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Gronden, Democratic Party Victorious in Election

THE CITY OF ASILICA- Lisetta Gronden will be the first woman to ever serve as Chancellor of the Republic of Asilica after her Democratic Party was swept into power with a handsome majority on Wednesday. With all districts reporting, the Democratic Party won 164 seats in the Grand Council, a gain of 20 and further over the majority required of 151 that any party has achieved in 18 years. Outgoing Chancellor and leader of the National Liberal Coalition, Hans Trachsel, has called Ms. Gronden to concede the election and offer his congratulations.

Gronden brings the Democratic Party into power for the first time in over 10 years after having pivoted the party towards the center. Much of the party’s gains in this election came from the more rural northern areas of the country, areas that have traditionally voted for the National Party. Running primarily on a pledge to cut taxes, the Democrats saw support not only from rural communities but also the business community, and for the first time, the Democrats won a majority of seats from the City of Asilica, the heart of the country’s financial sector. Additionally, her pledge to increase the cap on casino licenses in her native Sugen Canton, an issue that has long been one of Gronden’s hallmarks and one that first swept into office in 2009.

The National Party, one of two parties in the National Liberal Coalition, saw its share of the vote collapse from the previous election. Going into the election, the National Party held 41 of the Coalition’s 154 seats. After this election, the National Party will hold only 21 seats, a decrease of nearly half. The Liberals go from 113 seats to 104, as some losses to the Democrats in areas such as the City of Asilica and Sugen were buffeted by pickups in Valladia Canton. The Left, a coalition of the Social Democratic Party and the Green Party, held stable at 11 seats, with 7 for the Social Democratic Party and 4 for the Greens.

The moment is a historic one for Asilica, but Gronden made no mention of her status as the first female Chancellor in her victory speech to supporters Wednesday evening. “This is a victory for each and every one of us,” she said. “The real winner tonight is Asilica, and I pledge to be a Chancellor for all Asilicans, whether you voted for me or not.”

Gronden will be sworn into office by President Jörg Renatsch tomorrow, and is expected to name Ministers to the Council of State in the coming days. Stock market futures jumped moderately at the news, with ASAX 200 futures increasing by 1% as of press time.


Over 100 Dead, President’s Daughter Among Them, as Fire Destroys Casino in Sugen

SUGEN-- A pyrotechnics show during a rock concert gone awry has lead to the death of 105 people, as the Bacchanal Casino and Resort in Sugen went down in flames Saturday night. Among the deceased is Maria-Theresa Renatsch, the only daughter of President Jörg Renatsch. Maria-Theresa Renatsch, 36, was the Chief Financial Officer of the Bacchanal, and was attending the concert at the casino that evening along with about three thousand other people when a fire broke in the concert hall due to faulty fireworks. Those in the closest rows to the stage made up most of the deceased, although more than two dozen people were trampled to death when the crush of people attempted to escape the concert hall. 689 people have been admitted to the hospital for injuries ranging from the mild to severe, and the Sugen Police Department reported on Sunday morning that there are still 286 people listed as missing. The death toll is expected to rise.

The performers that evening were the Alvan rock band Gunghris and the Khans, who are famous not only for their music but for their impressive and usually very complex pyrotechnic displays. According to the Sugen Fire Department, the fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical surge that caused nearly 50 firework setups to deploy at once, rather than one at a time as they were designed. The electrical surge itself is also believed to have sparked a fire at an electrical wiring junction box. This was Gunghris and the Khans’ fourth show this week at the Bacchanal, and one of over 600 they have played in their careers, and this was their first ever incident of pyrotechnics deploying inaccurately.

“We are, of course, absolutely devastated beyond words. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of all those who passed away, and we want to do everything in our power to help the families of the lost and those who have been injured,” said the band in a statement released by their record label. While none of the band members were among the dead, two of the four were admitted to the hospital. One, Batsaikhan Borte, is being treated for second and third degree burns and is in “critical but stable” condition.

“We are cooperating fully with the Fire and Police Departments as the fire is being investigated,” said a spokesperson for the casino. “We are heartbroken for the injured and deceased and their families, including the President.” The casino is believed to be a near-total loss, as the fire spread so quickly and burned so hot it caused the concert hall to collapse. The gaming floor and the hotel were evacuated without injury, but by 2 AM on Sunday morning, the fire had spread to the gaming floor as well. The fire was not brought under complete control by the Fire Department until 11AM Sunday morning, having burned for 14 hours.

President Jörg Renatsch has not yet made a statement. His Press Secretary, Sonia Klegg, stated to the media that the President is currently “in a state of mourning and spending time with his family. He has heard all your well-wishes and thanks you for them from the bottom of his heart, but he will not yet be making a public statement.” Maria-Theresa Renatsch was the President’s only child, and she was predeceased by her mother and the President’s wife, Eliza Renatsch, last year.

“The hearts of all the people of this country are with not only our President, but with all the loved ones of those we have lost,” said Chancellor Lisetta Gronden. “This is the largest single loss of life Asilica has seen this century, and rest assured, we will investigate this and make sure that such senseless loss never, ever happens again.”


Facility for Nuclear Particle Research Opens at University of Valladia


A rendering of the facility on the campus of the University of Valladia

VALLADIA-- The MPPN (Manaschi per la Perscrutaziun da Particelle Nucleari, “Facility for Nuclear Particle Research”), a nuclear physics laboratory at the University of Valladia that contains among other items southern Aurora’s largest ever particle accelerator, has opened and begun research activities. The facility’s particle accelerator, which is over 9km in circumference and is almost as large as the university’s campus, is the central feature, with the capability to accelerate atomic particles at speeds that are measurable fractions of the speed of light. Scientists at MPPN will use the accelerator to research some of the most fundamental aspects of how the universe works.

“The wide open grasslands around Valladia made the University a perfect choice,” said Professor Dr. Ulrich Renzi, PhD, the director of the Facility. “We are excited to begin our research here, which we hope will lead to answers to some of physics’ most important questions.”

The facility has been under construction for more than 10 years, and has faced criticism from such varied groups as the environmental lobby, concerned about the particle accelerator’s need for significant underground tunnel space and potential radiation hazards, to groups of concerned citizens who believe the particles will cause cancer or other diseases. According to the the Facility, there is no risk for radiation exposure of lethal or even harmful levels, because the amounts of radioactive materials used in the experiments are so small, they are “more easily counted in atoms then they are in grams,” said Dr. Renzi.

A consortium of universities in Asilica, both public and private, as well as other charitable foundations, helped raise funds for the facility. Despite its location at the University of Valladia, researchers and scholars from every university in Asilica and many from across the world will be present. Dr. Renzi says the facility welcomes everyone, as “the things we learn here will become part of common knowledge of all beings on Urth, so we welcome everyone to come here and discover with us.” Tours of the facility will be conducted daily.


TERROR ATTACKS IN CALTHARUS: 67 DEAD, DOZENS WOUNDED IN VIOLENT UPRISINGS IN KHAUSER, DELGERDATTER

KHAUSER, CALTHARUS (MBE)-- Unimaginable terror struck two cities in eastern Caltharus in Great Morstaybishlia this morning as an armed uprising - including Colonarius tanks and dozens of armed gunmen - attacked Khauser and Delgerdatter almost simultaneously. The attacks, which happened at approximately 6:35 AM Asilican Standard Time at the police headquarters in Dlegerdatter and about 30 minutes later in the a similar facility in Khauser, were committed by an unknown group whose intentions and motive were also unknown.

“Our hearts go out to the families of the victims, and all the people, of Caltharus and Great Morstaybishlia. Today, we are all Morstaybishlian,” said Chancellor Lisetta Gronden in a statement. “I have reached out to Prime Minister Bavarta and made it clear that we are ready and more than willing to provide any assistance that they need. We stand with the people of Great Morstaybishlia.”

Chancellor Gronden also stated that the country had been raised to Defense Level 4, which is one level higher than the baseline. Defense Level 4 involves a heightened level of scrutiny at border checks as well as a notification to local militia branches to remain on standby in case of the event of activation. The Chancellor said that activation of the militia is “not immediately forthcoming” but stated that she was prepared to do so if necessary. The Chancellor has also not activated the National Emergency Operations Center, but said that she was “constantly being briefed on intelligence” and that “[she] and the entire government remain alert.” She stressed, however, that at this time there was “no indication of any direct threat to Asilica.”

In the city of Asilica, home to more ethnically Morst people than any other region of the country, many businesses closed early, especially those run by Morstaybishlian expats. The Regional Board of Education in the City of Asilica initially ordered that the start of school be delayed until 10:30 AM, but later cancelled the school day altogether “out of an abundance of caution,” said a Board official. By press time, several buildings in the Central Business District of the City were seen flying Morstaybishlian flags.

“I’m just heartbroken,” said Gregor DiStenzi, 54, a passerby on the street who said that his mother had been from Caltharus and he had family there with whom he kept in touch. “Not even just for Caltharus, for all of us. Peace in Aurora has always been fragile. It breaks my heart to see it fall into pieces all over again.”


BREAKING: MASSIVE EXPLOSION AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, LEGISLATORS AMONG HUNDREDS ASSUMED DEAD…

This is a developing story and may be updated with more information as it becomes available…


Sanctuary Lost - The East Pacific - Tapatalk TERRORIST BOMBING AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY KILLS AT LEAST 400, OVER A THOUSAND INJURED


The explosion that destroyed the Grand Council and rocked the entire City of Asilica, pictured from a boat in Asilica Harbor.

THE CITY OF ASILICA-- In an unthinkable tragedy that is certain to be the deadliest terror attack in Asilican history, a massive bomb was set off in front of the Grand Council building at 8:01am this morning. While recovery efforts are ongoing, there have been no survivors pulled from the rubble at the epicenter, and everyone inside the Grand Council building at the time of the blast is presumed deceased. Those known to have been in attendance include Chancellor Lisetta Gronden, Vice-Chancellor Danilo Giammanco, Foreign Affairs Minister Robaldo Pasquariello, and the Speaker of the Council, Ulrich Harnisch.

President Jörg Renatsch and the members of the Senate, which was not in session, are unharmed and secure in “undisclosed locations,” according to a written statement from the National Police that did not elaborate. Requests for verbal comment regarding the current chain of command from the National Police were not returned by press time.

Several buildings along the Via Consiglio were either completely or partially destroyed, including the Grand Council Secretariat, the National Museum of History, and the historic original storefront of the Janus Watch and Clock Company, the oldest watchmaking shop in the country and the headquarters of the multinational Janus Group SA. Several other businesses and other buildings were significantly damaged, including a block of apartment buildings home to more than 800 people, where recovery efforts are currently focused. Death counts are being issued almost hourly by police assembled at the scene, which include National Police officers as well as municipal police officers, cantonal constabularies from three cantons, and even law enforcement officials from the Margravate of Rosalica. While the most recent estimate is 400 dead, the number is expected to rise, possibly significantly.

In an even more harrowing addition, in what National Police authorities are saying is “very likely a linked incident,” an armed gunman at the Senate building shot more than 48 people, killing 19 of them, before he was killed by an officer of the City of Asilica Transit Police. The individual has not been named, and no motive has yet been determined, according to several sources at the National Police who asked to speak anonymously because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

The most significant crisis facing the country at the moment is the question of who, exactly, is in charge. The Chancellor and the entire Council of State are presumed dead, as are all but a handful of Councillors whose locations are currently unknown. The Senate is unharmed but Constitutionally limited in power and unable to act without a Grand Council. The office of President of Asilica is an acknowledged figurehead position with few unilateral powers, none of which are clearly specified in law. This seemingly puts Asilica in the situation of having no functioning government at all.

“There are no Constitutional parameters for how to hold an election without there being a Grand Council to vote for there to be an election,” said Asilican barrister and Constitutional scholar Dr. Fabiana Innocenti, LL.D., of the Faculty of Law at the University of Zalica. “Short of waiting for the next scheduled election in April of 2024, there is simply no law anywhere that foresees the situation of the entire legislature being killed in a single incident.” Even if living legislators are found, Dr. Innocenti added, there is no possibility of there being a “quorum,” or the required minimum number of Councilors to make valid decisions, which the Constitution sets at 151 Councillors.

“The President is constitutionally the Commander-in-Chief of the Armies and Militias and he is tasked with preserving and enforcing the law,” said Calogero Galati, the President’s Chief-of-Staff, in a brief phone call interview. “There is plain legal basis for the President to direct government efforts at this time, and this office is proceeding as such at this time, but there are questions as to how the presidency should be operating in this scenario that will need to be resolved.” Galati declined to specify in what ways the President was acting to preserve and enforce the law or whether or not the Armies had been ordered raised.

Across the country, cantonal militias are assembling even without the formal call to do so from the President. An order from the President to raise the Armies - as Asilica does not maintain a professional standing army - would order all of these militias together and grant them access to significantly greater amounts of resources and funding. And most importantly, it would allow militias from one canton to enter another, which is otherwise outlawed.

Militia officials are already in communication with each other, according to the Commander of the Legion of Sirena, General Araldo Bambino. “We have procedures for the event of the total loss of government and we run these drills fairly regularly,” he said. “We are prepared to act on our own command and proceed under martial law, but we have chosen not to do so at this time. What we want to do right now is project a sense of security and stability, as it seems we are the only ones remaining to do so.”


BREAKING: NATIONAL POLICE ISSUE SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER FOR CITY OF ASILICA, STREETS ORDERED CLEAR OF ALL BUT EMERGENCY RESPONDERS IMMEDIATELY, AUTOSTRADA CLOSED TO CIVILIANS NATIONWIDE, BORDERS CLOSED

CITY OF ASILICA-- The National Police Bureau has issued an immediate shelter-in-place order, requiring all individuals who are not emergency responders to return to their homes or otherwise secure themselves inside a building. Additionally, the Asilican Autostrada network has been ordered closed to all civilian traffic for the first time in Asilican history, meaning only militia, army, law enforcement, and emergency responders can use the highways.

“There is intelligence that indicates the possibility of further terrorists being actively at large and preparing for an imminent next attack. While it is not confirmed, the security of the city of Asilica and the entire country must be assured immediately,” said the National Police Bureau in a written statement.

The National Police Bureau have also ordered that all border crossings into and out of Asilica are to be immediately closed, including to Asilican citizens attempting to return home from abroad, “until such time as a sufficient security screening arrangement can be implemented,” according to the National Police. The statement also noted that this excludes “potential military or law enforcement aid coming from allied foreign countries,” though it did not state from whom such assistance might be coming, if at all.

This is a developing story and may be updated with more information as it becomes available…


GRAND COUNCIL BOMBING UPDATE: Casualties reach 1,500, 12 Grand Councilors found alive

THE CITY OF ASILICA-- The National Police Bureau has issued an updated estimate of casualty counts in the Grand Council bombing attack that occurred Monday morning: 850 killed and 1,500+ injured. While the official count is expected to take weeks and the estimates are subject to change, the National Police Bureau stated “having investigated a significant majority of the blast area, we believe that the number of deaths will remain in the range of 800 to 900, possibly up to 1,000 but not likely to exceed it,” per spokesperson Arthur Fein.

Additionally, the office of President Jörg Renatsch announced on Tuesday afternoon that 12 members of the Grand Council are alive and “secure in a government facility” whose location was not identified. According to the statement, issued by the President’s Chief of Staff Calogero Galati, “the living Councilors were onboard a train in the Underground that had been delayed several minutes due to there being animals on the tracks.”

According to Galati, the Councilors did not exit the Underground after the blast but stayed within a maintenance storage room along one of the tunnels, along with a train driver and an officer of the Transit Police.

The statement did not identify the names of the living Councilors, but said that “within the coming days, we expect to establish a provisional government consisting of some or all of the living Grand Councilors, possibly also with Senators involved.” In the meantime, President Jörg Renatsch remains the “sole executive authority” of the country, per the statement.


Asilica Steps Back in Diplomatic Dispute With Sarentria, Seeks Cooperation to Ensure Security

THE CITY OF ASILICA-- A day after President Jörg Renatsch ordered Asilican Navy vessels into waters that are disputed between Asilica and Sarentria, the government has announced in response to Sarentrian complaints that the Navy will scale back sweeps of the area and will do so under the escort of Sarentrian ships. “It has not been the policy of Asilica to antagonize or threaten Sarentria in regard to the dispute, and it is not so now. While Asilica acknowledges and respects that both countries have a claim on the waters and that neither has previously moved military ships through the area, the simple fact is that we cannot allow the region to go un-investigated,” said Sonia Klegg, Press Secretary to the President.

The disputed strip of ocean, known as the “Sugen Strip” in Asilica because of its location to the south of Sugen, lies between Asilica, Sarentria, and the Yor Isles. It has been disputed since Sarentria gained independence after the Auroran Imperial War. Prior to this, Asilica had made informal claims on the strip but had not enforced the dispute with what was then Ethalria. Neither country had sent military vessels into the strip prior to Asilica doing so after the Grand Council attack. At the time the order was given, President Renatsch indicated that the vessels were conducting security sweeps of the area alongside the Rosalican Coast Guard.

Sarentrian Prime Minister Ositha Boracova said in a statement that, while Sarentria stands by Asilica, “we demand that the Asilican naval presence be removed from our waters to avoid tension in the near future.” Sarentria also filed a formal complaint with the United Nations of the Auroran Continent (UNAC), of which Asilica is not a member, asking for UNAC support in the dispute.

Responding to Sarentria, the President has ordered that the Rosalican ships return to undisputed Asilican waters and that the Asilican Navy must be escorted by Sarentrian vessels while conducting searches. “Because both countries had established a precedent of not sending military vessels into the disputed strip, the risk is that potential threats could use the waters as a place to hide and regroup. Asilican presence in the region was, and is, only to deter these possible threats. We are more than happy to do so in cooperation with Sarentria, who of course has an interest in securing the waters as well,” said Press Secretary Klegg.

Neither Klegg nor the Office of the President responded to questions about what the future plans were for Asilican presence in the strip, or whether or not the government intended to actively pursue a claim. “We very clearly have other priorities at the moment,” said Klegg. Addressing national security, she indicated that the government felt “reasonably confident” that the risk of further attacks has decreased. “As we continue to investigate, we are increasingly discovering few, if any, active threats to the country, and hopefully I will have an announcement about that relatively soon.”


Entire Constitutional Court Resigns: “We Refuse to Surrender Asilica to Anarchy”

THE CITY OF ASILICA— In just one more unprecedented constitutional situation to befall Asilica, the Constitutional Court resigned en masse on Friday morning, a measure taken in order to allow President Jörg Renatsch to proceed with his plan to have political parties nominate replacements to fill their empty seats in the Grand Council. Prior to their resignation, they had ruled on several other Presidential actions, including the order to close the borders and the Autostrada, and the appointment of Provisional Chancellor Theresa Armbrüster.

The atmosphere in the Constitutional Court chamber, an infamously cramped room with few seats for press or spectators, was often rocked with emotion as the Hon. Klaus Strecker, the President of the Court, read through the written opinion of judgment—a rare example of giving an opinion “from the bench,” a once-mandatory part of the legal process that has become almost entirely unused in the modern day. At a few times, Mr. Strecker became emotional himself, sighing heavily and on one occasion throwing his hands up in exasperation.

The Court did rule that the President has the authority to refer laws to the court without a Chancellor, that he can declare and execute a state of emergency, and that the closure of the Autostrada was entirely legal. However, the order to close all borders to citizens and non-citizens alike, known as Presidential Executive Action 4, was retroactively declared illegal. The decision said “it is a violation of the civil rights of the citizens to refuse them entry without recourse,” meaning that the government cannot ban entry of citizens without individually inspecting them and determining “reasonable suspicion” of a security threat. Closing every border crossing point for non-citizens was also declared illegal; the Court stated that the law as currently written only allows such an action in the event of a pandemic.

The most crucial decisions were in Presidential Executive Actions 4 and 5. The fourth action was the one that appointed Teresa Armbrüster as Provisional Chancellor, and in a surprising decision, the court ruled that it was illegal to appoint her as a provisional chancellor, “a term that does not appear in law,” but that she can be appointed as the actual Chancellor, because of the words in the Constitution that state “There shall be a Chancellor…” means that “there must be a Chancellor” at all times. But it was the fifth action that will be remembered throughout history.

At first, Mr. Strecker appeared to be poised to strike it down and state that no legislature could be called until April of 2024. “There simply isn’t any basis for this,” he said, and he noted that there was no occurrence of the words “there shall be” in the Constitution regarding the National Assembly. However, just before reading what presumably would have been the formal decision on the act, the other members of the court entered the room and handed in their resignations. Mr. Strecker accepted them and then resigned himself, leaving the court empty. It was “an incredibly difficult decision,” Strecker said, but as he explained, had the court approved it outright, it would have been tantamount to authorizing a coup—but if it struck the act down, the country would be “surrender[ed] to anarchy.” Instead, the court resigned, leaving the question unanswered and leaving the President to continue to operate in a legal gray area.

After his resignation, Mr. Strecker turned to the President and emotionally pleaded that he “act always in the spirit of the law” even if he could not follow it to the letter. “All we have now … is trust,” he said with tears forming in his eyes. “Please,” said the former judge to the only remaining duly elected government official in the national government. “Don’t let us down.”


Anti-UNAC Protest at Senate Building Ruled Unlawful; Tear Gas Used to Disperse Protestors

THE CITY OF ASILICA-- The first mass protest in the capital of Asilica since the events of June 21st was declared unlawful and forcefully dispersed by police at the order of President Jörg Renatsch, with “more than 20 arrests” per the National Police Bureau. The protest, held in front of the Senate building just seven blocks from the former Grand Council building on Saturday afternoon, was in opposition to recent government decisions to join the International Forum and the United Nations of the Auroran Continent (UNAC).

“The freedom to assemble, the freedom to protest, and the freedom to disagree with the government are all sacrosanct in this country and they will continue to be respected,” a statement from the Office of the President began, “but an unlawful riot is not an assembly and not a protest. Unfortunately, today’s events at the Senate became an unlawful riot, and in the interest of preserving our fragile national security, the President took action to end the illegal riot and restore peace.”

According to the National Police Bureau, the agency that deployed tear gas canisters into the assembled crowd of between 5,000 and 10,000 people, the crowd of people “had begun to overtake the security perimeter at the Senate and had ceased to follow instructions from officers to step back.” The exact number of arrests made was uncertain as of press time, but a spokesperson for the National Police Bureau estimated between 20 and 30 people, “all of whom were at the front of the crowd and clearly seeking to agitate.”

Those who were on the ground among the protestors, though, disagree with the National Police Bureau assessment. Marco Kohring, 49, of Sugen Canton, was near the front of the crowd, having arrived in the City at 9 in the morning, hours before the event was scheduled to begin. “I’m just so angry at this that I had to be first in line. In a single instant, they abandoned the very most important, the most crucial part of the soul of this country: our neutrality. And while lots of us were angry, absolutely none of us were pushing at the security cordon or agitating cops. What are we, idiots?”

The decision by Chancellor Teresa Armbrüster to join the International Forum and UNAC was one of her first in office, and both decisions were said to be done in the name of national security. “The simple truth is that Asilica can no longer do it alone,” the Chancellor had said at that time. However, membership in both organizations has long been a highly controversial, and usually highly unpopular, hot button political topic. The highest ever recorded support for Asilican UNAC membership in an opinion poll was just 38%, in 2019. The International Forum has been less controversial historically, with opinion polling generally averaging in the high 40 percent range, but still not widely accepted.

“Thaer above, look at what’s become of us,” said Kohring, the protestor. “We’ve lost our way, so suddenly. We threw away neutrality, we’ve started outlawing protest… Asilica as we knew it is gone. Benedikt Schöner got what he wanted.”


Asilica Withdraws from International Forum After Months of Controversy

THE INTERNATIONAL FORUM, Christie Island-- President Jörg Renatsch issued a letter to the International Forum on Friday that formally removes the Republic of Asilica as a member of that organization, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported. The move had long been rumored, especially after long-time Asilican ally Mexregiona declared its intention to leave the organization last year, though after a set of reforms, Mexregiona agreed to stay a member. However expected, the move is a setback and an embarrassment for Chancellor Teresa Armbrüster, who had called membership in the I.F. “essential” as a response to the terrorist attacks of 21/6/21.

“It has become quite clear that the International Forum, despite its aspirations, is simply not an effective place to coordinate international diplomacy,” said Ms. Armbrüster in remarks to the press. “We sought out the International Forum in a time of great need for security, but the organization’s own security is suspect, and even in times of relative stability within its walls, it has not made an impact on the international issues of the day.”

Joining the International Forum was highly controversial and overwhelmingly opposed by the public, with a survey in December 2021 indicating 81% of Asilicans either “somewhat” or “strongly opposed” membership in the body. Since the establishment of the republic in 1804, Asilica has identified itself as a neutral country and long shunned any international entanglements. In 2019, Asilica joining the Ethaln League was also controversial, though concerns were somewhat assuaged by that body’s character as mainly an inter-parliamentary dialogue with no ability to make mandates or legislation. And while public tension regarding the UNAC—which Asilica also joined in July of 2021—has settled somewhat as the public has come to understand that organization’s role in restoring security to the country after the attacks, in the case of the I.F., very few Asilicans agreed with the Chancellor that joining was necessary for the country’s safety.

“The International Forum is a joke and we never should have joined it,” said one user on the social networking site Pigeon in response to the news. “It’s the 21st century and if we want to talk to another country we can send them a text message.” Josef Kossmann, President of Zuletz Canton, was even more outspoken, calling Asilican I.F. membership “not only unconstitutional, but an absolute insult to the founding mothers and fathers of our country. That woman [Chancellor Armbrüster] spits on the face of the Republic. She is right to leave the I.F. and she should be arrested and tried for treason.”

While I.F. membership is now a thing of the past for Asilica, the Chancellor has given no indication that leaving the UNAC is on the table. “Our partners in the UNAC were of crucial importance to efforts to re-secure our country,” Ms. Armbrüster said. She also noted that Asilica’s previous status as member of the Single Auroran Market had required Asilica to align its laws with Auroran standards but did not give Asilica a vote in how to set those standards. “It would be foolish for us to give up our vote, and foolish for us to spurn our partners,” she said, adding: “The UNAC, unlike the IF, has actually done things for us.”