Coronavirus measures implemented as pandemic continues

On 16 March, three cases of suspected coronavirus infection were reported by the Austenasian Times. All three individuals have by now either tested negative for the coronavirus or stopped displaying symptoms. Despite this good news, the ongoing pandemic and the reactions of governments around the world continue to affect life for all Austenasians, both residential and non-residential. Palasia and Bregusland restricted travel last month, a fact reported by Lonely Planet in a recent article about the reactions of various “micronations” to the pandemic. However, these are not the only towns of Austenasia to have implemented a response to the disease. The Austenasian capital Wrythe, the towns of Theodosiopolis and Dragovina, and the Harlemum March are all under lockdown. Theodosiopolis and Harlemum, which are both represented by Dionisiy I, have furthermore stocked up on protective masks and anti-viral medicine. Kingeston, which consists of uninhabited parkland bordered by Canada, has declared a state of emergency, and is encouraging visitors to observe social distancing and wash their hands. Peach Ponds meanwhile, which likewise consists of parkland (albeit bordered by the USA) has taken a stricter approach, enforcing a stay-at-home and not accepting visitors. In Mouzilo, the sole resident – Manolis Afentoulis, Duke of Thessalia – has implemented strict social distancing and remained within the borders of the crown dependency for over three weeks, working on various cultural projects. With lockdowns and social distancing being enforced in the United Kingdom, United States, and other countries around the world, many activities which Austenasians would usually join outside the borders of Austenasia itself have also been cancelled. Last weekend saw Western Easter unable to be celebrated by the Imperial Family by attending church with other Austenasians, as is customary. Likewise, Emperor Jonathan I and the other Orthodox Christians of Austenasia will be unable to observe Orthodox Easter this upcoming Sunday 19th with church attendance. The Emperor will instead be listening to a livestreamed service from the safety of the Imperial Residence. Likewise, the Imperial Geographical Society conducts an expedition on the first Monday of May, but will not be doing so this year. As long as the pandemic continues, similar measures and precautions will unfortunately have to be taken in order to ensure public health.

Two new claims join the Empire

Peach Ponds, an area of parkland in North America, and Dinkeaw, a garden bordered by Thailand, were annexed to Austenasia yesterday evening by an Imperial Decree. Both areas of land are uninhabited, and were offered by different individuals who approached the government with the request that said territories be claimed by Austenasia. Peach Ponds was claimed by Casper von Navārdia – who also serves as President and Foreign Minister of Phokland (a state of the Holy Roman Empire) – and consists of Huddleston Pond Park of Peachtree City in the U.S. state of Georgia. Peach Ponds was annexed as a Territory, and Casper von Navārdia was appointed its Governor and given the noble title Count of Cowyetton. Lord von Navārdia already administered the park on behalf of the local city council, and as such was in a perfect position to both claim and subsequently govern the new Territory. Dinkeaw consists of the garden of the Thai residence of Yai Khadpo and his family. Mr Khadpo’s mother requested that their garden be claimed by Austenasia; it has been annexed as a Crown Dependency, with Mr Khadpo appointed its Governing Commissioner. Lord Edward Gunderson, Speaker of the House of Representatives, recently announced that Parliament would only consider urgent bills due to the pressures faced by its members relating to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The annexations were therefore made law by Imperial Decree, something which has not been done since an expansion of New Richmond in April 2015.

Emperor releases coronavirus statement as Austenasian officials and resident self-isolate

Three possible cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infections have been reported amongst Austenasia’s government and population. On 13 March, Pope Queranus I – Pontifex Maximus and Governor of Iostan na Beithe and Glencoe, better known as Sebastian Linden – announced that he would be self-isolating due to “symptoms matching coronavirus”. The same announcement was made on behalf of a resident of Palasia by Lord John Gordon, the town’s Representative, the following day. Earlier today, Sir Hugh McFarlane – Governing Commissioner of New South Scotland – also made the same announcement. In response to the suspected case in Palasia – the only suspected case reported so far on Austenasian territory – the Border Enforcement Agency has restricted travel over Palasia’s border with the United Kingdom to “essential” journeys. Furthermore, Bregusland – which expanded from a Territory into a Crown Dependency last month with the annexation of a bordering house and its three residents – has also been placed on lockdown, with the border closed to all non-residents. Emperor Jonathan I has made the following statement in response to the ongoing pandemic: Our prayers and best wishes are with all those infected or otherwise adversely affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Despite the rapid spread of this disease, panic and overreactions will not help but if anything hinder attempts to deal with it. We therefore call for individuals to react calmly, sensibly, proportionately and responsibly. Unless you will be entering into self-isolation with nobody to buy goods on your behalf, there is no need to stockpile food, toiletries and cleaning products. A lack of goods in shops simply means that others will go without or have to make extra journeys; think about the needs of others, and be compassionate. Be sensible, also; self-isolate if you are displaying symptoms, and minimise unnecessary travel or gatherings in order to avoid exposing yourself to the virus. Finally, and most importantly and obviously, be hygienic; wash your hands regularly (see this webpage for further information), disinfect desks, tables and door handles, and keep tissues on your person so as to cough or sneeze into them rather than your hands. Follow the advice of whatever authorities are most familiar with the situation in your local area, and accept disruption and discomfort in order to protect the health of others. By the grace of God this disease does not seem to pose a great risk to Austenasia; let us not let it spread any further by our own stupidity or laziness. We are confident that in time the pandemic will come to an end, as have all pandemics in human history; let us pray that its end will come quickly, for the recovery of those infected, for the protection of those at risk, and for the strengthening of those working to combat the disease. May God bless and save you all. ICJAChester, 16 March 2020 UPDATE 18 MARCH 12:05 – Sir Hugh McFarlane has announced that he and his immediate family have tested negative for the coronavirus.

Emperor graduates with Theology MA

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I yesterday graduated from the University of Chester with a Masters degree in Theology. The award of his degree followed a year of study from 2018-19 in Chester, culminating in his authorship of a 20,000 word dissertation on the authorship of the Johannine books of the New Testament. The graduation ceremony took place at Chester Cathedral, and was also attended by the Emperor’s fiancée Princess Hannah, Emperor Father Terry, Emperor Mother Margaret, and Crown Princess Caroline. The Emperor’s aunt, Princess Julie, joined the group afterwards for a celebratory meal.

New ministry established for “digital transformation”

A new Government Ministry established on Friday 28th February will “provide for the development of e-Governance” and work towards improving the online information sources for Austenasia. The Ministry of Digital Transformation, set up by an Act of Parliament last Friday, will work towards fulfilling a pledge in the manifesto of recently elected Prime Minister Dionisiy I to develop Austenasia’s internet presence and to set up “e-Governance” portals such as online voting forms. Prince Dionisiy himself has been appointed the first Minister of Digital Transformation, and as such will bear personal responsibility for its success. Speaking exclusively to the Austenasian Times, Prince Dionisiy said that the new Ministry will “greatly improve our online capabilities.” He continued: “…it shall work on the creation of a greatly needed e-Government portal, a better Archive for laws and some better information websites for Austenasia. The e-Government will enable us to give you all more power to interact with the government, to request access to records and to vote.”

Prince Dionisiy proposes constitutional changes

The new Prime Minister has proposed changes to the current system of executive and legislative power in a Prime Minister’s Broadcast released earlier today. Prince Dionisiy, who was elected earlier this month, announced plans to put forward various constitutional changes. The amendments would, in brief, change the nature of Austenasia-wide democracy from having an executive to a legislative function. Prince Dionisiy has proposed “to establish regular direct and binding referenda which will solve the important legislative questions… so that not only the House of Representatives is able to decide upon legislative questions, but that the people themselves are in charge.” This would be coupled with a change to the set-up of government, with the Consuls being appointed by the Monarch and replacing the Prime Minister as head of government. The details of how these changes would be implemented and the proposed timescale of their implementation are yet to be known, as they have not yet been officially proposed by legislation. Any changes to the Constitution require approval by the Monarch and a supermajority of Representatives, as well as confirmation by a referendum. Lord John Gordon, the Leader of the Opposition, has come out in opposition to the proposal to make the head of government an appointed position. “Austenasia is a democratic nation, a fact I am proud of. I will fight as Leader of the Opposition against any attempts to undermine the democratic process,” Lord John said today in an exclusive statement to the Austenasian Times. Given the requirement that any change to the Constitution requires the support of over 80% of Representatives, it would take just one Representative other than Lord Gordon to also vote against in order to derail the proposed amendments. Prime Minister’s Broadcasts were a semi-regular feature of the premiership of the then Crown Prince Jonathan, when the now Emperor was Prime Minister (2008-13). They were not used by Lord Marshal William (2013) or Countess Eritoshi (2013-15), but Lord Admiral Kennedy (2015-20) did publish one shortly after his initial election win.

Prince Dionisiy elected Prime Minister

HSH Dionisiy I, Prince of Montescano and Duke of Lycaonia, has been elected the fourth Prime Minister of Austenasia with 52.27% of the vote in a closely-fought election. His rival candidate, Lord John Gordon, received 40.91% of the vote, whereas an option to Abstain – which, if it gained a majority, would have forced fresh elections – received 6.82% of the vote. This translates to twenty-three, eighteen, and three votes respectively from the forty-four Austenasian subjects who voted yesterday. With fifty-nine of Austenasia’s population eligible to vote, this was a 74.58% turnout. Lord Gordon campaigned on a platform of social democracy and progressivism, but also pledged to nationalise private businesses. Dionisiy’s campaign promises focused on promoting the Romano-Christian culture of the Empire, as well as implementing internet-based referenda on important legislative issues. Despite criticism from some quarters for referring to “climate change hysterica”, the Prince has also pledged to minimise Austenasia’s carbon footprint, and is currently overseeing the construction of a solar farm in Seleucia ad Cilicia. Prince Dionisiy is expected to release a Prime Minister’s Broadcast tonight detailing his plans for the rest of the year. As well as the general election, local elections for Representative took place in the towns of Palasia, Gebirgspark, Chalcedon and Nahona. Palasia saw its incumbent, Dionisiy’s rival Lord Gordon, re-elected, whereas the other three towns had the Acting Representatives appointed upon their annexations (Lord Kristof Fondrk, Lord Ismetcan Sarac, and King William I, respectively) elected to the position proper.

General election takes place after New Virginia given independence

Yesterday saw New Virginia set up an independent state under outgoing Prime Minister, Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy. Tomorrow will see the Lord Admiral’s successor take office as Prime Minister. Austenasia’s sixth general election is currently underway, as Prince Dionisiy I and Lord John Gordon battle for the public’s votes to become the fourth Prime Minister of Austenasia. As announced at Christmas, the towns of New Richmond, Terentia and Augusta were yesterday granted independence from Austenasia as the newly independent Commonwealth of New Virginia. An uninhabited part of Augusta has been retained by Austenasia as the territory of Fraternitas, which now borders both New Virginia and the United States of America. Yesterday also saw the Crown Dependency of Oregonia leave Austenasia. Although it did not likewise join New Virginia, the decision to dissolve the crown dependency by its governing commissioner, Adam I of Uberstadt, was based partially on the departure of Lord Admiral Kennedy from government. Although these losses only saw Austenasia lose 3.28% of its land claims, the population has dropped from 102 to 80. Outgoing Prime Minister, Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, has published a speech for the occasion: My fellow Austenasians – as you all know, yesterday, the Commonwealth of New Virginia seceded from the Empire. Today marks a general election, and my last day as Prime Minister of the Empire of Austenasia. Together, we’ve built this nation up as a testament to the success a small country can achieve. Our nation has gone from a small home south of London with four residents to a vast empire on which the sun never sets, from North America to Australia. We are one of, if not the, largest functioning democracies in the community of small nations, and it has been my absolute pleasure to oversee this growth for almost five years now. We’ve accomplished a lot since I assumed the office of Prime Minister back in 2015. We’ve expanded our territories exponentially and more than doubled our population. We’ve established ourselves as a military superpower in our community. We secured peace in New South Scotland, and returned full administration of that crown dependency to the central government. We’ve reformed the executive branch to ensure ministerial accountability to the Prime Minister’s Office and to Parliament through ministerial reports. We’ve made Parliament more accountable to the people through the reformation of our elections and the introduction of the Parliamentary Gazette. We’ve completely reformed our judiciary and introduced the Ministry of Justice. We’ve introduced the Ministry of Culture, which has undertaken various efforts such as a registry of historic locations. We’ve reformed the way Parliament operates through the Parliament Act 2019. We’ve amended our Constitution twice through national referenda.  The Empire as it stands today, the last day of my term, is vastly different from the one I knew when I came to office, and I am very proud – not of myself, but of the Austenasian people, because my team and I couldn’t have accomplished any of this without your mandate and support. I cannot possibly articulate my appreciation for you, my fellow Austenasians, and for the opportunity you have given me to be your highest elected official. As I leave this noble office, I can say wholeheartedly that this Empire is better than ever. As I’ve said, I’m eternally grateful for my time as Prime Minister of the Empire of Austenasia. Personally, I’ve grown as an individual during my time in office. I was sixteen years old when I took office, and I am twenty-one years old as I leave. I’ve spent the most important formative years of my life as the head of government of a micronational superpower, and it has been a surreal and incredible experience. We have, as stated, accomplished a vast number of reforms and growth. Speaking now as Chairman of the Provisional Council of New Virginia, I affirm that the Commonwealth will take great measures to ensure the fraternal bonds shared by our peoples, for which the Territory of Fraternitas is so aptly named, continue to thrive. I am very, very excited to see where our national friendship will take us in the future. I am furthermore announcing the dissolution of the Imperial Party. The party has achieved a great deal of success in the Empire, however the bulk of its membership has amicably departed for the Commonwealth. I thank the party’s many supporters for the confidence they placed in me as Leader of the Imperial Party. After discussion with the Emperor, it has been decided that I will stay on as the Emperor’s deputy in North America as Caesar, the Chief Advisor of the Privy Council, and will assume a seat in the Illustrious Senate. While I leave my high offices and retract from political life within the Empire, I will remain a trusted friend and advisor to the Monarch, government and people of Austenasia. I wish the best of luck to whoever is elected to assume the premiership. I thank you, my fellow subjects, for your continued confidence in myself and my team over the past five years. Serving as Prime Minister has been one of the most challenging – yet rewarding – experiences of my life, and I’m proud to leave the Empire in a better place than I found it. God bless you all, and God save the Emperor. The results of today’s election will be announced on the morning of Thursday 13th.

Population passes 100 with the annexation of new Town

The population of the Empire of Austenasia has passed 100 for the first time in its history, now standing at 102. This comes as a result of a new town, Nahona, yesterday being annexed alongside the registration of three residents for the hitherto uninhabited crown dependency of Trebizond. Nahona consists of a 21.2 acre property which has been declared independent from the U.S. state of Texas. It is home to King William I of Gradonia and his mother. Despite being home to William I, the property has never been claimed by the Kingdom of Gradonia, a state with which Austenasia entered into mutual recognition in June last year. William I has been appointed Acting Representative of the new Town, the annexation of which has increased the number of Representatives in Parliament to ten. There were previously ten Representatives between January 2015 and September 2016; this remains the record highest number. Unfortunately both of these records are unlikely to last for long due to the upcoming secession of New Virginia on February 11th.

Dionisiy I and Lord John Gordon confirmed as general election candidates

Emperor Jonathan I yesterday confirmed two candidates for next month’s general election. Prince Dionisiy I of the Fatherland Party will be standing against Lord John Gordon of the Whig Party. Lord Gordon is Representative of Palasia, and Prince Dionisiy is Representative of Theodosiopolis. The Whig Party espouses classical liberalism, but Lord Gordon is on the left-wing of his party, and will be running on a platform of socially liberal ideas. The Fatherland Party’s candidate, Prince Dionisiy, is running on a platform of social conservatism and the promotion of Roman and Christian culture. The general election will take place on 12 February, and will elect the country’s fourth Prime Minister. The incumbent Prime Minister, Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, has been in office since March 2015 but is stepping down due to the secession of New Virginia. Lord Gordon previously ran for Prime Minister in 2013 as a Marxist, but lost to Countess Eritoshi with one third of the vote. He then served as her Deputy Prime Minister until her own electoral loss to Lord Admiral Kennedy in 2015. Lord Gordon has held positions in Cabinet, serving as Home Secretary from November 2013 to May 2014 and as Minister of Defence from February to July 2018. He also serves as President of the Iceni Democratic Republic, an independent state located near to Palasia. Prince Dionisiy, who also reigns as sovereign of Montescano, joined Austenasia upon the annexation of Theodosiopolis in March last year. He has since been instrumental in the expansion of Austenasia in the old Roman East, personally claiming Laranda, Seleucia ad Cilicia, Chalcedon, and Trebizond for Austenasia.