Side note before the publication: Glad to be here as your guys new ambassador!
Balder Bugle Issue VII
A publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Realm of Balder.
Statsminster Election
November saw the first Statsminster elections under the Constitutional Reform Bill 2019, which saw Balder’s two legislative chambers put forward candidates for the position. In the Lagting - the upper house, consisting of Balder’s princes and nobility - Theoden Sebastian, Duke of Aalborg put himself forward for the position, and received the unanimous backing of all those who voted. In the Odelsting - the lower house, consisting of all eligble citizens who choose to take their seat - two candidates were proposed, with Theoden Sebastian and Bowzin both standing. Theoden ultimately won the Odelsting vote with a two thirds majority.
With the backing of both houses, Theoden Sebastian was put forward as the presumptive Statsminster for the new term, awaiting his appointment by the King.
State opening of Parliament
With the Statsminster and Talman (speaker of the Odelsting) elections concluded, King North East Somerset formally opened parliament. Appointing Theoden Sebastian as Statsminster, the King stated “[Theoden’s] immense experience within this Realm and abroad, shows his ability to exercise this Office successfully and to work to secure the betterment of the Region”.
In his speech, the King thanked outgoing Statsminster Zander Cerebella for his hard work the previous term, saying that Zander’s “exemplary service is a shining example of what Leadership means to us all. We all owe a great debt to him for his dedication and competence in moving the Region forwards during both challenging and productive times, over the past year and beyond”
Speaking of the constitutional reforms and Balder’s current position, the King stated “The reforms are just one achievement from the past term, although an important one as they have unlocked opportunities to broaden the structure and depth of participation, whilst maintaining an unique perspective on our Constitutional Monarchy system, which is proving to be a real dark horse in terms of its ability to combine both dynamism and stability. I said last term that our spirit, identity and unwavering commitment to sovereignty and independence have made us a force that it would be foolish to underestimate. And so that has proven to be the case.”
New Honours and Titles awarded
The King ended his speech by awarding a number of honours to deserving members of our Region:
Knight of Forseti - Sir Griffindor - for his dedication and service as Lawspeaker, ensuring the voice of the legislature is heard and our Parliament is run efficiently.
Knight of Bragi - Sir Bowzin - for his commitment and drive to furthering the Culture of the Realm, including in the NS in-game events, for example in coordinating Balder’s efforts at the forefront of N-Day activities.
Knight of Mimir - HRH Prince Fuzzy of Ribe - for his excellent service in Cabinet as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, playing a crucial role in multiple significant developments including the signing of the Treaty of Aarhus.
Baron of Brattahlíð - Aexnidaral - a fitting peerage given his long-standing service as an MP in the Storting, his immense and demonstrable capability in the game as a legislator, and also his behind the scenes work here in regional security.
Treaty of Aarhus signed
The recent coup attempt in The East Pacific saw Balder’s Jomsvikings take swift action to help delegate-elect Marrabuk assume his rightful place as the region’s delegate and leader. This event took place during the latter stages of treaty discussions between Balder and TEP, and once TEP was secure, the Treaty of Aarhus was ratified by both sides, coming into force in Balder on November 9th. This treaty sees Balder and TEP agree to mutual recognition, defence and intelligence sharing, and formalises the rapidly strenghtening relationship between our two regions. Balder is pleased to count TEP amongst its friends, and looks forward to a long and successful partnership.
Contact Fuzzy, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with comments regarding the Bugle.