The Opening of the Parliament of Gallorum
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The Opening of the Parliament of Gallorum has been a ritual that displays the connection between the state as the Crown and the people as the Parliament. On the first day of the state opening, the Sovereign lays out an agenda for the Government (it has since been written by the Cabinet since 1845). These openings mark the beginnings of a parliamentary session, lasting at most 24 months.
Should a Speech from the Throne be given earlier, it may be bypassed, usually in the event of an election. The Second Baschet Government has decided to reset the timetable for the session by holding an opening sans Speech from the Throne. Instead, they used the event for an esteemed speech to the Estates-General, the formal name of the gathering of the Chamber of Deputies and the Chamber of Peers.
The esteemed speech was given by European Councillor and Speaker of the European Council, His Excellency Edward Firoux.
Date: 13 January 2020
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Dear members of the Estates General,
Wow! Thank you very much for your warm welcome. Thank you very much for receiving me. It truly is an honour and a privilege to be with you all here today. I would like to extend a special thank you to Prime Minister Baschet, who has been courteous enough to invite me to address such an esteemed group of parliamentarians.
Before coming up here now, I had the pleasure of meeting some of you. I am amazed by the energy, the enthusiasm and the hope that I have heard in all your voices. It is good that many of you are looking at the new parliamentary session as a great opportunity for furthering change. Progress does not come easy. Governing has more than its fair share of challenges. Hold onto your hope. Maintain your enthusiasm. Remember who you are representing, where you come from, what your faith compels you to do, and harness that, because then truly anything is possible.
As the newly elected government sets its ambitious agenda here in Gallorum, know that the people and government of Inquista stand in solidarity with you all. Following the Saint Dominico Declaration that was signed in August of last year, Inquista and Gallorum have become closer than ever. Gallorum and Inquista have a long, warm and established history. We share many common values, beliefs and even a similar identity. Both our nations have been forged by a particularly strong dedication to faith and servitude to God. Gallorum and Inquista are the only two Orthodox nations in Europe. We are bonded by a particular point of view: to be Orthodox means to be a devout, principled and unafraid to question ungodly injustice, corruption, pride and sin. Orthodox Christians are not afraid to stand up and reaffirm the purpose of Christ’s salvation. As Orthodox Christians, we are bold and courageous enough to challenge the usury and moral weakness that undermined the Churches before ours. With clarity, conviction and undying faith, the Gallic people led one of the greatest moral and religious transformations in history – today known as the Great Schism.
In this 21st century world, Europe needs more bold leadership to challenge the injustices which have become the status quo. The same conviction, courage, dedication to justice, strong and continued faith in God that emboldened Orthodox thought – Gallic thought – is needed more than ever. Nationalism is spreading and cementing itself in all corners of Europe, thereby unleashing a troublesome wave of hatred, resentment, persecution and conflict. Economic inequality is also exploding at exponential rates never before seen in all of history. Despite the great wealth of European nations, greed and usury is leaving the poor even poorer, while the rich only get richer. Greed has not only worsened the economic condition of the European people, but it has also robbed and exploited the Earth, damaging and threatening the existence of humankind's common home and God’s greatest creation. With the same vision and clarity that led Gallorum through the Great Schism, the 21st century can be navigated with the same faith and conviction.
Having faith does not only mean having faith in God. It means to have faith in Christ and his salvation, which was the ultimate sacrifice that he paid due to his own faith in humankind. Just as Christ showed faith in all of humankind, we must show faith in each other. We are all more alike than we even know. We all share the same worries, the same doubts and the same fears. We also all share the same emotions, the same feeling of love and the same feeling of happiness. We need to show love and compassion for one another not because it is only the moral and just thing to do, but also because it makes us stronger. The world is changing and moving at a rapid pace. The forces of globalization are shaping and transforming societies and even the Earth itself at unrecognizable levels. As these global forces are so complex, interconnected and occurring at such a large scale, it often feels that we are unable to master or harness these forces. Sometimes, we feel that we can barely keep up with this change, and we feel scared. We might even feel small and helpless. In order to address these complex forces of globalization, we cannot lash out in fear. We need to be strong, clear-minded and just. Xenophobia, racism and discrimination are fear-based and weak responses to global problems. They come from our own feeling of fear. Ask yourself: has any decision you have made out of fear suited you better than a decision you have made out of strength?
We can only overcome humanity’s greatest issues with a strength-based approach, which has to come out of love, compassion and collaboration. God has designed each human to be different, but to also be equal. We all each have our own strengths and weaknesses. To be weak is to look at someone else and only recognize their weakness, but not their strengths. To be strong is to look at someone else and recognize their strengths in spite of their weaknesses. When we come together, combining our respective strengths to overcome our own weaknesses, then we become even stronger than we can imagine, and we can ultimately achieve anything. I compel you all to look around each other today. Look at someone who you admire. Then look at someone you might disagree with. Then also look at someone who is very different from you… perhaps someone from a different background, a different history or a different identity. What do you admire in them? What strengths do they have? Now imagine if you had those strengths. Also imagine you lending your own strengths to these same people. Know that God designed you perfectly in His image – He wants you exactly as you are and He wants others exactly as they are – there are no mistakes. We are all equally powerful. Now think of the global issues which are pressing Gallorum and Europe today. How small are we truly and collectively to these global problems if we come together?
One area in which Gallorum is already taking on the mantle of European leadership is in the fight against climate change. Prime Minister Baschet has fearlessly made a commitment to net zero carbon emissions from the energy sector by 2030. In the trade agreement with Inquista, Prime Minister Baschet also made a commitment to including environmental measures within that deal. This is fantastic. I plead that you all remain committed to this vision. I also call on you to please use your own example to lead Europe. In the Synoptic Gospels, Christ showed little patience for the merchants who turned the Temple into a den of thieves. The Earth is perhaps humanity’s greatest temple, and it is one which we all commonly share together. We cannot allow our communal temple to be violated for the commercial gain of a small few, who strip down and pollute the Earth for their own purposes. While God has blessed our Earth with many resources and He has called for humanity to be industrious, He has also shown us where greed and usury will lead us. We will not only ultimately sow our own destruction of the Earth, but we will also undo His greatest work. Combating climate change is not only a fight for human survival, but it is also a fight against greed and inequality. The Earth belongs collectively to all of us. Usurers should not and do not hold possession over Earth, only allowing the rest of humanity to access it and its resources at the whim of a small of few. The Earth belongs to all of us. The possibility of future humanity should also belong to all of us. Just like in the Temple, we must stand up to the den of thieves.
As parliament convenes, always try to think of others. Do not be concerned with oneself. Think of the poor, the elderly, the disabled and the persecuted. The messages of the New and Old Testament are messages of social and economic justice. The Bible tell stories of corrupt Kings, slavers and hypocritical priests who created strife, exploited the poor and did great harm. We can learn from each off these stories, and the from Christ’s own life. The sins of humanity and the consequences of those sins are well documented, as well as the great justices which Christ delivered and demonstrated by example. The purpose of politics should always be about striving for a more just and fair society. If we are to produce real justice, then we must be at its forefront of justice, right where the poor and vulnerable are crying out for help and support.
Time and time again, the people and leaders of Gallorum have demonstrated a strong commitment to its unwavering principles. As you go forward, please continue to embrace the values that have guided you and your people for over a millennia. Please do not fear of leading Europe with a strong foot forward. As you lead progress within your own nation, please do not retreat inward and do not leave Europe behind. We can only fundamentally achieve progress and change when we are together. We are stronger together. Continue to lead with strength, and continue to be fearless in questioning injustice and courageous enough to challenge any status quo.
I have no doubt that parliament will achieve many great things in the days to come.Thank you. Merci beaucoup. Dieu bénisse la Gallorum.
His Excellency Edward Firoux
Speaker of the European Council
