Dundorf

[Drax]

CHANCELLOR SAYS AIDING ETXEA WAS EXPENSIVE
 
ODERVELD - LEUCHTFEUER
 
Chancellery, September 19, 5639: After a Ministerial Council meeting, Chancellor Erica Kleinfelder was asked by ODERVELD – LEUCHTFEUER if there were any new major initiatives now that the aid to Etxea project was winding down, and she responded:
 

To be clear, our aid project most likely will be the budget surplus project of my Administration and the last Leesburg Administration.  It was worth doing so we did it And glad we did.
 
So by no stretch of the imagination are we are looking around for new ways to spend revenue at present.  Fortunately many years of economic growth and prudent budgeting means there are funds in the normal budget for continuing some existing initiatives.
 
There are funds for a new nuclear energy power plant which is quite likely, funds for incentivizing electrical and biofuel vehicle use, and funds for reviewing government participation in the diamond industry.

 
Asked by ODERVELD – LEUCHTFEUER if new leadership was likely in Neue Dundorfische Zentrumspartei (NDZP), she replied.
 

Not now.  We are running on our record, our long held values and our loyalty to our albeit somewhat narrow constituency with those in place.  After the next election, win or lose, NDZP will see some new leadership emerging. DSDP felt they needed it now; our plans are different.

Kanzerin Kleinfelder

[TheNick]

5639 Election: DSDP and NDZP Tied, TLD Surges and Becomes Kingmaker
September 5639

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The Electoral Results. OOC: due to a rounding error, JSU is mistakenly shown at 2.6%, but it is at 2.5%

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Dunburg - The Dundorfian people have had their say: according to the most recent projections the DSDP will obtain a very narrow victory in the Federal election, with just a margin of half a percentage point over the NDZP. The Socialdemocrats, with their new leader, managed to get back to first position after four years spent as the junior partner in the NDZP-led federal Government, they win this position regardless of the fact they actually lost ground too compared to 5635. The NDZP lost many votes, mostly to the surprise of this election: the TLD. The Liberals surged to 19%, even winning a plurality in Oderveld, historically NDZP's stronghold, and consolidated their third position, this will surely make them the kingmakers for the next federal government and the next Chancellor. In the left-wing side of the spectrum, the democratic-socialist DRF managed to surpass the Greens, who got a rather disappointing result, especially since they turned down a possibility to stay in government four years ago so that they could build back the party brand while in opposition. We were at the Green Election party in central Dunburg, and we could see sad Green supporters leaving early the party, and others watching the remainer of the election coverage in a very somber mood. On the other hand, DRF's supporters were enthusiastic and one party member went as far as calling on the leader of the DSDP to "have the guts to form a left-wing government with us". Last but not least; the Julstoch Social Union lost some votes but are projected to increase their seats share due to the Green Party falling under the threshold there.
President Alvensleben, in his second term since last year, is a member of the kingmaker party, the TLD, and this means according to our experts that more than ever, today, the Federal President truly holds the key to determine the nature of the next government.

[Drax]

ODERVELD LEUCHTFEUER

DSDP FORMS LEFT LEANING GOVERNING COALITION WITH GPP, DRF

Bundestag, May 18, 5640: The Bundesrepublik has a new Kanzler, Jorg Berger, Leader of Dundorf Sozialdemokratische Partei (DSDP).  In contrast to his predecessor as DSDP Leader, Kanzlerin Leesburg, Berger did not try to keep a centrist coalition government going but opted to form a left leaning coalition of DSDP, the Greens (GPP) and the rather far left Dundorfische Rote Front (DRF).

Arrangements between the three parties have not been made public as of this writing, but it is known that Otto “Putzi” Haefstandgl, the longtime DRF leader, is to be the Minister of Defence.

Neither outgoing Kanzlerin Kleinfelder’s NDZP nor outgoing Defence Minister von Kluge’s  TLD could find a way to round up a right or center right coalition or attract the GPP to join them.

With TLD taking votes  from NDZP and DSDP pulling ahead of NDZP by four Bundestag seats, Bundesprasident Alvensleben called upon DSDP’s Leader Berger to form a  government which he thereupon did

 


 Bundestag

[Drax]

O    ODERVELD LEUCHTFUER

DEFENCE CHANGES ORDERS FOR RECON COMPANIES

Defence Ministry, August 15, 5640: After the decision to mainly use the tracked Laufender Bar armored vehicle for the reconnaissance companies of panzer divisions with some untracked Barenjunges available for occasional mobility, discussions were begun in panzer divisions which were forwarded to Oberkommando Heer (OKH).
 
OKH has now recommended to Oberkommando Bundeswehr (OKB) that all reconnaissance companies whether in infantry or panzer divisions use primarily Barenjunges untracked armored vehicles but have a few Laufender Bar available for occasional heavy duty.
 
ODERVELD LEUCHTFEUER understands that Defense Minister Otto “Putzi” Haefstangl has endorsed a new directive to OKB’s Ableitung II to replace existing transport in all reconnaissance companies in accordance with the OKH suggestion.
 
As to the panzer grenadier battalions of the panzer divisions, the Laufenbar Bar vehicles and Barenjunges vehicles will be about evenly split as the replacements for existing armored personnel carriers in panzer divisions.




 
Barenjunges: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TPz_Fuchs
 
Laufender Bar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puma_(IFV)

[Drax]

HAEFSTAENGL QUESTIONED ON DRF BEING ANTI WAR
 
ODERVELD - LEUCHTFEUER
 
Defence Ministry, November 19, 5640: ODERVELD LEUHTFEUER asked Defence Minister Otto  Haefshanengl if the Dundorfische Rote Font (DRF) had abandoned its anti war stance by his operating the Defence Ministry in a business as usual manner, and Haefstaengl replied:
 

I think there are two parts to an answer to that.  Where does DRF actually stand on war is one.  All of us oppose the Bundesrepublik entering or supporting a war of aggression.  All of us.  How about a defensive war or a Defence Ministry budget to make defending the Bundesrepublik possible? Some oppose even that but a majority of which I am a part  favor those steps.
 
What about increases in military budget. As indicated some oppose there being one at all but most of us favor there being one which the vast majority believe is at least adequate and maybe could use some trimming.
 
So what are we doing in government.  As former Chancellor Kleinfelder pointed out, the Extean  defensive military support was expensive.  One way to get the economy back to normal is cut government benefits for individuals. Very tempting to many in politics. Very tempting.  As one notable conservative once said, “If you had any gumption at all, you would go out and inherit a department store.”
 
That’s what DRF campaigned on, not cutting individual benefits. Not cutting any. DRF decided as a minority party, growing but minority, we could have more influence on the actual course of the legislation as part of a center left government than we would have continuing as a voice crying wolf in the wilderness.
 
And in a fluke, personally I am serving as Defence Minister. And doing so entirely within the parameters of the DRF majority thinking concerning war and defense therefrom.

 
 
Defence Minister Haefstaengl

[TheNick]

DSDP Wins Federal Election
October 5643

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DSDP Supporters in Dunburg last night.

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Dunburg - Yesterday's night exit polls said that Chancellor Berger's DSDP would win the first place in the Federal Election, by getting ahead by a single point of the centre-right NDZP, while confirming that a second time of the incument coalition, named "Red-Red-Green", composed by DSDP, DRF and the Greens, would have won again a majority of seats in the Bundestag. Today, we don't need exit polls: the count is almost over and we can confirm that the DSDP indeed won the election with 28,3% of the votes, while the NDZP stopped at 26,8%, and that the incumbent government would have the numbers to continue, even if we must note that the internal balance inside the coalition changed, with the Greens becoming the new Junior Partner and the Red Front falling in fifth position overall.
Chancellor Berger yesterday night said that he was very happy with the result and that he would ask outgoing President Alvensleben, whose second (and final) term expires next February, to re-nominate the current coalition for a second term, clarifying immediately his intent for continuity and commitment to the left-wing side of Bundestag. But the leader of the Liberals wasn't happy: his party had a disappointing result (third at 16,7%, down from 19%) but he would still like to enter the next Federal Cabinet, primarily by labeling the presence of DRF in Government as "radical" and "wrong" and secondly by reminding that his party is still third despite the loss of votes. Despite these efforts, it seems pretty clear that the DSDP is ready to commit to a second term of the same government, and President Alvensleben, in the final months of his tenure, has hinted he won't interfere much with this government formation period and instead prepare for retirement.

Below the full results:

1. DSDP: 28,3% and 180 seats
   
2. NDZP: 26,8% and 171 seats
   
3. TLD: 16,7% and 104 seats
   
4. GPP: 13,2% and 81 seats
   
5. DRF: 12,7% and 78 seats
   
6. JSU: 2,3% and 16 seats (remember JSU contests the election only in Julstoch, where it got 35,5%)
   

[TheNick]

Juliane Offenbach Elected Federal President
April 5644

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Juliane Offenbach at the start of the new Bundestag session, last November.

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Bundestag, Dunburg - After three rounds of voting by the Bundestag, in which was required a qualified majority of 2/3 of the members to elect the new President, finally our lawmakers were able to elect the successor of Friedrich Alvensleben on the fourth ballot, when only a simple majority is enough to win, and they chose long-time Bundestag member for the DSDP (and once the Minister-President of Chontalen) Dr. Juliane Offenbach. 
Who is she? Dr. Hoffenbach holds a doctorate in Chemistry, obtained at the Techical University of Fuchstal, and then worked as a Professor and Researcher in the same University for some years, before deciding to enter politics twenty years ago: she said to the press at the time that she decided to start a career in politics after learning how underlooked education and research are by politics and wanting to change that. She joined the state chapter of the DSDP in Chontalen and served as Local Minister for University, position in which she was able to raise the education budget by 10%, then got elected Minister-President of Chontalen and finally elected Member of the Bundestag eight years ago. 

Dr. Offenbach was elected with a simple majority with the support of her party, which nominated her, the Greens, who supported her in the first three rounds and eventually the DRF, which threw its support to her in the fourth ballot, after having nominated Mr. Karl - Heinrich Muller in the first three. Another candidate was Karlotte Teitelbaum, of the NDZP, supported jointly by TLD (who after having retained the Presidency with Mr. Alvensleben for 10 years decided to nominate no-one) and the JSU, who congratulated Juliane immediately and thanked all the colleagues that voted for her. 

Now, Juliane Offenbach will be inaugurated next week with a ceremony taking place at Karlottenberg Schloss and in the meantime she will meet with the outgoing President, with Chancellor Berger and with a delegation of Dundorfian Ambassadors coming from all over Terra.

[Drax]

ARMY GETS SAMS
 
ODERVELD - LEUCHTFEUER
 
Defence Ministry, April 19, 5645: Oberkommando Heer (OKH)  raised a question that ODERVELD-LUCHTFEUER has learned is being kicked around in the Ministry of Defence.  The basic strategy in place  is preparing to resist invasion or incursion. In accordance therewith, the Luftwaffe has been handling air defense.  Always.
 
The question raised is since the last three wars in which the Bundesrepublik was engaged involved sending the Heer into enemy territory, would it not make sense to add some air defense capability to divisional assets?
 
And specifically, since the Sotereia Aerial Defense System provided by Gebirgsmunition, (GBM) Fuchstal Elektrisch (FE) and Donnerluft and deployed by the Luftwaffe, will it not make the Ozelot Light Air Defense System currently in use and also built by GBM and FE redundant?  And accordingly, OKH suggested those on hand  could be used as air defense divisional assets.
 
Oberkommando Bundeswehr (OKB) and Oberkommando Luftwaffe (OKL) agreed and ODERVELD – LEUCHTFEUER sources in the Ministry of Defence indicate Defence Minister Otto Heaefstaengl has approved the transfer.
 
The Ozelot Light Air Defense System has a vehicle built by FE driven by a 1.9 liter four cylinder turbo diesel engine with automatic transmission  and torsion bar suspension.  It is a tracked vehicle with 5 road wheels. With a crew of 2 or 3, it has an operational range of 200 kilometers at a maximum speed of well over 70 kilometers per hour.
 
Ozelots are accompanied by an air defense reconnaissance and fire control  vehicle and a defense command post.  They are armed with two box launchers containing four surface to air missiles or in a few cases a number of vertical launch cells for surface to air missiles.


 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiesel_2
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?tit...ov=acrw1_1

[Drax]

DRF LIKELY TO SPLIT
 
ODERVELD - LEUCHTFEUER

Dunburg, September 19, 5645: After a raucous meeting at Dundorfische Rote Front (DRF) Headquarters, ODERVELD – LEUCHTFEUER asked Defense Minister Otto “Putzi” Haefstaengl what was afoot, and he replied:
 

Several things actually.  We have long had some differences developing within the DRF.  All of us are Metzists.  Some have always wanted to be a party of advocates of the Metzist vision including takeover of the state. In the Bundesrepublik, this faction has grown weary of compromise, wants advocacy of state ownership of all the means of production including all the military contractors and all the diamond industry and wants trade only with Metzist nations and disarmament.  And they are tired of the pragmatists. Very tired.
 
And as the Defense Minister I am the primary pragmatist target of the purists.  But not the only one. Discussions were frank and involved much criticism – self criticism as well as clarification of where we all really stood.
 
Two decisions were made.  Karl-Heinrich Muller, currently the Grosvic party secretary, will lead the DRF  into the next election as a pure Metzist party which not be part of  any government that includes parties antithetical to socialist principles.
 
Those of who are considered pragmatists will not stand for election as DRF.  We may well form a Metzist party that wants to work within a parliamentary framework for democracy and emphasizes securing decent statutory benefits for all citizens, sexual freedom and a much greener Terra. Much greener than the DRF has ever officially suggested. Much.
 
Be that as it may, Ursula Hoepner is drafting documents necessary to form a new party should the withdrawing pragmatists actually want to stand for seats in the Bundestag.

Bundestag

[Drax]

NDZP AND TLD CONSIDER BUT REJECT MERGER
 
ODERVELD - LEUCHTFEUER
 
Neukirchstadt, February 19, 5646: ODERVELD – LEUCHTFEUER learned that Team Liberaldemokraten (TLD) and Neue Dundorfische Zentrumspartei (NDZP) leaders met at the NDZP headquarters in Neukirchstadt to discuss a possible merger and other issues.  After the meeting ODERVELD – LEUCHTFEUER found former Chancellor Erica Kleinfelder and asked how the meeting went, and she replied:
 

We do have things in common. We both support traditional social values, religious freedom, balanced budgets, free trade, an effective and modern defense force, and respect for national sovereignty.
 
We both started in the same position; we many years ago; they much more recently.  Pro business, pro church, traditional values.  The fundamental difference at the outset was they are pro business and particularly big business while we are pro religion and the traditional community.
 
So at some point we found the needs and well being of the parishioners of our churches diverging from the needs of large corporate complexes.  Most noticeably in our decision to protect the safety net even if that meant taxes including corporate taxes could not be cut.  Also TLD is really serious about less and less regulation of commerce and industry while NDZP feels the citizenry should be protected from predatory commercial and financial assaults on their earnings, from unsafe working conditions and environmentally destructive practices.
 
Also, there is the pragmatic consideration of the actual economy of the Bundesrepublik.  Both TLD and NDZP favor private ownership over public ownership of the means  of production.  For TLD, this is an absolute. NDZP recognizes that over rather short periods of time the actual lawful practice in our nation has been abrupt and disruptive  and accordingly believes both should be permitted and abrupt changes avoided.  NDZP believes its steadfast adherence to this position in conjunction with other parties of like mind has helped stabilize our economy and promoted growth.
 
So we are not going to merge.  But since we do have much in common we will support each other’s presidential candidates and as first choice see if after an election we can together form a governing center right coalition recognizing this may often not be the case and recognizing that is the practice among the center and center left parties.
 
But think it is fair to say we have renewed our friendship and our respect for each other’s viewpoint.
 
Karlotte Teitelbaum, who was our most recent presidential candidate, will lead NDZP into the next election.

NDZP's Erica Kleinfelder