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Austenasia remembers Ned Gunderson

It was announced yesterday to the people of Austenasia that Edward “Ned” Gunderson, a former Austenasian who served as the Empire’s seventh Deputy Prime Minister, had passed away on 6 October 2024. It came as a shock to all when HSH Lord Jonathan announced to the Austenasian public via Discord, on Monday, that Ned Gunderson a former Austenasian official had passed away earlier this month at the age of 23. The news had been made public by his family, with close friends then alerting micronational social media. Lord Jonathan, who served as Emperor during Gunderson’s time in office, made the following announcement via Discord: “I regret to announce that the former Lord Edward Gunderson, once Count of New Grémmia, passed away earlier this month on October 6th. Lord Gunderson joined Austenasia in April 2019 alongside the Town of Dragovina, as its Representative. He served as Deputy Prime Minister, Home Secretary, and Speaker of the House from February to May 2020, during the brief premiership of Prince Dionisiy. During the high point of the 2020 political crisis, Lord Gunderson announced the secession of Dragovina from the Empire due to his dissatisfaction with the extent of proposed constitutional reforms, ultimately triggering the resignation of Prince Dionisiy a few days later. Although Edward therefore leaves behind a controversial legacy in Austenasian history, there can be no doubt that he brought a level of enthusiasm, engagement, and imagination to his positions in government which has rarely been matched.” Lord John Gordon – Gunderson’s successor as Deputy PM – also paid tribute, recalling that “he certainly made Austenasia a lively place”, and stating that “he will be missed”. Ned’s micronational career was not limited to Austenasia. He was also a figure in other nations such as Abelden, Krasnocoria, and Montescano. Gunderson was also appointed as Knight of the Order of the Bullmastiff in Austenasia, in 2019. The Time would like to express our utmost condolences to Ned’s family and friends at this time.

Lord Wilson gives final speech as PM

Lord William Wilson, Duke of Taysha earlier today gave a farewell speech as outgoing Prime Minister. Lord Wilson, who is not standing for re-election in today’s ongoing general election, gave the speech in an online group call on Discord attended by other Representatives and dignitaries. At the conclusion of his speech, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor thanked him for his time in office as Prime Minister and for his contributions to the nation. Fellow Austenasians, More than two years ago, I embarked on a journey with you – a journey to strive together with the objective of making our nation more robust and vibrant than before. As I stand before you today, my time as your Prime Minister draws to a close. It is with some sorrow and regret that I depart, but moreso than these, I depart with a profound sense of gratitude for the opportunity to serve this remarkable nation. Upon recollection, I find that the causes for my withdrawal, my unwillingness to seek re-election, have not been evident nor explicit. Now is the best time to let these causes be known clearly. For the past half-year, I have begun my tenure at University, with my studies withholding, the time I have spent in the dealings of government and with the representation of my native Nahona decreased to the point of rendering my duties unexecutable. Concurrently, my time has been taken up by what I consider to be my new priority. It is with some shame that I recognize that my time here should have ended before beginning this new chapter. One of my guiding principles is that of responsibility, the very principle leading me to bid you farewell now rather than later. I feel a responsibility to our Empire that compelled me to leadership in the summer of 2021 and a calling to guide our government for the next two years. It is with the same sense of responsibility that I chose to seek to earn a commission to become an officer in the United States Army. My values have not changed, my loyalties have not changed, but to whom I should dedicate more and more of my time to in the commencement of those values and loyalties have. The time spent as your Prime Minister makes Austenasia a part of me, and a part which I love deeply. Any regret I feel is not that I wish I had not done this at all, but that I wish I had done better for our nation. To my successor, I offer these words of wisdom: lead with courage, govern with compassion, and always remember that the true measure of a leader lies not in the power they wield, but in the lives they touch and the hearts they inspire. And to the citizens of Austenasia, I say this: continue to cherish the principles that bind us together as one nation, one people. For in the end, it is not the titles we hold or the offices we occupy that define us, but the legacy we leave behind and the values we uphold. Thank you, my fellow Austenasians, for the privilege of serving as your Prime Minister. May God bless you, and may God bless the Empire of Austenasia.

Parliament to meet in scheduled sessions

An Act of Parliament passed this morning has legislated for Parliament to henceforth meet in four formally scheduled sessions throughout the year, interspersed with recesses. Prior to this, Parliament was in effect constantly “in session”. Representatives live around the world, and so meet online in a private channel on the messaging software Discord, having previously used Skype. When an issue of legislative business arises, they are sent an alert by the Speaker. This means that those who are able to more frequently check their social media are more likely to respond to legislation first. The Act passed today means that in the future, Representatives will be made aware weeks in advance of a time and date to meet online. It is hoped that this will improve the ability of as many Representatives as possible to attend parliamentary discussions and votes. The introduction of formal parliamentary recesses in between sessions is also hoped to allay fears that Parliament could be accused of being “inactive”. Recent years have seen Acts being passed less frequently. Although it has been argued that this is natural now that a solid foundation of civil, criminal, and administrative law has been set for the Empire, there has remained a certain pressure for the legislature to be seen to be “doing something”, pressure that official recesses will relieve. There will be four annual parliamentary sessions interspersed with four recesses: the New Year Session followed by the Easter Recess, the Summer Session followed by the Summer Recess, the Autumn Session followed by the Autumn Recess, and the Advent Session followed by the Christmas Recess. The exact start date of each session and recess is at the discretion of the Speaker, albeit bound by parameters laid down by today’s Act of Parliament. The Monarch, Prime Minister, or Speaker will still be able to call Representatives to meet during a recess for an emergency or extraordinary meeting if necessary.

Student registration opens for Imperial University’s second academic year

Prospective students can now register for online classes with the Imperial University of Austenasia. Earlier today saw an online form for this purpose published by Lord Sander Koff, the Minister for Culture and Acting Vice-Rector of the University. The Imperial University previously ran a class in the first half of 2022, and is now looking to build on the success of last year. Eight online classes – Orthodox Theology, Heraldry and Graphic Design, History of the Crusades, Calculus for Beginners, Australian History, Urban Planning, Micronational History, and Basic Financial Concepts – are being offered, each of which will run should enough interest be registered. Those interested can register for classes here, and the Discord server on which the courses will run is linked to here.

PM hosts online charity fundraiser Christmas event

Yesterday saw the Prime Minister, Lord William Wilson, hold an online Christmas celebration to raise money for charity. The event – the second of its kind – was held on the instant messaging platform Discord, taking the form of a video and voice conference. Lasting an impressive length of eleven hours, and with a total of thirteen Austenasian and foreign dignitaries taking part, the event was held to raise awareness and encourage donations for the Red Cross relief efforts in Ukraine. A total of £78 in declared donations was reported. The conference call saw a Christmas-themed quiz (won by Andrew I of Pontunia), as well as other online games, and friendly discussion among those taking part. The fundraiser was held as part of 2022’s annual December charity drive by the Order of Saint Constantine – Austenasia’s Christian philanthropic order of chivalry – which this year is focusing its efforts on Ukraine.

Imperial University opens registration

Registration opened earlier today for the first classes to be held by the Imperial University of Austenasia. Four classes – Orthodox Theology, Heraldry and Graphic Design, Economics, and Estonian History – are being offered, and are expected to start next month, with registration closing on February 3rd. The university classes are open to Austenasians and non-Austenasians alike, are free of charge, and will take place online over the Discord messaging program. Those interested can register for classes here. An Austenasian university has been planned for many years now, with Emperor Jonathan I authorising its use of the prefix “Imperial” back in November 2014. However, for various reasons – mostly a lack of qualified teachers or interested students – the university had always failed to reach beyond the planning stage. The Prime Minister, Lord William Wilson, has driven the push to finally establish the university, with the support of Minister for Culture Lord Sander Koff and his immediate predecessor Lord Otto Birch. It is understood that the qualifications offered by the university will be named Diplomas and/or Certificates rather than Degrees, in order to help avoid accusations of being a “bogus college”.

Wilson hosts Virtual Holiday Party

A festive “Virtual Holiday Party” was held online today for Austenasian and foreign dignitaries. The event was hosted by the Prime Minister, Lord William Wilson, on the instant messaging platform Discord. The Virtual Holiday Party – the first of its kind – lasted several hours, with various Austenasian and foreign dignitaries joining the online video and voice conference. Wilson, who wore a Santa hat on top of his well-known cowboy hat, provided conversation and company for those joining during the day. A short quiz was held, and the event was also used to raise awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a charity for which the Order of Saint Constantine is currently holding a fundraising drive.

Austenasia celebrates its eleventh anniversary

Yesterday saw Independence Day in the Empire of Austenasia, the yearly celebration of the Austenasian Declaration of Independence in September 2008. Independence Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of September, although the actual anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is the 20th, which this year fell on a Friday. As expected, celebrations were somewhat muted compared to last year, when Austenasia’s tenth anniversary was celebrated with a party at the Imperial Residence and the minting of commemorative coins. However, His Imperial Majesty the Emperor did release an honours list, a custom which has been performed on every Independence Day apart from 2009 and 2011. Recipients of honours included the foreign national leaders Emperor Taeglan I Nihilus of Reyla and King Eran and Prince Nathan of Florenia, who were all made Counts, as well as several Austenasian governmental and noble figures being given titles in the Austenasian Order. Independence Day also saw the Fatherland Party hold its first conference, which took place over Discord. The conference lasted just under an hour, but resulted in agreement being reached over the party’s policies.