Jakub has significantly reduced all forms of tariffs on goods coming from Eflad in return for being listed in “Zone 2” of Eflad’s new VISA system. The general tariff on all goods has been completely removed while more specific tariffs, such as the agricultural goods tariff were only reduced.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the deal had come to such terms due to Jakub’s lack of use of the VISA system or stay limits.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clarified that Efladians will get a Visa Free period of 30 days for tourism, exactly like the deal the Efladians have made for Zone 2. In the announcement, Kliegme has stated “unequal treatment between nations is not something Kliegme, nor any responsible member of the global community, desires.”
However, the Efladians have a chance to make the lie into a truth, as Kliegme has not ruled out further negotiations for Kliegme to enter Zone 1.
The ambassador of Eflad to Kliegme has predictably been summoned once again for blatant misinformation, once again betraying the trust between the nations.
A policy of “interculturalism in multiculturalism” has been implemented by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. This programme wishes to create a more welcoming and harmonious society by getting into detail on how cultures are formed right down to the semantics.
This programme also heavily encourages others to add onto culture and traditions to “create even more culture, and expression”, a spokesperson quipped at a press conference today, “for culture is our expressions. It should not be locked up, rather cherished by continuing to add onto it.”
It is speculated that a policy to pass a law encouraging immigration is about to be tabled in the Fedinschtag.
“Reversing and crippling aging” has been tabled by the Ministry of Health from today onwards as a national resolution on medicine. The Minister of Health states that “everyone deserves to be free from living and dying senile, demented, deranged from themselves.”
Potential subsidies and incentives, as well as government funding and budgeting for this project are underway.
Today, Lorena Ballons has secured her victory in the third elections of the 4th Republic of Vrigny. These elections were result of the changes in the constitution and previous chaos in Parliament. The previous constitution, with which the 4th Republic was proclaimed, was mainly written by Samuel Romer, general who became dictator of the previous Stratocracy after the end Ferdinand Lawfen’s long lasting rule; and general Victor Teryz, the main leader of the intra-army opposition which requested the Stratocracy’s transition to democracy.
Both generals favored, what they perceived as, “stability” over electoral representation. While their constitution allowed for multiple political parties and ideologies to participate in elections, an insanely high electoral threshold of 25% basically impeded a multi-party political system, with more than two political parties being present in the Parliament. All political parties which formed before the first elections of the 4th Republic had to unite in two big-tent, “unstable” (with disagreements) coalitions. These were the Worker’s Union for the left-wing and the Center Coalition for the center- and right-wing.
The eventual breakdown of the Center Coalition and political crisis fueled the progressive wing of the Worker’s Union (Lorena Ballons’ wing) to write a completely new liberal and democratic constitution, with no reminiscence of the Stratocracy’s laws. This new constitution was supported by all sides, except the authoritarian far-left (Lawfenist conservatives).
With the new constitution, new political parties were formed, which were now completely able to freely represent and run with their own ideology without having to compromise to form said coalitions. The new main political parties are the Socialist Party of Vrigny (Lorena Ballons’ party; the SPV is in reality more than 100 years old) and the Liberal Party of Vrigny.
While some are nervous about for how long Lorena Ballons’ will rule, many are already euphoric about the victories the 4th Republic has been able to accomplish with her 7 year long rule so far, such as the pacification and down-scaling of the Vrignyan army and now the huge increase in democratic representation, as the new constitution’s electoral threshold of 0.5% and proportional representation will undoubtedly make it one of the most liberal in Pacifica.
Lidia Marton, daughter of the WLP MP for Varana’s 2nd District, Coralyne Marton, has been reported abducted to the police, following her disappearance and the discovery of a ransom note. Nationwide search is being conducted, with Varana Police Inspector suspecting involvements of the Mob.
The Efladian Ambassador released a press statement after a meeting with the Kliegmean Minister of Foreign Affairs saying that “There was an apparent miscommunication. I said that Efladians will continue to have visa free access even after the war in Romordia is concluded. It should be understood that I meant that the current visa free regulations would continue which means that Efladians will have a 30 day visa free access. I am sorry for the miscommunication!”
With the stabilization and constitutional reform of the young 4th Republic complete, Lorena Ballons’ ministry of foreign affairs has announced the beginning of its campaign to intensify its diplomacy and to establish new international relations. The previous Lawfenist dictatorship was pretty much established due to the Vrignyan Army’s isolationist preferences, both economically and diplomatically.
This isolation meant the exclusion of Vrigny from pretty much all international treaties and an extremely low degree of economic cooperation between Vrigny and other countries. Clearly, the current government of the young Republic wants to integrate the country into the global economy and become member of the main international organizations, as Vrigny’s self-exclusion has no benefits to its people.
The Ballons government has already passed laws to allow a regulated and gradual entrance of foreign companies to the Vrignyan economy and market, as long as Vrigny establishes official diplomatic relations with the countries of said companies first. This is also why an effort to establish Vrignyan embassies in countries all over Pacifica, as well as allowing said countries to do the same in Vrigny has now begun, as with the old Lawfenist dictatorship’s policy of isolation, Vrigny had pretty much abolished all embassies previously.
Lorena Ballons now just hopes that her government and country can sooner than later become another influential country in Pacifica and get involved within its economy and diplomatic and political affairs.
Today, the Ballons’ government has released hundreds of classified documents and government information from the Lawfenist dictatorship, information which has been withheld from the Vrignyan population regarding the disappearance of many individuals opposing the regime, both within the Vrignyan army and civilians as well as other things, such as the dictatorship’s nuclear research efforts and manufacturing of nuclear weapons between the 1960s and 1970s; the last years of Lawfen’s rule, result of his rising paranoia of other military officers and countries around Pacifica.
With this “liberation” of repressed information about the dictatorship’s many crimes to its own population, country and international order, the current government of the young 4th Republic wants to leave clear that Vrigny is now a renewed country which wants to clean its recent past. The Vrignyan High Tribunal of Justice has now started cooperation with several independent investigation and news firms to enact justice on any individuals from the high sphere of the previous regime which might still roam free in the country.
Lorena Ballons has also expressed the desire of her government to disarm and totally get rid of all old nuclear weapons the Lawfenist Regime secretly built and planned to test, but never performed any due to lack of a good location and logistic failures. The president has reiterated that the Vrignyan army’s budget has seen a sharp decline, from 7,5% of GDP to around 0,8% now. Due to the lack of funding, Vrigny’s military will clearly not be able to maintain such an arsenal, nor does it have any intention to keep it, here its campaign to complete nuclear disarmament.
News pertaining to the Lawfenist dictatorship’s campaigns and actions will most likely plague the Vrignyan media for a long time now, hopefully stigmatizing said regime as much as possible.
Protests in the Azimi town of Alasha have erupted due to a religious dispute. A settlement of around 5,000, its population is around 63% Muslim and 20% Christian. The dispute centers around the decision of local authorities to demolish an abandoned chapel that has been declared a “public nuisance” due to its dilapidated and untamed state. Christian residents have refused to allow local authorities to begin the demolition process, occupying the grounds of the condemned structure. They have demanded the town council approve a measure to restore the chapel and maintain it thereafter as a historical building, but the authorities say the building does not meet the criteria as per state or federal law and they don’t have the resources to continuously take care of it. The government’s Ministry of States’ Affairs is believed to be monitoring the developing situation.
The Industrieverband Eflad (IVE, industry association) is calling for an industrial electricity price. Employers claim that the price of electricity in Eflad has become so high that competitiveness is threatened in the near future. The electricity price has jumped abruptly in response to the new immigration law.
The Minister for Energy said that this is the chance that Eflad can truly use its potential and become energy independent. “The possibilities we have, for solar and other means of renewable energies are vast. We should use them.”
MP Coralyne Marton had announced her resignation to focus on the search of her missing daughter. Livana Interior Minister Tilda MacDonald announced in a press briefing this morning that the National Police had found leads and is sure to close in on the kidnappers in the coming days. Syndicalist MPs, in a statement, announced their solidarity with the Marton family, and pointing out that the police should not forget hundreds of other kidnapping and human trafficking cases.
Gianlucian foreign minister Strunk has announced, that discussions with the Efladian government are underway, which would make Gianatla take over between 50,000 and 85,000 Romordian refugees from Kliegme coming to Eflad. “Looking at our partners over in Kliegme, one can see that dealing with a wave of refugees bigger than anticipated can pose a challenge. We want those talks to try to alleviate the pressure on our partners, especially within Frastinia.”
The Efladian Foreign Minister Tæren has confirmed that there are ongoing discussions with Gianatla. He has called on all neighbour states of Eflad and all those who want to help Eflad in caring for Romordian refugees.
The Besernian Fedinschtag has passed an edict that would allow Romordian refugees to cross the Efladian-Besernian border into the state of Nordfhrient and settle on a temporary refugee visa, with the right to work, live, study and recieve diplomatic protection, for 5 years. The Government, to alleviate overcrowding in Nordfhrient, “helped by the Berenican nation’s vast landmass”, has created a system of dispersal among all states in Besern.
The Besernian Free Democrats called it “an opportunity to increase the productivity of Besern as well as the industrial capacity of the nation; and thus the entire Frastinian region”, while the social-democratic Civic Union praised it also as “a new example for all nations, where vibrant cultures can be added upon to create a multicultural, harmonic peoples without borders, but of courage”.
The marginalised far-right Besernian Conservatives have denounced this approach, calling the edict “bullshit” and “threatening Besernian culture” without any pretexts as to why; this attempt is one of many so far as of late that has caused a deep slip in their popularity among the people of Besern. However, there are still unsolved questions on the recent policy of “interculturalism in multiculturalism”, that the Civic Union responded by stating that they are “ready to answer, just write in, or approach your local member!”
Infamous streamer and imprisoned political extremist Texeteti’ has denounced the University peace talks as “propaganda from an illegitimate Besernian-Gianlucian military junta government” and claimed the acting chief to be “illegal Ryccian scum”.
During the same stream, a viewer asked a question concerning the controversial dessert infamous for being lethal when prepared incorrectly, and Texeteti’ responded with…
“Lapaluai is an evil Sedunnic bioweapon and no one who has been brainwashed should ever eat that. It is 100% lethal! A true bioweapon! From Sedunn!”
The first Romordians have been granted asylum and will be able to travel in to Eflad. The asylum is limited for the duration of the situation in Romordia. After the resolution of the situation, they will be treated as zone 3 citizens.
Several articles have critisized the camps in which Romordian refugees stay at due to a very small number of sanitary institutions, as well as fire protection standards. The contractor company denies the allegations.
The Chancellor, in a social media post, denied Besernian responsibility in the control of the FiHami government. “This is slander, our military has done nothing in FiHami, and thus I refuse to elaborate further,” he concluded.
A motion to impeach the Chancellor over his recent FiHami comment has been dismissed as “frivolous, inappropriate for the chamber and of tasteless nature” by the Speaker before its introduction in the Fedinschtag. This motion was pushed by a member from a county in the state of Nordfhrient containing the town of Obermaluhe.
When asked about the controversial FiHami figure Texeteti’, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry in a press briefing simply replied “Irrelevant. Next question”.