Nemeiro Commission Election Questionaire

Below are the results of the questionaire taken by a random sample of the Duxburian probable voter population.

Economy

The EU budget should:
Increase - 14.2%
Stay the Same - 47.8%
Decrease - 38%
Majority Match: Merkel, Kerstin, Cikarova, Cocx / Juncker, Winston, Weber

There should be stimulus packages to poorer EU nations
Yes - 7.1%
No - 92.9%
Majority Match: Merkel, Cocx, Trympov / Oliver

Most of the time infrastructure projects should be agreed on a bi or trilateral basis, not on the EU level
Yes - 84%
No - 16%
Majority Match: All / All

The EU should be the sole or major financial contributor to large infrastructure projects (Like rail, 5G)
Yes - 19.7%
No - 80.3%
Majority Match: Merkel, Kerstin, Cocx, Trympov / Juncker, Oliver

I describe myself as:
Left Wing - 18.1%
Independent or Unaligned - 69.2%
Right Wing - 12.7%
Majority Match: Merkel, Kerstin, Cocx / Juncker, Winston

I also describe myself as:
Pro-EU Integration - 15.2%
Anti-EU Integration - 25.8%
Neither - 59%
Majority Match: Kerstin / Oliver, Weber

Internal Affairs

I support the Refugee Protection Act (Y918)
Yes - 38%
No - 62%
Majority Match: Cikarova, Trympov / Winston, Oliver

Do you support a European Green New Deal?
Yes - 7.1%
Somewhat - 84.6%
No - 8.3%
Majority Match: Kerstin / None

The ESA's funding should:
Increase - 8.8%
Stay the Same - 81%
Decrease - 10.2%
Majority Match: Merkel, Kerstin, Trymprov / Juncker, Weber

I would support a Schengen Area
Yes - 23%
No - 77%
Cikarova, Cocx, Trympov / Oliver

Do you believe the EU should ban nuclear weapons?
Yes - 36%
No - 64%
Majority Match: Cikarova, Cocx, Trympov / All

Immigration

Should it be:
Easier to immigrate/emigrate - 48.8%
Harder to immigrate/emigrate - 51.2%
Majority Match: Kerstin, Cikarova / Oliver

EU Economic Integration:
EU economics should be more integrated - 39%
EU economics should be less integrated - 61%
Majority Match: Kerstin, Chikarova / Winston, Oliver

The Constitution

EU Council seats should be assigned proportionally to population
Yes - 56.5%
No - 43.5%
Majority Match: Trympov / None

The term length for commissioners should be extended
Yes - 40.7%
No - 59.3%
Majority Match: Merkel, Kerstin, Trympov / Winston, Weber

Should the European Assembly be abolished?
Yes - 50.6%
No - 49.4%
Majority Match: Too close to determine

Do you believe the UDoHR needs expansion?
Yes - 48.4%
No - 51.6%
Majority Match: Cikarova, Cocx, Trympov / Oliver

Do you believe the UDoHR should apply only to EU citizens?
Yes - 56%
No - 44%
Majority Match: Trympov / Oliver

Council Bills

Elected and Accountable Council Act
Yes - 47.7%
No - 52.3%
Majority Match: Cocx / Oliver

Condemnation of the Coup in Icholasen
Yes - 60.9%
No - 39.1%
Majority Match: Merkel, Kerstin, Cocx, Trympov / Juncker, Winston, Oliver

Condemnation of the Coup in Inquista
Yes - 48%
No - 52%
Majority Match: Merkel, Cikarova / All

Councillor Kohout's Amendment to the Free Movement of Required Labor Act
Yes - 38%
No - 52%
Majority Match: Merkel, Kerstin, Cocx, Trympov / Juncker, Winston, Oliver

Anti-Space Weaponry Act
Yes - 46.6%
No - 53.4%
Majority Match: All / Juncker, Oliver, Weber

Social Issues

Gay Marriage should be guaranteed by the EU
Yes - 2.7%
No - 2.3%
Unsure - 95%
Majority Match: Unable to determine due to cultural confusion with the prompt

The EU Council should ban abortions
Yes - 20%
No - 80%
Majority Match: All / All

The EU should legislate to legalise cannabis across the EU
Yes - 50.1%
No - 49.9%
Majority Match: Too close to determine

There should be a unified standard curriculum for European schools
Yes - 9.3%
No - 90.7%
Majority Match: All / Juncker, Oliver, Weber

Pro LGBTQ legislation has gone too far in recent times
Yes - 0.8%
No - 1.1%
Unsure - 98.1%
Majority Match: Unable to determine due to cultural confusion with the prompt

Total Majority Matches (Out of 28 possible items):

Premier Candidates:
Merkel - 13
Kerstin - 15
Cikarova - 12
Cocx - 14
Trympov - 16

Internal Candidates:
Juncker - 12
Winston - 10
Oliver - 18
Weber - 10

2 Candidates for Dairghaxx of the Solarity of Azrekko have qualified to proceed past the primary round. They are:

Tychroneus Dey am Sol

Tychroneus Dey's Platform:

• Abolish the dominion-level government of the Solarity of Azrekko and return its powers to individual municipalities
• Retain the Azrekko Skyway Authority, but transfer all other solarity roads to the federal government, or to municipalities
• End solarity-level taxation, including the sales tax
• Create a transition board to manage the devolution process
• Dissolve the Azrekko City Council and replace the Maelir - City Council system with a Sanmezlir - City Meeting form of government
• Don't build the expensive Eastern Skyway
• Abandon flood control in the Great River Valley
• Don't expand the WXL Pipeline's capacity to deliver more oil to Kaumbrenn
• Don't build the EXL Pipeline to deliver oil directly to the Suez Canal and Chirez
• Hold a vote to decide whether the solarity should leave the European Union

Jade Tolland am San

Jade Tolland's Platform:

• Retain the dominion-level government
• Tax relief for ecomonically impacted businesses and residents
• Build the Eastern Skyway and finally connect the City of Azrekko to the Suez Canal and Chirez
• Build a second rail and truck depot for the Eastern Skyway
• Better promote tourism in the solarity
• More funds for flood control in the Great River Valley
• Expand the WXL Pipeline's capacity to deliver more oil to Kaumbrenn
• Build the EXL Pipeline to deliver oil directly to the Suez Canal and Chirez
• Have the solarity leave the European Union

============================================

3 Candidates for Maelir of the City of Azrekko have qualified to proceed past the primary round. They are:

Alan Davey am Sol

Alan Davey's Platform:

• Aggressively pursue the City of Azrekko's potential as a wind and solar energy bastion
• Open new technical universities to retrain workers for renewable energy jobs
• Re-imagine Azrekko as a hub for cryptocurrency companies and miners
• Open a physical crypto exchange in the city and tax trades
• Accept crypto as payment for public debts
• Leave the city police department size mostly as-is
• Implement free, high speed broadband internet city-wide
• Scrap all existing welfare programs and implement universal basic income
• Interconnect the rail depot, truck depot, and port of Azrekko inside the city instead of outside
• Expand the Spaceport of Azrekko to include civilian and potential EU usage
• Oppose the WXL Pipeline expansion and oppose building the EXL Pipeline
• Hold a vote to decide whether the city should leave the European Union

Anita Lenn am Ri

Anita Lenn's Platform:

• Balance Azrekko's existing industry needs with those of potential new industries
• Keep existing industries and attract new ones with incentives
• Explore wind and solar energy potential in the city
• Reform existing welfare programs to be more effective
• Modestly increase the city police department
• Implement paid, high speed broadband internet city-wide
• Reduce property taxes
• Support the WXL Pipeline expansion and oppose building the EXL Pipeline
• Have the city remain in the European Union

Viggo Treyson am San

Viggo Treyson's Platform:

• Support the city's existing industries through tax credits, friendlier regulations, and reduce the cost of land leases
• Open a new nuclear power plant to provide the city with reliable, 24 hour power supply
• Expand Azrekko's defense industry with new testing and production facilities
• Reduce the size of the city government and cut spending
• Significantly expand the city police department and stop the lawless rioting
• Scrap most existing welfare programs
• Greatly reduce property taxes
• Close or sell the Spaceport of Azrekko
• Support the WXL Pipeline expansion and support building the EXL Pipeline
• Have the city leave the European Union

============================================

The 2 Dairghaxx candidates and 3 Maelir candidates are scheduled to square off in a debate tomorrow at 04:00.

Nemeiro Commission Election Pre-Debate Questionaire

Below are the results of the pre-debate questionaire taken by a random sample of the Duxburian probable voter population. Some questions/policy statements are the same as last election cycle and shifts in opinion are noted by (gain/loss).

I describe myself as:
Left Wing - 23.4% (+5.9)
Independent/Unaligned - 56.8 (-8.9)
Right Wing - 19.8 (+3.0)

I also describe myself as:
Pro-EU Integration - 10.2% (-3.4)
Anti-EU Integration - 38.7% (+5.7)
Neither - 51.1% (-2.3)

The European Union represents me and my interests
Yes: 28% (-12.0)
No: 72% (+12.0)

I am better off now than I was last Commission election
Yes: 35.8% (-6.5)
No: 64.2% (+6.5)

The European Union needs major reforms
Yes: 68.3%
No: 31.7%

The Union of Duxburian Dominions should leave the European Union
Yes - 55.6% (+5.8)
No - 44.4% (-5.8)

If you answered yes to the above, should the Union of Duxburian Dominions join a new European Union?
Yes - 81.6%
No - 18.4%

The EU budget should:
Increase - 3.1% (-8.4)
Stay the Same - 51.0% (+2.7)
Decrease - 45.9% (+5.7)

There should be stimulus packages for poorer EU member nations
Yes - 5.9% (-1.2)
No - 94.1% (+1.2)

The European Union should loan money to poorer member nations
Yes - 8.8%
No - 91.2%

Climate change is a problem that should be addressed at the EU level
Yes: 77.5% (+9.5)
No: 22.5% (-9.5)

Do you support a European Green New Deal?
Yes - 24.9% (+18.5)
Somewhat - 68.6% (-17.5)
No - 6.5 (-1.0)

Should the UNSR become an EU member state?
Yes - 49.2%
No - 49.8%

Should the European Assembly be abolished?
Yes - 58.3% (+8.0)
No - 41.7% (-8.0)

Does the European Council have too much power?
Yes: 80.1% (+2.3)
No: 19.9% (-2.3)

Do you support the Sanctioning Powers Act?
Yes: 16.5%
No: 83.5%

Do you support the Elected and Accountable Council Act?
Yes - 43.7% (+2.1)
No - 56.3% (-2.1)

Should ESA funds be redirected for non-space purposes?
Yes: 40.4%
No: 59.6%

If the elections were held today, who would you vote for?

Premier Commissioner
JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER - 29.4%
SOFIE CIKAROVA - 23.5%
ISKIRIS KOLINE - 8.4%
Unsure - 38.7%

Internal Affairs Commmissioner
PETER LEESON - 27.2%
JOE BIDEN - 23.0%
PIANE DAGGOTT - 21.5%
EMMA GRANGER 6.0%
JOSEPHINE AREAI 3.3%
Unsure - 19%

Nemeiro currently projects election turnout around 30-45% - a decline of 29-44% from the previous Commission election's 74% turnout. The largest drops are projected to be in Azrekko, Verinteno, Niko, and their suburbs, mostly concentrated in the 15-30 and 31-45 age groups.

Nemeiro Commission Election Post-Debate Polling Results

Who do you plan to vote for in the Commission Election?

Premier Commissioner
JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER - 42.8%
SOFIE CIKAROVA - 42.7%
ISKIRIS KOLINE - 6.5%
Unsure - 8.0%

Internal Affairs Commissioner
PETER LEESON - 30.2%
JOE BIDEN - 27.0%
PIANE DAGGOTT - 29.9%
EMMA GRANGER 4.1%
JOSEPHINE AREAI 2.6%
Unsure - 6.2%

Premier race analysis:

The big stack of undecided voters has mostly made up its mind, resulting in a statistical tie between Juncker and Cikarova. Koline failed to generate much enthusiasm and has withdrawn from the race, however will remain on the already-printed ballots.

We have noticed Juncker's support slipping slightly and Cikarova making up ground. A whopping 83.5% of Duxburians oppose the Sanctioning Powers Act, which Juncker has re-affirmed his steadfast support for. An even larger supermajority oppose his position on stimulus and loans. However, his continual investment in engaging the Union of Duxburian Dominions and solid track record as a past Commissioner, particularly in regional crisis management, could outweigh unpopular stances. Juncker retains strong support with Duxburian upper and upper middle class voters and all age groups over 45.

Cikarova benefits from lower and middle class voter support, especially unionized voters in cities and voters under 30. This is currently the most energized demographic of the Duxburian electorate, although still projected to turnout in paltry numbers compared to past election cycles. Her lack of time investment in the country may have ended up leaving votes on the table.

Who are the remaining 8% undecided voters? We found that the lion's share of them are working or middle class, non-union, urban voters in the 31-45 age group. This demographic overwhelmingly desires meaningful change in the European Union, but is unsure which candidate is best suited to deliver that change. Juncker faces somewhat of a natural disadvantage with this pool of voters, but Cikarova has also not tapped into them at all, preferring to invest time in other countries. Where they land is critical for victory in the Union of Duxburian Dominions.

Internal race analysis:

Granger and Areai are not in serious contention, Leeson remains the frontrunner, but Daggott has soaked up the pool of undecided voters, making up ground and riding on Cikarova support to make current polling too close to call. Biden is still within range to contend, but has struggled to define himself and has no ground game in the Union of Duxburian Dominions. Like Cikarova, he may have left votes on the table.

Leeson's focus on fundamentals of sovereignty and democracy is widely supported across the Duxburian electorate, although some groups don't find his policies feasible. Daggott's strong ground game and equally credible change platform also finds wide support across the electorate. Daggott scores additional points with the 15-30 group for virtual campaigning to save fossil fuels.

Who are the 6.2% undecided voters? They are widely dispersed across demographic groups and are not a coherent bloc of people. Whichever candidate can bring the most momentum into the voting booth may eke out a narrow victory.

Nemeiro Commission Election Pre-Debate Questionaire

Below are the results of the pre-debate questionaire taken by a random sample of the Duxburian probable voter population. Some questions/policy statements are the same as last election cycle and shifts in opinion are noted by (gain/loss).

I describe my overall political views as:
Strong Left: 2.0%
Moderate Left: 6.1%
Independent, Unaligned, or Centrist: 59.8%
Moderate Right: 22.6%
Strong Right: 9.5%

All Left: (-8.1)
All Right: (+14.3%)
All Other: (-6.2)

I also describe myself as:
Pro-European Integration: 5.3% (-2.8)
Anti-European Integration: 48.0% (+15.5)
Neither: 46.7% (-12.7)

We should conduct international trade through a single currency issued by the European Central Bank
Yes: 6.0%
No: 94.0%

We should use worker collectives at the European level to assist with green transition
Yes:14.1%
No: 85.9%

The European Union represents me and my interests
Yes: 13.4% (-10.1)
No: 86.6% (+10.1)

I am better off now than I was last Commission election
Yes: 52.7% (+12.8)
No: 47.3% (-12.8)

The European Union needs major reforms
Yes: 55.0% (-15.0)
No: 45.0% (+15.0)

The Union of Duxburian Dominions should leave the European Union
Yes - 76.1% (+17.2)
No - 23.9% (-17.2)

If you answered yes to the above, should the Union of Duxburian Dominions join a new European Union?
Yes - 62.5% (-18.9)
No - 37.5% (+18.9)

The European Union budget should:
Increase - 35.8% (+33.7)
Stay the Same - 29.4% (-38.6)
Decrease - 34.8% (+4.9)

The European Union should devote more of the surplus to the European Development Agency
Yes: 62%
No: 38%

The European Union should loan money to poorer member nations
Yes - 6.9% 8.7% (-1.8)
No - 93.1% (+1.8)

Climate change is a problem that should be addressed at the European level
Yes: 63.9% (-15.6)
No: 36.1% (+15.6)

Energy sustainability is a problem that should be addressed at the European level
Yes: 84.0%
No: 16.0%

The European Council has too much power
Yes: 89.5% (+9.4)
No: 10.5% (-9.4)

The European Council is fair
Yes: 39.8%
No: 60.2%

The European Court of Justice needs reforms
Yes: 71.3%
No: 28.7%

Projected Turnout by Dominion:
Realm of Varia - 5-10%
Empire of Laatzen - 5-10%
Dominion of Linden - 10-20%
Alliance of Verinteno - 10-20%
Technocracy of Hasilthec - 5-10%
Commonwealth of Kaumbrennia - 5-10%
Dominion of Suez - 5-10%
Solarity of Azrekko - 80-90%
Stormhold of Chirez - 5-10%
Alliance of Nikoveria - 50-75%

Projected Overall Turnout: 18-26.5%

Analyst Notes: Recent events in the European Council have set the Duxburian electorate in motion, resulting in huge shifts in public sentiment. The nation appears to be taking a hard right turn, with a 14% surge in likely voters self-identifying as right and and a 15% collapse of the left across the past two EU election cycles. However, traditional left-right ideological camps continue to not be a good predictor of Duxburian voting habits, so caution must be used when drawing conclusions from such shifts.

One thing is certain - it's easy to conclude that many of these voters are angry, propelling support for leaving the EU to super-majority levels, with large increases in related positions, such as opposing further integration or the EU not representing the voter's interests. Even support for creating a new EU fell drastically. Improving economic conditions at home may be weakening the perceived need for the EU.

That said, over a third of voters now support increasing the EU budget, most likely influenced from the EDA's inability to fund massive projects like the Solaris Azrekko. Duxburians also overwhelmingly support pursuing energy sustainability, even though support for fighting climate change has declined. Interestingly, only 55% of voters now feel that the EU needs major reforms...perhaps they feel problems with the EU are more interpersonal than structural. There is still at least one big structural problem, with almost 90% responding that the Council has too much power.

Nemeiro projects another large drop in turnout almost nationwide. Many dominions might not even crack 10% turnout, which would approach record lows, but Azrekko remains stubbornly fired up to vote. This may be partly due to its special election being delayed, partly due to anger at the EU in a city where over 90% of its residents support leaving the union, or perhaps the Solarity realizes its vast power in low turnout EU elections on some meta collective level and wants to keep flexing that power. Whatever the reasons, as many as 9 out of every 10 eligible Sandmasters may head to the polls, again.

However, this time there is a new twist - Nemeiro projects high turnout in Nikoveria for the first time in any election. The nation's newest dominion may look tiny, with just 2 constituent cities and 0 rays of sunlight, but it's actually densely populous and has more voting power than Kaumbrennia or Varia. What do these voters want? It is difficult to know for certain with very limited polling having ever been conducted in the Alliance, but Nemeiro believes that Azrekko's high voter engagement is starting to spill over to its two sister cities. Perhaps Nikoverians vibe with Azrekkians and also see the same path to exercising enhanced voting power. Therefore, we think that both dominions will likely vote in lockstep, making it crucial to win both if a candidate wants the Duxburian vote.

It is too early to project support numbers for each candidate this time. Jean-Claude Juncker starts off with the advantage of name recognition and generally favorable past track record, although Duxburians remain wary of some of his proposed acts and policies, especially in must-win Azrekko. Juncker has struggled there in the past, particularly in last fall's Commission election. Calvin Kühnert faces the challenge of being totally unknown, but with the advantage of having favorable policy positions, especially in Azrekko.

Nemeiro is unable to assess Kevin Cotilla yet and expects additional, viable entries into the internal affairs race. Antoni Reynels enjoys high popularity, strong name recognition, and a positive foreign affairs track record. He is likely to cruise to victory regardless of whether Pekka Haavisto runs for re-election.

Hey Europe! I'm Jon Mitchell of the House of Lind and I'm running for the office of Foreign Affairs Commissioner. Here is my candidate platform!

• Dispatch Communication
  Traditionally, we used to report news about what happens in the European Union to our partners and allies through forums. As global communication has evolved, it now makes more sense to move these reports to regional dispatches. Outbound Commissioner Reynels used these to great effect, so I want to build on that momentum for our monthlies and other news as the need arises. I also want to get these better promoted by encouraging Europeans to upvote them for greater international visibility.

• Get Eurocorps Fully Operational
  It's been a while since this was approved and we still don't have Eurocorps up and running. I trust that this is a difficult and complex process, but I do want to prod Vincent Drake to see if it can start to take national contributions ASAP. A working regional military is key to getting the European Union noticed in the world.

• Establish and Use a Permanent Regional GP Embassy
  We have tried several times at establishing such an embassy and never made it past the introduction statement each time. An Embassy in GP is critical to regional presence on the international stage, so I want to open a new one and actually use it actively. Monthly reports, news reports, election reports, and Eurocorps activity can all contribute content to this property.

• Formalize Friendships
  We have a lot of terrific informal partners who could become treatied allies. Our embassies with other regions are just that, they don't signify a deeper relationship. Just having embassies with the North Pacific and Europeia didn't stop them from trying to raid us in the past, so I think we should work on getting treaties on paper with our closest friends. This is a reach goal, but worth pursuing if the political climate is favorable.

• Continue Participation in Inter-Regional Events
  Commissioner Reynels got us more deeply involved in world events like UCR Con and Potato Alliance. I want the EU to keep participating in events, and perhaps, we could host our own! Something like an international Eurovoice maybe? There are endless possibilities for our own event.

The Daily Dominion
All the News You Need to Hear

Massive Protests Erupt Across the Nation as EU Commission Candidates Lay Out Agendas

In what has increasingly become a national pastime, hundreds of thousands of Duxburians took to the streets to protest various Commission candidate agenda items.

Fierce protests gripped Azrekko [OOC: Formerly "Laatzalveria"], the nation's 3rd largest city, where a police-estimated crowd of 70,000 filled Atomic Triangle to protest nuclear weapons bans, subsidies for poor member states, a green new deal, new rail networks, and a unified European education cirriculum. Protesters burned EU flags and effigies of several Commission candidates while wearing Trympov hats or waving olive branches, but no property was reported damaged or destroyed. The situation in the city remains tense as authorities brace for another night of large protests. The isolated, desert metropolis remains in recession since the violent protests against Commission policies and Council acts 6 years ago. Azrekko declared a state of emergency.

An estimated crowd of 40,000 in Verinteno and 23,000 in Niko marched against Commissioner Juncker's proposal against hacking. Hacking is not a crime in Duxburian territory and enjoys widespread popularity in these tech-heavy cities, with 68% calling it a civil right and 59% opposing any regulation of the activity, in a recent Nemeiro poll. Mystery celebrity Brandeus Devoy, a grandmaster of cyberwarfare, marched with Verinteno protestors and briefly addressed them by microphone, announcing that he'd "given up on the EPA" and directing his supporters to vote for other candidates. Much larger protests are planned.

In an entirely separate action, 17,000 Verinteno teachers walked out of schools to protest Candidate Winston's unified European education policy. With that many teachers out, the entire district was forced to close for the rest of the day. Another 8,000 teachers have pledged to join them tomorrow, along with unknown numbers of university students. Verinteno, the nation's largest city, has declared a state of emergency.

In Dairghazburo, a smaller crowd of 14,000 formed to protest many of the same issues, notably joined by numerous federal government officials. One employee from the Domain of Economics, who declined to be identified, warned protesters to prepare for the possibility of another recession. Master-General Drammen commented that he was "Very disappointed by the EU overreaching again and inciting dangerous sentiment, and he would be voting appropriately. Grandmaster Reid, a 5 star general, also made an appearance at the protest, but he was all smiles. "I told you so!" he shouted, calling out Grandmaster Devoy by name, having heard about the events in Verinteno. "I'm so proud that you've woken up after being stabbed in the back by Europe and now you can see the EU for what it truly is. They will take away your entire livelihood, the fate that awaits us all. Vote Trympov!" Olive branches appeared to outnumber Trympov hats at this protest.

Smaller protests were also held in at least 80 other municipalities. Calls to the Office of the Steward were not returned, neither were calls to the Office of the European Councillor.

Erik Drammen < - > Wesley Greene

With a light bump and then a sustained roar, the plane touched down at Dominion Center and Wesley Greene was on Duxburian soil for the first time in what felt like ages. However, he would not be staying for long - he was only clearing through, before flying onward to Spain with Erik Drammen. Wes was still kind of confused why the Master-General of State invited him to the big Telum summit, he was just a councillor, a 31 year old councillor with few achievements to his name. Granted, any Duxburian councillor was far from a nobody on the world stage, but he would feel totally inadequate in a room full of heads of state...with a king and an emperor and all. However, the Master-General wouldn't have invited him and only him without a reason...he was just dying to know that reason...

Deep in thought, he almost walked right by the door to the restricted terminal for government officials...oops! Wes awkwardly backtracked and was waved right through with no need to show his federal ID. What a blessed timeline this was, where security actually knew who he was! They used to have absolutely no clue and he had to repeatedly explain how he was the Councillor of the Duxburian Union and also that he was actually over the age of 20 and could do x or y thing legally. Wild times.

Erik Drammen, formerly the Master-General of State, was waiting at the gate. He was sporting a new pin on his suit, made of solid gold, bearing the original seal of Acennan Aelir in the Early Aelirian language. Such a thing could only be worn by a Grandmaster-General of State. Erik had insisted on the promotion, knowing that the Steward didn't plan to attend the Telum summit and didn't want it to look like a snub. He was basically like, "If you expect me to run the Domain of State, go to the highest level summits myself, and run the entire federal government's day-to-day affairs, then I am doing grandmaster-level work and need grandmaster-level recognition." It wasn't even hard to convince Dante Maximillian to grant this, given his need to keep Erik happy. Thus, Erik Drammen became the first Grandmaster-General in the Council of Masters for hundreds of years, a sufficient level of prestige to avoid being his own version of disappointing at the Telum summit.

Wesley Greene popped up at the gate and walked up to Erik to greet him. They had never really met, like actually met in a 1 on 1 setting, so he needed to pre-empt Wes, who had noticed the pin and was clearly intimidated by what it represented. "No no no no no," Erik gestured with hands out-stretched, "Forget the formalities, I'm Erik, just call me 'Erik'. Likewise, I'm sure you'd prefer if I call you 'Wes' instead of 'Councillor Greene'."

Dropping rank formality got Wes visibly more relaxed, and they shook hands on it. "It's great to finally meet you properly," Wes said. "This is the first time I've even been home this year, Europolis has me so busy..."

"I can imagine," replied Erik. "Let's talk about how we can make you even busier!"

Wes was puzzled, not sure if it was a joke or intended to be serious, but Erik was gesturing toward the plane, so something to discuss in the air, he figured.

The plane was downright luxurious, it looked more like a flying hotel than transport. Not only that, but there were 2 others identical to it parked at gates nearby. As their plane taxied to the runway, he noticed the others getting in motion, as well.

"They're decoys," Erik explained. "This is how an Aelir or Steward usually travel, with tight security."

"Isn't it obvious that we're going to Spain?"

"Oh, they will accompany us to the beginning of Spanish airspace, then the rest of the journey is secure. The point this time is just to keep a terrorist guessing as to which plane contains government officials. Any other time, they'd be flying to alternate destinations."

"Makes sense." Wes sat down on a large couch and Erik sat down opposite him. Wes instinctively took out a bug detector device and started waving it around, then realized he looked silly with that in front of Erik. Erik was amused with the councillor's training and also impressed with the sophistication of the device itself. He had seen that exact device before, in the hands of Councillor Devoy.

"'Trust No One But Yourself' was the motto of Acwellan Devoy...I know him very well, I also disagree with his worldview. You need friends you can trust and confide in. That said, it's definitely smart to check for bugs in a confidential environment. There are indeed none, you can trust that nothing said on this plane leaves it."

"I'm sorry for being so awkward," Wes laughed sheepishly.

"No worries, that's not even awkward. Standard operating procedure among many of the types who meet on planes like this." Erik could see why Wes was so well-liked - he was genuine, raw with inexperience, but also smart and exceptionally competent. He could work with this, yes.

"So, how are things in the European Council? I know it's been a rough experience at times, this is your chance to tell me anything. And I really mean anything. If something is not working, I can change it."

"I mean I love the Council, but what makes it difficult is when Steward Maximillian tells me I can't do things like introduce legislation or vote on specific acts. People may think I'm lazy or not dedicated or whatever, when in reality, I am simply not allowed to do this or that. I can handle the overt insults, being misgendered as a woman because my name apparently isn't masculine enough for westerners, and the annoying favoritism used by the Speaker, but being gimped by my own side is the real hardship. There are days when everything is fine and days when I feel like I just can't do this, you know?"

"Every job is like that..bad bosses and annoying coworkers!" Erik chuckled. He was hearing what he expected to hear. Erik rarely asked a question he didn't already know or suspect the answer to.

"But really, in all seriousness, I do have a potential solution to that. I could change the structure of the executive branch so you don't need to report directly to the Steward."

"You can do that!?" Wes was intrigued.

"Indeed. What would happen is the Domain of the European Councillor would move to the Domain of State...the office would lose its standalone independence, although it doesn't exactly have any independence anyway, and reporting to me instead of Maximillian would mean you're free to do whatever you'd like in the Council. No restrictions, full stop. Instead of having our national interests dictated to you, you would have a hand in shaping what those interests actually are. You're very close to the people, I trust you to make the right decisions about how to represent them. Joining the Domain of State would also mean that you'd no longer just be our Councillor, limited to what you can do inside the chamber. You'd also have power outside the chamber, able to create, coordinate, and convey policy platforms and initiatives between the European Union, the Duxburian government, and the people. I call this role, 'Councillor-General'. It has never been tried before and I would be very excited to try it with you as a partner. However, whether you want to do that is entirely up to you."

Wes sat there taking all this in. "The Steward would allow this? Isn't that a huge shift in power that could threaten him?"

"Oh...it most...certainly...IS," Erik said. The way he said it and his facial expression got the message across to Wes.

Erik could also read Wes' body language. "Relax, Wes. I am not couping the Steward, nor am I 'using' you for political purposes to that end. I would not insult your intelligence that way. My number one priority is that the government functions properly - the Steward has been an impediment to that. So of course, I will pursue options that un-gunk the flow and restore both our internal and external affairs to normal working order.

I wanted you to come and experience the Telum summit regardless of whether you accept or decline Councillor-General. You're still the face of our country as Councillor - a face our friends and allies are familiar with. They don't know me, they don't know the Steward, our government has declined to the point where nobody knows or understands us and we do not know or understand them. This summit is the beginning of the healing process, a chance to re-engage and re-humanize with our friends. Duxburian civilization needs me and it needs you."

This was heavy stuff and Wes requested the rest of the flight to weigh his options. He wanted full privileges in the Council and to able to create policy, wanted that very badly. However, he was also worried about becoming a rook in a potentially dangerous power struggle between the #1 and #2 Duxburians. Even if Erik could assure that he wasn't a pawn...he was still a piece on the board, a rook or bishop perhaps. He must tread carefully, although he also recognized that Erik was providing a path to gain powerful allies and thus also, political protection. If Erik was taking advantage of him, it was in a mutually-beneficial way with a lot of potential upside.

Wes had plenty of time to think about it, Spain was a decent distance away.

When their plane landed at Torrejón de Ardoz, Erik Drammen was not the only one wearing a shiny new badge.

A perfect storm of EU policies threatens to devastate the Azrekkian economy and MEGA is our only hope left
Op Ed by Alekx Bailey

Hi, I'm Alekx Bailey...nobody special, no fancy title, just a regular sandmaster of Azrekko. I was born here and I'm gonna die here, if there's still anything left by the time the European Union is done with it. I usually don't get involved in political stuff, but it's increasingly hard to see how my city will survive this upcoming Commission. I watch all the debates, rallies, and read the transcripts...it's just one scary proposal after another that threaten Azrekkian industries with closure. There is no plan for what becomes of the millions of ordinary people who work in oil, automobile, chemical, nuclear, and defense industries, nothing at all. All Europe can think about is banning things. Some of these candidates would happily throw you out into the desert with nothing but the shirt on your back if it means they get their ban. Good, hard-working people with families to feed will be stranded with no livelihood and no transition plan.

I am also extremely concerned about the level of spending these people want - Senator Kerstin wants to throw away 35% of our EU refund on subsidies for other countries...like WHAT? That's unbelievable...just...no. She comes into Verinteno promising to cut our national contribution and then proposes to hike it massively. We need every available kael to weather the ongoing recession! I do at least give her credit for coming to our country, most haven't got the balls to face the music of Duxburian voters.

Meanwhile, Winston wants billions for railways...that can't be constructed in our shifting dunes. He wants billions for satellite-based 5G...that won't prenetrate through the desert ceiling into most of our city. We stand to spend tons and get nothing for it.

Even the Junckman supports those damn subsidies, a green new deal with no details, disastrous free trade, and heavy spending. I voted for him last time, as I thought he understood us and would steer Europe on the right path. Sadly, I was wrong and I think a lot of Duxburians are waking up to the same realization, not just sandmasters.

The MEGA candidates, Dragan Trympov and John Oliver, are the only ones who will actually represent our interests and avoid crashing our economy. For all the talk of democracy floating around, who else is listening to what the people actually want? Both of them have visited our country, you know them, they are great. I'm voting MEGA to save our city, I highly recommend you do, too.

Thank you for your time,

Alekx

Erik Drammen was giving Wes Greene final prep as they approached the exposition center. He also had to silently raise Wes' stipends after watching him gorge on all that Spanish cuisine last night. Wes played it off as being super interested in trying all the different dishes (all delicious!) but Erik knew what it was like to be poor and Wes gave off a lot of obvious cues that he was not getting enough food in Europolis.

Erik was super embarrassed that the voting representative of one of the most powerful countries in the world could be allowed to struggle with affording food. Wes had been councillor for years now, Erik wondered how long this had been allowed to go on...he was embarrassed with his lack of knowledge about the councillor in general - his past and his house were a complete mystery. His declared Duxburian domicile was an apartment on the first level of the city of Niko. The House of Greene brought up zero results. He hoped to learn more as the summit progressed.

The Duxburian motorcade pulled up and it was time to get out. In typical Duxburian tradition, both were dressed modestly, just regular dark suits. Dressing to impress was reserved for events hosted on home soil, events away were a time for visual modesty. "Oh and you'll have to surrender all your personal defense effects at security," Erik reminded Wes. "The Spanish aren't messing around for this summit, security is super tight."

At the metal detector, Wes removed his 'Wellan .45 caliber, several knives, including one hidden in a shoe, pepper spray, and his main writing pen, which also contained a tiny flip-out knife in the shaft. Wes had a sheepish look on his face the whole time (Hey, his job ranked as one of the most dangerous in the region!), but if the guards were seeing something unusual, they made no indication of it. Motionless, poker faced, cold professionals. Wes retained his handcuff pickers, lock pickers, and other metal non-weapons. Erik surrendered his .9mm Executive Defender pistol and carried no other weapons.

Once through security, they were greeted with the FLASH FLASH FLASH of a giant media circus. This was Wes' time to shine! He led the Duxburian delegation through the sea of reporters, all smiles and waves for the cameras. As Erik took his seat at the table and started to set up some kind of big screen thing across the desk, Wes needed to block them from bothering him and thought up ways to satiate the media's thirst for anything to roll. He commanded their attention by switching from the standard ÆϟIRIΛӢx̄ ΛϟŦx̄ language to his seldom-heard English. In the Council, he always spoke ÆϟIRIΛӢx̄ ΛϟŦx̄ with a translator, the wider world had never really heard him utter English.

Wes couldn't discuss policy talking points, but he could smile, wave, and talk about what he was wearing - the new badge for his new rank, his suit pants designed to have an integrated pistol holster, his "exotic" wristwatch that could display time in MΛΓ⸘ΛӢ ΛȻxӢŦx̄ format (||.||:|.0:V.||) or in MΛΓ⸘ΛӢ M•ΔxRӢx̄ format (¦¦:|0:★¦), but not in arabic numerals. The large group of reporters continued to press him on divulging anything about Telum, so he finally said he'd enlighten them about Duxburian summit goals, BUT...he switched out of English and into the ÆϟIRIΛӢx̄ ΛȻxӢŦx̄ language and talked about a random cooking recipe, which made Erik bust into laughter as the reporters tried to save face by nodding along as if they understood what he was saying. "What a troll! BWHAHAHAHA" If Spanish media didn't know that there were multiple Aelirian languages, they knew it now!

However, this innocent moment also got Erik thinking. ÆϟIRIΛӢx̄ ΛȻxӢŦx̄ wasn't something just anybody could speak - it was a very rare language with few remaining native speakers, mostly concentrated deep in the city of Niko. Above ground, it was mostly being kept alive by a dwindling number of history enthusiasts like himself. Erik listened carefully to Wes' accent and tones, deducing that he spoke like a native Hellsgater, residents of the 18th and lowest public level of Niko. That must be where he was originally from - a dreary, neglected, ancient community, barely scraping by life at the bottom of the world. It suddenly made sense why he might be poor and also why he didn't seem to have any family - he might really not have one.

That brought Erik's thoughts to another place - The Hellsgate. It was a big tourist attraction leading to natural hot springs. In ancient times, people really thought it was the entrance to hell on earth. Satanic graffiti all over the site dating back thousands of years was worth the price of admission alone. On the corner of the block in front of the Hellsgate though was Greene Orphanage. Erik remembered passing it many times. Was that why he couldn't find the House of Greene? Nah, that was crazy. The Councillor of the Duxburian Union couldn't be an abandoned kid named after an orphanage. Wes was too well-educated, healthy, and happy to have come from that. To rise from Niko city level 18 to Niko city level 1 was an unthinkable, insurmountable gap from untouchably nothing to the Duxburian elite. Who could even do that? Alan Davey of Azrekko was the only person he could think of who had bootstrapped himself from abject poverty to political power...oh...Alan Davey was Wes' best friend, too...fascinating...

Anyway, he wouldn't probe Wes about his heritage here, lol. Maybe not ever. Imagine not having a real surname in a society like this, Wes would dig a 22nd level of Niko just to bury those feelings. Yeah, no...back to installing the screens. Erik wished he could remember what Wes' face was like when they met and he said, "I'm sure you'd prefer if I call you 'Wes' instead of 'Councillor Greene'"...oh man...no,...screens.

Wes stalling for time was successful - Erik finished setting up the desk screens for both him and Wes without the media being able to get to him. They were hologram interfaces for the ʎ•ϟ•ӢØŦØ note-taking program, very expensive, cutting-edge technology they wanted to show off. Their notes would float holographically above their desks at eye level, they could re-arrange the position of content by touch in the visible area, and swap content between desks with hand gestures. Erik would be sitting in the main circle, Wes a row back, so it was important that they could communicate in real-time without being able to look at or talk to each other.

The tech did have some limitations, though - notes still had to be typed with a conventional keypad and the holographic displays weren't very powerful. Only they needed to actually see anything and they'd be sitting right at the displays, so it would work in this space. They had tech support if something were to happen, but no other staff to backstop their policy info. Wes handled all of that himself. He even got a glass of water for Erik (NOT to be put near the holographic display!), a task that would normally be handled by not-name brand dignitaries. Erik was growing more confident in his theory watching Wes' work ethic.

The press left the room, signaling that the summit was going to start now. They turned on their screens, bringing all the pre-existing notes to life. Wes fed ideas to Erik, feeling kind of odd swiping the stuff across, but attention was focused on Aguilar's welcome speech. Artabanos opened the summit, logical given that the treaty's namesake was in Inimicus. Both Erik and Wes really wanted to meet him, but there hadn't been opportunity to really mingle yet, perhaps later. After Artabanos concluded, who would speak next?

Erik hit his mic switch.

"ʎxӢΔx̄, ฿ϟx̄ЖЖØ ⸘Ø 7x$x̄v$ V•Γ ⸘Ø⅄Γ •$¶iŦ⅄ϟiŦxϟ. This phrase is a customary thanks to the host for their hospitality. The Union of Duxburian Dominions is grateful for this chance to strengthen its relations with our friends. We haven't really gotten to know each other or been very close in the past, to the point where my country may be somewhat of a mystery to you, which we do deeply regret. I'm Erik Drammen of the House of Rike, Grandmaster-General of State, here in place of Steward Maximillian, who sadly could not attend. I am definitely interested in hearing about the Artabanos Canal's regulations and would like to congratulate President Karaman and Emperor Artabanos on this wonderful achievement! A new canal is a pretty significant feat of engineering and definitely something to celebrate.

I would support better syncing our canal and strait policies overall. The Union of Duxburian Dominions operates the Suez Canal, which currently admits and charges vessels purely on the basis of their size and load. We would be open to matching rates and military access policies or at least admitting Telum member-flagged vessels at a discount. We also have half of the narrow Varian strait, which we currently do not tax or regulate much at all. We recognize California's rights to the other half of the strait, making taxes ineffective there, but we're still open to ideas.

It's unlikely that too much can be done about the bombing and similar provocations, other than patrolling Telum airspace more vigorously, deploying more anti-air capability, and ensuring that potential aggressors remain adequately deterred. To that end at least, the Steward would likely be in favor of increasing Inimicus' nuclear deterrent should it apply for an arsenal limit increase. Inimicus can clearly show cause for needing more nuclear warheads and remains likely to clear the stability, peacefulness, etc. requirements needed to carry a majority in the ENAA. I do have to underline that ENAA decisions are on the hard merits of the application and cannot show favoritism to any nation and this discussion does not represent any kind of commitment or guarantee of an affirmative vote.

On non-military matters, my colleague Wes Greene here, whom you all know as the Duxburian Councillor and now Councillor-General, wishes to pursue more technological collaboration within Telum. Traditionally, most such programs are limited to university-level exchange and cooperation, but we want to pool general resources and workforce brainpower to research and develop brand new tech. Duxburians are working on things like temperature inversion solar panels that can gather energy even in total darkness, solar power-assisted electric vehicles, milimark wave KVL delivered by KLE (your countries would call this "5G ultra wideband WiFi delivered by power line" I think), nuclear fusion energy, carbon capture plants, better rechargeable batteries, and yadda yadda yadda. Alone, it would take us years to decades to advance these projects to the point of real-world mass deployment, but together, we could discover breakthroughs more frequently and build out faster.

I'd also like to invite Telum to participate in our RippleX network, which allows institutions and individuals to transfer any amount of any type of money basically instantly at virtually no cost, without regard to traditional barriers and technological shortcomings. The Union of Duxburian Dominions no longer has balkanized physical clearinghouses, slow ACH, or expensive wire transfers - we have near-instant and near-free RippleX, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Access can be limited and transfer limits can be set if your country needs that level of financial control. You don't have to accept RippleX of course, but your citizens might be engaging in similar blockchain activity under the table already so you might as well steer them towards something in a safer and better regulated environment?"

Erik finished his opening speech and yielded the floor.

The Duxburian government has issues with the act as written, but they are amendable, so here's a list of things that need to be reworked before we could support it:

Amendment 1:

I. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): an area of the ocean, extending 200 nautical miles beyond a nation's territorial sea, within which a coastal nation has jurisdiction over both living and nonliving resources.

III. EU member states are required to share data about the sealife inside their EEZs and territorial waters.

Duxburian naval doctrine compels us to oppose the very concept of EEZs itself. These waters so far from a member state's land borders cannot be defended on a permanent and constant basis, thus nobody owns them. The EU however, is welcome to regulate such waters. Simply striking EEZs ensures Duxburian support for the act and avoids my government throwing a temper tantrum, which it has a literal exponentially greater capacity to throw compared to others out there. I'd love to just not have to deal with that.

Amendment 2:

I. Fishing Licenses

A) All individuals and companies commercial vessels of any length and recreational vessels over 6 meters in length engaged in fishing within the waters of the European Union must obtain a fishing license from the government. The license is required for all types of fishing, including commercial and recreational fishing.

In my country, vessels are licensed, not people. It's really the vessel that gets inspected, carries the equipment, does the fishing, has the quotas, etc..so it's the vessel that really needs the license, not the crew or owner. Individual licenses are impractical in an industry where crews may shift each trip and owners can have many different vessels flagged of different countries. The lack of an individual mandate does not stop a member state from imposing that on their own territorial waters, if they so desire, however.

The reason I added recreational over 6 meters is acknowledgment that large recreational boats are capable of a lot of fishing, but also that there is a threshold below which it's not worth the cost to regulate. The Duxburian government simply isn't going to demand personal fishing kayaks be licensed, nor will it go after 2 people casting off the stern of a sunfish craft, nor will it stop kids or one-off day trippers and demand to see their licenses. We don't have this level of control over our society, nor the funding, and it's silly and unrealistic to expect this.

Amendment 3:

III. Total Allowable Catches (TAC)

A) The EMO establishes quotas for each species of fish that can be caught within a certain time frame. The quota is based on scientific studies of the fish population and sustainability. The license holder licensed vessel is allowed to catch a specific amount of fish within the quota limit.
B) The TACs shall be divided into quotas that shall be allocated to license holders licensed vessels based on a fair and transparent process. The quotas shall be determined based on factors such as the size of the vessel, the fishing history of the license holder vessel, and the sustainable fishing practices employed.
C) Quotas may be transferred between licensed vessels if the following conditions are met:
1. The transfer is documented in writing between the original intended vessel and receiving vessel.
2. The EMO is formally notified by both parties of the transfer in writing.
3. The transfer would not bring the receiving vessel above its capacity limit.
4. The receiving vessel has the required gear and is capable of performing the required methods to catch the receiving species.
5. The receiving vessel's license is in good standing and is not restricted or otherwise sanctioned.

I share Councillor Mizrachi-Roscoe's concerns about bycatch waste - in an inflexible system, a quota-fearing captain will jettison otherwise good fish overboard dead. I thought about establishing quota ranges rather than hard quotas, but ended up leaving in hard quotas and going for a system that actual fishers use already - transferable quotas. If you have significant bycatch of a species you can't legally land, you just trade part of your unused quota for some other species with another boat for part of theirs. Fishing is a tight-knit industry, captains know each other and trade these quotas often to cover their bycatches. I set a bunch of conditions that prevent abuse of trading.

The rest of Councillor Mizrachi-Roscoe's amendment doesn't work, as there are legitimate reasons to get rid of dead fish, such as disease or contamination. Likewise, clause D is too broad and would ban all fishing for any species during any breeding season for any other species. Fish species breed at different times, there is always something breeding at any given time. Closed seasons should be very specifically targeted when possible and closures shouldn't affect other species when possible.

Amendment 4:

B) The government shall conduct regular inspections of all commercial fishing vessels boats and recreational fishing vessels over 6 meters in length to ensure compliance with the capacity limits. These inspections shall include checks on the boat's registration, equipment, and overall condition.

C) License holders Owners must report any changes in their boat's vessel's capacity, such as upgrades or modifications, to the government. Failure to do so may result in penalties.

Again, the Duxburian government is just not gonna inspect kayaks, canoes, personal cruisers, small center console powerboats, and other such small recreational craft.

Amendment 5:

II. If an individual or a company is found fishing without a valid fishing license, they shall be subject to fines. any commercial fishing vessel or recreational fishing vessel over 6 meters in length is found fishing without a valid fishing license onboard or on-file, it shall be subject to fines or penalties.
III. If any fishing gear is found to be non-compliant with the sustainable gear standards, the license holder owner must replace the gear with sustainable gear that meets the standards within a specified time frame.
IV. If a license holder licensed vessel uses non-compliant fishing gear, they shall be subject to penalties, including fines or suspension of the fishing license penalties. Repeat offenders may face more severe penalties, including suspension of or revocation of their fishing license.
V. If a license holder licensed vessel exceeds their allocated quota, inclusive of quotas obtained by transfer, they shall be subject to fines or penalties ,including fines or suspension of the fishing license. Repeat offenders may face more severe penalties, including suspension of or revocation of their fishing license.
VI. If a fishing boat licensed vessel is found to be operating above its capacity limit, the license holder licensed vessel shall be subject to fines or penalties ,including fines or suspension of the fishing license. Repeat offenders may face more severe penalties, including suspension of or revocation of their fishing license.
VII. If a license holder licensed vessel is found to be fishing within a closed area or during a closed season, inclusive of quotas obtained by transfer, they shall be subject to fines or penalties ,including fines or suspension of the fishing license. Repeat offenders may face more severe penalties, including suspension of or revocation of their fishing license.

This amendment reworks the section for licenses by vessel and applies better consistency to fines or penalties for first offenses, with suspension or revocation possible for repeat offenses. No one is getting suspended for a first offense, that's just silly.

This is another place where fishing licenses by individual doesn't work. If the gear doesn't meet standard, who has to replace it? "The license holder" you mean the owner? What if the owner is a public company? What if it's more than one company? A rental operator? The captain? Anyone on the crew? They're all license holders under the unamended act.

Amendment 6:

I. All member states of the European Union are required to harmonize their national law(s) with this Act within six months one year of time from its approval by the European Council.

This act needs more time for compliance. The required minimum gear is all in units of measurement my country does not use, so we will have to re-inspect literally every commercial and recreational ship of size to convert the gear. Marian and metric units are directly convertable base 10 to base 10, but it's still a pain in the ass when new limits are slight adjustments that have to be made everywhere. We are fine with this since units have to be in something and the rest of the world doesn't use ours, but we need time to do that.

Amendment 7:

Replace all mentions of "boat" or "fishing boat" with "vessel" and replace any uncaught mentions of "license holder" to "licensed vessel".

My predecessor was a stickler for consistency and I guess our legal system has caused me to become one as well. It's also worth noting that not everything that fishes is a "boat" and that does matter from a legal perspective. Duxburian courts go strictly by what's written and won't give you even a mark of wiggle room on intent.

Anything not addressed by an amendment is something the Union of Duxburian Dominions is otherwise fine with.

Wesley Greene
Councillor-General of the Duxburian Union

The Daily Dominion

All the News You Need to Hear

Councillor-General Wesley Greene's First European Act Passes Unanimously, Greene Sees Bump in Popularity

Councillor-General Greene's Harmonized Tariff Systems Code Act passed the European Council today by a unanimous vote of 7-0. The Act standardizes product codes for use in international trade. This popular Act was overwhelmingly supported by Customs inspectors, whose jobs may become easier and more seamless under the new system. Duxburian businesses also widely supported the Act, particularly in port cities.

The rare piece of legislation boosted Greene's approval rating from 54% to 59%. His approval ratings have mostly hovered in the 50s and 60s since appointment, but were on a gradual eroding trend recently. Greene has never dipped below 50%.

Now that Greene has succeeded in passing his first Act, some analysts believe he is primed to try another one sooner rather than later. "Success begets more success, especially when you've found wide, non-partisan support," said Petyr Alaan, a political analyst for Nemeiro. "I see this as a major leap of confidence for him on the European stage. He delayed introducing any bill for years due to youth and lack of confidence, but with that in the rear view window, he's likely to explore what's really possible."

Nemeiro polling also found that pro-European Union sentiment in Azrekko rose from 6% to 10% with the passage of the Act. While a whopping 90% of the city still opposes the EU, this is a significant trend reversal and the only positive increase there in many years.

The Daily Dominion

All the News You Need to Hear

Federal Blockchain Alliance Unveils Next Generation LINK X Network

The Federal Blockchain Alliance led by Kade Nelson am Azrekko officially launched its brand new LINK X network at a press conference in the City of Verinteno today.

LINK X is a cutting edge, oracle network capable of securely onboarding and offboarding assets between different blockchains and payment networks.

"LINK X applies GHOSTDAG block parallelization principles to chains themselves, resulting in absolutely stupid scaling potential at-speed. This is now easily the highest throughput payment network on earth, capable of millions of transactions per second," explained Nelson. "Where you used to have to hook up to a bunch of different solutions for asset transfers, and of varying speeds, now you can hook up to the LINK X API and send anything anywhere in massive volume."

Verinteno will be the home of the FBA and its LINK X engineers going forward. "There are a lot of attractive places we could have homeported the network, especially out in Azrekko where they are making serious moves in blockchain. However, Verinteno is the heart and soul of the Duxburian financial system, so it makes the most sense to set up shop there," Nelson said. "Having LINK X will make Verinteno the most competitively forward-looking financial center in Europe. I am excited to keep innovating in this space!"

With the implementation of LINK X, the older Ripple X protocol is scheduled to be sunset by the Duxburian government and financial system by the end of the year. Current users of Ripple X will continue to be able to use the old protocol indefinitely, as it is decentralized and can't be shutdown.

On behalf of the Union of Duxburian Dominions, I vote FOR the act.

Wesley Greene
Councillor-General of the Duxburian Union

Duxburian sentiment is split, so on behalf of the Union of Duxburian Dominions, I vote FOR Amendments I and III regardless of their contradictory nature, and against Amendment II.

Wesley Greene
Councillor-General of the Duxburian Union

I vote on behalf of the Union of Duxburian Dominions as follows:

For the Office of Premier Commissioner
I Jean-Claude JUNCKER

For the Office of Internal Affairs Commissioner
I Wirt HARLAND

Wesley Greene
Councillor-General of the Duxburian Union

Statement on European Elections

The Domain of Elections regrets to announce that European Commission elections in the Union of Duxburian Dominions are temporarily suspended due to catastrophic drops in turnout below 5% in the previous election and below 5% projected in the current cycle.

The cost to hold a nationwide election can exceed half a billion kaels and the Domain of Elections cannot justify the expense for this type of election at these turnout levels.

Until projected turnout returns to acceptable levels above 5%, the Councillor-General is hereby empowered to cast European Commission votes on behalf of the Union of Duxburian Dominions.

All funds not spent during the suspension will be applied to future elections. In accordance with the Duxburian Constitution, all other types of nationwide elections will continue to be held regardless of turnout considerations.

Signed

Ian Demonevs
Master-General of Elections

Erik Drammen am Rike
Master-General of State

With approval of

Dante Maximillian
Steward of the Duxburian Union

Councillor Miwako, yes, when classifications overlap, that would be arbitrated with the ETSO. The master schedule is really just a big database with the HS codes as primary keys, so a lot of data can be associated with them, including multiple national codes. Some conflicts involving member states might not need arbitration, instructions on how they handle various code situations could be added to the code entry itself.

Councillor James Mizrachi-Roscoe, since national standards for accessibility can vary wildly, I intentionally made that section about outcomes rather than processes. The text doesn't care how a member state makes the things accessible as long as they do. Whether your own implementation complies is up to your own courts. As for moving to 8 digits over 6, I don't really see a need since the origin of goods is not always a clear-cut decision and isn't necessary for every single good. Imagine having a giant cargo ship enter a port - its manifest can tell you where all of its goods came from. There could be hundreds of thousands or even millions of items on that ship - each one needing to include origin would just be a waste of time.

Councillor Čikarová, I'm hesitant to declare a hard count of executive staff because it could end up being too many or too little people. International trade gets complicated in a hurry and the body would have a better understanding of its needs than I ever could. As far as how staff end up there, the IAC is envisioned to fill out the executive ranks with appointments and then they hire the rest of the team from there. I come from a common law country where once you vest appointment authority in a person, they are naturally understood to also have the power to modify and terminate such employment, it need not be stated. The IAC would decide when executives should be replaced and country of origin was not a consideration to me since it's not a political/representative institution, but a meritocratic one. If you still want to make an amendment specifying term limits and national representation, I wouldn't oppose it though.

In Section III.4, it's implied that since those resources are all developed and maintained by the ETSO, the ETSO would be providing them.

My apologizies for the lack of consistency in Section IV, that was lifted off a previous act late at night and not checked for consistency. They should all be member states, although I don't understand the difference between having a hyphen or not. That's something I'm unfamiliar with as English is not my native language.

Wesley Greene
Councillor-General of the Duxburian Union

Harmonized Tariff System Codes Act

Written by Councillor-General Wesley Greene

Preamble:
This Act establishes a standardized, numerical product classification system to faciliate international trade.

This act does not:
-Establish or mandate any trade policies or trade zones
-Change the status of any national tariffs, taxes, duties, or other fees.
-Modify the legal or illegal status of any goods
-Require completely replacing national classification systems

Section I: Harmonized Tariff System Codes

1. All types of goods for import and/or export from European member-states shall be classified on a Master Schedule of Goods (MSG), sorted into chapters, sections, and sub-sections.
2. Each good shall be assigned a universal 6 digit Harmonized System (HS) code number.
3. Each HS code number shall consist of 2 digits denoting its chapter, 2 digits denoting its section, and 2 digits denoting its sub-section.
   a. Member States may append additional digits to HS code numbers for internal purposes.
   b. Member States may add their own existing national classification code numbers into the MSG, to be used, referenced, and generated alongside HS code numbers.
4. It may be possible for a single type of good to have multiple valid HS code number options.
   a. Member States shall decide how multiple valid matches are to be treated within their jurisdictions.
   b. Member States shall decide how mixed derivative goods, unclassified goods, and other special/unusual circumstances are to be treated within their jurisdictions.

Section II: European Trade Standards Organization

1. This act creates the European Trade Standards Organization (ETSO) for the purposes of operating the Harmonized Tariff System Code system. The ETSO shall:
   a. Manage HS code numbers classifications and the Master Schedule of Goods.
   b. Develop, maintain, update, host, and disseminate software and hardware for manual and automated uses of HS code numbers.
   c. Assist, educate, and train system users.
   c. Arbitrate user disputes involving HS code number classifications.

2. The European Trade Standards Organization shall be comprised of:
   a. Executive staff, appointed by the European Internal Affairs Commissioner (IAC).
   b. Classification staff, whom must be qualified legal experts
   c. Programming staff, whom must be qualified technical experts
   d. Arbitration staff, whom must be qualified legal experts

Section III: Accessibility

1. Harmonized System code numbers shall be encodable and decodable as bar codes, QR codes, and other standard formats.
   a. Encoding and decoding devices shall support vision-impaired and hearing-impaired users
   b. Member States may use their own pre-existing equipment if it can support encoding/decoding the HS code numbers.
2. The Master Schedule of Goods and HS code numbers shall be uploadable/downloadable and/or importable/exportable to/from national customs and border control systems, shipping software, shipping manifests, tax software, and other systems of trade, using manual and automated methods.
3. HS code numbers shall be seamlessly convertable to and from major national languages and numeric systems, by automated and electronic methods where feasible.
4. The MSG, HS code numbers, and associated software shall be provided to users free of charge.

Section IV: Implementation

1. All Member States of the European Union are required to harmonize their national law(s) with this act within 1 year from its approval by the European Council.

Members of the European Council, I come before you today with my vision for a harmonized tariff code system that standardizes how we classify goods in the EU. Like the European Highway Numbering Act, this system is designed to be minimally intrusive, making it easier to trade without stepping on any nation's sovereignty to regulate their own imports and exports. Having standardized codes helps shippers, customs agents, brokers, and all manner of other trading partners quickly identify what kind of goods they are dealing with, so they can apply the correct tariffs, taxes, duties, or lack thereof on the goods.

Ideally, this system could be so seamless that local importers and exporters don't even have to know that they are generating European standard codes when they label goods. I envision a shipper typing the manifest in their own native language, even their own native numeric system, as software automatically converts it into European standards for customs inspectors. Likewise, the end party need not understand the label, only scan it to convert the information to their national standards in their own language. When it comes to the desire for standards and sovereignty, this implementation lets us have our proverbial cake and eat it, too.

This is a very well-thought out system that took a lot of constitutent feedback to create. However, there could always be some concern I may have overlooked, so please let me know what you think!

Wesley Greene
Councillor-General of the Duxburian Union

On behalf of the Union of Duxburian Dominions, I vote FOR Amendment 1 and AGAINST amendment 2.

Wesley Greene
Councillor-General of the Duxburian Union