Kalistan

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Mickelson welcomes New Democrats to Institutional Party
"There is room for you in the Party" says Chancellor of the Empire
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
February 20, 5729


Chancellor Mickelson discusses entry of New Democrats into the Institutional Party

Chancellor of the Empire and Speaker of the Institutional Party of Kalistan, Sir, Johnathan Mickelson formally welcomed the participation of New Democrat Club of Suldanor at the annual convention this August. "The Civil Society Club, which focuses on voter awareness and civic engagement has met all the requirements to participate in the Party's Convention and to put forward their own nominees for office within Suldanor," said the Chancellor. "Since they have complied with the laws in the formation and operation of their organization and have meet the minimum requirements we have set as a Party for recognition, they will be a part of our convention, shall have the full delegation allotted to them by the by-laws and will be permitted to see their candidates appear on the ballot in next January's general election."

The Chancellor's statement comes as a surprise to many even orthodox Institutionalists who had long predicted that the New Democrats, who some would argue represent a radical political philosophy in the Empire, would be shut out of the Convention by a technicality. What is clear however, is that the Chancellor intends for the Party to welcome the Club to their organization and to allow the New Democrats to form an informal caucus on par with the Nationalist, Orthodox and Brethrenist Caucuses. "There is plenty of room for you in this Party," he said. "The Institutional Party practices internal democracy, and we value a multitude of perspectives within the Party's main decision making body, our triennial Convention."

New Organizations frequently apply for the right to participate within the Convention: All that is required is that the Club achieve a membership of over 1000, that they agree that their candidates will conform to the Institutional Party's Platform, and that they represent neither a communist nor a fascist position. Following their application, they are vetted by the National Executive Committee, which is made up of the Chancellor, as head of the Party as well as his Vice Chair, the Party's Treasurer and Secretary, and the appointed heads of all formal standing committees. As the Chancellor appoints the heads of all committees, the National Executive is seen as his or her own people. And this is why the very public statement welcoming the New Democrats to the Institutional Party was a little bit of a surprise.

But to those paying attention, the Chancellors words almost mirrored the words of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto last fall when she delivered a speech that offered an evaluation of her reign. "We attempted reforms, but perhaps not as actively as we could have. We felt that the impulse to reform could be channeled through our Institutional Party, because it is a fact that there is room for democracy within the Party. As long as they remain within our law, and meet the requirements that the Party itself sets for recognition, they should be allowed to participate, and our Party should not fear the result. It is how things remain fresh and new for a new generation. And now, with nationalists and orthodoxos, and brethrenists all working together to move our fiat through the National Assembly, we feel confident that our fiat expressed in law will also represent the viewpoints of our people." The mirroring of some of the phrases suggests that the Chancellor, who may have been on the fence about the the question was pushed into acceptance by the Empress herself.

For the New Democrat Club, there was a moment of celebration following the Chancellor's declaration. "But of course," said Dr. Kristen Brandt, leader of the New Democrat Movement in Kalistan. "We did everything they asked us to do, and we survived in the courts. I think we have faced a heightened level of scrutiny likely because Democrat is on our name. But this was one case where, I think right has prevailed, and now instead of celebrating, I need to remind everyone that we are on a recruitment drive, and the excuse that 'We can't join because we don't actually think you will be on the ballot so we aren't wasting our time' is no good anymore. You all don't have any excuses now. If you have been even thinking about it, its time to put up or shut up about how you never have any power. Kalistanis, you have no more excuses." Brandt said she is going to redouble her efforts in Odufaray to cross the threshold before the Convention.

The Office of the Empress issued a statement: "Her Imperial Majesty generally will not comment on the internal operations of the Institutional Party. She does however wish to acknowledge the tenacity and organizational skills of Dr. Brandt, the Sulari native who is the chief organizer of the club, and would invite her to visit her in Eveari after her abdication in 5730 so they can speak to one another and Her Imperial Majesty can ask what it is about democracy that so excites Dr. Brandt."

@TheRepublic

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Princess Consort announces that she is expecting
Announcement was made at House Ananto Fundraiser for the Arts
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
June 24, 5729


Princess Consort, with Princess Jennifer Ananto-Rosenfeld, speaks to reporters at House Ananto Foundation's Summer Gala for the Arts

Her Highness, the Princess Consort Casey Leigh-Campbell has announced that she is expecting a child. "We are expecting our first child in early December," said the Princess Consort, speaking to reporters at the annual House Ananto Foundation's fundraiser to support the National Theater and the Imperial Opera. She was speaking about how important it was to support the arts in the nation, and that people who have money need to drop as much money as possible when she let the news slip, "Arts are important. I know I am going to want the child we are expecting to be involved in the arts when they finally get to school..." The comments caused the reporter to interrupt the interview and ask "Are you expecting a child?" The Princess Consort laughed and said "Yeah... but I guess we didn't tell anyone yet..."

As this news broke during the live interview, Her Highness, Princess Jennifer Ananto-Rosenfeld happened to be walking by and the reporter asked her to hold a moment, and then asked if House Ananto was aware that the Princess Consort was expecting a child. Clearly she was not. With a beaming smile, and an off-the-cuff comment about the Princess Consort needing to be signed up for media training, the young Princess and apprentice of current director Princess Melanie Ananto-McLinn requested that the interview be temporarily paused, while she spoke with her sister in law in private. Five minutes later the two young women found the reporter and requested that the interview be resumed.

"Well, it is official then," said the Princess Consort. "We've informed Lady Melanie in Luxon and she gave the greenlight to make the announcement." Princess Jennifer stayed on hand to answer questions on behalf of House Ananto. "This event here is supposed to be about funding the arts. House Ananto is a major patron of both the National Theater and the Imperial Opera, and in our capacity we utilize House Ananto's good reputation to help other rich people in this country to patronize those two important institutions as well. But this news is kinda more important. We can raise money any day, but learning that the dynasty will continue is definitely worth talking about too. And more importantly, I am going to become an Aunt!" Both women were all smiles.

When asked why the announcement had not been publicized earlier, the Princess Consort said "We just got it confirmed by my doctor last week, but we wanted to kind of keep it a secret until we were totally sure that everything is going ok. I am a bit superstitious and didn't want to jinx anything. But it is all Willy and I have talked about since we got the news, so it was on my mind, I suppose."

Princess Jennifer added, "My mom and I kind of had an idea... I noticed she has been drinking a lot more water these days. And she hasn't even been down surfing yet this year. I think she kinda had to know already."

The two women eventually completed the interview about the arts funding from the Foundation. "Yes, we will raise more than 15 Million Imperial Pesos for the two institutions," said Princess Jennifer, who organized this year's Arts Fundraiser as part of her increasing duties at House Ananto. "We get our money mostly from the House Fund itself, but we also ask for donations from captains of Industry, major investors and private citizens, all of whom have benefitted from this Empire and are now expected to give back to the things that make this nation great. House Ananto has such a reputation in our Nation that if we ask the rich to open their pocketbooks, they do so widely and generously, because they know that we always more than match any donations they will make."

Following the end of the interview, the two Ladies disappeared for a little while, and then re-emerged to begin circulating at the event amongst people who themselves were learning the news and wanted to congratulate the Princess Consort.

@TheRepublic

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Princess Victoria Ananto-Rosenfeld Completes National Service
Plans to enroll in Theater Program at Kalistan Imperial University
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
July 1, 5729


Her Highness, Princess Victoria Ananto-Rosenfeld photographed in June, says she would like to be a set designer

The youngest of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto and His Highness, the Prince Consort Elliot Rosenfeld's three children, Her Highness the Princess Victoria Ananto-Rosenfeld, has been discharged from National Service after completing her 4 year term. The Princess left the Service with a distinctive record, rising to Conscript 1st Class after 4 years and though she earned the right to re-enlist, a distinction that even her brother, His Highness the Crown Prince did not earn, has opted to say good bye to national service and return to Kaliburg to begin school.

"During my four years in the National Service, as a member of the Ananto Corps' road maintenance crew, I nursed my dreams of joining the theater, and learning about set and production design," said the Princess who has recently enrolled in the Theater program at Kalistan Imperial University in Kaliburg. "I fell in love with doing tech and building sets in highschool-- There is something about making these scenes that you have to sort of imagine when you read the words of a play, just come to life and bring people into the production. Of course you can do a whole play without any sets at all: Readers theater does that all the time, and some productions themselves actually call for very minimal sets. But when you go see one of the major productions at the National Theater, or if you go to any of the operas or musicals at the Imperial Opera in Sulari, you will see the most fantastic sets that will take you right to the place where this action is supposed to be happening. A good set is often a character in a performance itself."

The Princess said learning set and production design will satisfy a creative calling for her. "I have loved the theater for as long as I can remember," she said. "Obviously, because of who my mother is, and who my brother will be, I won't get a lot of opportunities to act in front of an audience. You can't suspend your disbelief when protocol requires you to genuflect and all that business. But behind the scenes, I learned, I can still be part of the crew, I can build and paint and be part of what is happening. And I can watch the actors use these amazing sets to make this story come to life."

Her Highness said there are things she needs to do before she starts school during the fall term in September. "Well, I need to get my own house. I'll probably look for a townhome in either Wilson or in the Capital Hill neighborhood, somewhere near the University. With Jennifer in Luxon and my mom and dad in Eveari now, my brother and his wife Casey are at Cliff Home. It is time that I have my own house too, and I want one where I can have my own space and entertain when I want or not when I don't."

The Princess said she was looking forward to getting back to learning. "I am not nearly as gung ho on National Service as my sister," said the Princess. "Innitially, I was very excited, because I saw my brother go into the military and my sister joined before I did, and I was in a big hurry to follow in their footsteps. But I pretty quickly discovered that there was nothing really that romantic, as far as I am concerned, about National Service. My work was necessary, of course, and I was good at it, but really, I feel like my true calling is not driving a painting machine on the A-1 to paint lines down the center, or in making road signs. There's not a lot of really 'creative' jobs so to speak in the National Service--that was a bit of a let down for me. So I look at my time in as an interlude to my education, and now I am happy to get back to it." She said while she is in school, she hopes to get a job at the National Theater on the set crew, so she can contribute. "I will also, of course be associated with the theater at the University, but the National Theater is my real goal."

The Princess said that set and production design will require a lot of classes which are not traditionally considered associated with the theater. "Of course there are some basic theater classes involved, where you learn about history of theater in the world, and also things like mis en scene. I will have to take a cinema class as well. But there are also art classes: You have to learn how to play with perspective and how to make the set look good from all angles in a proscenium. You also have to learn carpentry, wood working, lighting, and every other thing necessary to create that illusion for the audience. It's really more of a trade than an art, and I really would love to learn how to do all parts of it."

Asked if she would ever like to work on movies, the Princess said, "Oh I'm not sure about that. I suppose many of the principles are the same, though movie locations are often a LOT bigger than stage sets. It might be something I branch out to, but for right now, I want to focus on this and work for the National Theater. Then someday I will see if I can't get a job at the Imperial Opera, which prides itself on these really elaborate sets and productions, and then who knows? The whole road is opened for me. I just have to apply myself and keep my goals in focus."

The Princess is staying at Cliff House, currently, until she can find her own lodgings. "Its nice to sit up with Willy and Casey and look out over Davon Bay," said Princess Victoria. "They are so happy together, and she's glowing as you would imagine. But I also want to make sure that I am giving them their space, and not wearing out my welcome. I'm actively looking right now for a place of my own, and then I just need to wait for Lady Melanie to buy the place, and I can move in to my very own first home." She said she is ready for the challenges of home ownership. "Well, I picked up a lot of very practical skills in the National Service which I can use to maintain much of my own home. So that will be part of the challenge."

The Princess said she is very optimistic about the future, and has a lot to do this summer before school starts.

@TheRepublic

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Most widely anticipated Institutional Convention sees few changes
New Democrats unable to push reforms
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 15, 5729


Delegates meet to approve changes to the Platform on Day 2 of the Convention

Political Conventions in liberal nations tend to be heavy on spectacle for television audiences, and light on actual business. Because politics in liberal democracies lack most substance, so it would make sense that their "Conventions" would be speeches discussing populist tropes fit for television consumption. But convention politics in Kalistan are quite far from that. They are mostly business and interparty faction making around specific items, such as resolutions, platform changes, and ballot slates. Each day during the convention, most of the time is spent in committee, and then in the afternoon, the delegates assemble in the Assembly Hall of the Institutional Party Headquarters, which is a converted theater in downtown Kaliburg that also houses all Party offices, a full service cafeteria, and has a workforce of more than 2500 people. While in the Assembly Hall, the delegates vote for committee proposals.

At this year's convention, all eyes were on the Party as the new dynamic posed by New Democrat delegations from both Suldanor and Odufaray (who hit the 1000 member threshold in June) was introduced. However, the delegations from the civil society clubs, each totaling 25 delegates, did not mount enough of a challenge to significantly affect committees or the votes as a whole. Most people believed that the New Democrats represented a force for at least a challenge of the status quo on a few points, but in fact, the total representation of the New Democrats represented less than six percent of the total number of delegates on the floor. Meanwhile, the Orthodox delegation, which represented a plurality, had about 40% of the seats at the convention. Most of the outcomes at the convention predictably reflected Orthodox positions, and there were no major surprises.

The New Democrats, represented by Dr. Kristen Brandt did have some successes however, in getting their candidates on the Odufaray, Suldanor, Sulari and Eshar General ballots: voters in those two Duchies and those two free cities will at least have the opportunity to vote for Democrats to send Deputies to the National Assembly. Several motions that the Democrats sponsored, including a formal recognition of caucuses, the right of Deputies to generate their own legislation independent of Imperial Fiat or Government requirement, and the reduction of some superfluous imperial titles to crown lands all failed before reaching the floor, and the last of those didn't even get all Democrat deputies to vote for it in committee.

"We don't have enough delegates at the convention right now," said Brandt after losing her motions in committee. "We're at about the same level as the socialists, and some of these things not even all our own delegates support. But we still count it as a victory just to be here, with the ability to get our candidates on the ballots in Odufaray and Suldanor, and maybe if people see that we can change things within the system, they will be more interested in joining this movement and helping us push deeper change through the system."

Early polls in the ballot access committee were largely against the New Democrats participating. While the Ballot Committee is usually seen as a proforma committee meant to screen out unreliable candidates or candidates that are clearly not interested in representing the Institutional Party on the ballot, in this case the committee turned into a rather large group of individuals having a rather heated debate about the meaning and the definition of the Party itself. Some asked whether it was reasonable to allow Democrats to participate in a Party whose only real function was to supply people to move the Imperial Fiat through the National Assembly. Others argued that the legislative function was but one of the Party's two functions: the other is to represent the people to the Government and indirectly to the Empress. At times the debate got heated, with Orthodoxos and Nationalists strongly arguing against Democrat participation, while Brethrenists, socialists, workers organizations and New Democrats making a strong stand for participation.

At the end, the day was ultimately won by Dr. Brandt herself, who produced the charter of the New Democrat Club and read it: "This club exists to promote the voice of the people through the Institutional Party. Our goal is not to undermine the Party but to be an integral, supportive and vibrant part of it. People in our nation want to participate in their government, and whatever form that takes within Kalistan, our movement seeks to increase the people's part in that." She also strongly argued that unchallengeable beliefs, like religion, are just dogma, and a belief that cannot stand up to any sort of challenge on any level is not worth possessing. The argument ultimately worked, with the New Democrats winning the right to appear on the ballot in the four Kalistani constituencies that they have clubs. The Chancellor of the Empire, Sir John Mickelson, even ultimately voted for the matter in Committee. It then came out of committee and was similarly approved by the entire body in a close vote.

Other than this small incursion of the New Democrats into the largely Orthodox-controlled Institutional Party Convention, that status quo was for the most part upheld. The Platform itself passed with flying colors and renewed its calls for more association with foreign nations, an effort to increase trade and an audit of Kalistan's Regular Force to see where cuts may be made to support a peacetime footing, and to determine whether or not new procurement is needed so that we can continue to remain the most important military force in the Northern Anantonese Ocean. Measures to allow a wider float for the National Economy from plus or minus half a percent to plus or minus a full percent were roundly shot down, as was any effort to increase the money supply to encourage foreign investment. Resolutions on Gaduridos and Lodamun sponsored by the Nationalists were solidly defeated, as was a resolution to call for the formal annexation of Athosia. This resolution, sponsored again by the Nationalists, is offered every convention, and never has enough votes to pass-- in fact, it is usually ruled completely out of order as it is by now considered dilatory.

The 5729 convention in the books, the Institutionalists now prepare for elections in early 5730 and then shift into Coronation mode, which is set for July of next year. The New Democrats, for their part are satisfied for their small victories. "A win is a win and we are just about 3 years old as a movement," said Brandt. "We are going to keep working and working obsessively until we have a nationwide presence. And meanwhile, it seems I have been named as a nominee for one of the Sulari seats. So I have a campaign to run!"

@TheRepublic

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Kalistan's Philosopher Empress prepares to Abdicate
Author releases new biography of erudite monarch that evaluates her long reign
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
September 20, 5729


Empress' last Official portrait, taken earlier this summer, shows a monarch who is ready to retire

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto has begun the count down to her abdication and retirement, which will formally begin on July 1, 5630 as the new Emperor is crowned. When she steps down, she will have been Empress for 44 years, 6 months and 2 days long, including the 10 plus year long regency of Lady Nicolette Ananto-Collins, making her the longest serving monarch, ahead of Mary I Ananto, who served for 41 years, 6 months and 28 days, including the regency of Lady Michelle Ananto-Sandoval, and even Empress Nicolette the Great, who served for 43 years, 5 months, and 10 days. Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto has been Empress since she was 12 years old, and it is safe to say, the transition will be a completely new experience for her.

"Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto has been the reigning monarch for four-fifths of her life," said Michael Simkins, who has recently released a public biography of the Empress called Accidental Greatness: the Life of Kalistan's Philosopher Empress. "The wildest thing about that fact is that she was never supposed to be Empress: she only became Empress upon the loss of her father and mother, and also her two brothers in a plane crash in the Mad Dog Ocean. That ill fated flight, which she was not on because she was ironically too ill to fly with her parents for the trip, radically altered the trajectory of the Empress' life, and set her on journey she is about to complete within the next 10 months."

According to Simkins, there is no way to say what kind of Emperor her brother would have been, but the loss of her family dramatically changed the young Empress. "Carolina was known as a bit of a pest before losing her family," said Simkins. "She was very outgoing, gregarious, and inquisitive. She was the middle child, and therefore was often overlooked by her parents who were busy trying to prepare her brother for his life as Emperor, or busy keeping up with her younger brother, who had a reputation of skill at athletics."

Carolina became very self reliant at an early age, and then after she lost her mother and father, and moved in with her aunt, she learned quickly that her self reliance was needed. There were rumors that the Princess Regent, herself devastated by the loss of her brother and sister in law, was nearly catatonic for the first two years of the regency, and the Chancellor of the Empire, Lady Ericka Donahue, who was really the only person from outside the royal family which was even allowed by law to approach the Roya Family, looked after the young Empress, took her under her wing and served as a very close mentor for the future ruler. "Ultimately Nicolette Ananto-Collins worked through her grief and her chemical addictions, and took up the role of adoptive mother as Carolina was entering her teens, finally providing a very stable and caring household."

The turbulence in Carolina's personal life at such an impressionable age led the girl to retreat into learning, where she took an early interest in linguistics and logic systems. The Empress got the opportunity to study in Valruzia, where she met another mentor, the late Valruzian President Urszula Pawlik, and learned about Valruzian society and language. In National Service, the Empress spent her time maintaining the geo thermal power plants in the Green Mountains, while she added philosophy to her interests and studies.

The Empress was not formally educated after High School: it is believed that she completed her degree while still in the service, but even she says this was not the same as actually going to class and sitting with a learning community. But philosophy and political theory became the love of her intellectual life: The Empress became a voracious reader, and now consumes ideas from all corners of the intellectual universe. She has written multiple peer reviewed articles, despite not being affiliated with any university, as well as numerous columns for Kalistan's various newspapers, all on theory and political thought. "in another life, she would have been a brilliant theorist," said Simkins.

She also remains an avid go player: She met her husband, the Prince Consort Elliot Rosenfeld losing to him at a National Go tournament. She maintains a professional Go Ranking of 3 Dan p, and alongside her husband, who has made a career as a go teacher, she plays weekly in Eveari. She is a devout Brethrenist, and attends the Eveari Monthly Meeting every week for worship. She is probably the most open about her faith of all of Kalistan's monarchs, nearly all of whom have maintained a public affiliation with the faith. Despite the affiliation of previous monarchs, Her Imperial Majesty has been called the first explicitly Brethrenist Empress, and under her reign, Brethrenism, while to date the dominant faith in the Empire, has really moved to the center of much of the political and social discussion in the Empire.

The Empress has also been called, and is still occasionally referred to as "The Red Empress", owing to her tolerance of moderate and even left wing political positions within the nation. Though she herself is a reactionary, the Empress was the first to allow socialists to actively participate in government since the institutionalists kicked the old SP out of the National Assembly before Nicolette the Great became Empress. Under her watchful eye, democrats are recently making inroads into the Institutional Party. She is openly supportive of robust working class rights and power in their work places, a ubiquitous social safety network, improvements to rural housing, infrastructure, health and education, and wealth redistribution in the nation. Except for her expressed and very bitter hostility toward democracy, markets of any kind, totalitarianism in the form of communism and Metzism, and her staunch and unyielding defense of hierarchy as natural, placing, of course, the Anantos at the pinnacle of the hierarchy, and herself at the top of that point, one might confuse her for a socialist. The title "Red Empress" is often applied to her as a critique by her political opponents, but she has never publicly disavowed the nickname.

The Empress has spent most of her reign having hard nationalists serve her as Chancellor. Despite the ideological orientation of the Government, Under Carolina, the nominal integration scheme known as the Anantonese Empire fell apart. "Carolina would have obviously preferred that Gaduridos was permanently and inextricably fused with Kalistan, but Gaduris, like the Lodamese before them, has no intention of politically submitting to the Empire. Lodamun fled long ago, but Gaduridos remained for another 80 years, and by the time of the Divorce, Gaduridos was draining Kalistani wealth faster than an open drain, while refusing to appoint a government to address problems they refused to allow Kalistan to address. At the end of the day, Carolina dissolved the Anantonese Empire rather than allow that nation to ruin Kalistan. And then after the Divorce, naturally the Gaduris stepped up, finally appointed an actual government and have been working to rebuild the state, while completely eschewing Kalistani offers for assistance and comradery. History will vindicate the Empress for shedding the anchor tied around Kalistan's neck, but the Nationalists of her generation will likely never forgive her."

After four and a half decades, the Empress leaves her son a much slimmer Empire than the one she inherited. The last vestige of Kalistan's once mighty Empire sits at Bentasur, which the Imperial Government has no intention of returning under any circumstance, and House Ananto's personal property in Athosia which constitutes the only part of that national obsession which remains the possession of the Royal Family, if not a possession of the Kalistani State. "But it is a Nation with the most stable currency on the face of the planet," said Simkins, "a nation with a military strong enough to deter any attacks from any foreign adversaries anywhere in Terra, a nation at peace with all of its neighbors, even if some of its neighbors nurse old petty grudges against Kalistan, and a nation that has diplomatic and trade contacts that range as far as Utaristan and Mordusia, as far as Hutori and Valruzia, and a nation that talks with more nations now than when she took the throne. That is a success in any book and when the story of her era is written, Empress Carolina II Ananto will rank among the greatest monarchs in our national History."

Carolina's turn at the helm of State has been a stable one: Kalistan went from an era of seeming existential collapse when Gaduridos decided that it no longer wanted any association, positive or negative with Kalistan to an era where Kalistan watches as other nations spend their time undermining national stability with wild constitutional innovations, revolutions, and insane trade patterns, as it sits in its place and continues to exist, as it always has, vibrant and alive, but secure and status quo oriented. Carolina's long reign has ensured that Kalistan will keep this Institutionalism, internal peace and order for generations to come. And for that, she, and the entire nation should be proud and optimistic to see her hand the reigns of government over to her son, the future Emperor William II Ananto.

"The next Emperor is of course going to be his own person," said Simkins, "But we already have indications, given his wife's expressed attitudes--Her Highness, The Princess Consort Casey Leigh-Campbell is herself also an avowed reactionary, in her own words, and the daughter of the extremely entrenched and privileged high Aristocracy--that William himself will also continue a very conservative course, maintaining continuity with Carolina, and every Ananto Emperor and Empress before her. It is doubtful that William is any sort of radical or reformer on any level--if he was trained for office by his mother, it can be certain that he shares her acerbic animosity for popular government of any kind, anywhere it exists, whether at home or abroad. But Kalistan thrives on order, and if this is what the soon to be Emperor is offering, Kalistan will continue along as it did under Her Imperial Majesty. And I suspect most Kalistanis are just fine with that."

Here's to Her Imperial Majesty's last year- may she complete everything she needs to before handing over power.

@Orthodoxo

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In upcoming elections, Kalistanis plan to vote... Institutionalist
Most voters are not interested in more democracy
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
October 20, 5729


Women interviewed in downtown Kaliburg say they feel represented by Party and Empress

Poll after poll taken across the Empire since August shows a noticeably average enthusiasm for the upcoming elections in January, despite the late entry of new, more democratic options. "The baseline for election enthusiasm is about 42%," said political scientist Mark Griffin, of Kalistan Imperial University in Kaliburg. "This year, we are interviewing people and about 43% of respondents say they intend to vote. This is strikingly normal, especially given the headlines about the entry of the New Democrat options on the ballot."

Griffin did note that voter enthusiasm itself was slightly higher in Suldanor and Odufaray, with an average of 46% and 45% respectively. "This shows that there is some effect with having options from the New Democrat Club on the ballot in those two duchies, but when you boil the numbers down, it is a wash, because there seems to be slightly elevated support for Orthodox or Nationalist candidates, which seems to be driving a lot of the increased sentiment."

It is hard to glean a projection for the January election from these polls. "We do know that all ballots have been approved by the Institutional Party already and will be ready for January's election, but any predictions that might suggest support for new options on the ballot are tempered with the fact that there a numerous options for each constituency, and the New Democrats are struggling to gain traction on name recognition. As the ballots only list names, you have to know that person x or y belongs to the New Democrat ticket if you really want to vote for them, and the clubs, while meeting the minimum, are still very small, and only represent a few thousand votes out of about 60 million."

Most active voters more strongly identify with what they call "Institutional values," that is strong support for Kalistan's institutions, and most especially the monarchy, peace, civil liberties, and heavy state control over the economy. "Voters appear to take an instrumentalist approach to government in Kalistan--As long as the state continues to provide a good, if not opulent, standard of living for most people, and make efforts to raise the standards of living for those who may fall behind, most people are fine with what the Government is doing. They say that would change if, for example, police presence that curtailed their liberty was increase, or there was rampant corruption in the Government, but for the most part, citizens are generally satisfied with how the Government is operating, and in general, prefer to leave government to elected Deputies, the Cabinet and the Empress while they live their lives."

Voters were asked in one poll to rank their values when it comes to political topics. 89% ranked "popular control over government" as dead last, with "Government protection of civil liberty" ranking near the top of a super majority, followed by "Quality of life" and "National Defense." "Democracy in Kalistan, such as it is conceived of in western nations and in Republics, is an entirely foreign concept for nearly all Kalistanis," said Griffin. "A lot of this is due to the pervasive state civics curriculum which is introduced in 1st Grade and continues through National Service. Kalistanis are not socialized to see themselves in government, but to leave that matter to specialists, the way most people do not see themselves as professional basketball players or brain surgeons. Most of those surveyed will argue with you that popular control over government is not only ill advised but dangerous, because they legitimately do not feel that their neighbor has their own best interests at heart, and feel that having a government that stands above the population is more likely to provide a truly neutral and disinterested judge to resolve disputes. In a sense then, Kalistan operates the way liberals claim their government would, leaving the people to live their own lives with minimal intrusion while promoting justice and fairness in all of the society from a neutral, disinterested standpoint."

This underwrites much of the support for the monarchy as well. "Most people say they are fine with the Empress living as she does, because they believe that she should be above the temptation to accept a bribe or serve any particular parochial interest. They are also completely fine with her wielding fiat authority, because Kalistanis believe that she is the only one who could possibly do so. Just like a ship requires a captain whose only job is to guide the ship to safe harbor, Kalistanis will argue that the Empress has one job: it is her job and hers alone, and nobody in this nation imagines that they could possibly live the sort of life they wish to live AND perform that job themselves."

Many people take the matter of support for the Monarchy personally. "Even when people might be upset with the choices made by the Empress, support remains almost universal for the monarchy," said Griffin. "This is because many see the Monarchy as a uniquely Kalistani institution: No other nation on the planet allows their Monarch blanket fiat authority. This makes Kalistan's monarchy unique, and people have come to feel an ownership and a sort of desire to protect the institution against, especially foreign criticism. Especially because audible domestic criticism does not really exist."

When foreign governments or citizens critique the monarchy, explains Griffin, "this engenders a very negative response amongst the people of Kalistan, who feel that an attack on the monarchy is an attack on the Nation, and hence, against themselves. Most people will seek a disproportionate response against criticism of the monarchy abroad, a position which reinforces their own support for the institution here at home. People treat support for the monarchy as a civic duty that is far more important to them than voting, and it is believed that in 97 out of 100 homes, there is a prominently displayed photo on the wall of the current Empress. People display pictures of the Empress the same way people in other nations display flags. Her image is one that inspires national pride."

Griffin says that he understands the attraction to popular self government in other nations. "They grow up believing that the individual is superior to the group, and so yes, it makes a lot of sense that they raise their population to believe that just anyone off the streets can be sent to the capital, and asked to make intelligent decisions for the good of the nation. We know, in this Nation that policy making is a skilled profession just like carpentry or jewelry making: Anyone can be taught to do it, but to be good at it they need to devote their lives to the activity. The absolute hackery that other nations allow to pass for governance is quite laughable to the Kalistani, who wisely choose to devote themselves to their own profession rather than imagine that they too should have the right to make decisions for others and can do so fairly. Most will proclaim that they do not have the mind or the temperament for governance."

The consequence remains broad and nominally enthusiastic support for Kalistan's current regime. Griffin says based on currently available polls, results from the upcoming elections will likely be markedly unremarkable. "According to the responses of voters in poll after poll," says Griffin, "this outcome is the one that represents the interests and demands of the vast majority of Kalistanis in all constituencies."

@TheRepublic

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After arduous labor, Princess delivers baby Girl
Royal Family welcomes Minor Princess Nicolette-Mary Lindsay Ananto-Leigh to the world
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 5th, 5729


Mom and Baby, joined by the Crown Prince, are recovering well in Kaliburg

Her Highness, the Princess Consort Casey Leigh-Campbell has delivered her child, the Minor Princess Nicolette-Mary Lindsay Ananto-Leigh in Kaliburg. The labor, which according to House Ananto was more than 30 hours long was natural, but not uncomplicated. The baby was a day late, and when doctors performed an ultrasound, they discovered that the child had turned around and was threatening to be breech. But the unborn child was very active and with careful massage, the Princess Consort's midwife was able to encourage the baby to get into the correct position for delivery."

"Well, the labor was very difficult for Casey in this instance," said the Crown Prince, who was elected to speak for the family. "It seems our child still believed it was party time when it was supposed to be delivery time, and while it caused my wife a lot of anguish and exhausted her, she and her midwife were able to get the baby turned back into the right direction, get it to relax a bit and then the midwife induced labor. Casey opted for this to avoid the c section and have the child naturally as she wished. I was with her the entire labor, and we welcomed our daughter together."

The Crown Prince said that the Princess Consort selected the baby's name. "Casey said she wanted her daughter to be named after Nicolette Ananto-Collins, the Princess Regent and my great aunt. She said she read Nicolette's biography when she was a kid and really admired the work that the Princess Regent put into taking up a post she was not prepared to do, and the duty she performed for the country. She said the Princess Nicolette was, despite her faults, a very admirable woman and she wanted to show Nicolette respect by naming the future Empress after her. She also picked Mary for the Suffix out of respect for Mary's accomplishments. I selected her middle name, Lindsay, because Lady Lindsay Ontiveros, who was an ancestor of our current Foreign Minister, is something of an unsung hero in Kalistan who suffered along with my family 170 years ago. It is a tribute to the contributions that the Ontiveros family have made to our nation over the decades and now centuries."

The Minor Princess weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces, and was 19.8 inches long from crown to heel. She is the royal couple's first child and will remain with Her Highness, the Princess Consort in the hospital for the next week while several batteries are conducted on the child, and mother and child bond. The Crown Prince is expected to spend his days and evenings with the Princess Consort and their new daughter, so they too can have bonding time, but will sleep at Cliff House to allow Her Highness the Princess Consort to rest over night.

"Speaking for myself, I am so proud of my wife," said the Prince Consort. "She handled this complicated birth with dignity and grace. She felt confident advocating for herself throughout the entire matter, and asking me for whatever she needed. She was very brave and she was very much in charge of the situation. She is probably the bravest woman I know, and I am so glad to be able to start our family together and have her by my side." Asked if the couple wish to have more children, the Crown Prince nodded briefly, "I do, but I suppose that Casey also gets a vote. We'll see how she feels about it in a few months. For right now I think its best to get to know this one a little before we go start on another."

For now, mom and baby are reportedly happy, healthy and getting to know one another well. And for the next few months, at least, it is expected that the Crown Prince will have a light schedule as the new family adjusts to the new member, before shifting into high gear in March or thereabouts to prepare for the Coronation. For now, we would like to wish Her Highness, the Minor Princess Nicolette-Mary Lindsay Ananto-Leigh a Happy Birthday, and say Congratulations to His and Her Highness, The Crown Prince and Princess Consort on the occasion of their new child.

@TheRepublic

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Democrats claim Victory in January Elections
Orthodox Representation falls below 50% in National Assembly
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 3, 5730


Dr. Kristen Brandt receives applause for stunning electoral returns in Suldanor and Odufaray

The elections of 5730 produced a stunning upset for the Orthodox faction of the Institutional Party as the upstart New Democrats staged a major populist uprising in the Grand Duchy of Kalistan's two southern Duchies.  In his first contest as incumbent Chancellor, Sir Johnathan Mickelson saw support for the Orthodox faction go from 57% of the National Assembly to 49.5, stripping the Orthodox faction of an absolute majority.  Meanwhile, the two more populist factions, the longstanding Brethrenists and the insurgent New Democrats, together claimed a king maker bloc of 12 seats between them, with the New Democrats accounting for 7 of those seats. 

"New Democrats were elected in every constituency that they stood for election," said data specialist Maxwell Riker, looking at poll returns.  "New Democrats are tremendously over-represented in the incoming National Assembly, with about 9% of the seats, despite having a far smaller amount of the population who claims affiliation with the movement.  But they grabbed a seat each in the Free Cities of Eshar and Sulari, where Kristen Brandt was widely expected to do very well, as well as three seats in Suldanor and two seats in Odufaray where they were expected to fare less well.  Brethrenists took the other Sulari seat, three Suldanoran seats, and an additional seat in Odufaray.  Southern Kalistan is clearly moving to the populist left, and those seats came most often from the Orthodox faction."

While Orthodox and Nationalist candidates did very well in Ananto and Vrassan constituencies, with the Orthodox candidates edging Nationalists in each constituency, the results are very clear that at least a segment of the population definitely wants alternatives.  "We can read these results in two ways," said Riker.  "One way to read them is the narrative the New Democrats will tell:  To date, the Brethrenists were the only genuinely populist faction on offer, but the results for the New Democrats, which exceeded even their seat count show that people want an alternative to just turning up to vote every six years or whatever in the Free Cities, and then assuming that the government is doing well on autopilot for the rest of the time."

Another way to see these results, would fit the Orthodox narrative:  "The system can withstand even a direct challenge by the forces of democracy.  There may be a segment demanding more popular participation, but even though the New Dems are overrepresented in the National Assembly, their number still does not exceed 10 percent.  And the Brethrenists are not populists in the same vein as the New Democrats, and it is presumptuous to assume that the Brethrenists will automatically vote with the Dems to stop legislation.  As the Chancellor said, there is room for even the New Democrats in the Institutional Party, but the Orthodoxos still hold a solid grip on every major institution within the Party, and the Nationalists agree with about 4/5th of the Orthodox Platform, because both are establishment Institutionalists who disagree about what Kalsitan ought to be doing internationally."  The reality, said Riker, probably sides with the later explanation-  in fact, the Brethrenist caucus has already declared, before the election that they will continue to remain in support of the Chancellor and the Government, whatever the Nationalists or Democrats do.

Results show strong showing for Democrats and Brethrenists in Odufaray and Suldanor, while Orthodox and Nationalists factions dominated nationwide

Always the optimist, Dr. Kristen Brandt still spent the evening last night celebrating with her strongest supporters at the Sulari New Democrat Club, where she proudly declared that Kalistanis are indeed seeing the first glimmers of a new dawn in Kalistan.  "This is absolutely a victory, for New Democrat Candidates and for the People of Kalistan!  And it couldn't happen at a more propitious time," said Brandt, who won her election with overwhelming numbers in Sulari, and to whom every incoming Democrat owes their seat.  "We are on the cusp of the reign of a new Monarch in Kaliburg.  Together we can work within our Government to show the Monarchy that there is nothing to be afraid of when the people's voice is actually expressed within the halls of our National Legislature.  Not to contradict the Fiat, but to add new points of view to make the Fiat a more perfect expression of the General Will.  It is something our Empress has long said, and its time our Legislature lived up to her own proclamation.  We are here to clarify and perfect that voice, to align the demands of our people for responsible government with the requirements of our Monarch to create a better, more inclusive nation that hears from all rather than just entrenched power in the Institutional Party."

Dr. Brandt will join the National Assembly, but does not possess the political support to request a seat in the Government.  "It would be nice if they gave a Democrat a seat," she said.  "They give seats to nationalists and Brethrenists, but we aren't expecting it, nor will we ask for it.  We kind of need to get to Kaliburg, to get our bearings, and learn what we do not know before we can start learning about the things we don't know yet.  Meanwhile, the New Dems have six years to organize in the other Kalistani duchies and Ananto.  We will work to show that this is an alternative and build ours into a national movement."

Brandt also did something relatively strange for an election night:  She announce that the finances and business minutes of the New Democrat Clubs in Suldanor and Odufaray were going to be publicly audited.  "In the past, democrats of all kinds have failed because they failed to live up to standards of basic good public citizenship.  Charges of corruption have been the most effective tools of the opponents of popular participation.  So it is my aim to deny them those tools at the onset.  The New Democrats will not tolerate corruption, public or private within our organization or faction, and we will enthusiastically cooperate with all responsible authority to root it out of our ranks if it ever appears and will join in prosecution wherever we see corruption appear in our own members.  We are not about to tolerate within our ranks those who would allow their greed to undermine the voices of the millions who voted for our candidates, or to take advantage of the openness of our society." 

The statement, while creating confusion among several political commentators on the radio and television, was nonetheless applauded by reps from every major faction in the Institutional Party, and even the Chancellor welcomed all work to fight corruption wherever it existed in the Institutional Party.  He invited the New Democrat leader to work with him, when the Assembly was reconvened, to develop strong and explicit anti-corruption policies for the Party, which he could also bring to the Empress for her consideration as well.  "The Democrats are, after all, full members of the Institutional Party," he said.  "It is completely appropriate that we should work together to show that we are both standing for a lot of the same things."

Congratulations to all Deputies who earned their seats in the 5630 General Elections, and congratulations to the People of Kalistan for another successful election.

@TheRepulic

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Empress delivers farewell Speech to National Assembly
"We hope our legacy will be one of Integrity and Wisdom," says retiring Empress
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
April 14, 5730


Her Imperial Majesty speaks a final time in the National Assembly

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto, already the longest reigning monarch in the history of the Monarchy, delivered her farewell address before a full National Assembly this week. The speech was televised and broadcast on the radio across the nation, and was listened to by more than 75 Million Kalistanis. The Speech was delivered ahead of the Empress' abdication on July 1 of this year, and gave her the opportunity to summarize her reign, while at the same time, ensuring that continuity and order will carry on after she steps down from the throne. Below is a transcript of the Empress' final address to the National Assembly:

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto:

Deputies of the National Assembly, Assembled Peers, Members of Our Government, Mr. Chancellor of the Empire, and Our People. We thank you for allowing us the opportunity, and the privilege of one final address to our Nation as Empress. We affirm that our words will remain short and to the point.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your Empress. There can be no single greater job on this planet. It is one that is indeed quite stressful, and as you can see, it ages a person rather significantly. However, it is you, our people, and your support for our mission and sole purpose in our life, that make this worth anyone's while.

Kalistan has a very unique form of government. Objectively, we are one of the only, if not the only absolutist, hereditary monarchical regimes on Terra. This is a distinction that sets the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan well apart from most nations in Terra, almost all of whom claim that their legitimacy comes from the voice of the people.

At some point in the past, it became a prevailing norm for the politicians to profit by telling the people that the people wanted what the politicians were doing all along. So often this has taken the form of the facade of popular government. The deal that political elites make with the people is that "You vote for me, and I shall govern in your name." The implication is that they shall also govern in the interest of the people. And this is never explicitly stated, or if it is alluded to, it is never said in good faith. The result is: the people vote for the politicians, and then the politicians do as they please. It is a lie at the very heart of the democratic project. And yet, democracy and republicanism is seen as the norm on our planet: Even nations under the oppressive and immoderate heel of communism claim to be democracies and republics. It seems bizarre to us--but perhaps bizarre is too light a term- Grotesquely preposterous is more like what we wish to convey. In nearly every instance we can observe across Terra, the claim of democratically selected governments to actually be truly democratic is utterly risible.

In fact, democracies are as elite driven as any system of government, including our own. This Empire is nothing if not a centralized, top down hierarchical government in which your monarch sits at the top, your political elites do her bidding in this particular case, and the people themselves most certainly do not rule anything. Even in our nominally democratic elections in our free cities, the people still elect others to make decisions, and those decisions more often than not reflect the needs of others rather than the needs of those who selected those politicians.

The entire role of democratic propaganda these days appears to be to trick the masses into believing that they wanted all along what the elites are doing anyway, with or without public support. Every last "democratic" government on Terra that does not actively empower their people to participate more fully in the administration of their government is a fraud. Some more so than others. But nonetheless, they are dishonest, and they are misrepresenting what is actually happening in within their state. They will come up with excuses as to why actual democracy is not practical in their nation, but its just justification for the elite driven status quo being perpetuated by the same political elite class as has always ruled. And a government who will lie to you about the very nature of their operation will probably lie to you about a host of other things as well--Democratic systems are no more worth the trust of the people than a gang of thieves are. But thieves are more honest, at least, about what they are.

Kalistan, on the other hand, has no pretense to democracy. Even in our Free Cities, we do not claim democracy, only home rule. The reason why is because we are not content to lie to you, our People. Kalistan is a nation built on the foundation of honesty and integrity. We are a Brethrenist Nation in practice, if not explicitly in law. We are honest people, and we expect our leaders to not lie to us. Even our new Deputies who have recently been welcomed by our voters into this august Assembly, the New Democrats, understand this: Dr. Brandt, who we hope to speak with at some length after June, we believe, feels very strongly that she and those she leads in the Institutional Party must always be honest to those who voted for them, even if it means that they themselves may be removed from office by voters who wanted more from their leaders. Our people expect us to show them the courtesy and respect to tell them the truth. About everything. And we do so, without apology, and the only people in Terra who have an issue with us, are those who do not like looking in the mirror when they look at Kalistan, and seeing what they really are. But we serve our people with honesty and integrity, and we punish corruption as fiercely as our laws may allow us, because the slightest spot of rot will eventually destroy the entire fruit if allowed to fester.

We hope this is our legacy as we leave office. We hope we have never let anyone ever say we misrepresented ourselves, or that we deliberately deceived or misled anyone with regard to our intentions or motivations. Kalistan may not be the wealthiest nation, and we do not imagine that we are the most materially powerful nation in the world: There are countless nations who spend more on the building and maintenance of one aircraft carrier than we need to spend on our entire health care budget for ten years, and because of this they will imagine that they can dictate to others how nations will be run. But our goal is and always should be to be the most transparent nation on the globe. Ironically, we should add, transparency is seen as one of the strongest normative justifications for democracy, and a value that so few of them ever live up to.

We also hope that our legacy includes wisdom. One is not born with the information necessary to always make great decisions every time. Often, we ourself have been forced to change our mind on a particular matter, as new information came to light that we didn't have at the beginning. We have not been 100% in the good decision making department. But wisdom is the ability to learn from one's failures and not repeat one's mistakes. It is the sum total of experiences that make moving forward that much easier after all the trials and failures one has travelled through. We took our post when we were a small child. We were largely a forgotten one--While we loved our parents, their priority, correctly so, was to prepare our brother to be Emperor. He was just beginning his training when he was taken from us. Perhaps they thought they would have more time. Sadly they were wrong.

But we look up more to our Aunt, the Late Princess Nicolette Ananto-Collins. Our Aunt was a woman with many problems who had the title of Regent forced upon her by history. She neither wanted it, nor initially knew how to do it: Her own brother's death forced her to take up the role. She struggled at first, but she eventually learned how to do it, and then she did it well. Her regency of more than a decade was a very important time in the history of our nation, and nobody can impeach her conduct. She is the embodiment of wisdom, and we honor her memory by saying so. During this same time, she also assumed the role of foster mother, a role she herself had never wanted, but which, like the title Regent, was thrust upon her when our father and mother perished. She did the best she could, and we never doubted that we were loved.

But, while our Aunt struggled, we spent much of that time in the company of another of our heroes, Dame Ericka Donahue, who is here with us today from her home in Eshar. Lady Donahue was a hard woman for most to like, because she was very serious and very forthright, and she took everything very seriously. But our Aunt and ourself only saw her as caring, very deeply for the pain and grief our family was suffering. She was our savior, both our Aunt and ourself. She distracted us enough to keep us from despair, teaching us about effective and moderate government, while she was more forthright with our Aunt, organizing her life around therapy, including treatment for chemical addiction, and getting her back onto her feet. She and our grandmother, The Princess Mary took up the cause of restoring both our Aunt and ourself, who were most directly affected by the loss of our Parents and brothers, to health and function.

It was through her, Lady Ericka, that we learned how to rule our nation. And we are forever grateful for her example, and her diligence on our behalf. Most do not know that story, but it is nonetheless a vital part of our biography. In retirement, Lady Donahue has been like our own family and while she prefers to keep a lower profile now, we cannot help but to single her out for her service to our Nation. It was her who taught us that being wise does not mean the same as being right all the time. Being wise is about being willing to learn from our errors, to correct them, and then to use that knowledge to avoid those errors again in the future. It is a value we have spent our entire life attempting to live up to, and it is a value we have passed down to our own children, and are confident that they have all acquired that lesson in their own way.

Finally, it is our hope that these core values stay with our Emperors and Empresses, members of our Government, Deputies in our National Assembly, and our population for all time. This is how Kalistan stands apart from those nations who claim to be great because they have an overly elaborate sham under the guise of a Government, or an aircraft carrier or intercontinental ballistic missile or 1000 at their disposal. Literally any nation could, if it was their desire, acquire these things. But Integrity and Wisdom are values which must be cultivated over a lifetime for an individual and over generations for a Nation. One cannot simply buy them. These are who we are as a Nation. These are our national values, our national identity. And our People should demand nothing less from those who govern them, ourselves included. If your nation is honest and wise, and exists to promote excellence and virtue, your people will have an optimal environment to live to their fullest potential. Conversely, if your nation is polluted, or corrupted, or its very foundational origin story and modus operandi is merely a lie, your people will correspondingly have their potential as human beings sacked by the very elites whose only job it is to provide them with a good society.

When we abdicate, and take up the role of emeritus and a simple loyal subject, the new Emperor will have no more enthusiastic supporter when he is doing the right thing for his People. We shall be his cheerleader and his tireless defender and apologist, if he deserves it. And he will have no fiercer critic if he refuses to learn from his mistakes, or lies to his people. No radical democrat in the world will more strongly urge reform than we will ourselves, should the new Emperor refuse to govern well. We have the expectations of our Government that all of our citizens should, and that is to govern in accord to Justice, and that requires integrity and wisdom in all things. He may make mistakes. But he is expected to be forthright about them and then work to learn how to avoid repeating them. And then he will be an Emperor worth following. We wish him well, and will be with him as his advisor as he requires from the moment he is crowned until the moment we ultimately perish. It is a privilege we did not ourselves enjoy, sadly.

But more than that, we pray that you, our People remember these words, and always hold those who claim to represent you up to the highest standards. Good Government is your birthright, as this Empire and this Crown is ours. You deserve it by virtue of your humanity. You should expect nothing less. We have tried, constantly striven to live to that standard. We have been largely successful. And we will be judged for the balance of success to failure in that regard, by history. But we exhort you, never ever let a bad governor exist in this nation. This is your task not as subjects, but as citizens. Don't be like the democracies who nearly always tolerate bad government for the sake of a majority opinion. Majorities are not always right--in fact, they seldom are in any matter concerning their own personal interests directly, and certainly not in matters touching only the interests of others. Qualitatively good government is the only way for the people themselves to truly live as free people. We beg you to hold this government, these Deputies, your Dukes, Counts and Barrons, your Lords and Ladies Mayor, your City Councils and yourselves to that high, nearly impossible standard, and to strive to exceed the expectations you have for yourself.

With this, once more, a heartfelt thank you for allowing us to serve you, our People as we have for so many years, and we hope to meet you when protocol no longer stands in the way. May you remain in the Light of the Truth, and we wish you peace, prosperity and good health in the coming year.

The Empress was helped from the dais by the Chancellor, accepted a standing ovation that lasted more than 15 minutes from the assembled crowd, and ultimately waved goodbye to all present before returning to Eveari. Following her departure, the Chancellor returned to adjourn the joint session of the National Assembly for the weekend. The Empress' Speech received excellent reviews the following day across the Nation.

@TheRepublic

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Emperor William II Ananto is Crowned in Kaliburg
Carolina's Throne and Crown passed down to new Monarch
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
July 2, 5730


His Imperial Majesty, Emperor William II Ananto, in his first Portrait as Emperor

At precisely Noon today, the Abdication decree issued by Her Imperial Majesty, Carolina II Ananto went into effect, formally transferring Imperium to her son and Heir, His Highness the Crown Prince William Ananto-Rosenfeld. At this moment, the Royal Family was at the Kalistani Yearly Meeting House in Kaliburg, where the special Meeting for worship with attention to Coronation was just concluding. The Meeting was attended by the entire Royal Family, as well as Friends from across Ananto and Kalistan, as well as the Chancellor of the Empire, Sir Johnathan Mickelson and several members of Her Imperial Majesty's Government.

A single minute was passed in the Meeting that read:

"After careful and worshipful discernment, Friend Ananto has asked that both the Kaliburg and Eveari Meetings take her son, the Crown Prince and his entire family under their care and guide them in the Light of the Truth. The Kaliburg Annual Meeting joins the Eveari Monthly Meeting's Minute which affirms that it will offer care, counsel and prayer for the Younger Friend as he ascends the Throne. May he rule our secular nation with Peace, Equality, Integrity, Stewardship and Simplicity, and may he guide his people with Justice under his Law."

The Minute was accepted by the entire gathered Body.

Following the otherwise Silent Meeting, the Abdication proclamation was read aloud, and as the Crown Prince was escorted by the Chancellor of the Empire to the Imperial Seat to begin preparing for the Coronation, now Princess of the Empire Carolina II Ananto-Connor remained behind to finally greet her long time friends from the Eveari Meeting, speaking to them using first person singular pronouns for the first time in decades. She wept as she finally was able to shake the hands of the community who had stood with her for so long. She welcomed all to the Party back in Eveari that she intended to throw following the Coronation, and hen went, with her daughters and the Princess Consort to the Imperial Seat.

Once at the Imperial Seat, the Crown Prince was prepared for the Coronation Ceremony. As the guests, including the Royal Family, foreign guests, members of the Government and the National Assembly, the Peers and the handful of Invited Guests entered the room and remained standing as the ceremony began. The Chancellor took his place near the front of the Poppy Throne's massive jewel encrusted solid polished silver Pavilion. The Crown Prince was then led into the Room by his attendant, Conscript 2nd Class Robert Edward Simmons, who was selected from the Ananto Corps for this Royal Duty. Simmons' father is a ship wright at the Kaliburg National Shipyards and his mother is a school teacher in Kaliburg's Wilson Hill Elementary. The Crown Prince was clothed, as his mother had been, in a simple white floor length linen gown, re-establishing Carolina's coronation Ceremony's program.

The Crown Prince joined the Chancellor before the Poppy Throne, and the Chancellor of the Empire said "Citizens of the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan, please recognize Your Emperor and Sovereign, His Imperial Majesty, Emperor William II Ananto." All Kalistanis in attendance responded "Long Live our Emperor!" They were then seated, as the Crown Prince was shown into the enclosed Pavilion, followed by the attendant. While inside, the Crown Prince was stripped of his gown and was placed into his Coronation Robes.

With the Crown Prince dressed, the curtains concealing the dressing were removed the Crowd was amazed by the Coronation Robes on the Crown Prince, who himself sat without a crown on for a moment. According to the program, these robes had been made by Del Valle Fashion House in Sulari and the gem work had been performed by Reed to meet House Ananto's specs for the robes. The coronation robes were embroidered with 24k Gold floss. The Robe of State was made of orange silk on the exterior, and velvet for the interior. The tunic, trousers and apron were made of the finest linen-silk satin blend, and heavily embroidered, with the apron featuring ruby poppy motifs, and the tunic featuring a Dragon Motif. All garments are heavily embellished, but it was believed that the robes themselves were very light weight owing to the Linen fabric choice, with the velvet being the heaviest fabric in the Coronation Robes. The Mantle was made of Black Bear Fur, the Nevaran Black Bear being the National Animal of Ananto and Kalistan. Around his neck was a quadruple strand of pearls, three of which were white and one of which was black, giving the Coronation Robes a much more eastern, almost Dovanian appearance, and signaling the longstanding orientation of the Ananto Crown.

The Crown Prince sat on Carolina's Throne: The program reported that House Ananto felt that it would be a crime to destroy the throne which had been created specifically for Carolina, and the Crown Prince expressed a desire that it should remain in place at the Imperial Seat as it had sat for all these years. The Royal House was more than happy to comply. During Carolina's reign, the Throne was classified as part of the Crown Jewels set, and likely wouldn't have been destroyed at any rate.

At this point in the Ceremony, Chancellor of the Empire, Sir Johnathan Mickelson, read the Coronation Proclamation:

"Your Imperial Majesty, Emperor William II Ananto, Your People call you step into your role as Our Ruler. We begin by reading a Minute from the Kaliburg Yearly Meeting of The Society of Bretheren, which says 'After careful and worshipful discernment with Brethrenist Meetings across Ananto and Kalistan, both the Kaliburg Annual Meeting and Eveari Monthly Meeting have taken Friend William Ananto and his entire family under our care and guide them in the Light of the Truth. The Kaliburg Annual Meeting joins the Eveari Monthly Meeting's Minute which affirms that it will offer care, counsel and prayer for Friend William Ananto as he ascends the Throne. May he rule our nation with Peace, Equality, Integrity, Stewardship and Simplicity, and may he guide his people with Justice under his Law. We wish him peace.'

Our purpose today is merely to place the crown formally upon the head of our Monarch, and establish him in his full authority and sovereign reign over the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan. Speaking for your Peers, Deputies, and Citizens, I ask His Imperial Majesty to take up his proper and correct place as our Ruler and our Sovereign, for as long as he can hold this office or until such time as he can pass it to some one trained and prepared for it. So I shall ask you, My Sovereign, Your Imperial Majesty, Emperor William II Ananto: Do you affirm that you will govern us honestly, administer justice evenly and fairly, according to the law, and rule with the end of the good and common welfare of your subjects and your citizens as your first, last, and only consideration, in all matters, from now forward?"

The Crown Prince answered simply, "I affirm that I will try, though it may kill me in the attempt."

The Chancellor signaled for the attendant once more. He took the crown and with a bowed head, he said "Then we, the People of Kalistan offer you our loyalty and pledge our honor to you, our eternal sovereign, and signify so by offering you your Crown." The Emperor gently took the Crown and placed it upon his own head, signifying a self-legitimization which is common of all Ananto Emperors and Empresses. The Crown was also Carolina's Crown: The program read this as the Crown Prince had the option of building a new Crown, but he chose to wear the last Crown of the Anantonese Empire rather than demote his Crown. The only difference was that the crown needed to be resized for the Emperor and the purple cap was now trimmed, like the mantle, in soft black bear fur.

The Chancellor raised head and said:

"All Kalistanis, at home and abroad, behold, your Emperor. His True and Complete Name is:

By the Consent of the People, His Imperial Majesty, of the Ancient House of Ananto, Emperor and Sovereign of Ananto and Kalistan, King of Vintalli, King of Andalay, King of Karzon, King of Sekowo, Grand Duke of Ananto, Grand Duke of Isle of Sutton, Duke of Icehaven, Duke of Athosia, Duke of Outannais, Count of Davon, Count of Dah, Baron of Zappa, Baron of Wilson, Commander in Chief of the Regular Forces of Kalistan, Sovereign and Grand Master of the Ancient Order of the Grey Smoke, Sovereign and Grand Master of the Excellent Order of the Anantonese Empire, Sovereign and Grand Master of the Order of Vintalli, Sovereign and Grand Master of the Order of Andalay, Defender of the Realm, Formal Head of the Anantonese Government, Embodiment of the Anantonese Nation, Arcturous, Guarantor of the Anantonese Ocean and Ananto Strait, William II Ananto."

The Chancellor bowed his head once more, and all Kalistanis in the audience shouted "Viva al Emperador Anantonés!" With this, the Formal Coronation Ceremony ended, and His Imperial Majesty remained seated on his throne as the Chancellor stepped forward and offered a small benediction: "In Wine there is Truth and in the words of my honorable predecessor last time this ceremony was performed, we will drink to the Emperor's Health in the Informal Audience Chamber!" Foreigners and Commoners took that as their cue to leave the Formal Audience Chambers, which were loudly locked after the last one had exited.

Inside the Audience Chamber, the entire Peerage that was assembled and after the Chancellor announced that all previous personal oaths standing from the Emperor's Predecessor were hereby dissolved, he ordered them to kneel before the Emperor on the Opium Throne, and swear a new personal oath of loyalty and defense, upon pain of death, to the Emperor's person. Brethrenists were allowed to affirm rather than swear, but it was expected of every single Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, Baron, Baronet and Knight in the room, and all complied. Additionally, all members of the Government present were compelled to swear similar personal oaths. Finally, all members of the Royal Family reaffirmed their personal loyalty to the Monarch on their own, and individually. The details of the fealty oaths remain secret, and haven't divulged to the public because of press embargo.

Following the Oaths, the new Emperor changed out of his Coronation Robes, and into a more comfortable and less ceremonial three piece suit, and as the reception was winding down, he met with Her Highness, the Princess Consort, as well as Their Highnesses, the Princess of the Empire Carolina Ananto-Connor, the Prince Elliot Rosenfeld, the Princess Jennifer Ananto-Rosenfeld, the Princess Victoria Ananto-Rosenfeld, and head of House Ananto, Her Highness the Princess Melanie Ananto-McLinn at the reviewing stand for the Parade being held in the Emperor's Honor. The parade featured marching bands, veterans' organizations, civil society club demonstrations, and floats of various types. A great time was had by all, but another reception awaited them in Eveari, and so the entire royal family, a significant portion of the peerage and hundreds of Commoners made their way by special MagLev trains to Eveari.

His Imperial Majesty and Her Highness the Princess Consort in Eveari at the new Reception Hall at Ananto Estate

At Ananto Estate, a formal grand reception was held for His Imperial Majesty, where the Peerage finally got the opportunity to wish the new Monarch well and. The Party was also well attended by commoners, who seized on the opportunity to meet the Emperor. Much of the town of Eveari made their way to Ananto Estate in the afternoon the mingle and celebrate the coronation. The Eveari Orchestra played several romantic orchestral pieces, and invited dancing, which the Emperor and the Princess Consort availed themselves greatly of.

The most sought after person at the reception was however, the former Empress, who people greeted warmly and often for the first time. "The resident at Ananto Estate is often considered the patron of our city," said Craig Marino, of Eveari. "Its no secret that Eveari is the most devoted town to the Anantos--The Family gives so much to our city, but while she was the Empress, we could see her out and about, but were forbidden from saying even good morning directly to her. But now, La Doña of Eveari can finally greet us as neighbors. She happily shook my hand and even remembered my name. She may be only be our Countess now, but she is the warmest, kindest person, and she will always be our Empress. I am happy to say I finally got to meet her and tell her what she means to me and my family." Marino said his home was destroyed in the Eveari Earthquake twenty five years, and the Empress, who came to survey the damage, stopped by his home and promised him and his family that the home would be rebuilt. "Not only did she rebuild my home, but my entire neighborhood. She gave us our lives back, and I finally got to tell her thank you today, a quarter century later."

So many other Eveari residents expressed the same joy at getting to finally meet the Princess of the Empire in person. Her Highness has lived in Eveari full time for the last five years and has been very active in the community and in the Brethrenist Meeting. "Yes, I love it here in Eveari," said Princess of the Empire Carolina. "he territory is beautiful, the people are so kind and welcoming, and despite it being the longstanding home of my family, its still Kalistan's best kept secret, because almost nobody ever comes here unless they are brought here. This town only looks as modern as it does because the earthquake destroyed much of the city and we had to rebuild, but otherwise, you can just go to what the people are calling Old Town now and see buildings that have stood here for thousands of years which are still very much lived in and cared for. It's a perfect place for me, for sure. Much more my speed than the capital."

Following the reception, the family retired to the Estate house.

Kalistan has a new Emperor, Long Live His Imperial Majesty, Emperor William II Ananto

@TheRepublic