Thank you, Europe

January 16, 2023

Dear citizens of the European Union,

It is an honour to be elected to serve as your thirty-third Internal Affairs Commissioner. After weeks of campaigning and debating, I am delighted that you have chosen me, Wirt Harland, as a part of the next commission. While no language I know is enough to express my gratitude, I will make up for it with my actions, moving forward like how I presented myself as a candidate: A man who wants to introduce systemic reform to the European Union for the good of its citizens.

Before February, I am planning to bring several amendments to our Constitution to the European Council, most of which will concern the political and electoral systems of the EU. During this time, I will collaborate with councillors from all sides of the political spectrum to ensure that the reforms I bring will last for decades.

In addition, I am also planning to take trips to various countries and meet with their leaders and listen to their concerns regarding the EU and their membership. In a political institution as immense as the European Union, it is expected for every member state to have differing opinions on how it should be run. I will take every concern seriously and make sure to not compensate for what I believe in.

Once again: Thank you. Thank you a thousand times, Europe. You gave me this opportunity for four months and I will try my best to make every month count.

Wirt Harland
33rd Internal Affairs Commissioner of the European Union

Parliament of The State of Elthize

work in progress

The Parliament of The State of Elthize is the legislative branch of Elthize. It consists of two branches: The Senate and the National Assembly.

Unlike most bicameral legislatures, where the lower house has more legislative power than the upper house, The Senate of Elthize holds considerable power over the National Assembly. A bill approved by the National Assembly must also be approved by the Senate, while the Senate does not need approval from the National Assembly to pass bills. Lastly, the Senate has the power to override the President's veto of any legislation. An override must be approved by more than two-thirds of the Senate to be successful.

The National Assembly was established following the country's independence, while the Senate was established in 1988 by a referendum initiated by Former President Benny Kalzer, with the purpose of "weakening populism, strengthening Elthic democracy and preventing radical changes that may be unpopular with the Elthic people".

As a result, getting into the Senate is far more difficult than getting into the National Assembly: you must be at least 25 years old to be a senator, whereas you could become a member of the assembly at the age of 18. To be a senator, you must be a university graduate with prior political experience, while neither is required to be a member of the assembly. The Senate has a hundred seats and the National Assembly has two hundred and fifty seats.

During parliamentary elections, voters vote for the party they support. The number of votes received in the election directly translates to the percentage of seats won by a party in parliament. Political parties are allowed to pick anybody for the seats as long as they meet the criteria, and different political parties use different ways of assigning seats.

The allocation of independent seats is managed by the Independent Parliament Commission (IPC). The IPC organises caucuses to allow people to choose their own candidates. Because of the parallels in how it operates, it is sometimes regarded as a political party in its own right. However, it is illegal for the commission to support any political ideologies or engage in favouritism when choosing candidates.

Current parliament of Elthize (Grimwald III)

The current parliament of Elthize was elected between April 1 and April 8, 2022, and started its tenure on June 1, 2022.

Current Senate of Elthize (Grimwald III)

Current National Assembly of Elthize (Grimwald III)

Elthize now meets requirements to join the EMUzone, says Minister of Finance

by Frances Irving - September 9, 2022

El Castillo de San Carlos in Finisterre, Spain, where the Treaty of Finisterre was signed in October 2020. (image credit)

Elthics received wonderful news this morning when Finance Minister Tobias Walters announced that Elthize has fulfilled all of the requirements to become a signatory to the Treaty of Finisterre, meaning that the country can now join the EMUzone. He further stated: "We are now confident that our nation will enter the EMUzone well before President Greenwich Grimwald's deadline of January 2024."

The EMU, an acronym for European Monetary Unit, is a currency that was established with the Treaty of Finisterre in October 2020. The signatories are Spain, Inquista, Vayinaod, Fremet, Montenbourg, the United Dominions of Icholasen and Leagio, which was previously an observer state that joined the treaty in April this year. The agreement focuses on the economic cooperation between European states and was a breakthrough moment in economic integration within the European Union.

The use of the EMU within Elthize has been a discussion topic since January 2021, when President Greenwich Grimwald said that Elthize would use a "special circulation status" with the EMU, accepting the currency alongside the florin. Grimwald claimed that this move would improve tourism in Elthize, which is a prominent sector in our economy. The move was approved by the parliament, despite some opposition regarding the move's reality.

Since then, the EMU has been considered a de facto legal tender in Elthize. While the EMU is not the currency of Elthize by law, many shops and stores accept the currency alongside the florin. It is observed that many Elthics are ready for an eventual transition to the EMU. The process is also approved by many: According to the Polling Institute of Elthize (PIE), a survey conducted on the EMU in April 2022 found that 56% of those interviewed agreed that the implementation of EMU would be beneficial to their lives. This number is expected to be higher today, as Elthize gets one step closer to adopting a common monetary unit.

It was expected that President Greenwich Grimwald would announce an exact date for the transition from the florin to the EMU in the coming days, though this is uncertain now, due to Grimwald's current recovery from a very recent assassination attempt. He still has not made a statement regarding that incident.

After much deliberation, the European Court of Justice has decided on the validity of the last European Commission elections.

It should be understood that while The Constitution of the European Union does not set a clear precedent for write-in candidates, it has set very clear boundaries on certain aspects of commission elections in Article III, Section II. I would like to quote Clause II from the aforementioned article:

The nomination period for each Office shall run for seven days, to be followed by a seven-day debate period, in turn, followed by a seven-day voting period.

Following the precedent established in previous court decisions, including one where an election was cancelled due to the debate period not being up to standards, The Court is concerned about the fact that both gentlemen, Kevin Cotilla and Jean-Claude Juncker, who were elected using write-in votes, could not participate in the seven-day debate period, as they did not nominate themselves in the seven-day nomination period.

Both of these periods are very clearly set by the Constitution, which is the paramount law of the European Union, and the European Court of Justice is responsible for ensuring that the political activities of the European Union are not conflicting with the Constitution, as mentioned in Article IV, Section II, Clause I:

The European Court of Justice is responsible for determining whether an Act or Amendment of the European Council is in line with the Constitution.

Therefore, The Court unanimously finds that:

A) Write-in notes can not be used in European elections, as they are incompatible with the precedents set by the Constitution,

B) The non-proper execution of the periods clearly set by the Constitution in the last elections is problematic.

Therefore, to ensure that these elections do not erode the validity of the succeeding elections made by the European Union as a whole, The European Court of Justice orders a new election under this legal understanding.

——

Dayo Faith Mwangi
Chief Justice of the European Court of Justice

Elthize ([ɛlfiːz], EL-fees, Elfiz: Eltiki [ɛltʰik̟ʰi]), officially The State of Elthize (Elfiz: Plata Eltiki) is a country located in Northern Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Yosai to the north and Leagio to the east and south. With a population of around 4,2 million, Elthize is one of the least populated countries in the European Union. Elthize's largest city is St. Lucas and the capital city is Forecoaster, located near the country's centre. Around three-quarters of the population lives south of Forecoaster, and 90% of the population lives less than fifty kilometres away from the coast. The common language in Elthize is English, though it isn't the country's official language.

Modern-day Elthize was founded in 1828 by British trade companies who settled on the shores of southern Elthize, where the Kingdom of Elfiz resided. The Montgomery Territory is often considered to be the precursor to the modern-day country. By the 1860s, Montgomery had grown into a great trading hub, outperforming the kingdom itself. This angered the kingdom, resulting in a war in 1870. The war was decisively won by Montgomery four years later, and as a result, the Kingdom of Elfiz had fallen, with its lands annexed.

The annexation made way for the formation of the Commonwealth of Elthize. The commonwealth often displaced indigenous people away from the coast, and slavery was prevalent. After The Leagioan Independence War in 1896, most colonial politicians and the British elite in Leagio escaped to Elthize. In 1909, Elthize was annexed by the British government and granted dominion status. By the late 1920s, with the support of an independent Leagio, the Elthic independence movement grew in support. In May 1937, the country became independent from the United Kingdom, forming the First Republic, though this independence was interrupted as the fascist Yosainese regime annexed Elthize in 1954. In 1968, Elthize became independent once again, forming the Second Republic.

Elthize is a liberal democratic country that enjoys high levels of personal and economic freedom, low tax rates, and a market economy, with the largest industries being resource extraction, service industry and tourism. It also has the highest economic inequality rate in the European Union, above-average crime rates and high levels of environmental pollution. It became a member of the European Union in April 2022.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Representing Elthize, I vote AGAINST this repeal motion.

May Hobbes
Councillor for The State of Elthize

Nolan Brunson to be the councillor candidate for Labour & Greens

Meetings done with FT-SA and Crimson have failed to bring one candidate
March 7, 2023

This morning, Michael Jenkins and Matthew François, leaders of Labour and The Greens, announced that Nolan Brunson would be their candidate for the upcoming councillor elections for the second time. The announcement comes after several meetings and conferences done by the opposition leaders as well as the leaders of The Crimson and the Socialist Alliance, in hopes of uniting the four parties behind one candidate. However, these talks seem to have been unsuccessful.

Brunson, who was also the candidate for the two parties in the previous councillor elections, also appeared during the announcement. "I am grateful that I have the opportunity to represent Elthize in the European Union once again," he stated.

In the first councillor elections last year, Brunson had lost to former councillor Liam Zachary by six percent. However, since Zachary is seeking re-election as an independent candidate against the ruling coalition's candidate, experts predict that Brunson may have it easier this time around, thanks to these circumstances.

"People that voted for Brunson in 2022 will vote for him in 2023... The question here is, can we say the same for Zachary?" remarks Mel Jacobsen, a political analyst. "I mean, I do not doubt that Brunson will use this uncertainty to his advantage, marketing himself as a more stable candidate."

Brunson's career in politics began as a community organizer in northern Montgomery. In 2014, his tweet about the general elections that year went viral, paving the way for him to become a popular blogger. In 2017, he became the social media manager for the Labour Party, working on Wirt Harland's presidential campaign in 2018. Brunson was elected as a member of the National Assembly in 2022, a position which he still holds. However, it remains to be seen if he will keep this job or move to Europolis as the next and third councillor.

Petitioner(s): Devon Albert, The Nationals' candidate in the 2022 councillor elections in Elthize

Petitionee(s): The Government of The State of Elthize & Greenwich Grimwald, President of The State of Elthize

Reason for the petition: The recall of Liam Zachary from the position of Councillor for Elthize

Relevant part(s) of the Constitution/legislation: Section XX, Clause I and III of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Section XX. Right to Democratic Governance
I. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
III. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government.

Evidence: News article from BBC Elthize - Liam Zachary to be removed as Councillor, May Hobbes to serve as interim councillor

Remedy: Liam Zachary returns to his position as Councillor for The State of Elthize and serves until the next general election of the country.

Zachary to run as an independent candidate for the upcoming councillor elections

by Frances Irving - February 27, 2023

Zachary speaking to the Europolis press following his election as Councillor, April 2022.
Image credit

In his first public appearance after being recalled from his councillor position last Friday, Liam Zachary stated that he intended to run again as an independent candidate in the councillor elections this June, in an announcement made in Forecoaster the previous evening. "I have won an election with the will of the Elthic people, and I will do it again," Zachary said at the gathering.

Around four thousand people attended Zachary's rally, which was held at Carrewich Park, northeast of the capital city. During the rally, Zachary emphasized his commitment to the Elthic people: "I came here today to tell the people, those that believed in me, I came here to tell them that this is not the end, it's nothing but a speed bump. And like all speed bumps, this is nothing but a small inconvenience that we will overcome." Zachary was the first Councillor for Elthize, a job whose responsibility is to represent Elthize in the European Council, the legislative branch of the European Union. He was elected to this position in April last year, after serving in various government positions for a decade.

Zachary's approval ratings had been mostly positive, but they became slightly negative in recent months, particularly after he opposed Sofie Čikarová's anti-private prison bill. According to a NET poll conducted in January, 21% of respondents had a positive view of Zachary, while 24% had a negative outlook. The remaining 55% did not have an answer.

On the other hand, May Hobbes, currently serving as interim councillor, is expected to be the candidate for the ruling coalition in the councillor elections. However, political experts are worried that this will cause further division. "The chances of the ruling coalition winning these elections are very slim," says Janice Kyou, an established journalist at our newspaper. "We don't know why they pulled out Zachary yet, but whatever the reason may be, it cannot be more important than essentially shooting yourself in the foot and giving the opposition a chance to take the councillor seat."

So far, no other candidate has been announced. In the 2022 elections, the opposition had two candidates: Nolan Brunson, who was endorsed by Labour and The Greens, and Leon den Hollander, endorsed by the Socialist Alliance and The Crimson. A meeting between these four parties regarding the councillor elections is expected to happen next week.

Meanwhile, Janice Kyou believes that, if these four parties manage to unite under one candidate, it will be a disaster for the ruling coalition: "If they manage to unite somehow, they will have the seat. I'm not saying they might have it or they may have it, no. They will have their councillor. Zachary still has the power to divide the ruling coalition's voters. If the opposition rallies around one candidate and Hobbes fails to weaken Zachary, which is likely, Grimwald will struggle."

Representing Elthize, I vote FOR this constitutional amendment.

May Hobbes
Interim Councillor for The State of Elthize

Representing Elthize, I vote FOR this act.

May Hobbes
Interim Councillor for The State of Elthize

Councillor for the State of Elthize

Work in progress

List of councillors from Elthize

Updates:

Elthize now uses EMU as its currency, starting January 1.

Liam Zachary has been removed from his position as Councillor. May Hobbes will take his place: https://nseuropeanunion.com/post/16932

Liam Zachary to be removed as Councillor, May Hobbes to serve as interim councillor

May Hobbes (pictured) will assume office as interim councillor for Elthize before Monday

In an unexpected recall this morning, the Elthic government announced that Liam Zachary would no longer serve as the Elthic representative in the European Council.

Zachary, who had been elected to the office shortly after Elthize officially joined the European Union in April, will be replaced by May Hobbes, the current Speaker of the Senate. The reason for Zachary's recall was not specified in the statement, which President Greenwich Grimwald signed.

The announcement also clarified that a special election to choose the Elthic councillor would be held on June 16th, three months after the announcement.

The decision to recall Zachary came as a shock to many, as he had been seen as a rising star in Elthic politics. Before his role as Councillor, he had served in the National Assembly for three terms, having been first elected in 2012 and winning re-elections in 2014 and 2018. He was also appointed as the third and last Minister of Membership to the European Union in Grimwald's cabinet in 2019.

In March 2022, Zachary was declared the candidate for European Councillor by the ruling coalition, which included The Third Option, New Democracy, and The Nationals. He won the election, defeating Nolan Brunson, who was the main opposition candidate.

Zachary's recall also raises questions about his future in Elthic politics. Shortly before the referendums this year, he had expressed interest in becoming Prime Minister if the position was restored by the popular vote. However, the proposal failed, which led to Zachary expressing disappointment. So far, Zachary has not made a statement regarding his recall.

In the meantime, May Hobbes will take over Zachary's responsibilities as the Elthic representative in the European Council. She is expected to resign from her position as Speaker and move to Europolis before Monday.

Hobbes, who has been serving as Speaker of the Senate, has been actively involved in Elthic politics since the late 90s. It is expected that she will be the candidate for the ruling coalition in the councillor elections this June.

Image credit