Distinguished friends of The East Pacific, it is my great pleasure to bring you another issue of the news from Balder!
Balder Bugle Issue V
A publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Realm of Balder.
June Storting Elections
Balder’s June election saw five members elected to Balder’s Storting (parliament), marking the beginning of the third full term on Balder’s new forum. Many existing members declared their intention to run, and were joined by new faces. Former Lawspeaker Theoden Sebastian declared his intention to run for the office of Statsminster, with veteran member Griffindor13 seeking to take Theoden’s place as Lawspeaker. Ultimately, the following were elected to the Storting:
Theoden Sebastian
Griffindor13
Akillian Talleyrand
ZanderCerebella
Aexnidaral
Elections of Lawspeaker & Statsminster and State Opening of Parliament
With the elections complete, Griffindor13, Balder’s long serving WA minister and a multiple term Storting member was nominated as Lawspeaker by new Storting member Aexnidaral. Griffindor13 received the unanimous support of his colleagues and was duly appointed as Lawspeaker.
Theoden Sebastian stood for the office of Statsminster, a position he had previously held with distinction in late 2015. Theoden received the unanimous support of the Storting and was nominated as Statsminster once again.
Appointing Theoden as Statsminster in the state opening of parliament, King North East Somerset stated it was his pleasure to do so, saying “I have every faith in his qualification and capability to undertake this office to the highest of standards due to his past experience in it.”
Statsminster’s speech and appointment of Statsraadet
In his speech following on from the state opening of parliament, Statsminster Theoden announced the appointment of his initial cabinet:
Zander Cerebella - Deputy Statsminister and Minister of Community Affairs
Fuzzy - Minister of Foreign Affairs
Akillian Talleyrand - Minister of War
Griffindor13 - Minister of WA Affairs
Announcing a focus on domestic issues, Theoden stated his main goal for the term is greater citizen engagement, both in government and forum-wide, with a number of initiatives being announced to take this forwards. In foreign affairs, Theoden
aims to build on Balder’s close alliances and further strengthen our military the Jomsvikings.
Appointment of Minister of Discord Affairs
At the end of June, Theoden appointed longtime citizen Cinder as Minister of Discord Affairs. Announcing the appointment, Statsminster Theoden emphasised Cinder’s extensive experience at all levels of government, going on to say “Considering Cinder’s presence and activity in the Discord platform, which is an important extension of Balder community life, Cinder is well placed to help the government engage and assist the citizens there. I am sure that the Minister will perform well in the role.”
Relaunching the Civil Service
One of the key objectives for the new term was the re-launch of Balder’s Civil Service. This initiative aims to increase regional activity levels and give citizens greater opportunities to get involved in regional life and Balder’s government by becoming a member of one of the three new service corps.
A key part of the Civil Service is the Community Corps, where citizens can help run community events and help run Roleplay. The Community Corps also is used to promote the Nordic culture and develop the four cities.
Another part of the Civil Service is the Media Corps. The Media Corps is where citizens are encouraged to write articles for the Balder Bugle, along with other official publications and documents for the government.
The Diplomatic Corps, another portion of the Civil Service, is tasked with being Balder’s face unto the wider NationStates community. It also assists in distribution of the Balder Bugle. All in all, the Civil Service is a great way for citizens to ‘rise through the ranks’, giving them the opportunity to show Balder what they can do, and what they can contribute to the region.
Relaunch of Balder’s University
Plans are in the works for the relaunching of Balder’s university, with comprised of a college for NationStates studies, a college for Balderan law, a college for natural sciences, a college for social sciences and the arts, and the refounded Museum of Balderan History. The University will enjoy academic freedom and will aim to explore and build upon this wide range of topics. The university Chancellor will be appointed by the Statsminster, with other staff appointments made by the Chancellor. The Statsraadet have recently proposed legislation for the creation of this university, and are working hard to finalise the details ahead of the launch. The university presents an exciting opportunity, allowing for a better understanding of Balder’s history and NationStates as a whole.
Contact Fuzzy, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with comments regarding the Bugle.