The Cynebury Herald

[Tretrid]

January 18, 2023

Æthelstansunu To Hold Summit With Federation PM Pierre

CYNEBURY—Prime Minister Eoforwine Æthelstansunu is currently set to hold talks with Côtois Federal Prime Minister Jeanne Pierre, in a summit that is likely to have implications for Northeast Novaris.

In a press release published shortly before Æthelstansunu departed Cynebury, he stated his intentions to “jointly assess the current security arrangements in Northeast Novaris, as well as evaluate the current state of Tretrid-Federation bilateral relations.” He acknowledged that “relations between [Tretrid and the Federation] have historically been cold,” but argued that “as Tretrid and the Federation of the Southern Coast of Lapérouse both have stakes in the continued stability of Northeast Novaris, it is imperative that the possibility for cooperation regarding regional security be explored.” Also in attendance will be Ymir and Kuoväinne leadership.

This was received with some surprise by outside observers, especially since relations between Tretrid and the Federation have historically chilly, especially due to Tretrid’s alliance with Tavaris and Tretrid’s outspoken condemnation of Côtois nuclear armament in early 2022.

When asked about the seeming about-face in foreign policy, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “Tretrid and the Federation are both interested in making Northeast Novaris more stable in the long term, though the Federation and we have sought to achieve this in different ways.”

This meeting could have wide-reaching implications for the region. Hustreache, which has significant economic connections to Tretrid, lodged a diplomatic complaint to the Tretridian government over the summit. Since Hustreache’s government has roots in Hirdism, both Ymirland and the Federation are hostile towards it, and the summit will likely put the relationship between Tretrid and Hustreache under international scrutiny.

Jarisven, which, due to Tretrid’s and the Federation’s mutual hostility, may stand to be hurt the most. Sources mention the Côtois-Norgsveltian military intervention into Jarisven in the 1990s and note that such a coalition might be formed between Tretrid and the Federation in case of Jarisvi aggression.

Conversely, Ymirland, which is both hosting and participating in the summit, may benefit significantly from potential closer ties to Tretrid, especially if the talks result in economic agreements with Tretrid or the creation of a foreign aid program aimed at encouraging further Ymir development.

Kuovälsna will also have a say in the results of the meeting as another one of its participants, though observers are unsure on whether they will have a major role in the conference other than weighing in on Jarisven and Hustreache, both of which Kuovälsna is hostile towards.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson cautioned against “excessive” speculation regarding the possible long-term effects of the summit. “The goal of the meeting is to see where the interests of all the participants align. It is far too early to talk about any hypothetical future ventures involving Northeast Novaris.”

[Tretrid]

December 20, 2023

Tretrid, Norgsveldet, Vistaraland, Axdel, Atlalandr, Kaldrbuþ, RCEU Embargo Mirhaime

CYNEBURY—In a joint statement from the governments of Tretrid, Vistaraland, Axdel, Atlalandr, Kaldrbuþ, the Norgsveltian Crown Realm, and the member countries of the Red Crown Economic Union, they announced that they would be instituting an embargo on trade with Mirhaime and its allies, due to allegations of neo-imperialism. Other countries affected by this embargo include Sayyed and Thalor.

This measure came as a result of criticisms of Mirhaimian interventionism after Askaraban and Crimpeteia invaded Sayyed in June. The main driving force behind the sanctions was Côtois Federal Prime Minister Jeanne Pierre, who, along with Prime Minister Æthelstansunu, had stated their intent to limit Mirhaimian influence as a result of their summit in Kyinster in January.

Observers have been caught by surprise by this statement for multiple reasons. It, along with the IF Security Council overwhelmingly voting to reject a proposed referendum that would see the cession of Crimpatein territory to Sayyed, marks a major swing in international opinion after the IF General Council and the Security Council both acted to condemn Crimpateia and Askaraban for the invasion.

Another source of surprise was the joint involvement of the Federation and Vistaraland in the sanctions. The Federation and Vistaraland have very poor relations, and the only time the two have cooperated in recent memory was in the UCA intervention into the Helslandr Civil War in 2022. Furthermore, Vistaraland generally opposes imposing barriers on its trade, as exemplified by Vistari opposition to the expulsion of Blåskog from the NCEF.

The effect these measures are expected to have on the Mirhaimian economy are significant, due to Tretrid being Mirhaime’s most important trade partner due to their proximity and the size of the Tretridian economy. However, this also means that it might have a negative effect on the Tretridian economy. Indeed, after the announcement was made, stocks in Tretrid tumbled due to general uncertainty.

In a press conference, Prime Minister Æthelstansunu brushed off worries about the economy, noting that Mirhaime was far from Tretrid’s most important trading partner and that “fears of a repeat of the recession of the 2000s are overblown,” referring to the period of economic troubles that resulted from the Volscine Civil War. He also argued that it was “far more important” for Tretrid to “stand in solidarity with its allies and strategic partners” while “sending an unequivocal message to Ms. Cáiréas that her neo-colonial ambitions will not go unopposed.”

ICM and PO4 Chemical have released statements objecting to the resolution and arguing that it would be counterproductive, but have stated their intent to comply with the embargo by divesting in Mirhaime, Thalor, and Sayyed.

[Tretrid]

December 22, 2023

Colasunu Lambasts Sanctions as Affected Countries Vow Cooperation

CYNEBURY—Leader of the Opposition Eahlstan Colasunu decried the recent announcements of sanctions against Mirhaime and associated countries in a speech in the Witenagemot Friday morning as the targeted countries vowed to support each other.

Mr. Colasunu, the leader of the Ulvriktru Democratic Party of Tretrid (ÞUD), made the speech on the last day the Witenagemot was scheduled to be in session before its adjournment for Yule.

“Why, Mr. Speaker, must the Tretridian people pay for the Prime Minister’s diplomatic games with the livelihoods?” Colasunu said. “Why must we damage our own economy just to play along with Mrs. Pierre’s stunts?” he said, referring to Côtois Federal Prime Minister Jeanne Pierre, one of the main impetus behind the joint sanctions.

Prime Minister Eoforwine Æthelstansunu remained firm in his position. “I would suggest that Mr. Colasunu cares more about material wealth than about the maintenance of international norms, Mr. Speaker, but I know him well enough that such a thing should be beneath him and am simply at a loss at why he would oppose these sanctions in such terms as he has.”

“The maintenance of a stable international environment is what enables global trade and commerce, as we all learned twenty years ago,” Æthelstansunu added, referring to the recession that accompanied the Volscine Civil War. “Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, the joint sanctions are more than just a Côtois initiative. It is shared by our friends in the NCEF and the Tavari Union, though I suspect Mr. Colasunu did not mention them out of political convenience.”

Æthelstansunu referred to the announcement that the North Concordian Economic Federation voted near-unanimously to join on the sanctions.

Colasunu’s criticism comes amidst the news that the targeted countries, Mirhaime, Sayyed, Thalor, and Afragola, have vowed mutual assistance in the face of the sanctions in an emergency summit. The news has amplified criticism of the sanctions, arguing that they would be ineffective and potentially counterproductive. Political backlash to the sanctions has manifested in the form of protests in Cynebury, Sweoraport, and Sigested.

[Tretrid]

June 10, 2024

Government Begins Transition to United Krone

CYNEBURY—In a press conference Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Eoforwine Æthelstanesunu announced that the government had begun taking the first formal steps towards officially adopting the United Krone, the currency used by the North Concordian Economic Federation.

In a press release made by the Office of the Prime Minister shortly before the conference, Æthelstanesunu outlined what was named the United Krone Transition Plan in more detail. The plan lays out the adoption of the Krone in two major stages: one to introduce the use of the Krone as legal tender and promote its use throughout Tretrid and one to phase out the use of the Tretridian Pound, the current Tretridian currency.

In both the statement and the conference, Æthelstanesunu announced that the Krone would be effective in non-physical form beginning July 1, and that the Royal Bank of Tretrid and the Cynebury Mint would become authorized to issue the Krone on the same day.

This announcement comes about a week after the final report made by the United Krone Committee, created under the Ministry of Finance’s purview in the start of 2022. In the report, the committee outlined a set of benefits and drawbacks to adopting the Krone but ultimately recommended doing so on the basis that the transition be handled with care. In particular, it cautioned about possible knock-on effects of a bungled adoption of the currency due to Tretrid’s status as the largest economy in Novaris.

The first phase of the transition is expected to last more than a year, so the issue of monetary policy has become a topic of debate for the elections scheduled to occur this year. The Social Democrats and the Ulvriktru Democrats, the two largest parties, have pledged to continue the adoption of the Krone, while the far-right Nationalist Party has railed against the idea, referring to it as “selling out the Tretridian people to technocrats in Osfjord and billionaires in Vakrestrender” and vowing to continue exclusive use of the Pound. Prime Minister Æthelstanesunu refused to answer questions regarding the political impacts of adopting the Krone, saying that “it is up to the Tretridian people to decide in the upcoming elections.”

It is currently unknown when the second phase will begin to take effect. Neither the Social Democrats nor the Ulvriktru Democrats have made pledges regarding phasing out the Pound, and even in Æthelstanesunu’s plan, this phase was stated to “begin once conditions are favorable for it,” a visibly noncommittal step. A source within the government that asked to remain anonymous claimed that this was done due to how conditions might be very different at the end of the first phase than originally projected.

Before that happens, the matter of Tretridian currency is widely expected to look like how it has in Vistaraland, which has officially adopted the Krone but continues to issue the Gildemerk and sees only limited use of the Krone outside of major cities. Similarly to Vistaraland, support for adoption of the Krone varies by geographical area, with the areas of greatest support being the urban areas of East Crenland and the Lower Greatflood, while the areas of least support include Nalpia, Peyetia, and rural areas of Eveast. Experts on monetary policy have speculated on the possibility that the phase-out of the Pound could be postponed indefinitely, making Tretridian monetary policy mirror Vistaraland’s on a more permanent basis.

The issue of Tretridian adoption of the Krone has also been the subject of international pressure from fellow states in the North Concordian Economic Federation, most vocally from Vakrestrender. Shortly after the press conference Valkyr Prime Minister Johanna Sverdrup posted on Pigeon that the move was “one step close for a better unity and integration within the NCEF.” Sverdrup, as previously the Prime Minister of Norgsveldet, was heavily involved in Tretridian admission to the NCEF in 2020.

For his part, Æthelstanesunu denied any role diplomatic affairs might have played in the timing of the announcement. “While I can understand why our counterparts in the NCEF might wish that we were faster in adopting the Krone, we still need to take the appropriate steps and to not rush the process,” he said when prompted on the matter.

[Tretrid]

March 20, 2024

‘Polling Gap’ for Social Democrats Cause for Concern

CYNEBURY—A persistent gap between the approval rating of the Æthelstanesunu government and election polling for the Social Democratic Party (ÞSD), dubbed the ‘polling gap’ by pundits, has been the subject of increasing alarm within the party with elections on the horizon.

“It’s not quite panic,” a top ranking Social Democrat, who asked to remain anonymous, says. “It’s more of a looming, creeping worry. We’re in trouble, and we all know it.”

Pollsters began to ramp up opinion polling in anticipation for an election in late 2023. It was then that a curious pattern began to emerge.

“We noticed that there was a significant difference between the approval rating of the Æthelstanesunu government and the percentage of people who said that they planned on voting for the Social Democrats in the next election,” says Ceolbeorn Wulfhunesunu, a statistician and writer who runs the opinion poll analysis website Nigon, Feowertig, and Hundteontig. “The margin sometimes got as wide as 5%, and that was before Prime Minister Æthelstanesunu announced that he was stepping down.”

Æthelstanesunu made history for the Social Democratic Party with his electoral victory in 2020 after reaching some of the highest approval ratings seen in decades after his handling of various crises in office, most prominently the Vanoi fever pandemic.

“Anecdotal evidence suggests that many of the people who swung to voting Social Democrat in 2020 didn’t do so off of any particular enthusiasm for Æthelstanesunu more than the belief that he was a trusted pair of hands who could be counted upon,” says Wulfhunesunu. He suggests that, while the public generally does view the government favorably, people are simply fatigued with eight years of Social Democratic governance.

“Æthelstanesunu has pushed his party’s platform steadily leftwards during his time as leader. This could possibly be read as a public reaction to it.”

The polling gap has only widened since Æthelstanesunu announced his intent to retire from politics. The new ÞSD leader, Defense Minister Eadmund Waldhergesunu, does not have the advantage Æthelstanesunu would have had as the incumbent Prime Minister.

Something has to change, says the source from the Social Democratic leadership. “If we don’t make changes that emphasize that we’re offering something new and different that what we’re currently doing, we’re on track to lose hard once the votes are in.”

When the Cynebury Herald contacted Waldhergesunu’s campaign, a spokesperson gave a short statement stating reaffirming the party’s “commitment to keeping delivering what the Tretridian people need” while declining to comment specifically on polling numbers.

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July 16, 2023

Fowlstone Island Joins the Oceanic Triad Agreement

FOWLSTONE ISLAND—Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs joined Fowlstone Island government officials and representatives from Vakrestrender, K’undzeti, and Wescernia Sunday morning in a signing ceremony for Fowlstone’s entry into the Oceanic Triad Agreement (OTA).

The OTA was founded in 2022 in response to a diplomatic incident caused by Norgsveldet doubling its air force presence in Vakrestrender, sparking protests from the United Nations of the Auroran Continent. It seeks to promote cooperation in economic matters, as well as to help provide for each other’s security.

The signing came after rounds of political negotiations between Fowlstone Island and the OTA’s members over the course of about two months, most of which centered on the matter of representation within the Oceanic Diet. As Fowlstone’s population is significantly lower than that of the other OTA members, K’undzeti and Wescernia pushed to decrease its presence in the Oceanic Diet to 10 representatives from the original 30, but Vakrestrender’s government stated that it would only accept consideration of proportionality if it gained seats due to it having the highest population out of the OTA states, which was considered a red line by the Wescernian government. The governments eventually settled with letting Fowlstone have all 30 seats in the Diet.

The Tretridian government, also a signatory to the accession agreement, gained the status of an overseeing power of the OTA, joining Vistaraland and Norgsveldet. In a short statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated its “hope that this will be the first steps towards more concrete cooperation in the Cerenerian.” A spokesperson for the government of Fowlstone told the Cynebury Herald that entering the OTA “will bring concrete economic and security benefits to both Fowlstone and the wider Cerenerian” and that it is a “step towards a more open, free, and safe Cerenerian.”