Topics created by Fremet

Alright my lovely cherubs, the submissions are in! We have a delightful buffet of participants spread forth for your consumption! Voting begins now and ends 25 May 2022 at 2359 GMT.

May the best win.

Nation Song Artist Inquista Treat Me Chlöe Nofoaga Don't Patrick Starrr Spain Run Becky Hill ft. Galantis Reitzmag 热爱105°C的你 (Super Idol) Tian Yiming (田一名) Yosai As you like it Eve United Kingdom Levitating Dua Lipa Ineland Le reste Clara Luciani United Duchies Banging in the Nails The Tiger Lilies Elthize The Last Man on Earth Wolf Alice Istkalen Lent Autoheart Brickston Lieblingsmensch Namika Icholasen (Joint) Coffee Supersister Czech Slavia Marioneta Tichá Dohoda Fremet You're My Home Billy Joel

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The official playlist can be found here.

General Secretary Junichi Watanabe touched down at Trondheim International Airport. He was wearing a conventional navy blue business suit as well as a matching 3 piece overcoat and gloves. The weather was cold, but not cut to the bone cold, but still rather brisk. He was accompanied by Secretary of State Yuichi Matsuda wearing similar attire. Both of which made their way to the tarmac. They both saw the welcoming delegation and Whoopi Gaarder and waved politely. They both made their way to her direction until face to face with the Frenetian Republic's leader.

Both men politely bowed in usual polite Yosainese fashion. "It's nice to see you Madame Gaarder. I have to say this is my first time in this country. "

On behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, I ABSTAIN to vote.

Donald Tusk
Deputy Speaker and Councillor for Spain

European Court of Justice Park Yeon-mi v. Strathae

Note: the following judgement was prepared and drafted by the Court preceding the Court elections of March 2022, and received consent from the current Chief Justice to publish its findings.

Justices Concurring:

Benjamin STEYN Frans SVENSON Luis LOPEZ GUERRA Lygafaz ATHLABLOMAZEN

Justices Dissenting:
None

Justices Recused:
None

CLAIMANT: Park Yeon-mi
DEFENDANT: Government of Strathae

Chief Justice Steyn delivering the opinion of the court.

The Claimant presented that the policy introduced by the Defendant requiring citizens to provide uncompensated and compulsory labour are in violation of Article V.IV-i(UDoHR) of the Constitution, prohibiting slavery and servitude. The Claimant further presented a breach of Article V.XX-ii(UDoHR) of the Constitution, prescribing the right of all to have equal access to public service.

The Court recognises the cases made by both parties, and rules by unanimous decision in favour of the Claimant.

The Court concurs with the Claimant that the Community Duty Program violates freedom from servitude as defined in the Unversal Declaration of Human Rights. The Court finds especially concerning the presented evidence showing the Defendant's attempts to compel by force and on penalty of the removal of democratic rights the participation in the Community Duty Program.

The Court does not concur with the Claimant that the Community Duty Program violates the right to equal access to public service, and accepts the Defendant's argument that one may choose not to participate in the Program. Nevertheless, the Court recognises that choosing not to participate results in serious detrimental consequences for those involved -- this, then, constitutes a breach of servitude prohibitions.

The Claimant further presented evidence suggesting additional breaches of several sections of the Universal Declaration of Human rights. These breaches were not listed in the original petition filed by the Claimant and as such were not considered in the judgement of the Court.

The Court nevertheless emphasises to the Defendant the discriminatory and oppressive nature of the Community Duty Program. Forcing individuals to provide unpaid labour to benefit the Defendant, on pain of a removal of their democratic rights, fines, imprisonment, or a combination, is a highly serious breach of the freedoms prescribed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Court therefore ORDERS the Defendant to CEASE the Community Duty Program with immediate effect. Any individuals currently enrolled in the Community Duty Program shall CEASE their unpaid work immediately without penalty or detriment, and no further individuals shall be enrolled in the Program at any time. The Court further ORDERS the Defendant to pay a fine of €20 000 000 for contempt of European Law.

Advocate Kim Oh Soo (김오수), thank you for your rebuttal statement.

The defendant, the Government of the @Icholasen you may now deliver your rebuttal statement when ready. After we will proceed with questions from the court.

Clarisse Bourgeon
Associate Justice of the ECoJ

Erna bowed before the Spanish president. "Welcome to the Republic of Fremet. I am doing quite alright, and I do hope that you could say the same for yourself. Come, we will continue with the pleasantries when we get to the great hall."

A long table made from sturdy walnut was centered in the hall. Various vines and flowering plants lied the heights of the vaulted ceilings beneath patterned skylights, which allowed the sun to brighten the room. The windows facing the Port of Trondheim were recessed, allowing for a small sitting area behind the larger table.

Erna gestured to Aguilar to take his seat at the table, facing the port— and Erna.

"I'm pleased to hear that. Our stalemate is no longer economically sustainable for you, and both of our peoples are exhausted of living in fear and turmoil. We have an opportunity here to end this senseless cycle of aggression, and I must admit that I am surprised that your government even agreed to this meeting. Our foreign office has been working for years for the leader of the previous regime to cross the channel and meet with us— your being here on its own demonstrates that the UNSR is something new."

The convoy slowed as they neared their destination: Camp 13. Established in 1923 after the surrender of the Home Guard, Camp 13 housed hundreds of thousands of Fremetian civilians and noncombatants that had been deemed a "risk to the revolution" by the Fremetian Socialist Republic— the puppet state that had been established under the auspices of the Supreme Commander of Fremet at the time. In addition to over 254,000 members of the Home Guard, 300,000 civilians were executed at camp from 1923 to 1929.

Whoopi sighed as she stepped out of the car and took Bernie’s hand. The Nicoleizians had razed the camp as the Republican Army approached the area, and the ensuing battle in upper Midtenmark ensured that little was left of Camp 13. The National Parks Commission had preserved the ruins of the site and the surrounding battlefields. One could just make out the countless craters dotting the landscape from artillery fire, and the old concrete walls of the camp laid out the sheer scale of the site. A solemn silence was maintained as the two made their way through the camp, with Whoopi and the Director of the National Parks Commission pointing out the design of the camp, and the workflows that the occupying forces used to systematically eliminate Fremetian citizens. They made their way back to where they began and then walked through the battlefield to the high ground. From there one could see the old camp along with the scarred ground. Nicoleizian forces poisoned countless hectares of farmland in their retreat. Though the National Restoration Administration had managed to recover most of the land, the tracts around Camp 13 were expected to remain dead for at least another century. Only short grasses and bushes, specially bred by FremAg to prevent erosion of the already tattered soil, remained.

At the top of the hill stood a 6 foot tall granite marker, detailing the atrocities that had occurred in the eerily quiet surrounds. Whoopi placed her hand on the marker and turned to Korojaunu Sanders, signaling him to speak to the small assortment of aides, cameras, and conservationists that had joined them on their tour.

Voting has now concluded. With 6 votes FOR and none AGAINST, this motion has PASSED. Councillor Bauer is now hereby suspended for 14 days, in accordance with the Code of Conduct of the Council of the European Union 2019.

Donald Tusk
Deputy Speaker and Councillor from Spain

Nation Name: The Kingdom of Montenbourg
List of Persons of Interest in Attendance: Victoria, Queen of Montenbourg
Number of Additional Attending Persons: N/A
Planned Attendance Duration (Entry and Exit if Applicable): 24th-26th March (3 days)
Additional Requests: N/A

Requested Security Arrangements: Motorcade with the Flag of Motntenbourg
Number of Security Personnel in Attendance: 15
Equipment: N/A

Gates of Hell: Part 9

IC SECRET
"Dodge"

((OOC: I was given the option by @Vayinaod (War Admin) to ignore Reitzmag's detection of the E14 agents. I've instead decided to RP it as such.))

Coast of Eastern Haane
0445 Local Time (UTC+2) 2020-10-02

It had been a long boat ride, but they were nearing the end. Suddenly, one of the instruments on the craft began to flash an alert. It was the proximity alarm. The E14 had been closely monitoring asset movements in the area, and the rigid inflatable boat the forces were piloting had equipment designed to detect radar contact.

"How could they have detected us?"

"They must've expanded the radar detection and patrol perimeter. Distance to target?"

"Approximately 2.4 kilometers from target point, just under 400 meters from drop point."

"Time to intercept?"

"I estimate 3 minutes until they make visual contact."

"We go now. Get your gear ready . We drop in 30 seconds..."

"3... 2... 1..."

The air was released from the hull and the fins against the keel angled such that the boat jetted into the water. 2 meters... 3... 4... 5... 10. The boat, using a string of exploding bolts, then split apart into 6 small pieces, sinking into the deep waters of the inland sea. The four agents continued to swim down... 15 meters... 20. What little moonlight had broken the night before was long gone. In almost total darkness, the agents each activated their own diver propulsion vehicles, and set off towards the shore.

What would the Reitmen think when they arrived at the coordinates only to find the dark depths of the sea? A mistake perhaps? Or merely a mystery for future tales of war? Whatever their conclusion, the four agents would be long gone.

The ENAA in a 5-0 decision has elected to APPROVE Fremet's application for a nuclear proliferation license, with a limit of 275 nuclear warheads. Fremet has proven itself a stable democracy, and an archetype of all the virtues a nuclear state should hold.

Kristian Nylund
Archkonsul of the Archrepublic of Vayinaod

CAMPAIGN LAUNCH

Republic Square
Trondheim, Fremet

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Angela Merkel approached the podium before a large crowd in Republic Square at the base of the Fremetia Tower, with the Anthem of Europe playing in the background.

People of Europa:

This is an important inflection point in the history of our Union. Just as these past elections here in Fremet will surely have groundbreaking consequences for years to come, these Commission elections come at a great time of change for the European Union and its memberstates. We have observed the renewed rise of communism. We have observed coups, overt political instability, and a general ineffectiveness of our institutions to address the crises we face. In times of great change, many will call for reactionary policies, pushing us back into our sandboxed nationstates or towards some sort of federal union— neither of which is a solution to the immense challenges facing us all. We must maintain a steady course and not stray down the garden path. And with that, I formally announce my campaign for Premier Commissioner of the European Union.

As a long-standing politician, I know how to remain focused to achieve sensible goals. It is my firm belief that one of the EPA's strongest tenets is its ability to develop policies with broad appeal, palpable to even the most remote of memberstates. We must take this great asset and use it to further the cause of this Union and pursue policy agendas that serve not the personal interests of memberstates and their politicians— or those that fail to serve some memberstates at all. Our immense diversity must be transformed into a true resource, not some liability or obstacle to reform.

We stand here today before one of this country's greatest symbols. A beacon of liberty and freedom that calls the free people of Europe to these shores.

We have seen first hand the consequences of not extending the freedoms enjoyed by the citizens of Europe to all. As such, I will seek to expand the UDoHR to include non-EU citizens. Every human being deserves for their natural rights to be protected, and nationality should have no bearing on what protections are afforded to them.

I will seek to establish a standardised maritime law, including the codification and standardisation of transiting tariffs and tolls. By establishing a set framework for nations and other entities to follow, we can better enforce national laws and create a more clear permitting system allowing for low-friction trade between memberstates. A codified set of maritime law will increase the efficiency of the European bureaucracy and the organisational efficiency of individual memberstates as a standard set of practices would be much more steady waters to navigate than the current jumbled mess of overlapping (and often contradictory) national laws.

In lieu of a broad transportation and education plan, I will instead seek to establish a special development fund. By giving memberstates access to a stable source of low-interest loans, the European Central Bank will be able to shore up budgets in times of need without offering outright subsidies.

Though I may not have a degree in pedagogy, I can say with upmost certainty that it is not the place of the European Council to implement a standardised curriculum across the continent. Doing so would require the reformation of the education infrastructure of dozens of countries and likely lead to years of lost productivity and incalculable losses involved in the loss of a coherent and quality education. All Europeans have the right to an adequate education, but the Union is ill-equipped to handle such a massive— and unnecessary— undertaking. Concerns over education in individual memberstates should be addressed at that level. It is unreasonable to expect that a shared curriculum can be implemented in such a culturally and systematically diverse continent.

I will seek to streamline the operations of the European Union and avoid extraneous programmes that would detract from our central goal:

We, the sovereign nations of the European Union, in order to forge more cohesive bonds between our peoples, to safeguard peace and improve diplomatic relations, to advance achievements of humanity, to promote democracy and good governance, to flourish in economic prosperity, to guarantee liberty and equality, forever united in diversity

There is no mention of 5G, sweeping education reform, or an overly complicated transportation infrastructure that would only serve to divide us on the minutia. The European Union is a powerful tool that must be used not as a broad, blunt instrument, but as the vehicle by which nations come together in the name of cooperation. By establishing this climate of mutual understanding, general peace, and accountability for actions taken, we establish the means for like-minded nations to go beyond that cooperative framework established in the European Union. The viability of broad, pan-regional programmes is certainly a tough nut to crack, but agreements individually tailored for memberstates that compliment existing lines of cooperation in the broader Union serve to create prosperous ties between memberstates. Integration cannot be rushed, or we risk losing the immense progress that we have made thus far.

It was in this great square that the liberation of Fremet from communist occupation was declared. Our revolution was successful. The success of this great project is yet to be determined. Let us continue to carry the shining light of Europe into the future. Thank you.

Merkel steps down from the podium, the Anthem of Europe playing in reprise