Posts made by Spain

Nation/Region Name: Portugal
Artist: Dulce Pontes
Song: Canção do Mar
Link to youtube: https://youtu.be/qpEz7Zaa1BY?si=fAJ7RlTWZ6wIUiHJ

Part 5 - La Prima Riunione a Quattro

Luquillo (Puerto Rico)

Sebastián Rubio, or as they called him, Il Predestinato, was driving to the designated meeting place listening to the radio. The island of Puerto Rico had been chosen by Jean-Claude Juncker as the venue for the first meeting of The Great Three with their candidate to become the newest Spanish President. Suddenly, the radio started to play the song NUEVAYoL, by the famous Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny, and Sebastián began to sing: «Si te quieres divertir, con encanto y con primor, solo tienes que vivir, un verano en Nueva York». Just after the song ended, the radio gave Saturday's news, with Nofoaga being the main headline. "We rather rush all of this and get the Nofoaga affair done, or this ship is going to sink faster than the Titanic", thought Il Predestinato.

On the other hand, The Great Three had just parked in front of a typical Puerto Rican restaurant that was nearly full. «Over my dead body», warned Donald Tusk, who was the co-driver. Jean-Claude Juncker, who was driving, replied back: «C'mon Donald! It will be fun, and no one will realise about what we are discussing as there will be a lot of noise. By the way, I am really hungry, and I have told Il Predestinato to meet us here, so you have no other choice. Jesús, what do you think?». Jesús Aguilar was seating in the back seat, answered: «Well, I would love to know why I am in the back seat, but overall, this is risky».

«Cowards! That is what you two are! Donald, send a message to the kid and ask him about the food. You should be thankful that I told him to bring something as it was his first meeting with us!», cried the former Premier Commissioner. «He says he is bringing it, no worries. In the meantime, I have a question for you, Jesús: why do you say we cannot backstab Alberto? That was what we agreed on...», Tusk told the other two politicians in that car.

«You two remember we were the ones that encouraged him to run for the party's presidency, right? He did not want to leave Galicia, he wanted to retire there, and you Jean-Claude were the one to tell him 'Alberto, this is the chance that you were waiting for. You deserve it'. Is this even moral? Ethic? Is this the way you treat your friends? Forgetting about what they have done for you in the past? Because if those are our values, then I am sorry but do not count on me for this», Aguilar pointed out.

Tusk and Juncker were speechless. Jesús was right, they both knew it; and Donald felt increbibly guilty after the former President called them out: «You are right. We cannot backstab Alberto, it would not be morally correct to betray him the way we intend to», the Council Speaker added. Juncker reacted in a serious way: «What do you want us to do, Jesús? Put him in the Cabinet? There are no good destinations for him! Unless... Donald, didn't Ana want to retire and leave politics to make a career in the pricate sector?».

«She did indeed, Jean-Claude. Why?», inquired Donald. «I have got an idea... let's give Feijóo the Presidency of the Congreso de los Diputados! That's it, problem solved! He becomes the 3rd authority of Spain, gets a job, barely does anything at all... It is the perfect job, ideal for forcibly-retired politicians that no one wants in their Governments and that have no other choice. Obviously Europe would be the obvious place to go for him, that is where all that people end up at...», announced Juncker, who seemed to be realising about the fact that Donald and him were sent to Europe by Aguilar. Both the Speaker and the former Premier appeared to be thinking the same, and looked to the back seat, where Jesús was.

«I know what you are thinking, but I swear to God that is not the reason why I sent you two to European politics. I sent you because you are experts, that's all -Jesús explained rapidly, seeing how his friend's faces had changed in seconds- By the way, I believe that proposal is perfect, and certainly what we have been looking for». Juncker and Tusk decided to believe him.

Just as the three agreed on the new plans for Feijóo, Il Predestinato shew up in the parking lot and knocked at the car's window: «are you three planning to stay there for the entire day or what? C'mon, get out and let's go to a place I have discovered». After greeting him, the four made their way to Punta Bandera, a few hundreds meters away from where they were.

Punta Bandera, Luquillo, Puerto Rico

When The Great Three and Il Predestinato arrived in Punta Bandera, Sebastián Rubio gave his masters a menu from the fast food chain Burger King. «Jean-Claude, will you bring food the next time?», Donald asked his friend. «It is up to Christiane... remember I do not know how to cook, Donald!», the former Premier Commissioner laughed. «I think Sebastián needs to learn how to cook, because his first meal has not been as good as I would have expected. Yet, he saved the day, so I will not complain at all», commented Jesús. «You three should be more thankful - you would not be eating right now if it wasn't for me!», remarked Rubio.

Once they finished their meals, time they spent speaking about their lives, the four got down to business. Jesús Aguilar was the first to speak: «Okay, I believe we are good to go. Firstly, I would like to welcome you, Sebastián, to our private meetings. I will be very honest with you: we would have preferred this to happen later, but certain unpredicted events have forced us to act faster. During the last 4 days, we have been preparing part of your Cabinet. We want you to respect the current's Government Ministerial distribution, that is, same amount of Ministries, same Ministries; but not the same Ministers. Donald, do you have the list of confirmed members?», Aguilar inquired the Council Speaker.

«I do, Jesús. -Donald answered- Marta Merino will be the First Vicepresident and the Minister of the Presidency and Relationship with the Cortes; Roberta Metsola will be your Second Vicepresident and Minister for Territorial Administrations. Your Foreign Affairs Minister will be your great friend Gabriel Attal, the Ministry of Justice will be held by Cayetana, Penny stays at Defence, as Bravo, Bendodo, Mariastella, Anja and Pablo do in their Ministries. Last, but not least, Jenniffer Grandholm gets Energy. You get to choose the rest of your Cabinet», explained Tusk, who gave the paper with the empty Ministries to Il Predestinato.

«I am thankful to you guys for your help. I want Fátima in employment and Borja in Education. That leaves us with Agriculture, Environment and Health. Ester Muñoz will be my Health Minister, as she has huge knowledge on that area. On the other hand, Rafael Hernando in from Almería, which makes him the perfect profile for Agriculture. Finally, Luís Montenegro has suggested me to choose Marcelo Rebelo da Sousa for Environment; which completes my Cabinet. Then, we just need to get Alberto out and that would be it!», explained Sebastián.

«That is not the end of it, Sebastián. Of course, Alberto needs to accept he has to leave, and the new position we are offering him. Yet, we need to deal with the annexation of an island that we already control: Nofoaga. Concerning this Caribbean island, I have made a plan to make the annexation progress fast and easy: Marián Fonseca, the Spanish representative in the Nofoagan majority, will proclaim herself as the leader of the Republic's salvation Government, due to the inactivity of Lula's cabinet. Meanwhile, the Spanish military will back up Fonseca's claims, recognising her as the leader. As we hold a monopoly over the use of force in the island, there will be no powerful opposition to our moves, not even politically, as Lula dealt with that. Speaking of whom, she and all our friends will be brived, and will come out supporting the annexation. About civil unrest, we will obviously address it proportionally: if there is violence, there will be arrests. However, a referendum will take place, and considering we have been controlling the island from the shadows for a long time, that Nofoagans are as poor as rats, and that the political class will support becoming a Spanish Overseas Territory, they will massively vote yes. One month of pure political games to get a nice island in the Caribbean, and making people forget about... what was his name?», Juncker told the others.

«I thought that when you told me you were going to work on a plan concerning Operation Turtle Beach you were being sarcastic. This is simply amazing. Congratulations, Jean-Claude», said Jesús, who was surprised about Juncker's work. Suddenly, Il Predestinato interrupted them: «That is a nice plan, I must confess. Nonetheless, you seem to be forgetting the most important thing of this plan: how do we get rid of Alberto? If I remember correctly, you were planning to backstab him until a few days ago, when you changed your criteria. Now, what is the plan? We need him to accept that new job you were talking about!».

«You are just too worried about it all, relax!», Donald added. The Councillor for Spain then proceeded to describe what the plan concerning Feijóo was, shortly after he gave Rubio a paper with a poll on it. «What is this? A poll? How is this going to help us?», Rubio protested. He did not understand what Donald Tusk was trying to tell him with that paper. «Look at the results. If you analyse it carefully, you will realise that the Partido Popular does not have an absolute majority. In other words, we would lose power. So, all we have got to do is sending this poll to a newspaper, make them post it, and then talk to Alberto and convince him of leaving while he designates you as his successor. Easy!», Tusk exclaimed.

«Hang on for a minute... are you telling me the poll is not true? You have made these numbers up?», Rubio insisted, seemingly concerned. «No, these are real numbers, this is real data and those are the real results. If Feijóo decided to hold elections today, we would not remain in Government», added Aguilar. «Then, he will go. He will not be an obstacle to our aspirations concerning the next General Election», Sebastían concluded.

«If I were you, Sebastián, I would get your debate speech ready. Oh, and I would prepare another for when you take over the Party's presidency. Things are going to spice up next week, I assure you», Jean-Claude pointed out. «Concerning you two, we do agree that the Three of us will visit our dear friend when things begin to look bad for him; and convince him of retiring, do we?», he questioned Jesús and Donald, who agreed. «Fine, then we will meet in Madrid the next time...», continued Juncker.

«Not really... Before that, Mario has insisted on meeting again in Manarola. He wants us to attend, and for some reason he did not tell me about, he does not want the kid there. Rumours say he plans to gather all the regional leaders to convince them about the convenience of choosing Il Predestinato over Alberto, yet he did not confirm this», Tusk said. Juncker was just about to lose his temper, but controlled himself: «I hope he does not become another obstacle in our way», he exclaimed.

«Then I will see you in Manarola. Oh, and Seb, remember: do not talk to anyone about this. Operation Turtle Beach does not exist. Am I clear?», Jesús insisted. «Clear enough, Jesús», Il Predestinato answered back. The four politicians left the place. Countdown had started. The final days of Alberto Núñez Feijóo as the President of the Kingdom of Spain had begun.

Opinion Piece: Let's Actually Annex Nofoaga

By Jorge Vilches - 08.03.2025

The island of Nofoaga

No, I have not turned crazy. No, I do not know if the news are certain. Yes, I do believe we should annex Nofoaga. These three sentences are what I think about the newest horde of fake news that have arisen against our country, as people and Governments from the European Union take another chance to show their hatred towards our nation as to what we represent, to our values. Even if some reactions were unexpected, other cabinets have decided to make their stances after the statement released by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, which denied the claims made by the Sertian press regarding a 'likely annexation of the Republic of Nofoaga by the Kingdom of Spain under the name of Operation Turtle Beach'.

As a matter of fact, I say that we should actually annex Nofoaga. Of course, you might be thinking if I am drunk or anything, yet I am not. Have you ever thought about who controls Nofoaga? You could answer: 'oh, the Nofoagans do! They vote for their President, they have a Parliament, they are a sovereign Republic'. Your reply would not be wrong, yet, I must ask you the following questions: Who has the monopoly on the legal use of force in the island? Who has used their army to rebuild -and continues to do so- the Caribbean nation? If your answer is Spain, congratulations, you have found out who is really in control of the state settled in an island located in the Caribbean. We even have a representative in their Parliament that makes part of the majority! In other words, she makes part of their Government.

Nevertheless, this is not just about investment made in the island -if it was, the United Duchies would also have a fair shot at annexing Nofoaga- but rather a matter of who actually holds power in Nofoaga. Our country already has territory in the Caribbean, as the two military bases in Nofoaga were leased to Spain and remain Spanish territory, even if Nofoagan law is applied. If we annexed Nofoaga, they would become an Overseas Territory, which would eventually lead to the application of Spanish law in the island. Even if I am not an expert in law, I am going to assume that certain exemptions would be made considering the CCCC and other agreements with Sertia. It is certainly a complex aftermath that the Spanish Government would need to address carefully.

All things considered, let's actually annex Nofoaga. We would do the inhabitants of the Caribbean island a favour: more resources, more freedom, wealth would increase... If I were Nofoagan, I would begin to pray for the news to become true. Of course, you would not be independent, but then again, who wants independence if your nation depends on others for everything? Is that real sovereignty? The answer is no, that is not sovereignty - that it's just living off somebody.

Part 4 - Un Jour Avec Aguilar

Aéroport de Paris-Le Bourget (Île-de-France, Spain)

Ah, París. La cité de l'amour, or that it was they said. For Jesús Aguilar, it was the city of nightmares, as the Sertian press had, somehow, found out about The Great Three and Il Predestinato's plans to annex Nofoaga... peacefully, of course. The former President's private jet landed in Paris - Le Bourget airport, 12 kilometers away from the main city of the autonomous community of Île-de-France, late that night. The next morning, he was to meet the potential next Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Minister, the Francinian Gabriel Attal. At Aguilar's express request, Marta Merino and Cristina Tierralibre were to join them. The former was a candidate for Vice-President of the Government and the latter was the autonomical President of Nueva Antequera.

That night, Aguilar did not sleep. He rented a car in Le Bourget and headed towards Coupvray, a village next to Disneyland Paris. During his trip through the Francinian roads, he listened to an ambient music playlist from Ratatouille, which made him feel slightly relaxed. When he arrived in Coupvray, the sun had already come out. He parked next to the village's Church, where he would meet his three guests. Once he made sure nobody was around, he got off of his car and entered the Church, that was empty and silent.

Église Saint-Pierre de Coupvray (Île-de-France)

Aguilar admired the church, which he believed to be beautiful. He sat on the bench closest to the altar, and began to pray. Five minutes later, his prayers were not the only ones that could be heard in the little church, as he was joined by a man. Jesús opened his eyes, looked at his right and saw Gabriel Attal. The young Francinian smiled, and when both were finished, they stood up and hugged. «Thank you for coming, Gabriel», said the former President to his apprentice. «It is always nice to meet with your master, despite not understanding the reasoning behind the decision of meeting in a church in Coupvray», Attal laughed. «Have you read the Sertian press?», Aguilar asked.

«I do not know if he has, but certainly both of us did», replied a female voice. Both Jesús and Gabriel looked to the church's entrance, where they saw Marta Merino and Cristina Tierralibre making their entry. «Jesús, since when do you believe meeting at the Lord's house is a good idea?», asked the President of Nueva Antequera before getting to greet the former Spanish President with a kiss on each cheek. «Since the Sertian press seems to be very well informed about our [The Great Three] plans, Cristina. I highly doubt there is anyone here at this time, so let's not waste our time in unnecessary debates», suggested Aguilar. His guests agreed, and they all took a seat on the bench where Jesús had firstly seated.

«I believe that if you two are here today, that is because you support our plans and you accept the offer we made to you... Yet, allow me to ask you, Cristina: why are you here?», the former Spanish President enquired Nueva Antequera's President. «Do you pretend to assault the Partido Popular and the Spanish Government presidencies without regional support? If that is your plan, you three are straight out crazy», she answered. «Hence, you are on our side. That is great!», Jesús claimed.

«Hang on you smart guy, not so fast! I obviously support one of the best advisors I have ever had, as I believe you three are right in what you intend to do. Nonetheless, if I am going to let Marta be the kid's Vicepresident, I want to be certain that I will be the party's candidate in Nueva Antequera once again», Cristina pointed out. «Fair enough. You are polling even higher than you did before the regional election, therefore I see no reasons to make a change», Aguilar replied.

«I also have a requirement -interrupted Merino, whose face expressed some sort of concern- Would you please tell us what the stuff concerning Nofoaga is all about?», the former Vicepresident inquired Jesús. Gabriel Attal made the same question, and added that if he was going to assume the role of being the Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, he would love to have some sort of information about Il Predestinato's intentions. Aguilar looked around for a few minutes, and once he made sure nobody was around, he began to speak: «The Great Three, that is us, have drafted a plan for the aftermath of Il Predestinato's arrival to the Palacio de la Moncloa. The press will try to damage the kid's reputation, and yours too, after we oust Alberto to relocate him somewhere else. Subsequently, we thought it was a good idea to annex Nofoaga, an island we actually control, technically. Nofoagans would have a special status, yet they would be Spanish. Everyone would speak about it, and forget about Alberto».

«I will be very honest with you now, Jesús; please do not think I am not in favour of your plans: have you even thought of the consequences? Sure, everyone will forget about Alberto, but what will be the price to pay concerning our foreign relations? In addition, I am not entirely sure about Alberto deserving such a cruel end to his career. I think you should assign him a role in Il Predestinato's cabinet, instead of plainly backstabbing him. Have you thought on making him resign voluntarily? It would just look way better and nobody would suspect», commented Cristina.

«The Sertian Government has reacted confusedly. Furthermore, I do expect foreign governments to reject any and all attempts on the matter, specially Kamala. At the same time, I expect them to tolerate the annexation if we manage to make it look good. Jean-Claude is working on that, he will come up with a plan sooner or later. Then again, would you please elaborate further on your vision about Feijóo's resignation?», Aguilar wondered.

«I believe that what Cristina is proposing you is that we give Feijóo enough reasons to leave the Presidency. He is just not being the President we all expected, though he is a good man. He surely deserves a place in Il Predestinato's cabinet, and I would love to work alongside him. Besides, I am well aware of how well Alberto and Seb get along. You three have no right to ruin that relationship, or to ruin yours with the first Predestinato. Jean-Claude has forgotten about who actually chose Feijóo to lead the party?», inquired Attal.

Jesús had no words, Gabriel was right: Feijóo did not deserve a backstab. In the end, the Galician was his friend, and he always helped the former Spanish President in times of need. «I am speechless. You are right, Gabriel, he does not deserve anything similar to a backstab. -Cristina smiled- I will tell The Great Three about your concerns and we will find a solution to make this as smooth and fair as possible», Jesús assured. Merino smiled too: she finally was seeing the man she admired when he was the President of the Kingdom of Spain.

The four then discussed the electoral programme and the policies that Il Predestinato's Government would implement, as well as the proposals, ideas and suggestions that the guests at the meeting had. They stayed for about an hour before Marta and Cristina said goodbye to the two men. Cristina suggested Jesús to meet for a snack one day, which the former President accepted without hesitation. After both women left the church, Aguilar sat on the bench and prayed. Attal observed his master, who seemed to be sort of downcast. «Jesús, are you okay?», Gabriel questioned the former Spanish President.

«What were we even thinking about when we considered a good idea to backstab a friend?», he wondered, choking with emotion. «You know what, Jesús? The important thing is not what you planned, but what you will do, because that is what will be remembered in the future, what will go down in history. Thanks to this meeting, you not only realised about the value of that friendship for you, but also that you had hidden that version of Jesús who made a whole country fall in love with his way of being. That is my master: the emotional, sensitive and sincere boy who never gave up his ideals when he was President. And that is the kind of politician and Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Minister I want to be... if you give me the chance, of course!», Attal stated.

«You have just earned it -Jesús pointed out, extending his hand and shaking it with Gabriel's- The job is yours. Thank you, Gabriel, for being the kind of person I told you to be. You still have the same character as you had the day that we met, which is something I love about you. Never change, please», Aguilar begged his 'pupil'. Attal smiled. «I will never, my friend. Thank you very much for trusting me», the Francinian added.

The former Spanish President and the soon-to-become Foreign Minister left Coupvrey's church and said goodbye to each other. On the way back, Aguilar reflected on the conversation he had just had in the Lord's house. He needed to find something to encourage Alberto to resign, while not ruining their friendship. Ousting him in any other way would be straight out cruel, not to mention the side effects. After he left the car in Le Bourget, he left París behind and headed back home in Andalucía. When he arrived home, his younger son surprised him by running up to him and hugging him. Jesús took him in his arms and kissed his forehead, and sent a message to Donald and Jean-Claude when he took a seat in the sofa: "under no circumstances we shall backstab Alberto. We must meet soon".

Statement - On the News about a Possible Spanish Annexation of the Republic Nofoaga

The Spanish Government and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, after the publication of a news article on the Sertian press that accuses the Kingdom of Spain and its Government to be preparing itself to annex the Republic Nofoaga and its territory, would like to refute these accusations, which are based on false reports and misleading statements from, allegedly, Spanish officials.

The Kingdom of Spain respects Sertian sovereignty and its Government, remaining a reliable partner and ally for Caribbean nations. As a nation with military bases and leased territories in the region, the Kingdom is committed with stability in the area, as it has proven over the past years in both the Kingdom of Sertia and in the Republic Nofoaga, remaining a good and trusted neighbour. These unfounded claims come as a surprise to the Spanish Government, that feels forced to deny that it is currently preparing to annex the territory of the Republic Nofoaga. This Cabinet clearly supports freedom of press, however; we believe that every publication should be verified before being divulged.

The Spanish Government is always open to attend to journalists that wish to verify or contact the Cabinet for any matter they deem convenient.

D. Sebastián Rubio Rodríguez
Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation

Part 3 - La Complicazione

«You've got to be kidding. This must be a joke, a very bad joke». Those words were Donald Tusk's reaction to the latest news from the Sertian media, who seemed to have found out about 'Operation Turtle Beach' or, in other words, the brand new smokescreen prepared for the moment Il Predestinato, also known as Sebastián Rubio, who happens to be the current Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, was sworn in as President of Spain; making people forget about Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The Spanish Councillor requested his secretary to go home and to be left alone, as he dialled Rubio's phone number. Suddenly, a call came in...

«Tell me you have seen the news and that you are not panicking», said the voice, with a slight but outstanding French accent. «I am trying my best not to, but every minute that goes by without speaking to Il Predestinato makes my panic grow», replied the Speaker of the European Council. «C'mon, Donald! We have been through worse ones! This one is just a crisis for amateurs... take this as a good test for the kid», answered the man. «Jean-Claude, they have found out about our plans! They are acussing us of planning to annex a sovereign nation! Do you know what that means? Are you even conscious of what is going on?», Tusk told Juncker, who was on the other end of the phone. «I told you the Spanish Micronesia was a better place, but you could not go there because it was 'too far'. Now look at what we have got!», argued the former Premier Commissioner. «We were in the middle of a mountain, Jean-Claude, how on Earth would anyone hear us and know what that meant? Explain to me, c'mon. I am waiting for a coherent answer», Donald protested.

Silence. Jean-Claude Juncker was out of answers, but his mind had other plans for that conversation: «Mario betrayed us», he proclaimed. «I have not told him about this, nobody but us four and maybe Attal are aware of our... I've got to leave you, Jean-Claude. We will talk later. Try to speak to the kiddo», Tusk said, rushing to dial Aguilar's phone number. «See? You can see clearly now!», Juncker answered back before hanging up. The Speaker dialled the number, and seconds later, someone picked up the phone. With a lot of noise in the background, which sounded like a plane in mid-air, Aguilar answered: «I have seen the news. I am heading to Paris as we speak». Donald could not believe that the former President had not spoken to Attal: «Wait, so you have not met with Attal yet?», the Spanish Councillor inquired Jesús. «I was heading towards Nueva Antequera to meet with Merino, but somebody decided that making up a story about Spain annexing Nofoaga was a great idea. An awesome one if you think that, in fact, that is part of our plans with Il Predestinato», Aguilar told Tusk.

The Council Speaker was confused: if only four people knew about the plans, who would have told the Sertian press? And why didn't the Spanish media publish it? «Then, you say they have made this up without any real information and that, somehow, they have managed to guess what our smokescreen would be?», asked Donald. «Basically, that is my current theory. But I would check it up with the kid, just in case he left any hints behind that could have been leaked», replied Jesús. The Spanish Councillor remained silent for a second, thinking about the chances of a paper being seen by someone who decided to leak that thing to the Sertian media. «The odds say that is mostly impossible», he insisted. «Then my theory wins the most realistic award! Is Jean-Claude going to speak to him?», Aguilar asked. «I am the Spanish Councillor, so I will, unless Alberto calls me first. My bet is he is panicking too», Donald pointed out. «Alright, I will meet with Attal in the morning. I'll leave my phone turned on just in case you need to call me or anything», the former President stated. «Be careful, that is all I ask you to do tomorrow», Tusk warned Jesús. «I will my friend, trust me», Aguilar told him.

The Spanish Councillor then rapidly dialled the phone number of the Minister, who picked up the phone. He seemed relaxed, like if he had not seen anything at all: «Has Jean-Claude spoken to you?», Tusk inquired Il Predestinato. «Yup. He said he owes me a beer now because he has lost a bet we made about your reaction if anything did not go to plan», he laughed. Nevertheless, Donald did not think the matter was funny at all: «Ha, ha, ha. Do I have to pretend that I am having fun some more? Your political future is at risk and you are making bets with Jean-Claude?! Are you fucking stupid?!», he cried. Il Predestinato did not answer back for a few seconds: «Sorry, master, I have not thought yet about the great implications this has for our plans», he apologised. «The job you are looking forward too is about being able to consider how disruptive news and events around the world are, just like the implications they might have. Making any bets about them is not a part of the job. You have to predict everyone else's behaviour properly, and you must do that fast», Donald remarked.

«Do we know who is the traitor? Don't tell me I cannot call Gabriel a friend anymore...», wondered Rubio. «Jesús has not spoken to him yet - in fact, he is on his way to Paris as we speak. He was going to meet your future Vicepresident tomorrow morning, but it seems the morning summit has a new guest and location», Tusk informed Il Predestinato. «Therefore, if only us four know, who do you think it was? Is there a traitor amongst us?», the Minister for Foreign Affairs inquired nervously. «For me, it is either one of these two: they were bored and they made up the whole thing, being lucky enough to discover Operation Turtle Beach, or else someone left a hint somewhere. I must ask you if you have left any papers that could lead to finding out about our plans, and therefore being leaked to Sertian media», the Council Speaker said. Il Predestinato remained silent for a moment, thinking: «there are no papers about this, because that plan does not exist. Therefore, not that I am aware of!», he insisted. «Well, it is a good start», sentenced Donald.

«But Donald, what do I do now? Feijóo is asking me to react rapidly, yet, I do not know what to do or say; because it is true even though it is not. Help me!», demanded Il Predestinato. «Okay, okay, relax... Today you are going to learn to deny true claims without lying», stated Tusk. «How so? That is simply impossible!», Sebastián pointed out. «Look, all you have got to do is claim that the Sertians made that up, tell the Sertian Government through your statement that Spain is a realiable partner and ally and that they respect Sertian sovereignty, that the Spanish Government is committed with stability in the Caribbean and that it will always be a good, reliable neighbour», the Speaker explained. «And what about the plans to annex Nofoaga?», Il Predestinato said. «Didn't you hear me? They have made that up. There are no plans to annex Nofoaga. Period. See? Easy as stealing candy from a child's hand!», Donald commented.

«I get it. Thank you, Donald. I will not disappoint any of you. Also, please, keep me posted about the developments if you do not mind», said Il Predestinato. «I will. Now get out there and show them why you were chosen to be our Foreign Minister», the Speaker added. La complicazione seemed to be sorted out... for now.

Nation Name: The Kingdom of Spain
Artist: Annalisa
Song: Sinceramente
Link to youtube: Link
Vote deliverer with their image linked: Ruth Lorenzo
Link to your flag: Bandera de España

Part 2 - Valutazione dei Candidati

Two months had passed since Jesús Aguilar, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, also known as The Great Three, had met in the little Grequian village of Manarola. During that time, the former President, Premier Commissioner and the current Speaker of the European Council had been in contact, but not as much as they would have loved to be. While Juncker and Aguilar were closer, partly thanks to their retirement from politics, good old Donald was busy. Therefore, the Andalusian and the Germanic started their own attempt of drafting a cabinet for Sebastián Rubio, also known by them as Il Predestinato. Days later, the two former Presidents of the Kingdom of Spain agreed on meeting in a different location on 1st March, an encounter they told Tusk about. The Spanish Councillor and Council Speaker accepted... or maybe not.

«You have got to be joking, Jesús. The Spanish Micronesia? Why on Earth would we meet there?! I have not seen a headline about our encounter in Manarola two months ago, why can't we meet there again?», Tusk asked the Spanish President, somewhat annoyed.

«It was Jean-Claude's idea to meet there. He said he wants a 'relaxing experience', and that he does not plan to leave his holidays early. He has booked an hotel until Sunday, and claims to be drinking loads of wine and having great fun with Christiane. Only God knows what great fun means, I will not even make an attempt on thinking about it», Aguilar said, disgusted by the scene that had just come up in his mind.

«Then tell our boozer friend to move his ass out of the Spanish Micronesia and find a place where we can meet to discuss our progress. And do not dare to mention me that kind of fun ever again, I am still elder than you, you got me? Like, I would rather meet in a cave in Cantabria!», answered the Speaker, who seemed to have a bad day according to his tone.

«Donald, I will try my best», sentenced Aguilar, hunging up. He then called Jean-Claude Juncker, who accepted to shorten his holidays in exchange of a box of the best Rioja wine the former Spanish President could find in 'El Corte Inglés' before the meeting. «Thank God I am not either of these guys child. Their old age would be exhausting...», Jesús told her wife while entering bed. «Yet, they are your mentors, your best friends and probably, the biggest supporters you had when you were a politician», Julie argued. Aguilar panted: «I guess you are right».

Somewhere in Monsanto, Portugalia

Wearing sunglasses, a blue suit and green tie in honour of the National Day of Andalucía, Aguilar awaited for the arrival of his friends to the peculiar place he had chosen for the meeting, an abandoned cottage next to a rock on a cliff. He was looking at sunset, resting on his black Mercedes GLC Coupé's bonnet. He could hear the cheeps of the birds, the sound the leaves made when they were moved by the wind. The place was peaceful, silent and hidden: no one could ever imagine that The Great Three would meet there.

Meanwhile, Donald Tusk had found themselves on the same car, with Jean-Claude driving while he complained about the chosen location: «If you had agreed to come to the Spanish Micronesia, we would be drinking caipirinhas right now! -said the former Premier, annoyed- Instead, going there was 'too risky' for you! How would Donald Tusk go to the Spanish Micronesia? What would people say? You are just beginning your decline to become a mediocre politician!», he sentenced. «Caipirinhas?! You would have been more focused on driking bottles and bottles of Rioja rather than listening to our plans concerning the guy, Jean-Claude», Tusk answered. They kept arguing until Donald turned his head and looked to the dirt path, getting to see that they were dangerously approaching a tree: «JEAN-CLAUDE, THE TREE!», he screamed. Juncker managed to avoid it and just like that, they both ended up finding the cottage.

Jesús noticed their arrival, who could ignore it? Donald and Jean-Claude got off the car and approached the former Spanish President, who turned around to welcome his friends, smiling. They greeted each other with a hug, and Aguilar was helped by his guests to display three chairs and a table, where they left the food. «Won't the birds disturb us, Jesús?», Juncker wondered, while he looked at the bottle of wine. «They were heading to bed shortly before you arrived. I have also brought three lanterns, as I plan this summit to go on for a few hours», Aguilar informed. «We might not need them, Jesús. We have a full Moon today», Tusk noted.

Jesús then pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket that said 'likely supporters'. He handed it to Juncker and Tusk so they could read the list of names the former Spanish president had written on it. «Draghi? I thought we already had confirmed that one», Juncker said, looking at the Spanish Councillor. «Actually... Draghi said we could count on him, but there needs to be a compensation», Donald added. Jean-Claude did not look happy: «I warned you, but I was the crazy old man! Now look, there you have it: we pay him, or the whole plot is over. Let me repeat this once again: HE IS NOVOITALIAN, THOSE GUYS DON'T. KEEP. SECRETS!!», Juncker shouted.

«Jean-Claude, relax. At this time, I am quite sure Donald knows what Mario wants in exchange of his support, don't you Donald?», Jesús replied in a calm tone. «I do. He just wants Metsola to be the kiddo's Vicepresident, and Mariastella to be the Transport Minister», Tusk pointed out. «We can accept that, sure. By the way, Donald, sorry for shouting at you», the former Premier Commissioner apologised. «Therefore, we are moving towards building Il Predestinato's Cabinet already?», Jesús asked. Both gentlemen nodded. «Alright then, but I would rather have the kid in front of us for that. Or... hearing us at least», he noted.

«I am fine with bringing him to our next meeting, but I want to choose the place where we will meet next time», confessed Jean-Claude. «Nevertheless, I would like to make sure that we are all on this boat, and by being on this boat I mean if we agree that this guy is our man. I wouldn't like to work on something that is predestined to be a failure, and I love the kid, so you better back off now if you are not sure about him», Juncker commented.

«I think we can all agree that he is the man», Donald stated. «His management of the summit with the United Duchies was exemplary, and we got a good deal out of it. Feijóo told me he was 'pleased' with my advice about hiring Il Predestinato for the job, so we are good to go. Jesús, you are the one that remains in touch with him the majority of the time. Do you think he is suitable for the job?», Tusk inquired.

«He is perfect. Il Predestinato is the new us. Yet, he will need to form his own army, just like I made mine up. Let's go stright to the point: Jean-Claude and I are retired, we are part of Spain's history. You can be his right hand, Donald, but you cannot forget, neither can we, that you are settled in Europolis. He needs someone he can trust here. On the contrary, I do not think he will be able to trust Alberto, not because he does not trust him -he does- but rather because Alberto will feel betrayed by his Foreign Affairs Minister. Metsola is a good Vicepresident, but do we really want her to be Il Predestinato's right hand? Not me, and I am sure you do not either. The kiddo needs someone he can trust, as well as a subject that we perceive as prepared for the challenge ahead», Jesús noted.

«I have an idea concerning the strong Vicepresident that we need», the Council Speaker said. «Marta Merino is the woman we are looking for. Intelligent, with character, sense of humour, everyone likes her and she has experience in the Spanish Government. She was your Vice-President, Jesús, and I think you are still in contact with her today, if you two did not lie to me. Besides, the boy needs someone with experience, and we need someone who can advise him as well as anyone here when we are not available», Donald added.

«We are forgetting about the fact that we need to do something with Pablo Hernández de Cos», Juncker noted. «He would still hold the Ministry he is in charge of right now, although he would not be the Vicepresident of the Spanish Government. Pablo will certainly not be an issue to our plans, of that I am sure. I can speak to him if you two want me to», Jesús added. The former Spanish President was a close friend of the former Governor of the Bank of Spain, as they worked together when he was the President of the Kingdom of Spain.

«As things stand right now, the plot looks like this: Il Predestinato becomes the President. Merino and Metsola, Vicepresidents. Gelmini and Hernández de Cos stay. Feijóo attempts to become Commissioner and we give him a good role on the European Progressive Alliance. Bravo stays as we secure Juanma Moreno's support. So does Penny Mourdaunt in Defence, and Anja in Science. I am guessing we are respecting Cayetana in the Ministry of Justice. That leaves us with Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs left to assign, as we will leave Il Predestinato choose his less relevant Ministers», Jean-Claude said.

«I like Bendodo as Home Affairs Minister. He is not an issue either, so we are good. My concerns arise when we begin to speak about the next Foreign Affairs Minister... which is even more worrying when you think about the fact that he will be the one in charge of establishing the storytelling of 'Operation Turtle Beach'. We need someone who is experienced, somebody who knows what he is doing... That is why I am bringing up Gabriel Attal's to this conversation», Tusk announced.

«Experienced? Attal? -Juncker laughed- I was expecting you to say Anthony Blinken, and that way we would fill the American quota that Obama forces us all to have in our cabinet. But you propose Attal, who is an unknown guy, no Government experience... is he your new protegée, Donald? He is not who we are looking for», Jean-Claude objected. «He is a good politician. On top of that, yes, he is a promising talent and certainly, my new protegée. Jesús is also following the guy, and you should too, Jean-Claude», the Speaker noted. «Then make him Vicepresident and put Merino in Foreign Affairs!», Juncker replied.

«I like Attal. He is smart, he knows how to read the situation with skill and ease... not to mention that he is a close friend of Il Predestinato. I want to remind you that the Foreign Affairs Minister is the one that travels the most with the President. If you don't believe me, ask Alfonso Dastis. He is another promising figure to be aware of, and giving him this chance is what he needs to become the version of himself Donald and I have always demanded him to turn into. He is ready to be another Dastis, maybe an improved version of him», Aguilar told Juncker.

«Argh, fine, you win. Regardless, we still need to please Barack and his exigencies, and I want someone that I have a huge affection for in that Cabinet. As Thierry goes, I want Jennifer Granholm to return to her Ministry. The kiddo can choose the others, and will choose the others. No more designations. Deal?», the former Premier inquired his friends, before looking at the full Moon emerging from the horizon.

«Done», Tusk and Aguilar answered at unison. The Council Speaker then caught a paper, a pen and wrote down the names of the future Ministers of the Spanish Government under Il Predestinato's leadership. «Now comes the hard part: convincing the territorial leaders, telling the boy what we have agreed and starting to implement our plan. I'll take care of the current ministers and good old Draghi. Jean-Claude, you take Obama and meet with Il Predestinato, inform him of our progress, but discreetly, and let him weave his cabinet. As for you, Jesús, I want you to talk to Attal, Merino and Hernández de Cos. The meetings will be private», the Spanish Councillor said.

«Fine. Before we approach the territorial leaders, we will meet again. Jean-Claude, next time you choose the meeting point, but remember, it has to be somewhere where you are convinced about our security and not being disturbed. It will also have to be done by the end of May at the latest, which leaves us with fewer and fewer options as the summer flying season will have started by then. So think carefully and keep us updated», Aguilar added

«I have a few places in mind, so sure thing. Well, gentlemen, I have not made my dear wife cook for nothing, so you better start eating this and telling me how delicious everything is... I love working together... and if there is wine in the meeting, that makes it a perfect day!», Jean-Claude added. The Great Three then had dinner together and had fun, laughing at each other's stories, mocking one another and remembering some anecdotes. La valutazione had been completed. It was a matter of time until Il Predestinato became a threat to Feijóo.

With Miura I's Lunar Module headed for the Moon, the rocket stage flew on a trajectory past the Moon. On 6 January 2025, Miura 1 passed behind the Moon and fired its service propulsion engine to enter lunar orbit. Soon enough, Sara García communicated with Mission Control in Seville: «Sevilla Mission Control, this is Miura 1. The Moon is beautiful, simply astonishing. What a lovely view!», she said. Smiles could be seen all around the hall, that was looking at the very same view. The livestream of the Mission also offered the same picture to the general public, being the top viewed live transmission of the World at that time.

Everything went according to plan. After all the proceedings, the Matador was orbiting the Moon being monitored by Mission Control, while the four astronauts were onboard for their Moon landing. As planned, at 06.00 Sertian time, Miura 1 touched down on the Moon's surface. Álvarez then informed Sevilla and viewers from Spain (where Radiotelevisión Española was broadcasting the arrival) and the World about the success of the Mission: «Sevilla, this is Foso Base. Miura has landed». The room exploded in cheer and joy as the first tense part was over. Then, Sara García and the other astronauts suited up, and with a GoPro cam ready and connected to the live broadcast, they headed to the Miura 1 door to get prepared. They were hours away from setting foot on the Moon.

The Moon
7th January 2025 - 12.00 Caribbean Time

Sara García was the chosen one to be the first member of the Mission to set foot on the Moon's surface. The door opened, and with the GoPro in her hand, she started the descent to the ground. She shew her foot as she put them on the ground, and then spoke in Spanish, visibly moved by the circumstances: «Sevilla, we are here. We have done it. This is a huge step for the Kingdom of Spain Spain, a bigger step for the Caribbean and a new beginning for humanity. I hope you are watching this... it is just beautiful». They were, indeed, watching. King Felipe VI then spoke to the radio: «Astronaut García, this is King Felipe. The atmosphere here in Sevilla is amazing. Congratulations for this achievement. The entire World is watching you all. We are very proud of you».

Then, one by one, Parse, Huie and Álvarez followed Sara's steps and set foot on the ground. Each of them was carrying their own national flags, which at the same time and being recorded by García, planted them on the Moon's soil. A few minutes later, and being recorded by one of the Miura 1 cameras, the four astronauts planted the commemorative Starman Mission flag and the AEE-SSA flag. They then began to carry out all the research tasks that had been assigned to them, as well as collecting samples of the lunar soil. Presidents Feijóo and Namatatiki, alongside the Head of the Braetha Fornithias Cranst, had a joint phone call with the astronauts. They all stayed there for 3 days, the longest stay of a group of humans in the Moon.

On 10 January, 2025, the group of astronauts left the Moon heading back to El Matador, and just after the rendez-vous, Muira 1 and Matador began their trip back to the Earth. The mission developed as planned, and on 11 January 2025, 14.00 Caribbean team, Muira 1 splashed down somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, being rescued by two ships of the Spanish Armada, taking the astronauts back to Sertia. The mission was complete. The Kingdom of Spain had done it. So had Sertia and Nofoaga. The Moon had been conquered.

@Fayrrendel Noted and approved! Glad to see you back around here! :)

@UK-and-California Accepted!

Slalium's Spaceport
3rd January 2025 - 02.00 Caribbean Time

Extracted from the RTVE Official Broadcast, images offered by the Agencia Espacial Española

We are receiving new images from the Slalium Spaceport, where the Miura I crew has departed for the launch pad. We are in T-3 hours and counting, and these are the names of the four brave astronauts who, in a few days and if everything goes as it should, will set foot on the Moon. On board of the Miura I are Pablo Álvarez Fernández and Sara García Alonso from Spain, Christopher Huie from Nofoaga and Jonathan Parse from Sertia. Former astronaut Pedro Duque is joining us today...

The astronauts then arrived at the White Room, from where they entered the Miura I, the close-out preparations took place. Soon enough, the astronauts were safely secured in their seats and Pablo Álvarez assumed the Starman Mission command. The conckpit switch configurations were checked by the team, and after positive feedback, Álvarez started the air-to-ground voice checks with Launch Control in Slalium: «Launch Control, this is Miura 1 performing air-to-ground voice checks. Can you hear us?». Launch control replied back: «This is Slalium's Launch Control. We can hear you loud and clear, Miura I. 5 out of 5». Then, Álvarez proceeded to perform the same checks with Mission Control in Sevilla, where the Headquarters of the Agencia Espacial Española were located at: «Sevilla Mission Control, this is Miura 1 performing air-to-ground voice checks. Can you hear us?». Mission control responded: «Loud and clear, Miura I. Good luck!».

With no leaks on the crew hatch, the White Room close-out was complete and the close-out crew began their retreat to fallback area. The time kept counting down, and with 45 minutes on the clock, the Launch Director gave permission gave permission to go for loading fuel into the rocket. Seven minutes later, the spacecraft launch escape system was up and running. With 35 minutes left for launch, the fuel loading began. When the clock went down to T-20 minutes, the clock was held for 15 minutes, during which inertial measurement unit preflight alignments were completed and the Shuttle Test Director conducted the final launch team briefings.

The clock then resumed its way down to zero, and the second stage started getting liquid oxygen, the onboard computers and backup flight system transitioned to launch configuration, the fuell cell thermal conditioning started and the cabin vent valves were closed. With 9 minutes on the clock, the countdown was held again. The Launch Director, Mission Management Team and Shuttle Test Director started polling their teams for a go for launch, after they received a new weather report and analysed all the data they had at that moment. Everything was looking great, and the three teams decided to go for launch.

During the 45 minutes the countdown was held, the members of the 3 delegations from the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Sertia and the Republic Nofoaga arrived to the grandstand reserved for them, which was next to the general grandstands where thousands of people were already waiting for lift off. Then, the countdown started moving again, and the nerves began to grow within Launch Control, Mission Control and the people watching, including politicians. The Director of the Agencia Espacial Española was in the Launch Control dependencies, accompanied by the Minister of Science, Innovation and Research.

Extracted from the RTVE Official Broadcast, images offered by the Agencia Espacial Española. Bold indicates time, all words following are said by the Launch Director. Words in cursive are said by AEE personnel. RTVE did not say a single word, only offered images. Communication takes place in Spanish

T-9 (05.51 Sertian Local Time): Start automatic ground launch sequencer.
► The automatic ground launch sequencer has been succesfully started
T-7 minutes and 30 seconds: Retract orbiter access arm.
► Orbiter access arm retracted.
T-5 minutes: Start auxiliary power units, arm solid rocket booster range safety safe and arm devices.
► Everything up and running.
T-3 minutes, 55 seconds: Start orbiter aerosurface profile test, followed by main engine gimbal profile test.
► Aerosurface profile test positive, main engine gimbal profile test positive. General feedback remains positive.
T-2 minutes and 55 seconds: Retract gaseous oxygen vent arm.
► Gaseous oxygen vent arm retracted.
T-2 minutes: Crew members close and lock your visors, please. Good luck.
PA: Visors closed and locked.
T-50 seconds: Transfer Miura I from ground to internal power.
► Transfer is complete.
T-31 seconds: Ground launch sequencer is go for auto sequence start.
► Confirm.
T-16 seconds: Activate launch pad sound suppression system.
► Launch pad sound suppression system activated.
T-10 seconds: Activate main engine hydrogen burnoff system.
► Main engine hydrogen burnoff system activated, ten seconds remaining.

The crowd then began to shout every number from 10 to 0. Everyone was expectant, nervous, excited. Some even felt emotional. RTVE then offered a split image of the rocket and the crowd counting down to zero.

10...

9...

8...

7...

T-6.6 Seconds: Main engine start.
► Main engine started, we are ready.

6...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

T-0 (06.00 Sertian Time): Lift off!

The Muira I lifted off to the sky successfully. The crowd clapped and cheered, so did the delegations. Nevertheless, in the Launch and Mission control dependencies, someone could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. Everyone was nervous, everything seemed to be working just perfectly.

Extracted from the RTVE Official Broadcast, images offered by the Agencia Espacial Española. Bold indicates time, all words following are said by the Launch Director. Words in cursive are said by AEE personnel. RTVE only offered images, if any comment is made, it will be denoted.

T+58 seconds: Miura I has reached Max Q.
► Affirm, every system is within normal ranges.*

T+2 minutes and 35 seconds: First stage cutting off and separating.
PA: Affirm.
► Separation confirmed.

T+11 minutes: Second stage cutting off and separating.
PA: Affirm. We are on our way to the Moon, everything is normal here!
► Separation confirmed, transfering control to Sevilla Mission Control.

(The rooms in Slalium and in Sevilla explode into cheers and joy)

T+11 minutes and 15 seconds: Miura 1, this is Sevilla Mission Control. Can you hear us?
PA: Loud and clear, Sevilla! Miura 1 on its way to the Moon!

RTVE: And that is it! The Agencia Espacial Española has done it! Miura 1 is on its way to the Moon! From Radiotelevisión Española, congratulations to the big time at the Agencia Espacial Española for this major achivement in our history.

Meanwhile, in Slalium, everyone was celebrating in the grandstands. One by one, Francisco-Javier Benedicto and Anja Karliczek greeted and congratulated the Agencia Espacial Española workers, who then were met by the Royal Family, the Spanish President, the Head of the Braetha and the President of the Republic Nofoaga. The Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Sertia and the Republic Nofoaga had done it: they had launched a rocket towards the Moon. Now, another countdown had been started... soon, the Miura I crew would begin their approach to the Moon.

Slalium, Sertia
2nd January 2025

The Spanish and Nofoagan delegations headed to Slalium, where they were welcomed by the members of the Braetha and the Head of the Braetha, Fornithias Cranst. King Felipe VI found himself, as Head of State, leading the Spanish delegation and being the first to greet Fornithias: «Mr. Cranst, I am very pleased to meet you, as it is a huge honour to finally visit the Kingdom of Sertia. Our nations have a lot in common, share their present, and now they will share this historical milestone that we are beginning to celebrate tonight», the King said. Then it was Feijóo's turn to shake hands with Fornithias: «Nice to see you again, Mr. Cranst! Thank you very much for your hospitality», he added. One by one, the Head of the Braetha and its members welcomed both delegations.

Then, it was time for dinner. As Head of State, it was Felipe's duty and not Alberto's to address the hall on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain. The King, who was wearing a dinner suit, addressed the attendees:

«Head of the Braetha, President of the Republic Nofoaga, President of the Kingdom of Spain, Members of the Braetha, the Nofoagan and Spanish Governments, authorities, ladies and gentlemen.

We find ourselves here today to celebrate that we are about to begin our biggest endeavour together. In a matter of hours, the Miura 1 will be launched from Slalium's Spaceport, heading towards the Moon, in the first mission ever done by an European nation in the 21st Century. It is difficult to find the right words when you see the efforts of thousands of workers being put to the test to realise the dream they have been chasing for five years. It is even more difficult, if I may say so, to try to predict what will happen over the next few days, during which we will be living in total uncertainty, except for communication with the Miura I by radio.

My speech today is based on two essential pillars for the Starman Mission: cooperation between our states and the pursuit of a common goal, dream, illusion and feeling. This adventure that begins today would not be possible without the cooperation that has existed between us from the beginning: this year marks the fifth anniversary of our arrival in Nofoaga to assist its citizens and Government in matters of defence; just as long as we have pursued the dream of reaching the Moon. It was with the construction of the first spaceport there that the dream seemed closer; and it was with our arrival on Sertia that the dream finally began to accelerate. The construction of a second spaceport here on Slalium not only allowed us to create more jobs, helping the local economies of both islands: it also opened the door to a greater margin of error and accelerated all timelines. Today we can proudly shout loud and clear that we have won the space race.

Nofoaga and Sertia are allies and friends of the Kingdom of Spain and I guarantee you today, dear friends, dear Fornithias and dear Lula, that we will not leave you alone. You have not done that, you have helped us to achieve the dream that together, because you are also part of this mission, we are beginning to touch today with the tips of our fingers. We owe you a great deal, and I assure you that Spain and the Spanish people will be there for you in all your needs. Our cooperation with the Caribbean and our friendship with the region is a reference in a model of international relations based on prosperity, friendship and the common progress of our nations, which not only share a part of their history, but now also a region.

Our good will has been demonstrated by the establishment of many measures, such as the Transatlantic Partnership Fund. But if there is one thing that moves us in this region, of which we are part thanks to the cession of the territory occupied by our military bases in Nofoaga, an altruistic gesture, it is friendship: we have rebuilt Nofoaga, we have helped Sertia when we were asked to do so. And I guarantee you, dear friends, that we will remain here to infinity and beyond, if you wish and grant us the great honour of remaining here. We will never leave you alone, we will never leave you behind: Europe may look away, we will not. We will always be by your side, through thick and thin, as you are by ours.

After all, the dream of the Moon may have seemed like an unattainable goal. And I would like to start by thanking the thousands of people who make up the Spanish Space Agency for their work. Without them, what we are witnessing today would not be possible: they have given their all to the Starman project, which today becomes the Starman mission. And it is this common goal that we have achieved with enthusiasm, friendship and a sense of going beyond what seems humanly possible. The last mile remains, the reason for all this, but like you, I am confident. May this mission help us to continue to dream big, to look to the future with greater enthusiasm and to enter a new, even more prosperous phase in our relations. Here's to that.

Thank you very much, and cheers!»

«The King received an ovation from the guests. After him, Lula Namatatiki addressed the hall in second place, with her speech being emotional and in the same page than King Felipe VI. Lastly, it was Fornithias Cranst's turn to address the attendees:

«Your Majesties, President of the Republic Nofoaga, President of the Kingdom of Spain, Members of the Braetha, Members of the Spanish and Nofoagan Governments, authorities, ladies and gentlemen.

I am honoured to be in such good company today. First of all, please allow me to extend a warm welcome to Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain, as well as Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias and Her Royal Highness Princess Sofia. I know that this is their first trip abroad in a long time, and the first for both Princesses, and I am very happy that Sertia has been chosen as the country for this first trip for both of them. I wish you all a warm welcome and hope that you will feel at home during your stay. Allow me also to greet the President of the Republic, Nofoaga, whom I am delighted to see in Sertia.

As Her Majesty and Mrs Namatatiki have both said, albeit in different ways, this is an historic day. Today, from Slalium, four brave astronauts, two Spaniards, a Nofoagan and a Sertian, will leave for the Moon. Their mission will be to take our three countries, an entire region, into space. And they will do it from here, from Slalium, where, together with the Kingdom of Spain, we have built a spaceport that has given us the key to a world full of possibilities. First of all, I would like to thank the AEE staff for their efforts and the Spanish Government for the gesture of including us and Nofoaga in this mission, which, as Your Majesty rightly said, is a joint adventure that we share with pleasure and joy.

This historic day undoubtedly marks the beginning of a new phase in our relationship, but I would like to save some of that euphoria for D-Day: when our astronauts set foot on the Moon. We have indeed won the space race, and with the launch of Miura I comes a host of incredible opportunities for the Caribbean, opportunities that we welcome with open hands and excitement.

I would also like to express my gratitude for the commitment of the Kingdom of Spain, reaffirmed today by His Majesty the King, to this region and its prosperity. Both Sertia and Nofoaga, as Mrs Namatatiki said, are delighted that Spain is part of this region and indeed the ties that bind us together are stronger than ever. This close and flourishing relationship is the foundation of the Starman Mission and I hope it will be the starting point for many more adventures and initiatives together. Today we take the first step towards a future of cooperation and even greater friendship, and believe me when I say that we are very excited.

To conclude, I would like to drink a toast to us, to our astronauts, to the efforts made, to the staff of the Spanish Space Agency, to our great friendship and to everything that unites us. May this joy be the beginning of a week of great and very good news, and may it end with a resounding success in all that our three governments have set out to achieve.

Thank you very much, and cheers!»

After the protocolary speeches, everyone proceded to have dinner together. The moment of truth was just getting closer and closer...

Slalium Air Base
2nd January 2025

The second flight expected at Slalium's Air Base arrived right from Nofoaga. The plane was an A330MRT from the Spanish Air Force, which flew from Bourbon Military Base in Nofoaga to the major military base in the neighbouring Sertia, located at the mentioned town. Parked next to the Presidential Plane, the military personnel got the staircase ready upon arrival. Commander Laura Potter was the first to descend from the plane, being followed by the President of the Republic Nofoaga, Lula Namatatiki; the Member of the Majority, of the Nofoagan Parliament and Spanish Representative Marian Fonseca, officials from the Nofoagan Government, the Spanish Ambassador to Nofoaga and officials from the Nofoagan Government and the CCCC.

All of them were greeted by General Carlos Brown, the President of the Spanish Government, Alberto Núñez Feijóo; and the Minister of Defence, Penny Mourdaunt; as they were in a military dependence. Lula put her hair right before exiting the plane, and once shaking hands with General Brown, she was excited to meet the new Spanish President: «President Feijóo, I am so happy to meet you for the first time, and in such exciting conditions. Are you nervous about the mission?», she asked. Feijóo smiled and replied back: «The pleasure is mine, Ms. Namatatiki. Both Mr. Aguilar and Mr. Juncker speak great things about you... they even told me they could not miss the chance of seeing you again tonight! The truth is that my nerves are growing on me as we get closer to the moment». Feijóo also greeted Commander Potter and the members of the Nofoagan Government, including Fonseca, who had finally gotten to shake the hand of a Spanish Government official.

Then, Lula was guided to the base dependencies, to which she entered shouting after she saw her old friend: «Jesúuuuuuuuuuus, how have you been?! I was so sad when I heard you left the job... But look at you know, you look younger, happier, and you seem to sleep better than you did! How have you been?», she shouted excited. Namatatiki then turned her head and saw Jean-Claude: «Commissioner! It is so nice to see you again! Oh wow, this feels like these school promotions meetings...», she expressed. Aguilar greeted Lula: «Lula! You also look really good, what is your secret? Is it that daily skincare you always insisted on when we spoke on the phone? By the way, those nails with the rocket, the Moon... They are fantastic», he exclaimed. Juncker was also happy to see the Nofoagan President.

At last, the Royal Family's aircraft landed at Slalium. The King and the Queen went downstairs together, and they were met by all the authorities present at that time, including a member of the Braetha who was sent to greet the Royal Family. All together, they headed towards the town of Slalium, where they would stay until it was time for launch, and where a dinner between the 3 Governments and other authorities and invited personalities was taking place.

«Checks were under our estimations, do not worry about them», Feijóo noted.

«As I see there are no more topics up for discussion, I guess it is time to call this summit to an end. Mr. Key, it has been a huge pleasure and a very productive one. I hope that the steps that we have given today mark the start of a new era in our bilateral relationship, which I expect to grow in trust and friendship. Thank you very much for coming», Feijóo concluded.

It was time. Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, the Spanish Presidential Plane was making its way towards Sertia, where in a few hours, the Starman Mission would begin from Slalium's Spaceport. Three planes were on their way to Sertia: the Presidential one, taking President Alberto Núñez Feijóo, Sebastián Rubio, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation; Penny Mourdaunt, Minister of Defence; Anja Karliczek, Minister of Science, Innovation and Research; Donald Tusk, the Speaker of the European Council and Councillor for the Kingdom of Spain; Patricia Scotland, the Spanish Commonwealth's Secretary-General; Jesús Aguilar and Jean-Claude Juncker, former Presidents of the Kingdom of Spain. The Head of the Agencia Espacial Española, Francisco-Javier Benedicto; and General Carlos Brown, the Spanish Commander for the Caribbean and the Pacific; were already in Sertia, supervising everything.

The second plane was taking the entire Royal Family to Sertia: King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, Princess Leonor and Princess Sofía were on their way for their first international visit in years. Meanwhile, a third plane from the Spanish Army had departed from Bourbon Military Base, in Nofoaga, Commander Laura Potter, President Lula Namatatiki from Nofoaga, the Spanish Representative on the Nofoagan Parliament and Member of the Nofoagan Majority Marian Fonseca, the Spanish Ambassador to Nofoaga and members of the Nofoagan Government were on their way to Slalium. The Caribbean was reunited, again, in a single place: all together would meet with the Braetha and the Head of the Braetha, Fornithias Cranst; to watch the historical milestone that was about to be set: 4 astronauts from the 3 Caribbean countries (Sertia, Nofoaga and Spain, the latter due to its territories in Nofoaga) would travel to the Moon.

Presidential Plane
2nd January 2025

«Ah, my old seat... How have you been? Have you missed me? Alberto, who seats here now?», said former President Aguilar, who was enjoying the trip on the Presidential Plane towards the Kingdom of Sertia. Since he left the job in 2023, he had not been on the Presidential plane ever again. Juncker looked at him, quite amazed that Jesús still remembered where he seated: «Why are you so sure about it? You can remember about these kind of little details?». Aguilar nodded.

«Nobody does right now, except you, Jesús! The plane has enough capacity for me and the team, and I think this is the fullest I have seen this plane so far...», replied Alberto. «To be fair, he has not travelled too much, but that is changing, right boss?», said Sebastián, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. «Quite indeed, Sebastián. This is the beginning of a new era in our foreign policy. By the way Donald, how is Esteban doing over Europolis? He still keeps his duties at the People's Party», the President sentenced.

«He is being really helpful, Alberto. I am glad to see you decided to send him back to where he belongs», the Speaker of the European Council confessed. «Great... I believe that he did not adapt greatly to the Spanish Government, but I still trust him. He is one of my closest friends, and I know that he is awesome when he is comfortable in his position. Glad to see he is progressing correctly», Alberto noted.

Meanwhile, Jean-Claude Juncker was having a chat with Anja Karliczek, accompanied by two glasses of wine. They were soon joined by the Secretary-General of the Spanish Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, who did not keep her mouth shut when she saw the former Premier Commissioner and President of Spain driking some Rioja wine: «Jean-Claude! Everytime I get to see you out of a meeting or something, you have a glass of wine in your hand! Will I ever get to see you without one?». Juncker laughed slightly: «Oh, Patricia... This is my first! Anja thought it was a good idea... By the way, don't you know what they say? A glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away... and it's good for your health!», he stated. Anja laughed loudly, and so did Patricia.

Soon enough, the plane started its descent to Slalium's Air Base. During the approach, the first Spaniards to arrive to the celebration could see the island of Sertia, as well as the Miura I seconds before the plane touched down. The plane parked on one of the remote parkings, where General Brown and Francisco Javier greeted the first authorities to arrive. «Has his Majesty arrived yet?», President Feijóo asked General Brown when shaking hands. «Negative, sir. You have been the first to arrive into Sertia. The plane from Nofoaga has not arrived either. Still, Sertian authorities have been summoned for dinner at the hotel this evening, so they all are still on time», noted the General and Commander.

«Great, thank you General», Alberto said. Then, former President Aguilar greeted his old friend Carlos: «General Brown! Nice to see you again my old friend! I see the Caribbean is treating you well, or that is what you told El País on their report...». The General shook hands with Jesús: «It is, sir. I am really thankful to your Government for giving me the chance to start a new life here... loads of exciting projects to address and lead, and many remaining!», Brown pointed out.

The first Spanish delegation then headed towards the base dependencies, in order to wait for the other planes to arrive.

Feijóo was surprised that UEFA had opposed to a hotline to report hooliganism and racism from the stadiums: «I cannot believe they have done that, Mr. Key. I can assure you I will talk to the Real Federación Española de Fútbol and the President of the Sports Council to demand answers from UEFA on that affair. If we come together on reasonable things, like this hotline, I guess they will not have another choice but accept it - they owe their salaries to their members!

The Spanish Government is fully committed in the fight against hooliganism, racism and other repulsive attituted in football stadiums or sports. It is true that we do not see the need for private investigators within stadiums, but we respect the Duchian internal approach. I think the best thing to do would be pressuring UEFA on allowing the hotline assuming that private investigators will not be sent. Additionally, a meeting with UEFA's President ought to be something to consider if I were you, Mr. Key. Maybe things would improve that way!»

Alberto then looked at his agenda. With most topics being sorted out, he had still one thing left to discuss: «Prime Minister, unless you have any other topics you would like to tell me about, the Spanish Government would like to discuss Eurorail as the last topic of this productive summit. As you may already know, we settled an agreement concerning services in Saint Dominico prior to the start of operations in the line between Spain and Inimicus, via Red Croatia, Inquista, your country and North Diessen. I believe that it would be convenient to invite our friends from California, as well as from Anastocopala and Hellas, to join Eurorail, allowing for new routes. I am telling you this because I intend to invite President Harris of California to join Eurorail in our next summit, which is due. I will also inform the other signatory states of our agreement about my intentions. Do you have any objections to that?»

Feijóo and Rubio were feeling happy, and listened to the concerns on racist chants, which were on the surge within Spain. Both agreed that was a huge problem, and as a football fan that both were, Feijóo spoke: «I do not know if you are a great football fan, Mr. Key, but I will assume that you are, specially of that football without racist, sexist or disgusting chants from fans. Just like me, to be fair.

In any case, do you know Vinicius Junior, the famous footballer from Real Madrid? Well, when playing against Valencia CF in Mestalla, which happens to be Valencia CF's stadium, three fans made racist chants and gestures targeted at him, looking down on his skin colour. The chants were absolutely disgusting: they mimicked the moves and sounds of monkeys, screaming things like "uh, uh, uh"; what made Vinicius feel frustrated, ashamed and humilliated. These events are usually reported to the State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance in Sport, and additionally, the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Spanish League, the Royal Spanish Football Association and Real Madrid took this affair to court, being resolved as a prioritary matter.

UEFA has not complained about this, and the footage was obtained thanks to the videos posted in social media by other fans, as well as from the footage of the cameras that record the match, and have been banned from football stadiums for 2 years, while being sentenced to 8 months of prison. I understand UEFA's concern about private investigators or Secret Services at stadiums. Spain uses this procedure that I have explained to you and believe me when I tell you that they are effective. In case Duchian fans ever tried to perform their disgusting chants here, we would follow the same procedure, and we would report it to Duchian authorities as well, of course! We just do not want secret service agents in our territory, you know... might look a little bit weird, right?» Feijóo laughed slightly, smiling.

Sebastián Rubio replied to Arron: «We agree to those terms, which are perfectly understandable. I think we have a deal on free trade and travel then!».

The Spanish President, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, then commented again on the matters that had been left unanswered: «Mr. Key, concerning my Minister's proposal about setting up student exchange programmes between us, an extradition agreement, as well as sharing intelligence on crime and terrorism threats, would that be okay with your Government?»