the more ultra-religious sector of the party. In his resignation letter, Kennedy Botha called Bernard Lee "a traitor that goes against Jesus Christ and God's principle". Senator Todd Kitchens called Lee “a scum and a leftist degenerate”, accusing him of abandoning the party’s main doctrine to gain more votes and influence. Lincoln Wheatley stated: “It is saddening that I have to separate from my beloved party after a decade. However, the removal of the fact that Elthize is a nation founded on Christianity is, to put it bluntly, unacceptable and a work of the Devil. Unless Bernard Lee resigns and the party returns to what God intended it to be, we shall seek refuge in a new political institution.”
Bernard Lee responded to the move, saying it was “disappointing yet expected”. He took it to Twitter: “Our party cannot survive on a philosophy that is outdated and fails to get any new voters. It is foolish to think that this party could continue without significant reforms. My vision has succeeded and it will continue to succeed in the future, compared to fossils like you imbeciles that still dwell on a non-existent past. Long live the Elthic nation.”
Members of parliament switching parties during their terms is uncommon, but not unseen. For example, in 1988, The Constitutional Court declared the practice legal after Senator Lars Bonnaire switched from Liberal Democrats to The Greens, citing the lack of environmental focus in the party at the time, though many other MPs have switched parties before the ruling.
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Oscar Crofton says expanding of parliament "inevitable"
Minister of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed his support of expanding both houses for the first time since 2000
August 9, 2022
On his way to a regular cabinet meeting this afternoon, Minister of Foreign Affairs Oscar Crofton spoke with journalists. During the conversation, one of the cameramen mentioned his support for expanding the parliament, and he took advantage of the opportunity to reiterate his support: "It's inevitable. I mean, increasing the size of the parliament is a natural progression of Elthic democracy. As the country grows, so does its legislature. This is a bipartisan idea, I've never seen any opposition to it."
The proposal, which is part of a series of political reforms that will be put to a referendum no later than 2025, would increase the number of seats in the National Assembly from 250 to 300. The number of senate seats, currently 100, would remain unchanged. The amount of the increase was debated in parliament for months until today when President Greenwich Grimwald approved the proposals. If the referendum is successful, this will be the first time that both houses will expand since Former President Gloria Dietrich approved an expansion in 2000, which doubled the size of both houses.
"These reforms' fate will be decided by the Elthic people. They will have a voice in changes like these, as they always have," Grimwald spoke about the upcoming referendum. As stated in the Elthize Constitution and affirmed by the Constitutional Court four times (in 1951, 1971, 1983, and 2006), any changes to the Elthic political system require a referendum.
Other political reforms that Elthics will vote for in this referendum include restoring the position of Prime Minister, which Former President Archie Franklin abolished in 2007, giving the legislature absolute supremacy over all government institutions (also known as parliamentary sovereignty), combining the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court, and limiting the terms of the judges who serve on these courts.
These reforms were first submitted to the National Assembly by New Democracy MA Ronald Lorenzen in November last year. He stated that he had been writing the motion since April 2019, and over time had tweaked the bill thanks to help from other New Democracy MAs.
"I believe that all of these changes are beneficial for the Elthic people," Lorenzen told NET. "We have many cracks and flaws in the system, and while this referendum will not fix all of them, it will be a remedy for a large portion of them. President Grimwald's approval of the motion is appreciated greatly and I am glad he sees my vision of improving Elthize."
Most of these reforms have been viewed positively by the Elthic public and are expected to pass with ease. According to the PIE, more than half of the eligible Elthic voters intend to vote yes on all of the reforms, and more than 70% intend to vote yes on a majority of the reforms. If approved, the reforms will go into effect after the next election, which will happen no later than April 2026.
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Construction of high-speed rail to connect seven provinces has begun
by Janice Kyou - August 15, 2022
A train station in Forecoaster. The city is connected to various cities around like Petersfeld or Holloway.
Today, the construction of the first Elthic high-speed rail line has begun.
The project was codenamed The Sunset Project during its planning by The Dawn Company, which itself is a corporate group of four rail line companies: Commonwealth Rails Inc. of Leagio, Eee Railways of Elthize, Roscoes Rail of United Duchies and Renfe y Talgo of Spain. The line will connect seven provinces in the south: Forecoaster, Holloway, Pontuchel, Port Nelson, Liamville, St. Lucas and Montgomery. In addition, another line from Montgomery to Port Hilson in Leagio has been approved and is expected to go under construction next year. The whole project is expected to be finished before 2026.
The construction was opened by President Greenwich Grimwald, who was there with his family, as well as the Minister of Internal Affairs Matthew Denman and Minister of Transportation Mae Carolyn. There, Grimwald said: "This is one of the most significant and ambitious initiatives to which Elthize has ever committed. Its benefits to the Elthic nation are unmatched, and, when finished, our people will be unbound from the restrictions of the automobile."
The project was first planned out in late 2015 by Eee, a popular budget air carrier in Elthize. The project was unveiled in July 2016, with the company's rail business being operated by then-created Eee Railways. The company started to seek funding from the government but was repeatedly blocked by parliament members lobbied by the automobile industry. The project split the government coalition in half, particularly The Third Option, where fierce infighting occurred. Simultaneously, the main opposition parties, particularly Labour and The Greens, pressed President Greenwich Grimwald and then-Minister of Transportation Kofi Thulani to accept the project.
While Grimwald mostly stayed quiet about the issue at the time, Thulani was opposed to it, citing concerns with the project clashing with Indigenous land that was important for the Elfiz. As a result, the project mostly stalled, with Eee Railways giving out new blueprints to appease politicians, to no avail.
In December 2017, however, without much explanation, Grimwald announced that Thulani would be dismissed from the cabinet after the 2018 elections, with Mae Carolyn taking his place. A couple of months after his dismissal, Thulani was arrested for corruption charges, as well as for not disclosing his political donors. While all charges against Thulani would be dropped in 2020, him being replaced brought a new light to the marvellous project- a project which Carolyn was far more enthusiastic about.
"The Grimwald administration fully supports the Eee Railways' attempts at making domestic travel easier and affordable," Carolyn stated, a month after she took office. A month later, President Greenwich Grimwald broke his silence, stating that the government will take over the project and urging all ruling coalition members to vote in favour of it. Finally, it passed, receiving support from all sides of the parliament. Because of this, the project received 30 billion florins (17,3 billion EMUs) in funding. By this time, Eee Railways had started looking for other train companies to assist the project, and thus, The Dawn Company was born.
When finished, the four companies mentioned will have their trains running through the rails. The trains are expected to go at 240km/h, with a full trip from Forecoaster to Montgomery expected to take around 90 minutes, compared to a three-hour drive for the same route. The trains are expected to serve around three million people annually, including tourists. The project will also create around 30,000 jobs. It is expected that a similar project will also launch for the northern part of the country, though no details have been shared about that just yet.
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Elthize's EV debut disappoints Elthic fans, gets eighth place
Wolf Alice's "The Last Man on Earth" gets fifty-nine points at the Trondheim contest
August 17, 2022
Elthize took part in the EuroVoice Song Contest for the first time, an event in the European Union in which countries send a musical entry to represent themselves since it first commenced in 2010. The debut entry, The Last Man on Earth by Wolf Alice, described as a rock ballad about "the arrogance of humans", was announced on May 9th. While the entry had a positive reception in Elthize, it didn't get the result many expected. In the contest, the band performed 9th, preceding Istkalen and succeeding the United Duchies.
The country struggled to stay in the top ten throughout the voting process. Some attribute this to the fact that the song was too serious for the event.
"I mean, we were robbed, but also it's like... We showed up with a three-thousand florin suit on a party where everyone has their pyjamas on, know what I mean?" says Jake, a high schooler from Port Nelson who came to a bar to enjoy the show with his friends. "You kind of have to turn your brain off, like, you need to send songs that don't need brain function. Am I making sense? I'm kind of drunk, sorry," he continued.
"It was way too slow," claimed Enitan, another person at the bar. "I felt like sleeping, honestly. No offence to Wolf Alice but we need to send dance bops, not sad anthems."
Elthize did not get any points from three countries: Nofoaga, Brickston and Czech Slavia, though it did get twelve points from Fremet, the host country, at the last minute. Betty White, the Fremetian spokesperson and one of two hosts of the contest, along with Friedrich Liechtenstein, trended on Elthic Twitter and was showered with praises, with many wishing her a long and happy life.
The Elthic entry also got seven points from Ineland, Spain and the United Kingdom, six points from Reitzmag, five points from Istkalen and Inquista, three points from Yosai and one point from Icholasen.
With "Le reste" by Clara Luciani, Ineland won for the first time, earning 96 points, including twelve from Elthize. Second place went to Istkalen's "Lent" from Autoheart, which got six points from Elthize. Icholasen took third place with "Coffee" by Supersister. To their 76-point total, Elthize contributed seven points. One point behind, Yosai finished fourth and Nofoaga rounded out the top five. Fremet, the host country, ended ninth, tied with Brickston, while Reitzmag finished last, receiving points from only four countries.
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The Unitees is a legitimate political organization, declares Supreme Court
The Supreme Court annulled all censures and bans against the party in its ruling.
The Supreme Court of Elthize declared that The Unitees are a legal political group, and any censures and prohibitions against them are unlawful.
The landmark decision came this morning after the Supreme Court decided to hear the case of Gresham v. Elthize, where Finnegan Gresham, an accountant, sued the state for discrimination over his political beliefs.
Gresham, 64, is a supporter of The Unitees, a general name given to various political organizations that support the unification of the State of Elthize and the Commonwealth of Leagio. The movement separated from the general Elthic independence movement in the early 1930s. Supporters argue that both nations would benefit far more from being united than being separate nations, citing shared heritage and culture between the two.
However, many people regard The Unitees as fringe and dangerous, and support remains minimal. A 2020 report from the Polling Institute of Elthize (PIE) showed that only 2,7% of the polled supported unification with Leagio, compared to 5,5% in 2010.
The movement had established a political party, Citizens for Unity, managing to gain small representation in the parliament from the 1950s to 1980s. However, in 1983, Former President Benny Kalzer demanded an investigation of the party after they stopped disclosing their political donations. He also alleged that Atticus Frank, the president of Leagio at the time, secretly funded the organization to his country's benefit, which strained the relations between the two countries.
Kalzer had declared war on the party and the unitees in general, seeing them as "a threat to Elthic democracy and sovereignty." Many political observers believe Kalzer was attempting to create a common enemy to win his re-election in 1984. To his credit, it worked: Kalzer won the presidential elections by a wider margin than he had in 1980.
Shortly after, Citizens for Unity was disbanded by the Constitutional Court in February 1985, which led to protests by the unitees across the country. Gresham has stated that he had participated in these protests, and was subsequently arrested and jailed for three years in prison.
"People blackmailed me for decades. The police had me on record," Gresham stated to a BBC Elthize interviewer. "Nobody cared about us. I used to have a perfect life and a good salary as an accountant. Kalzer ruined it. I moved cities, I moved from St. Lucas to Petersfeld, yet people didn't leave me alone."
Gresham claims that the harassment didn't stop with him, either.
"They harassed my wife. They harassed my sons, they were just children... I couldn't report to the police. They all ignored me. I called emergency services on an intruder and she just laughed at me. It was insane. After that, I had enough and moved to Angleter with my family. I had to use a fake passport for that."
The war against the organization didn't stop with Kalzer. In 1999, Former President Gloria Dietrich approved a law that outlawed any support for unification. It was in force until 2003 when it was declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. Former President Archie Franklin signed legislation in 2005 prohibiting any support for the movement in the legislature, which remained in effect until today's ruling.
Things seemed to get calmer when in 2013, Franklin issued a general amnesty for those that were still in jail for participating in the now-mostly illegal movement and expunged most charges regarding the 1985 protests. Gresham, however, was not lucky.
"I returned from Angleter in 2016 to see if I could be a free man again. But my charges were still there. Like a stain." This time, however, Gresham did not give up. He linked with various other people that were also suffering, like Gresham. They bonded together and took it to the highest courts. “I felt like I was at home again, after all those years of torture. It was great finding my people,” Gresham claimed.
The group then sued the state, one by one: one of these lawsuits was Gresham v. Elthize. “The way these people have been treated for decades is frankly disgusting. They deserve justice of the highest calibre,” says Courtney Arde, the lawyer of the claimant. “It’s against the Elthic spirit. I’m glad I had this case.”
The Supreme Court decided in favour of the claimant, stating that "The treatment of The Unitees, a legitimate political organization, by the Elthic government is not compatible with the ideals of human rights and political freedom, which are granted in our Constitution."
This ruling means that The Unitees, after forty years, can hold seats in the parliament and do political campaigns. Gresham, however, is not interested.
"I'm just glad that it's all over... I don't care anymore. If anyone else wants to hold the torch, go ahead, take it from me."
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Breaking: Grimwald condemns "disgusting" Supreme Court decision
The president has called on the legislative to dismiss the judiciary
August 20, 2022
In an address to the nation this morning, President Greenwich Grimwald spoke harshly on the latest Supreme Court decision, Gresham v. Elthize. The landmark decision states that the restrictions and bans issued to The Unitees are unlawful, and therefore illegitimate.
The lawsuit, led by claimant Finnegan Gresham and his attorney Courtney Arde, was made due to Gresham claiming discrimination due to his political positions, particularly because of being an unitee.
According to BBC Elthize, Gresham united with various other unitees who also claimed decades of oppression and discrimination. The Supreme Court decided in favour of Gresham, stating that "The treatment of The Unitees, a legitimate political organization, by the Elthic government is not compatible with the ideals of human rights and political freedom, which are granted in our Constitution."
"Words cannot explain how furious and disgusted I am over the latest Supreme Court decision," Grimwald started his thoughts on the ruling. "It's disgusting. The fact that we are supposed to allow political movements that directly assault the sovereignty of Elthize is nothing short of vomit-inducing. And let me be clear: I am sorry that anyone was treated with this much disrespect over political differences and had their lives ruined. I disagree with the hardline decisions made against the unitees by the presidents that came before me. However, this is not, and will never be, an excuse for us to allow people that don't even believe that Elthize should be an independent nation into our politics. That is, to be blunt, unacceptable."
Grimwald also called on the parliament to dismiss the decision. "We cannot accept this decision. We will not accept this decision, and we will fight tooth and nail to make sure they do not step foot in the parliament. I call the honourable National Assembly and the Senate of Elthize to act accordingly and protect the sovereignty of the State of Elthize."
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Parliament members release joint statement on Gresham v. Elthize
by Frances Irving - August 22, 2022
The Elthic Parliament in Forecoaster. The upper house, the Senate, lives on the left, while the lower house, the National Assembly, lives on the right. (image credit)
The Parliament of Elthize has published a joint statement in response to the controversial Supreme Court decision in Gresham v. Elthize. The Supreme Court concluded that any limitation or censure imposed on The Unitees is unlawful and detrimental to political freedom in the country. Since the 1980s, The Unitees, a political organization that advocates for the unification of Leagio and Elthize, have been barred from having representation in Elthic politics and have endured shame in Elthic society as a result of their unpopular views in Elthize.
The decision was highly controversial, with most Elthics reacting negatively, including President Greenwich Grimwald, who claimed he was "furious and disgusted". In an address to the nation this morning, he called on the parliament to dismiss the ruling entirely.
And the parliament has responded accordingly: The Senate and The National Assembly of Elthize have released a joint statement criticising the court's ruling. The statement has been signed by all parliament members except one, Senator Kristal Albring of New Democracy, who was undergoing critical surgery at the time of the statement's approval in the upper house. According to her children, she also expressed her support.
The statement, written by Senator Mitch Hamilton of The Third Option, reads that the decision made by the Supreme Court is "illogical and dangerous". It further states: "The sovereignty and existence of The State of Elthize cannot be called into dispute under any circumstance. Furthermore, it is unacceptable for people who do so to have a say in our parliament. The Supreme Court should be aware that no Elthic can accept this.”
Meanwhile, protests have emerged in response to the ruling. A ten-thousand-person event called "March for the Republic" began yesterday in Forecoaster. The event is still going on and is fairly calm. Twenty-thousand people attended a similar rally in St. Lucas. It is estimated that 100,000 individuals attended these rallies around the country, accounting for approximately 2.5% of the population. The majority of these meetings are peaceful, with some attended by Elthic police. This has gathered some criticism, as some found it hypocritical of the police, who were noted to intervene harshly in protests against Grimwald’s decision on voting in ECOJ elections alone.
Justice Dayo Mwangi, former judge of the Constitutional Court of Elthize and current judge of the European Court of Justice, stated that she was disappointed in the decision. She noted: “This ruling is also far different from the status quo. In the case of Charlotte v. Elthize, the Supreme Court ruled in 1999 that Dietrich's rules prohibiting unitees were not unlawful. It was the Constitutional Court that demanded the repeal. […] However, I am afraid that the Gresham v. Elthize case will be utilized to undermine the Elthic judiciary. This ruling has severely harmed the public's faith in the court, and our country's leaders are fanning the flames to get a few more votes. Please keep the hysteria at bay, else the country will descend into a political crisis.”
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The Constitutional Court to hear the dispute between Parliament and the Supreme Court
- The Supreme Court of Elthize has sued the Parliament of Elthize over dismissing the court's decision on Gresham v. Elthize
- The case will finally be decided on the Constitutional Court of Elthize
- The conclusion of the case will determine whether the judiciary has supremacy over the legislature
Freddie Bonnay - August 24, 2022
The last couple of days has been chaotic in Elthic politics. Most of it is caused by Supreme Court's decision on Gresham v. Elthize, a case opened by Finnegan Gresham against the state. In the statement, The Supreme Court decided that Gresham was unfairly discriminated against over his political opinions and must be compensated by the state. It also determined that the censures and the parliament ban against the unitees were unlawful and unjust. Before the verdict, legislation approved by former president Archie Franklin in July 2005 forbade any support for the unitees in the parliament. Shortly after the decision, President Greenwich Grimwald expressed his negative reactions in a speech, and did something peculiar: He asked the Elthic parliament to dismiss the ruling entirely. The issue is that while the parliament has listened to Grimwald, releasing a joint statement, it is uncertain whether the legislature has this power.
Who weighs more?
Under Elthic law, no branch of government has supremacy over the other. In practice, however, the executive branch, made of the president and his cabinet, holds the most power. So which branch of the government comes after the executive? The truth is that I, the author of this article, have no idea, and this has been one of the most divisive issues in Elthic politics. It has been debated for decades and most experts who weighed in on this issue have long waited for the inevitable: A conflict between the parliament and the courts that cannot be resolved with slick-talk diplomacy or, worse, treacherous bribery.
The Supreme Court's clash with the Parliament is nothing new. In fact, before the early 1970s, these clashes were all but common. But none of these conflicts was as severe as the one we're experiencing today, in Gresham v. Elthize. Elthize has never had a president directly request for a high court judgement to be ignored. But now that it has, we're in for a tussle. So, who can solve this?
Constitutional Court to save the day once more!
Here is something that separates The Supreme Court of Elthize from other high courts in the European Union: It doesn't have permission to refer to the Constitution of Elthize in its verdicts, and cannot declare anything "unconstitutional." It may refer to any other law, including the criminal code, the civil code, and other legislation passed by parliament, but it is strictly prohibited from evaluating by the constitution.
And this is where The Constitutional Court of Elthize enters the conversation: A court formed in 1972 specifically to inspect whether bills, motions and legislations passed by the parliament conflicted with the constitution. While the court is not considered to be higher than the Supreme Court legally, many consider the Constitutional Court to be the strongest in Elthize, as it is the court that has the political power to shift things significantly.
There are many cases in the past where the Constitutional Court played a significant role in Elthic politics, but for this article, here’s a relevant story: In May 1999, Former President Gloria Dietrich passed a law that made any support for unification of Elthize and Leagio illegal. In September of that same year, Eleanor Charlotte, a political activist, challenged the law in the Supreme Court, and the case was titled Charlotte v. Elthize. And the court ruled in favour of the state, citing concerns of national security and threats to sovereignty. Four years later, however, in November 2003, the Constitutional Court struck down the law, citing that it went against the freedom of speech and freedom of ideas provided by the constitution. It was no use, however, as similar bans would be re-instated less than two years later by Former President Archie Franklin, with loopholes written specifically to avoid another nullification. And it worked: In April 2008, the law was challenged once more in the Constitutional Court, which stated that the law was following the constitution.
A decision to be made
The verdicts of the Constitutional Court are often considered permanent, as they rarely change. And this decision is important because it will finally determine who holds power over another. Does the parliament have the power to ignore the judiciary completely, or does it have to go by the court's decision?
But does it matter? Because in a couple of months, Elthize will see itself in a referendum in which Elthics will vote if they want various political reforms. One of the propositions includes the following question: "Do you support giving the Elthic legislature absolute supremacy over all institutions in Elthize, including the executive and judiciary branches of the government?"
If voters say yes, it will override the court's decision. In Elthize, referendums cannot be nullified in any way except through another referendum, which is something explicitly defined in the constitution. This is bad if they rule in favour of the Supreme Court. It will make the courts less powerful, and essentially eradicate their political power. ECOJ Justice Dayo Mwangi, who was in our Constitutional Court for decades, thinks the same: "However, I am afraid that the Gresham v. Elthize case will be utilized to undermine the Elthic judiciary. This ruling has severely harmed the public's faith in the court, and our country's leaders are fanning the flames to get a few more votes."
It is a slippery slope, and Elthics need to be careful. Because deciding that the parliament is stronger than all judiciary will have its consequences. We cannot take our politicians for granted. It takes one populist to make Elthize fail in many ways- and if there's no court to stop them, who will?
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Referendum on political reforms to be held in February
Elthics will vote on a variety of political reforms on February 9 and 10
August 27, 2022
Speaker of the Senate May Hobbes stated this morning that the referendum on political reforms will take place on February 9 and 10, 2023. The date was debated in the Senate since this Monday and was approved by President Greenwich Grimwald last evening.
Elthics will vote on ten reform proposals that mostly concern the legislative chamber of the country. The proposals, if passed, will be effective after the next Elthize general election. The proposals are separate, meaning that if one or two of them fail, the rest will still pass. For a proposal to pass, they need to gain simple majority approval and voter turnout (50%). Here are the proposals:
Political reform proposals - February 9-10, 2023 Do you support expanding the National Assembly by fifty seats, from 250 (two-hundred and fifty) to 300 (three hundred)? Do you support giving the Elthic legislature absolute supremacy over all institutions in Elthize, including executive and judiciary branches of the government? Do you support term limits for Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges? Do you support a merger of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court? Do you support having general elections every three years instead of four? Do you support the restoration of the position of Prime Minister, which was abolished in 2007? Do you support some parliament seats being reserved for minor parties to ensure diverse representation in Elthic politics? Do you support some parliament seats being reserved for specific demographics based on age, gender, ethnicity, or any other factors not mentioned? Which of the following two should choose the European Councillor? (A - The president, B - The parliament)
