Aggelos acclaimed joint Emperor of Imvrassia to replace Stamatios
Aggelos I, founder of Imvrassia, has been appointed joint Emperor of Imvrassia by his daughter, Empress Aikaterini, replacing her grandfather Stamatios I. Stamatios I had reigned as joint Emperor of Imvrassia in a primarily ceremonial capacity since November last year, but on Christmas Eve his granddaughter honorably revoked his position as reigning co-monarch and downgraded him to the title of Symbasileus, a “junior co-emperor” roughly equivalent to the Austenasian position of Caesar. On Christmas Day, Empress Aikaterini raised her father, Aggelos I, to the throne as joint ruling co-Emperor. He had previously been appointed Symbasileus himself on 21 December. Aggelos has served as Imvrassian head of state before, most recently from March to November 2016 as king. Prior to being appointed joint Emperor, he had held the rank of Despotes and managed Imvrassian foreign relations, being instrumental in securing recognition of Imvrassian imperium in October this year. Jonathan I has sent congratulations to his new colleague in the consortium imperii.
Augustan rank of Imvrassian monarchs recognised
By a joint decision of the Austenasian, Holy Roman, and Adammic thrones, yesterday evening saw the claim of Imvrassia to imperium fully recognised. On 1 January earlier this year, the Kingdom of Imvrassia declared itself an Empire, and its monarchs Aikaterini I and Stamatios I assumed the titles of Empress and Emperor respectively. The already existing emperors refused to recognise a unilateral claim to imperium, but on 1 May an agreement was reached with Imvrassia whereby its monarchs would be recognised as holding the subordinate rank of Caesar rather than that of Augustus. Yesterday saw Emperor Jonathan I of Austenasia, Emperor Adam I of Adammia, and Imperial Regent Joseph III of the Holy Roman Empire sign a treaty with the Imvrassian government whereby its monarchs are now recognised as holding full Augustan rank, equal to the other emperors. Empress Aikaterini I has held the Imvrassian throne since August 2016, albeit with a three-month temporary abdication in late 2018. She rules alongside her grandfather Stamatios I, who reigns in a more ceremonial capacity and has held the throne since November last year. Imvrassia is a Romano-Hellenic nation with 23 citizens, with land claims located primarily in the eastern Mediterranean. Austenasia has held close and friendly relations with Imvrassia since a treaty was signed between the two states in April 2017.
Joseph Kennedy becomes regent and heir in HRE
HIH Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy, Duke of New Royton, was appointed Imperial Regent of the Holy Roman Empire on September 21st, having been elected King of the Romans on July 30th. The Holy Roman Empire (HRE) is an imperial confederation of sovereign states which recognise the imperium of the Holy Roman Emperor, and claims to be the revival of the entity dissolved in 1806. The incumbent Holy Roman Emperor, Quentin I – who also serves as King of Wyvern – began to create the revived HRE in 2014, and it was recognised by Austenasia and Reyla in September 2016. The Holy Roman Emperor is not an hereditary but an elected position. On July 30th, Joseph Kennedy – who served as Austenasian Prime Minister between 2015 and 2020 – was elected heir to Quentin I by representatives of the HRE’s member states. As was the case in the original HRE, the designated heir assumes the title “King of the Romans”. Kennedy will therefore be known as King Joseph III. On September 21st, Joseph III was also appointed Imperial Regent, due to Quentin I having been unable to spend the necessary time on his imperial duties. As Imperial Regent, Joseph III has assumed the administrative duties of Quentin I, although the latter remains Holy Roman Emperor and is not thought to be considering abdication. The HRE currently has ten member states, and a cumulative population of over two hundred people.
Emperor leads heads of state in condemning Hagia Sophia conversion
His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I has led a group of seven heads of state in condemning the recent decision by Turkish President Erdoğan to convert the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The statement, published yesterday, was also signed by Quentin I of the Holy Roman Empire and Wyvern, Aikaterini I of Imvrassia, Emmanuel I & II of Rhomania (formerly Mouzilo), Edward I of Ashukovo, Denis I of Vlasynia, and former Austenasian PM Lord Admiral Kennedy in his capacity as provisional head of state of New Virginia. Hagia Sophia was built as a cathedral by the Emperor Justinian and completed in 537. It stood as the greatest cathedral in the world and the centre of the Orthodox Church for almost a thousand years, until the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in May 1453. During the fall of the city, thousands of civilians and refugees took shelter in Hagia Sophia while a Liturgy was served. When the city fell, the Turks broke down the doors to the church and slaughtered, raped and enslaved those inside. The Ottomans destroyed or plastered over the Christian elements of the church, and installed minarets and other features to convert the cathedral into a mosque. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the abolition of the caliphate, Kemal Ataturk – the founder of modern Turkey – ordered Hagia Sophia to become a museum in a drive towards modernity and secularism. Archaeological and restorative work uncovered many of the Christian mosaics, and the building was open for all to appreciate its unique history. Hagia Sophia was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. The decision of President Erdoğan to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque has been seen as a regressive move aimed at bolstering his support among Turkey’s Islamists, as well as intentionally insulting Turkey’s Orthodox neighbours in Europe. Reports state that the building’s Christian mosaics will now be covered with screens and lighting effects, and that visitors will have to remove their shoes upon entry. The action has immense significance for Orthodox Christians, for whom Hagia Sophia remains a building of intense spiritual importance. Many legends and prophecies concern the cathedral. For example, one legend says that when the city fell to the Turks, the clergy paused the service they were conducting and vanished through a door on the south side of the church, where they await to complete the Liturgy. To this day the door has not been opened, and some say chanting can be heard from the other side. Of more concern are prophecies by Orthodox saints of the past century which warn that the building becoming a mosque again will herald a war. Regardless of any eschatological significance of this action, it remains one calculated to intentionally offend and belittle Turkey’s already victimised Christian minorities. The statement published yesterday by Emperor Jonathan I and others is as follows: It was with the utmost disgust and devastation that we learnt of the decision of the Turkish government to convert the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. At a time when so many nations around the world are looking back at their history, critical of the colonialism and oppression of the past, the Republic of Turkey – a state built on the genocide and ethnic cleansing of its Greek, Armenian, Assyrian and Kurdish minorities – has chosen to continue to insult and attack the culture and history of the people whose land it took. This action, which is illegal under international law, has been denounced by UNESCO, by the EU, by the USA, and of course by Greece and by the Orthodox Church. Under the government of Erdogan, Turkey is becoming an Islamist rogue state and international pariah, and we condemn this action unreservedly. It is an intentional insult not only towards the Christian religion, but also towards all who descend from or value the Orthodox civilisation of the medieval Roman Empire. The whole civilised world has united in condemnation of this atrociously insulting act, but we may take consolation in the knowledge that despite Erdogan’s claims, Hagia Sophia does not belong to Turkey. Rather, it belongs to God, and may His will be done. 15 July 2020 (7528) Emperor Jonathan I of the EMPIRE OF AUSTENASIAEmperor Quentin I of the HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE and KINGDOM OF WYVERNEmpress Aikaterini I of the EMPIRE OF IMVRASSIABasileus Emmanuel I & II of the BASILEIA OF THE ROMANSPrince Edward I of the REPUBLIC OF ASHUKOVOSir Joseph Kennedy of the COMMONWEALTH OF NEW VIRGINIADespot Denis I of the DESPOTATE OF VLASYNIA UPDATE 16 JULY 21:20 – Princess Hannah of Wildflower Meadows and King Ciprian of Juclandia have also expressed their explicit support for the statement.
Emperor and Prime Minister issue statement in support of campaigners for racial justice
A joint statement from His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I and Prime Minister Lord John Gordon, Viscount of Thetford on recent events: “There is only one race, the human race, of which each and every one of us is a member of equal value and worth. Austenasia rejects all efforts to foster division, hatred and discrimination on the basis of skin colour, and condemns all forms of racism in the strongest possible terms. Austenasia stands with those campaigning for racial justice and equality, and condemns those who would taint this movement with violence, or who aim to infiltrate or appropriate it for different political goals. The world has come a long way in the pursuit of racial justice since the evil that was the trans-Atlantic slave trade was abolished. However, despite the progress in the laws of nations, racism still exists, and there is much that still must be done in regards to removing prejudice and hatred from the hearts and minds of people across the world. We must all aim to do our part in the ongoing struggle towards true equality, however small that individual part may be.”
Imperial claim of Adammia to be recognised
New Year’s Day will see a treaty come into force under which the claim of Adammia to imperial rank will be recognised by Austenasia and the Holy Roman Empire. Adammia’s monarch, Adam I, has claimed the rank of emperor since he founded the nation in 2013. Adammia entered into diplomatic relations with Austenasia in May 2018, but without the claim to imperial rank being recognised. Most opposition to recognition of Adammia’s claim came from a desire to prevent “devaluation” by having the imperial rank shared by too many emperors. However, with the Reylan throne having been downgraded from full imperial rank in October, it was felt that consideration of Adammia’s claim was possible. Emperor Jonathan I has therefore agreed with Emperor Quentin I of the Holy Roman Empire to recognise the claim of Adam I of Adammia to the rank of emperor, on the condition that the latter does not unilaterally likewise recognise any other claimants.
Wilcsland to be dissolved at New Year
The Austenasian Parliament earlier today passed an Act withdrawing recognition from the Kingdom of Wilcsland and announcing its dissolution effective as of midnight on 31 December. Wilcsland was ruled by King Declan I from its foundation as South Bank in 2002 until 2014. Declan I also reigned as Austenasia’s third Emperor from December 2010 until January 2013. Declan’s abdication from Austenasia set in motion a chain of events which resulted in his abandoning of Wilcsland, and he was overthrown and replaced as King there by his brother, Ptolemy II, in December 2014. However, in the past five years Ptolemy II has done nothing as King of Wilcsland other than appoint Lord Admiral Kennedy – the current Austenasian Prime Minister – as co-King in 2015. With Wilcsland having fallen into complete inactivity and no leader willing to take up the reins, Lord Admiral Kennedy as King decreed the dissolution of the country and the abdication of both himself and his co-King by assenting to the Act of Parliament passed earlier today. The Act mandates that all rights to hold or bestow the throne of Wilcsland shall now be held by the Austenasian Throne, which already held suzerain status over the country due to Ptolemy II having declared Wilcsland a protected state of Austenasia on the first day of his reign. During the rule of Declan I over Austenasia, he was often considered to have seen the Empire as simply one – albeit the grandest – of his several foreign possessions, and sometimes implied it to be a colonial holding of Wilcsland. The dissolution of Wilcsland by an Austenasian law demonstrates how far the geopolitical situation has changed in the years since his reign.
Princess Hannah graduates with BA
Tuesday 5th November saw Princess Hannah graduate from the University of Chester with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Spanish. The Princess, who is head of state of Wildflower Meadows and the consort and fiancée of Emperor Jonathan I, started her undergraduate degree in 2015. The degree took four years to complete, the third of which she spent living in Spain with the Emperor whilst working in a Spanish primary school. Princess Hannah’s degree is classified first class with honours. Her dissertation – which was graded with an impressive 90% mark – was on religion in the works of nineteenth century English poet Christina Rosetti. The graduation ceremony was held at Chester Cathedral, and was attended by the Emperor and by Princess Hannah’s parents. The Princess remains in Chester, where she is currently undergoing a year long Master’s degree at the university, specialising in nineteenth century English literature.
Bradley of Dullahan publishes GUM Chairman manifesto
June 24th will see voting open for the June 2019 election for the position of Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational. Four candidates have so far announced their intention to run, although nominations do not officially open until the 10th. The last time that four candidates stood for the position of GUM Chairman was in June 2009, making this the most competitive election in a decade. The four candidates are Nicholas Randouler of Posaf, Thomas Bainbridge of Hrafnarfjall, Austin Jaax of Iustus (who also serves as Governing Commissioner of Kingeston), and Bradley, Duke of Dullahan, the Prime Minister of Wyvern and incumbent Austenasian Minister of Defence. The Duke of Dullahan has selected Lady Vice Admiral Eryn Lewis, who serves on the Austenasian delegation to the GUM, as his running-mate, with a pledge to nominate her for the position of Vice Chair if he is elected. If she becomes Vice Chair, Lady Vice Admiral Lewis will be the first female member of the GUM’s leadership. The Duke of Dullahan yesterday published his manifesto for the election, which is reproduced below: The Grand Unified Micronational is a great force of good in this community. Bringing together many different types of people and micronations. Through each encounter in the GUM we learn from each other and develop ourselves. It is my firm believe that I can be a force for development, stability and progress for this organisation. With my Vice-Chair choice I know I picked someone with new ideas and someone very different from myself. That makes our team not only unique but dynamic. I believe Eryn and I can make progress and we’ll do it together with the Quorum! Below are our stances on a few topics and I’ll name a few of our plans. Should you have questions do not be afraid to ask me: Dynamic & involved staff I believe a good Chairman holds meetings and discusses all kinds of policy choices with his staff. They do not only perform their duties but are also the direct advisors. I believe that the Staff should consist out of people from our organisation who have ambition, plans and vision. Who want to do something or learn how the GUM works. We need to be a learning organisation above all. Should I be elected I will seek a team consisting of various people who can aid me and have plans of their own. I will listen to them and incorporate them in my platform. Why? Because this is a team effort! Staff and the Leadership Currently the Associate Justices are part of the Staff. But the Charter clearly separates them from the leadership. I wish to separate the two and create room for the staff members and one for the Supreme Court members to discuss things. The Chair, Vice-Chair and Supreme Justice shall, for practical means be in both channels. Regarding the vacant Secretaries, we shall strive to fill the vacancies with ambitious and visionary delegates from both the Old Guard and the New Guard. Together we shall form a staff that works together and meets and discuss regularly. We believe firmly in teamwork. That’s why we expect the staff member to propose propositions in these staff meeting or outside it in the Staffroom. In the staff the Vice-Chair hasn’t played a role. That is a choice each Chairman can make. I believe the Vice-Chair can be of great value and aid to the Chair. The Vice-Chair shall not only act as the Chair’s replacement but also of first advisor and manager of the Staff. We believe the Chairman should make use of the hands he is given in his Staff. Secretary for Micronational Development When elected we will strive towards creating a new Secretary, the Secretary for Micronational Development. Through awards, events and other means this secretary should pursue the sharing of knowledge and the reporting or sharing of micronational development. Each three months the secretary shall than announce a winner of an award in certain fields of micronationalism, such as diplomacy, culture, military development or politics. Positive rewards can be beneficial for the development of micronations. The Micronational guides for example are also a part of this Secretary’s responsibilities. Sharing achievements and development Like we said, we like it when nations share their ideas and development. The new secretary shall responsible for this. But we must also look at the lounge, is it really the place for sharing it? Maybe we should design a seperate channel to post it. I believe it merits a good chat in Quorum regarding how we can share our activities. Quorum for one is not the place to do this as Quorums will only take more time on an evening. When elected the Staff and the leadership shall come with a proposal to Quorum regarding this topic. The GUM as a mediator Our organisation has a historic role in helping mending schisms in our community or aiding in the resolution of conflicts between two micronations. We should keep doing this and work to aid in a positive way to the development and integrity of our community. The Staff and the leadership shall all have a role to play in this. The ‘Old Guard’ teaches the ‘New Guard’ As many know I am of what is named the Old Guard, a group of micronations who has been active in this community for over 8 to 9 years. We have always played our part in the GUM and have guided new nations that join our community. Sadly this sometimes causes conflicts due to the new nations time to adjust to our ways of doing things. Making sure that the understanding between nations is found will be my top priority. The new nations should be able to learn from the Old Guard and the Old Guard should not react too harshly when mistakes are made. Like micronational war, we have all done it and we all regret the fake wars.
Austenasia, Flandrensis and GUM sign convention condemning falsehoods and sockpuppeting
Several small nations and independence movements yesterday signed the Wrythe Convention, a treaty denouncing and condemning falsehoods and intentional deception within the community of small nations. The Convention was signed yesterday at a gathering at the Imperial Residence in celebration of Austenasia’s tenth Independence Day. A link to the text of the Wrythe Convention can be found here. The treaty condemns sockpuppeting, identity theft, false claims and deceptive exaggerations, practices which have unfortunately become common within the micronational community over the past few years, with many entities making fictional claims in an attempt to boost their esteem. One individual in particular engaged in all of the said practices, James Klaassen-White and his “Kingdom of Catan”, is specifically singled out and condemned by the Convention as having “not had the decency to cease such behaviour after it has been exposed”. Klaassen-White is well-known in the micronational community for his absurd claims and hostile behaviour to those who question them, having infamously claimed to have gained recognition from the UK and USA via photoshopped letters, spent £30 million on a navy, and creating a fake social media account with stock photos which he later “killed off” by falsely claiming it to have been a victim of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. The Wrythe Convention’s first four signatures were made by representatives of Austenasia, Adammia, Flandrensis, and the GUM (the Chairman of the latter signing on behalf of the organisation of 22 members). Adammia has aided in the fight against online deception by Catan before, having previously informed a person claimed by Klassen-White to have been Catan’s “Prime Minister” that the latter had stolen his name and photographs from social media, much to the surprise of the individual involved, who of course had no knowledge of Klassen-White’s claims. The Wrythe Convention was also signed by Wildflower Meadows, as well as Lundenwic and Sakasaria. The treaty has been left open for signature, and those who have signed encourage other nations to do so as well.
