Further expansion for the Empire
The population and territory of Empire of Austenasia grew yesterday, despite the Town of Ionisia being ceded back to Greece. In an Act of Parliament passed yesterday morning, Ionisia was dissolved whereas Amerdansk – a Territory annexed in 2016 – was expanded into a Town with the annexation of an adjoining house. Amerdansk, which had previously consisted of an uninhabited garden, now includes a residential property inhabited by three. Lord Anthony Clark, former Governor of the territory, now serves as its Acting Representative. Ionisia joined Austenasia on 6 August last year, precisely one year before its dissolution. Inhabited by dual citizens of the Kingdom of Imvrassia, the town was founded in an exercise of national friendship between Imvrassia and Austenasia. Its three residents have retained Austenasian subjectship in a ceremonial capacity in a sign of the enduring friendship between the two states. The expansion of Amerdansk has outweighed the territorial loss of Ionisia, with Austenasia actually making a net gain of roughly 187 square feet. In addition to the new Austenasians living in Amerdansk, non-residential subjectship has been granted to Admiral Shiro Mephistopheles, the Empire’s new Minister of Defence. His eight days in office prior to gaining subjectship mark the only time a non-Austenasian has ever held a position in Cabinet. The population of Austenasia now stands at 82.
Imperial Party holds first conference
The Imperial Party, currently the only registered political party in the Empire, held its first Annual Conference on Saturday. The conference was the first event of its kind in Austenasian history, and was described by Prime Minister and Imperial Party Leader Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy as “a success for Austenasian democracy.” The conference opened with the national anthem and was followed by speeches from the Prime Minister and Lord Vice Admiral Eren Lewis, Deputy Prime Minister and Imperial Party Chairman. Following the addresses, the members of the Imperial Party Board (the governing body of the party) answered questions from those in attendance. The conference was attended by party members and guests both foreign and domestic, including His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, who commented that “it is a truly encouraging thing to see this level of political engagement and organisation amongst its people.” Following the conference, the Deputy Prime Minister stated “I think the conference went extremely well. It is an example of the activity and dedication that the Imperial Party has and will have as we enter our tenth year as a nation.”
Diplomabear arrives in Wrythe
Diplomabear, a well-travelled teddy bear which started its journey in August 2012, arrived yesterday morning in the Imperial Residence. The Diplomabear World Tour was started by Pierre d’Égtavie, leader of Egtavia, after said nation was annexed by St.Charlie in 2012. With Egtavia no longer in control of its own foreign policy, Diplomabear served as a means of forging unofficial, friendly ties with other small nations around the world, to which it was sent on condition that it would be passed on to the government of another. With the dissolution of Egtavia in 2013, Diplomabear became a symbol of diplomacy and friendship between small nations as a whole. In early 2015, Renasia – the country in which Diplomabear was then being hosted – dissolved, and Diplomabear was assumed lost forever. However, in August 2016, Emperor Jonathan I was able to contact a former Renasian official and have Diplomabear recovered and sent on to Überstadt, restarting the tour, this time under the direction of the Grand Unified Micronational (GUM). After some other stops, Diplomabear has now come to Austenasia, arriving at Wrythe yesterday morning. This is the second time that Diplomabear has been to Austenasia, having also been hosted at Wrythe in 2012, making the Empire the first destination which Diplomabear has visited twice. Emperor Jonathan I has published a photograph to Facebook showing him holding Diplomabear in Parliament Hall in the Imperial Residence. The Emperor is wearing the Egtavian Star, a medal presented to him by d’Égtavie while Egtavia was still independent. Some of the other twelve destinations visited by Diplomabear include Molossia, Landashir, Wyvern, and Zealandia.
New site selected for Rushymia
Notices have been placed around a large area of derelict land under a mile from the Imperial Residence announcing that the land is being considered for annexation by the Empire of Austenasia. The notices – addressed to the British government and to the owners of the land – give a period of three months for an objection to be made before the Austenasian government will consider the land unwanted and thus eligible to be claimed. Should no valid objections be raised, the land will be used for the re-founding of the Kingdom of Rushymia, as authorised by Parliament in October last year. Despite the land measuring roughly 35 acres, its legal status is somewhat murky. Although most likely owned by the company which operates a landfill site to the east of the land, the land is unused for any industrial purposes and unmanaged by any parks or environmental services, and the precise identity of its owners could not be verified. The land is often frequented by dog walkers, joggers, and amateur quadbike and moped drivers, who are easily able to access the ostensibly private land through large gaps in long-neglected fences.
Imperial Navy expands as new flagship christened
On 20th March, the Imperial Navy doubled in size to 26 personnel and saw the acquisition of a new boat to serve as the navy’s flagship. The HIMS Emmanuel, based in New Richmond, is now the flagship of the Imperial Navy. It replaces the two kayaks which were lost upon the ceding of Shineshore to Canada last year. Several new recruits have also joined the Imperial Navy, increasing its numbers from 13 to 26. Furthermore, Lord Admiral Kennedy – the Prime Minister and Chief of Naval Operations – has confirmed plans to establish a course in naval science by the end of the year for the commissioning and training of officers.
Racist Representative removed
Jovanovo was yesterday transitioned from a Town into a Crown Dependency in order to remove its now former Representative, Daniel Dankovsky, from Parliament. Concerns over the behaviour of Dankovsky had been consistently raised both by members of Cabinet and by foreign leaders since he led Jovanovo – an enclave of Montenegro with a population of twelve – into Austenasia in August last year. Introducing the legislation to downgrade Jovanovo, Emperor Jonathan I summarised what the other members of Parliament already knew; that “for the past seven months the Representative of Jovanovo has made frequent attempts to advocate fascist ideals within Austenasian government. He has consistently displayed a lack of respect towards Austenasia’s government, both in terms of the constitutional system and its members, and he has often publicly expressed views which are repugnant to the majority of decent people to the embarrasment of our nation.” As early as October last year, Prime Minister Lord Admiral Kennedy found himself in the situation of having to release a statement clarifying that Dankovsky in no way represented Austenasia in a diplomatic context, after a series of controversial messages posted by the latter online. On Sunday evening, the final line was crossed when Dankovsky posted in a Skype chatroom of diplomats and politicians that “Lower races should truly know their place.” With unanimous agreement in Cabinet that the imperial government must distance itself from Dankovsky, the legislation to downgrade Jovanovo was entered into force under four hours after being introduced in Parliament, the fastest passage of an Act since records with timestamps began to be kept in late 2016. The Emperor has also revealed to the Austenasian Times that Dankovsky had approached him in private requesting that the constitution be overthrown in favour of absolutist rule, and had recently suggested that the guarantee of basic human rights be legally denied to “Blacks, Muslims or Jews”. The passage by Parliament yesterday of the Jovanovo Act 2018 has removed all Austenasian titles, offices and honours from Dankovsky. It also contains a paragraph condemning racism and racialism. Speaking to Parliament, Prime Minister Kennedy stated that “Fascism and racism have no place in our Empire.” Now removed from all positions of authority on a national level, Dankovsky has been made de jure Governing Commissioner of Jovanovo in order to nominally keep it under Austenasian rule, although in reality it is likely that he will soon seek to make it become independent. UPDATE 23 APRIL 10:30 – Dankovsky has since accepted Jovanovo’s new status as a crown dependency, and openly declared it to follow a right-wing ideology called “Legionarism”. Despite Jovanovo nominally remaining part of the Empire, Dankovsky will from henceforth be unable to participate in or influence politics on a national level.
Honorary Mascot appointed
Cleo, pet dog of the family of Princess Hannah, has been appointed the Order of the Bullmastiff’s first Honorary Mascot. The announcement was made by Emperor Jonathan I earlier today. Cleo has mixed Border Collie/Alsatian ancestry, and lives with the family of Princess Hannah, the Emperor’s fiancée. Since 2009, the Order of the Bullmastiff – an Austenasian order of chivalry named after the Empire’s national animal – has had a bullmastiff as its Mascot. However, after the death of Lily last month, the position fell vacant. With no bullmastiff having been found for the position with suitable ties to the Imperial Family or to the Empire as a whole, the decision was made by the Emperor to appoint an Honorary Mascot, a dog which does not need to be a bullmastiff. The position of Mascot is entirely ceremonial, and the reason for Cleo’s title including the word “Honorary” is simply to reflect the fact that she is not of the dog breed that the Order is named after. Even if a bullmastiff should go on to be appointed as Mascot proper during Cleo’s lifetime, she will retain the title of Honorary Mascot.
Senate convened as Emperor celebrates five years on the Throne
The Empire yesterday celebrated Imperial Ascension Day, the yearly anniversary of the reigning Monarch’s ascension to the Throne. It has now been five years since Emperor Jonathan I accepted the Throne upon the abdication of his predecessor Emperor Declan I. Yesterday also saw the recently passed Second Amendment to the Constitution formally come into force after having been approved by both a referendum and by Parliament. As part of the Second Amendment, an Austenasian Senate has been established. The task of the Senate will be to keep the Monarch to account, and as part of this, the Monarch must make a yearly address to the Senate. The first such address was made by the Emperor yesterday to the Senate before being published publicly, and can be read below: To the Most Illustrious Senate, greetings from Our Imperial Majesty! We are pleased to deliver this address to you, five years since the day we ascended the Throne, on the founding day of an institution that is at once both new and ancient. You inherit the legacy of the Empire’s Senates of old, and we are pleased to have restored this institution. Austenasia now has seventy nine people and over thirty two hectares of land, spread across every continent in the world but Antarctica. The fifth year of our reign saw sixteen Acts of Parliament, six Imperial Decrees, and seven Imperial Edicts passed. Constitutional amendments were approved by a vote taken by our people in a referendum, and successfully passed into law. The Empire grew with the annexations of the Towns of Ionisia and Jovanovo and the Territory of Hoagland, and diplomatic relations were entered into with Imvrassia and Ashukovo. Perhaps the most momentous event in the past year was the passage of an Act of Parliament in June adopting Christianity as the official religion of Austenasia. This decision was not made lightly, and important questions regarding religious freedom were considered before the Act was passed. Nevertheless, an unanimous vote in Parliament, followed by the majority of the population voting in support of similar measures in the recent referendum, reveals that this decision has been far from unpopular. As Austenasia forges on towards its tenth anniversary, organically constructing and realising its own national identity, we can now affirm that we are a Christian country. The tenth anniversary of our nation will indeed be something to celebrate. It is not often that an endeavour such as the one undertaken by the now Imperial Family in September 2008 endures for a decade, and far less often that so many other people feel drawn to take part in it and help to make it a success. We plan to celebrate this success – our shared achievements and experiences over the past ten years – with a celebration hosted at the Imperial Residence on Independence Day 2018, and hope that all who are able to shall attend. We also look forward to seeing plans realised for other ways of celebrating this momentous milestone in our small nation’s history. As a result of one of the amendments made to the Constitution as a result of the recent referendum, Cabinet ministers are no longer required to be Representatives. This opens up the executive branch of our government to a far greater number of people, with different skills and abilities to draw on. We shall discuss with our Prime Minister the best way in which to utilise this new pool of talent, and to what extent Cabinet ministries may be reallocated to ensure that we have the most suited and capable people working to govern the country. Over this coming year, we shall engage upon a publicity drive for Austenasia in London and more specifically the Borough of Sutton, seeking to draw upon local interest in order to revitalise the Carshalton Nations and, if possible, to find new talent to benefit the Empire itself. As authorised by an Act of Parliament passed last year, we shall designate an area of land to be claimed as the Kingdom of Rushymia reborn, after ascertaining that there are no local objections to the annexation of said territory. Personally, we intend to remain at the Austenasian Consulate-General in Castile and León with Princess Hannah until we return back to Wrythe in late June, with a visit back for Easter of a week or two in April. In late September, we shall take up residence in Chester as we begin a year-long Master’s degree at the university there. Throughout this coming sixth year of our Imperial Majesty on the Throne, we shall continue to actively oversee the smooth running of the state, and to work with our Prime Minister, Cabinet, and the Representatives of our people to ensure stable, just, and efficient governance. God bless you all, and God bless the Empire. I C J A Soria 20 January 2018
Constitutional amendments approved in referendum
A referendum held yesterday saw proposed amendments to the Austenasian Constitution of 2011 approved by the Empire’s electorate. Out of the 54 subjects eligible to vote, 37 did so, a turnout of 68.52%. The amendments had been divided into four parts, each of which could be voted on separately. The first part establishes a Senate as a body responsible for the accountability of the Monarch which may in extreme circumstances vote to depose them. It also removes the requirement for Cabinet ministers to be Representatives. This part of the amendments passed with 81.08% of votes in support. The second part of the amendments makes it a requirement for the Monarch to be a baptised Christian, and explicitly claims that Austenasia is a continuation of the Roman Empire; this part passed with 70.27% of votes in support. The third part of the amendments clarifies that marriage in the Empire is between one man and one woman, and also permits Parliament to expand upon various human rights laws in the Constitution which until now were unable to be repealed and put into more detail. This part passed with 64.86% of votes in support. The fourth and final part of the amendments changes the office of Deputy Prime Minister from being the runner-up in a general election to being a Representative nominated by a newly elected Prime Minister. This part passed with 81.08% of votes in support. Now that the amendments have been approved by referendum, they must be approved by Parliament. A requirement of over 80% of Representatives to be in favour of any constitutional amendments means that if more than one of Austenasia’s seven Representatives opposes the changes, they will not be able to be passed. Upon approval, these amendments will come into force cumulatively as the Second Amendment to the Constitution at one second past midnight in the morning of Imperial Ascension Day, 20 January, the fifth anniversary of the Emperor’s ascension to the Throne.
2018 begins with the appointment of Consuls
New Year’s Day has been heralded with the appointment by the Prime Minister of the two Consuls for the year. Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, Prime Minister, has appointed himself one of the two Consuls, and re-appointed King Adam I of Überstadt – one of last year’s – as a Consul for 2018 as well. Consuls may serve a consecutive term, but King Adam is the first to have done so since Emperor Declan I, who held the consulate in both 2011 and 2012. The Consuls are the highest judicial authorities in the Empire, passing sentence when guilty verdicts are reached. However, due to Austenasia’s practically non-existent crime rate, their function is mostly ceremonial, primarily being used to name the year after. 2018 will therefore be known as the year of the consulship of Adam Rex and Joseph Nobilissimus Caesar.
