Shiro named as new Heir
A new Line of Succession was today confirmed by the Senate, with Shiro Mephistopheles installed as the new Heir. The now Crown Prince Shiro – one of this year’s Consuls – has led the Senate since April, and previously served both in Parliament and in Cabinet. Upon the ascension of Emperor Aggelos I this Sunday, His Imperial Majesty’s first Imperial Decree called on the Senate to confirm a new Line of Succession. Prior to this confirmation, Lord Michael Simpson was technically Heir for several days, having been second in line before the new Emperor’s ascension. However, he had previously made it clear that he would not wish to accept the Throne unless entirely necessarily. Another reason to form a new Line of Succession comes from discussion in the top levels of government regarding prospective constitutional amendments. One of these amendments, which will likely be proposed before the end of the year, would remove the requirement for the Monarch to be a practicing Christian, replacing it with a requirement for the Monarch to respect the national religion rather than to necessarily adhere to it. Assuming that this amendment passes, the eligibility criteria for Monarch will significantly widen, and so some dignitaries previously not included have been considered by the Senate. The new Line of Succession now stands thus: The Senate has been empowered to make changes to the Line of Succession – with the Monarch’s approval – since 2020. This function was previously exercised by Parliament itself.
Emperor Jonathan I announces Regency
To the Empire and to the world, my greetings. When I founded Austenasia with my family over fifteen years ago, I could never have imagined how our little country would one day prosper. It has been a joy to watch this community we started grow right around the world, with people from all sorts of places and backgrounds taking a real interest in helping Austenasia to flourish. I served under our first three Emperors as Prime Minister, and since 2013 I have ruled as Emperor myself. Austenasia has been a huge part of my life for over fifteen years. However, as I approach my thirtieth birthday, it has become clear to me that, although I have spent half my life on helping to lead the Empire, I no longer have the time to dedicate to it that I once did. Other aspects of my life require my attention and my dedication, and I cannot demand loyalty from subjects to a Throne the holder of which will only ever have a decreasing amount of time to give to them. Austenasia began as a small, family project when I was thirteen, and it has far outgrown my wildest hopes for it. However, after several months of deep thought, I am certain in my conviction that it is time for my leadership to come to an end. Although I had considered abdication, I cannot bring myself yet to sever completely the ties between myself and the country I have loved and governed for so long, or to disappoint so profoundly those who have asked me to reconsider. Rather, I shall remain as titular Monarch, in name only, providing a continued link to the House of Austen and proof of my endorsement of the new Heir, Aggelos, to serve as Prince Regent. Aggelos of Imvrassia has been an Austenasian for nearly seven years, has served in Parliament on two non-consecutive occasions, and has over a decade of experience as constitutional monarch of Imvrassia. He has been appointed as Prince Regent by the Senate with my full and sincere backing, to rule as effective head of state. With the support of the Prime Minister, and with the members of the new Line of Succession able to serve as Counsellors of State if necessary, I am sure he will do a wonderful job. His Imperial and Majestic Highness – as he shall be known in Austenasia, in deference to his Imvrassian throne – takes on the powers of the Austenasian Throne in their full. They are his to wield as they were mine, effective as of 10:00 UTC today. Prince Regent Aggelos will need the support and respect of the Empire to fulfil this calling, and I ask all Austenasians and all our friends from abroad to give him our full support as he takes on this great responsibility. He has my full support and I trust the future is safe in his hands. To all those who I have come to know through my time in office in Austenasia, I thank you for your friendship, and for the horizons that have been opened. May God bless you all, and God save the Empire!
Line of Succession overhauled
The Senate has voted to completely overhaul the Line of Succession to the Throne, replacing the previous list of the Emperor’s relatives with a list of five trusted statesmen. This dramatic change was made at the behest of Emperor Jonathan I himself. The beginning of the year saw several members of the Line of Succession removed on the basis that they would be unlikely to accept the Throne and hard to contact at short notice. Today’s more radical change has been implemented on the grounds of the same principle, on the understanding that none of those previously in line to the Throne were interested in actually ascending it in anything more than name should they be called upon to do so. Five individuals were put forward by the Emperor and, after discussion in the Senate, confirmed as a new Line of Succession, namely: The Constitution requires a reigning Monarch of Austenasia to be a Christian, a requirement fulfilled by all the members of the new Line of Succession except for Adam I. The previous heir, the Emperor’s sister, will now be known once more as Princess Caroline rather than as Crown Princess. Were he not already titled as an emperor, Aggelos would have assumed the title Crown Prince as the new Heir to the Throne. Those in the Line of Succession are not only to be called upon should the Throne become empty, but are also able to take on responsibilities such as being appointed a Counsellor of State to assist the Monarch. This change marks a move towards a more realistic approach to the Empire’s long-term future, with an active and committed future Monarch more likely to be found among those already dedicated to Austenasia than among relatives of Jonathan I, most of whom are aunts and cousins who are not even Austenasian.
Constitutional amendment proposed
His Imperial Majesty the Emperor yesterday issued an Imperial Decree formally proposing an amendment to the Austenasian Constitution of 2011. The decree formally proposing the amendment, including the full text of the proposed changes, can be read here. The amendment is comprised of two parts. The first would revise the system currently in place for the parliamentary representation of non-residential subjects, changing the geographically-based first-past-the-post Divisions system to a proportional, list-based system. This means that more non-residential subjects would be able to stand for Parliament and be elected Representatives, and would not be prevented from doing so due to geographical considerations. This would drastically improve democratic equality for non-residential subjects, who only gained parliamentary representation last year. They are currently represented in Parliament by four Representatives, whereas residential subjects (of which there are roughly the same amount) are represented by ten. The second part of the amendment would implement various other, relatively minor reforms, mostly relating to the monarchy and Senate. An explanation of what the ten changes proposed by this part of the amendment would bring about can be read here. Under new rules established in 2021 for constitutional amendments, approval by the Monarch and the House of Representatives – which previously came last – now comes first. The Emperor has approved the amendments, and the proposals are now before the House of Representatives. A near-unanimous supermajority in support – under the House’s current set-up, 12 out of 14 votes – is required. The amendments will then pass on to the Senate, where a simple majority vote is required to organise a referendum and arrange for the implementation of the amendments if approved by the people. The referendum – provisionally planned, if approved, to take place on 12 February alongside the upcoming general election – needs a majority of Austenasia’s subjects to give their support, or a simple majority of those voting if a turnout of least 66% is achieved. Two constitutional amendments have been enacted in the past, the First in September 2015 and the Second in January 2018. If passed, the changes proposed on Monday would be jointly known as the Third Amendment, a name originally given to a different set of revisions which were unsuccessfully proposed in 2020.
New Year sees Line of Succession shortened
New Year’s Day has seen the Senate of Austenasia pass a resolution shortening the Line of Succession, in addition to Lord Wilson appointing his last annual consuls as Prime Minister. The Senate is a body of experienced “elder statesmen” responsible for keeping the Monarch to account, and was given the power by Parliament in 2020 to approve changes to the Line of Succession. The senatorial resolution, passed earlier today, has significantly shortened the number of people in the Line of Succession from twenty down to twelve. It was considered that those removed – mostly paternal cousins of Emperor Jonathan I – were not only extremely unlikely to accept the Throne should they be offered it, but also would be difficult to contact at short notice. In a situation whereby the Throne falls vacant and the Heir (for whatever reason) refuses it, each member of the Line of Succession is to be given the chance to accept the Throne in turn. This resolution thereby removes the legal obligation for a future government to waste time tracking down relatives of the Imperial Family who would almost certainly refuse the Throne anyway, at a time when a swift and orderly transfer of power would be of paramount importance. The resolution has also issued clarification on some confusing language in the Constitution, with the effect that the maternal relatives of the Emperor have now been placed before the Empress and her family in the Line of Succession. However, due to the Line having been so shortened, all remaining in it now hold higher positions than they did previously. In other news, the outgoing Prime Minister, Lord William Wilson – who has confirmed he will not be running in next month’s general election, and also reigns as King in Gradonia – has appointed himself as one of this year’s two consuls, and kept in place one of 2023’s, Shiro Mephistopheles, as the second. 2024 will therefore be known as the year of the consulship of Villelmus Rex and Shiro Mephistopheles. A Prime Minister appointing themselves as a consul is not unusual or irregular. Of the four previous Prime Ministers to have appointed consuls, three appointed themselves as one of the consuls for a year.
Emperor Jonathan I celebrates ten years on the Throne
It was ten years ago today – 20 January 2013 – that His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I ascended to the Austenasian Throne. To mark this momentous occasion, today’s Imperial Ascension Day – an annual public holiday – has been declared the start of a Decennalia year, during which various celebratory events will take place to observe the tenth anniversary of the Emperor’s first year on the Throne. Emperor Jonathan I has published an Imperial Edict thanking those who have supported him in his reign and recommitting himself to the promises made at his coronation. The Edict also contains a small honours list. The Emperor’s cousin Lord Timothy has been made Archduke of Gallia, and three other imperial rulers – Quentin I and the deputy monarchs of Imvrassia – have been given Austenasian dukedoms. To further mark today’s jubilee, His Imperial Majesty also donated coins of historical emperors to the Imperial Numismatic Museum. The first major Decennalia event is an online chess tournament which will take place tomorrow, in which twenty people are expected to take part. Jonathan I is the fourth Emperor of Austenasia, and the only one to have reached this milestone of ten years on the Throne. He became Emperor upon the abdication of his immediate predecessor Declan I, having been Heir to the Throne as son of Austenasia’s founding Monarch, Terry I. His Imperial Majesty will address the Senate on this momentous occasion later today.
Princess Hannah and Bradley of Dullahan named Consuls of 2021
Lord John Gordon has named the first Consuls of his premiership, announcing that Princess Hannah and Bradley, Duke of Dullahan will hold the office for 2021. 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. 2021 will therefore be known as the year of the consulship of Hannah Augusta and Bradley Archidux Saxoniae. Princess Hannah also served as Consul last year, becoming one of only three people to have held the Austenasian Consulate consecutively since its creation at the start of 2011. A Consul may serve two consecutive terms, but the same two Consuls cannot serve consecutive terms at the same time. Princess Hannah, in addition to being sovereign monarch of the Principality of Wildflower Meadows, is the fiancée and official consort of Emperor Jonathan I. Bradley, who was recently appointed Archduke of Saxony in the Holy Roman Empire, in addition to his role as Prime Minister of Wyvern also serves in Austenasia as Princeps Senatus (leader of the Senate) and has held office as both Home Secretary and Minister of Defence. Happy New Year from the Austenasian Times!
Emperor assumes emergency powers to heal deepening divisions in Parliament
His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jonathan I this evening made an unprecedented announcement, assuming emergency powers in accordance with the Constitution’s provisions for an “existential threat to the state” with the support of the Senate, the Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition. It is understood that in the space of the past 48 hours, disagreements primarily related to recently proposed constitutional amendments have spiraled out of control, splitting the House of Representatives deeply along party lines. A vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister was tabled by opposition Representatives but failed, there are rumors that a coup was considered, and some Representatives suggested secession as a response to the ongoing arguments. The announcement by the Emperor is reproduced in its entirety as follows: In accordance with Article II, Section E of the Austenasian Constitution of 2011, with the support of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and a majority of the Senate, we hereby temporarily enact the following provisions and accordingly override the Constitution where necessary in order to enable their enactment and exercise: 1) The House of Representatives shall not meet or convene without a prior summons from the Monarch. 2) All titles, offices and positions shall be held at and by the sole will and permission of the Monarch. 3) The position of Proconsul is hereby created, to be held by two individuals each of whom will hold the powers and authority of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister shall not be divested of his powers and authority, but the three shall work together under the direction of the Monarch to aid in the re-establishing of civil order and constitutional government. Lord Edward Gunderson, Count of New Grémmia and HG Bradley, Duke of Dullahan shall serve as the first two Proconsuls. These three provisions will remain in place until 13 June 2020, when they will be reviewed to ascertain the necessity of expanding, extending or revoking them. Threats of coups and secession, civil strife, and the inability of incumbent Representatives to productively work together has resulted in what can accurately be called “a time of great crisis and existential threat to the state”, as required by the Constitution for these emergency measures. Furthermore, we hereby decree that the referendum scheduled for 30 June 2020 to vote on the proposed Third Constitutional Amendment is brought forward to 12 June 2020. Decreed at Wrythe this twenty fifth day of May during the eighth year of our reign, in the year of the consulship of Hannah Augusta and Brenda Bargerii Nova Richmondiae Domina, anno mundi 7528. * It brings us no pleasure to make this announcement. Many of you may not even have been aware of the deep divisions within Austenasian government. However, such divisions exist and have been getting worse. With the support of our Prime Minister and newly appointed Proconsuls, we shall work together at healing these divisions moving the country forward into a new age. All around the world, societies are falling prey to division, hatred and strife due to political differences. Austenasia shall prove to the world that in this respect, as in many others, there is a different and better way. This way is what we shall find and follow, towards the goal of a brighter future for our beloved country. God bless you all, and God save the Empire!
Referendum on constitutional amendments called for 30 June
An Imperial Edict was passed on Friday 15th May in which Emperor Jonathan I formally proposed various amendments to the Constitution, to be voted on at the end of June. This follows on from a broadcast by Prince Dionisiy in February, shortly after his election as Prime Minister, in which he proposed various changes to Austenasian government. Work is currently underway on a system of “e-Government”, which will once completed provide an online system for the Austenasian electorate to easily vote on various legislative matters directly. The constitutional amendments to be voted on at the end of June, however, primarily concern the other major change proposed by Prince Dionisiy, which is to replace the Prime Minister as head of government with the Consuls. Currently, two consuls are annually appointed by the Prime Minister for a year-long term, and are in charge of judicial sentencing. Under the proposed constitutional amendment, the consuls would instead be elected by the House of Representatives at the nomination of the Monarch, or by the public themselves should a third or more of the Representatives present alternative candidates. Prince Dionisiy was elected on a platform part of which was to strengthen the Roman culture of Austenasia. Establishing the consulate as the head of executive government would be a further step towards consolidating the Empire’s Roman heritage. Other more minor changes in the proposed amendments include removing the requirement for the Empire’s Archdukes (that of the Archduchesses was not required; a typo with discriminatory consequences) to give consent for the Monarch to bestow the titles of Augusta and Caesar outside of the Imperial Family, and to allow an abdicated Monarch or a clergyman to officiate in a coronation if the head of government is unavailable. The amendments would also make the rules governing the institution of the Senate more flexible, giving Parliament more say over its composition and permitting the Princeps Senatus (its chair) to resign that post without leaving the Senate itself. Should the proposed amendments be approved in referendum on 30 June, they will still require the support of over 80% of the House of Representatives, as well as Imperial Consent. They would comprise the Third Amendment, with the Constitution also having been amended in 2015 and 2018. Should the Third Amendment pass, the changes – including the dissolution of the office of Prime Minister – would come into effect at midnight on the morning of 1 January 2021, although the process for electing the new system’s Consuls for that year would begin in December.
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