Kalistan

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The New Problem with Athosia
Evaluating Imperial Response to recent developments in Baltusia
Sulari, Duchy of Suldanor
February 9, 5728


Nationalist Club Poster produced in Lucid, Suldanor to distribution on both sides of the border

Recent unnecessarily incendiary comments were made by the elected Governor of the Baltusian State of Santiago (Athosia in Kalistan) regarding the opinion of said leader that "...there is no such thing as Athosia." The Governor, apparently speaking to school children, said "There is no such thing as Athosia; it is an imperialist colonialist effort of our northern neighbours to undermine Santiago and Baltusia and to once again bring Santiago under their oppressive boot." The article goes on to claim that "The Anantonese Empire [sic.] maintains its claim over the territory despite no legal basis and despite Santiago belonging to Baltusia for centuries..." It labels Kalistan as "revanchist" and says the local Party which Governor Lee represents, is strongly anti-Kalistani.

We at The National have long understood Athosia to be something of a third rail of Northern Seleyan politics. Kalistan and Baltusia can, and have for a very long time, get along very well if that issue is not strenuously pushed in one direction or another. "It is often better to just let sleeping dogs lie," said Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister Miguel Ontiveros, when speaking to the Kalistani Nationalist Club on the topic of Athosia. "Nobody is served by either nation trying to resolve Athosia in favor of one or the other nation. The Empress is not about to give up what she, and every Monarch since Nicolette The Great has insisted actually does belong to Kalistan, still after all these centuries, and Baltusia is clearly not interested in returning to Kalistan what was stolen from Kalistan, by illegitimate force of arms, and sewn onto Baltusia, like an extra limb, by a foreign imperialist power using the nation to further its own geopolitical ambitions."

There is no easy settlement, and Kalistani monarchs have been relatively peaceful about the Duchy since Mary I Ananto secured a thousand acres of the territory at Playa de Paz--a small concession to be sure, but one which seems to sate the Imperial family's urges to push the issue in Baltusia. "We have also been able to accomplish the Lucid Accords which permit our nation to invest in people Her Imperial Majesty's Government consider to be our kindred, if not our co-nationals," said FM Ontiveros. "This way Athosia stays under Baltusian administration, while we have been able to make sure that the chaos and neglect of the nation in Johnston did not adversely affect the people of Athosia, who the Empress would count as subjects otherwise." In addition, Kalistanis and Athosians frequently pass back and forth over the border, for work and tourism, and San Luis, the capital of Athoisa is a major trading depot for Kalistanis who buy the things that the Athosians bring from the interior and put tens of millions of Imperial Pesos into the economy annually through trade, tourism and investment.

Which makes the hostility by Ms. Lee seem more or less inexplicable to Kalistani nationalists. The Lucid Nationalist Club recently released a poster that asserts that not only Athosia, but all of the Crownlands rightfully belong to the Crown, asking rhetorically why we should have to ask for lands which are ours. "The origin story for Kalistani nationalists is that these lands were taken, illegitimately from Kalistan, and justice dictates that we should fight to get them back," said Political Science Professor Martin Becker, of University of Suldanor. "It is the fundamental point of agreement for most Kalistanis, actually, of all political stripes. It doesn't matter how far in the past it happened, or who has those territories now. For the average Kalistani, it happened yesterday and should have been remedied yesterday. So appeals like the Governor's that it happened so long ago are just considered asinine, if not irritating to the average Kalistani, even more so to the Kalistani nationalist." Most Kalistanis have made quiet peace with the fact that Kalistan will not be recovering most of our Crownlands in the near future--the experiment with the Anantonese Empire, which represented an integration scheme more than an actual political union has put to bed any calls to rebuild the empire without full annexation of the Crownlands.

But Athosia is different, and so it is particularly galling that the newly active Socialists in Santiago Baltusia have decided to poke that particular bear. "There is nobody in this nation who will agree that Athosia is actually part of Baltusia," said Becker. "We understand whose flag flies over the territory, but ask 100 Kalistanis who Athosia belongs to, and 101 of them will say Kalistan. The common epithet for the Baltusian state is 'squatter.' But until today, Kalistanis have been hesitant to utter the term much in public. The Santiago Governor choosing to go for it was probably an unforced error."

Her Imperial Majesty, for her part, has not issued any statements regarding the inflammatory words from Santiago. Kalistani Policy is that the provisions of the Lucid Accords which have provided a framework for Kalistani and Baltusian cooperation in Athosia, and which Kalistan, at least still considers to be a very good, measured and productive agreement, are still fully in effect. "That agreement allows us to set the issue of Athosian possession to one side while we work together on very practical matters," said Becker. "The Santiago Governor's recent, which more or less grabs hold of the Third Rail, introduces a number of problems for the Empire, not the least of which is the suggestion that support for the Accord on the Baltusian side, at least among those tasked to represent the Duchy, and who speak for the Government, might not be as solid as it is in Kalistan. It may trigger a desire on our side of the Lucid River, to renegotiate a deal more favorable to Kalistani interests, or worse, the abandonment of the Accord all together, if Kalistan believes that Baltusia is no longer interested in peace with Kalistan in the region. And that would be very bad for both nations."

Kalistan has thus far been willing to give Baltusia the benefit of the doubt. Most in Kaliburg have not mentioned the comments at all, especially those who we would have, in years past, fully expected an immediate statement. Despite her reputation for supporting some modest reforms, it is believed that Her Imperial Majesty has grown closer to the nationalist position, formerly represented by Her Highness, the Princess Melanie Ananto-McLinn, who was the Countess of the frontier county of Lucid for decades before being stripped of that title. Lady Ananto-McLinn was an outspoken proponent of full annexation when she was chancellor, and regularly spoke on the matter, only to be reigned in by an Empress who herself was unwilling to step onto the Third Rail. But softening support for accommodation and cooperation south of the River may open the door for more nationalists to step out from cover and start making statements.

For now, nationalists across the nation are watching Her Imperial Majesty for a signal to pounce, but it is widely believed that none of them wish to do so before the Empress makes a comment on the statements. And the Empress, who is in the waning years of her reign, and looks to hand off a nation that is at least at peace with its neighbors, shows no immediate inclination to respond. Perhaps this is because her response will itself be proportionately inflammatory, and therefore restraint is the best policy. "We cannot doubt that the Red Empress is listening to two voices in her ear," said Becker, "one of her nationalist angel who wishes Kalistan to seize this opportunity to settle the matter in Athosia once and for all, and the other of her Brethrenist angel who seeks to show how magnanimous Kalistan can be in the face of the pettiness of the Socialist Governor of Santiago. Which one she listen to will be told in good time, but for now, as Baltusia begins heading into a constitutional period, it may just be advisable that she does nothing, and lets Baltusia do what it does best, which is collapse into extremist dystopia yet again under the giddy hand of extremism and ultra populism, while carrying on under the terms of the Lucid Accords in Athosia at least as if nothing has fundamentally changed."

@TheNational