Dorvik

[Auditorii]

Dorvische Allgemeine Zeitung

Knoerr ascends to the State Chancellorship with FKP and SNP backing.

November, 5660 (Backdated)

In accordance with the will of His Majestic Highness, the King and Kaiser, Franz II, Andreas Knoerr of the Hosian-Conservative Alliance has formed a government and has been formally named State Chancellor. The coalition, known as the Blue-Orange-Black Coalition (Dundorfian:  Blau-Orange-Schwarze Koalition), has significant holdings within the State Council.

• State Chancellor - Andreas Knoerr (HKA)
  
• Vice State Chancellor - Kaspar Haselrieder (FKP)
  
• Minister of Foreign Affairs - Karolina Johner (HKA)
  
• Minister of the Interior - Generaloberst (Police) Nicolas Rödl (Independent, SNP aligned)
  
• Minister of Justice - Kevin Spiegler (FKP)
  
• Minister of Finance - Julian Oldenberg (HKA)
  
• Minister of Defense (also Chief of the Supreme General Staff and Inspector-General of the Armed Forces of Dorvik) - Generaloberst (Army) Georg Bierkamp
  
• Minister of Infrastructure and Transport - Wendy Kieffer (HKA)
  
• Minister of Health and Social Services - Dr. Christian Staudenmaier (HKA)
  
• Minister of Education and Culture - Dr. Phillipp Kiesewetter (HKA)
  
• Minister of Science and Technology - Karsten Schünemann (FKP)
  
• Minister of Food and Agriculture - Til Kayserling (SNP)
  
• Minister of Environment and Tourism - Lukas Rösler (HKA)
  
• Minister of Trade and Industry - Manuel Henlein (HKA)
  

Other notable appointments include:

• President of the State Council -  Yessica Honigmann (HKA)
  
• General-Plenipotentiary to the World Congress - Yosefina Körver (Independent)
  
• President of the State Bank of Dorvik - Vinzenz Kalkbrenner (Independent)
  
• Dorvish Trade Commissioner (also General-Director of the Foreign Economic Council) - Dominik Herzberg (Independent, SNP aligned)
  
• Coordinator of the State Security and Defense Council - Hans Denker (Independent)
  
• State Security Service Director - Niels Berchtold (Independent)
  
• Foreign Intelligence Service Director - Marco Honigmann (Independent)
  
• Chief of the Dorvish Police - Colonel-General of the Police Yannick Weiner (Independent)
  

[Auditorii]

Dorvische Allgemeine Zeitung

Knoerr and Bierkamp announce "strategic redraw" of Dorvish forces across the globe.

December, 5665

Officials from the Supreme General Staff have confirmed a "strategic redraw" of Dorvish forces abroad, notably at the joint naval base located in Scharhofen, Dolgava where the Dorvish have scaled back their presence due to the domestic situation at home. Inspector-General of the Armed Forces and the Chief of the Supreme General Staff, Generaloberst (Army) Georg Bierkamp, confirmed this "strategic redraw" following a closed session of the State Council where State Chancellor Andreas Knoerr provided information regarding such changes. Since the assumption of the Knoerr State Chancellery there has been an upheaval in Dorvish strategic planning and thinking, the Dorvish have placed greater emphasis on the development of long-term goals across the globe but understand that the domestic situation must be "considered" before any long-term planning can be provided publicly. The Foreign Defense Office, the defense-related foreign affairs component of the Dorvish state has been a flurry of activity, notably in the field of defense-technical cooperation and defense sales over the course of the past few months.

[Auditorii]

Der Globus

International affairs, politics and economics.

Dorvish Foreign Office confirms trade and economics focused state visit to Fort William.

June, 5666

The Foreign Office confirmed that early next month the Vice State Chancellor Kaspar Haselriede, the Foreign Minister, the Dorvish Trade Commissioner and several other officials will attend a state visit in Fort William to discuss trade and economic cooperation. The Foreign Office highlighted that the meeting will set the basis for deeper economic cooperation between Haldor and Fort William. The Dorvish, who have been under a sort've "Northern Malaise" as political commentators are calling it, have been shedding their skin since the election in November, 5660. A series of economic de-regulation packages were sent to the State Council's various committees for review and several of them were passed by the State Council over the past several years and they have lessened the regulatory requirements in a number of sectors. The Dorvish have also lead the charge with joint public-private investments into various sectors, including the opening of a new large-scale shipbuilding operation that is focused on providing container and tanker-type vessels for customers throughout the world. The Dorvish have continued to invest in their traditional areas of strength, working to develop new relationships with nations through oil, natural gas and natural resources. For instance, Northern Oil, who will be one of the many corporations present at the meeting in Fort William hopes to rekindle relations between Fort William and Haldor in the sphere of oil and natural gas.

The meeting will seek to develop a baseline for future trading relations between the two nations, largely focused on providing access to each others economies and working to break down the barriers and establish a working group for businesses. The working group will focus on providing support to Dorvish and Luthorian businesses who wish to do business in each others nations, providing assistance and support in developing ties to existing businesses and working to establish new ones. Fort William and Haldor have had a lukewarm relationship over the centuries and the two nations, who once were the so-called "Heralds of Artania", now stand facing a complex world that does not look to them for leadership. Artania, which has long struggled for any sort of continental unity, continues to long for some sort of collective leadership. Many commentators have asked if this is the start of a new North-South Axis, something that once reportedly existed but begs the question: what about other Artanian leaders? The most obvious being Narikaton and Darnussia, who has sometimes remained aloof of Artanian politics but has remained a potent international player; the next being the kin of the Dorvish, Dundorf. Dundorf has remained a stable staple in the lower northern tier of Artania, but is it ready, as is Luthori, Dorvik and Narikaton and Darnussia to shed its self-imposed continental isolation and blossom into a forthwith trading and political partner with Haldor and Fort William?

Regardless of situation, the meeting in Fort William between the Dorvish and Luthorians, however small-scale could be the beginning of a new era for the continent.

[Auditorii]

Dorvische Allgemeine Zeitung

State Council passes Dorvish State Railways budget improvement.

December, 5667

Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Wendy Kieffer (HKA) announced that the State Council has passed the new budget for the Dorvish State Railways which includes a series of modernization's. The primary modernization will be replacing the traditional trains utilized by the Dorvish State Railways with high-speed trains, bringing high-speed trains outside of Haldor and the Greater Kordusia region for the first time in several decades. The previous high-speed trains were replaced with a newer generation of high-speed trains by the previous Social Democratic Party government after debates over the environmental impact brought the issue to the campaign trail and eventually were replaced with a slower generation of trains. The State Council budget passage will provide funding for Haldor, which maintained their fleet of older generation high-speed trains to upgrade to the newest generation developed by a consortium of Dorvish companies, notably Theil-Hassel Technologies GmbH and Kasmetall AG. The budget also includes upgrading all primary routes in the regions of Greater Kordusia, Miktar, Largonia and Dorvan branches of the Dorvish State Railways and includes several upgrades for the special mountain trains that are operated in Westmark due to the geographic conditions. HKA Deputy Fritz Dahmen welcomed the act in front of the State Council building while several deputies from the Social Democratic Party shouted down the jubilant HKA Deputy. "They're upset because we have improved the Dorvish peoples day-to-day lives. These new generation trains are safer, more efficient and better for the Dorvish people." A spokesman for the Social Democratic Party stated that the environmental impact of these new trains is yet to be seen but protecting the environment is absolutely necessary.

[Auditorii]

Wirtschaftsnachrichten für Artania

Artania's leading business news

Dorvish government issues new 10, 15 and 30 year state bonds.

January, 5669

The Dorvish Ministry of Finance in conjunction with the State Bank of Dorvik have announced a series of long-term bonds that are to be issued with the primary goal of attracting foreign investment in to the country. Finance Minister Julian Oldenberg (HKA) and President of the State Bank Vinzenz Kalkbrenner announced a series of 10, 15 and 30 year bonds that will be issued at a variable rate of 4% to 5% depending on market rates at the time of maturity. In recent years the Dorvish government has sought to refresh its foreign-based investment into the country and with the recent uptick in trade between Luthori and Dorvik, and with an increased amount of continental trade in Artania, the Dorvish government has sought to find foreign investors outside of Artania. According to the Ministry of Finance and the State Bank, these bonds will be available starting January, 5670 and will be afforded to all governments and private corporations who wish to purchase them. In a recent interview, the President of the State Bank Vinzenz Kalkbrenner noted that the bonds would be issued and mainly focused on providing infrastructure-based projects, including the modernization of several new off-shore oil rigs in the icy north, something that the Dorvish have sought to revitalize but have lacked gaining domestic investment. In addition, those bonds purchased that are earmarked for the Northern Oil revitalization will have the addendum of enhance profits coming from Northern Oil profits in addition to the interest generated from the bonds themselves. It is likely that traditional Dorvish trade partners such as Lodamun, Luthori, Egelion and others will find themselves in the field of investment in this fresh round of Dorvish government bonds.

[Auditorii]

Defense Weekly
A publication by Gath Defense Collective
Supreme General Staff rolls out large-scale counter-UAS deployment to Landwehr.
June, 5671

Dorvish Landwehr soldier with mobile jammer for counter-UAS operations.

Dorvish defense officials have confirmed a multi-billion Dolgar investment into counter-UAS/UAV is being rolled out after a number of setbacks in deployment. Officials from the Supreme General Staff, speaking with the Dorvish media, confirmed that across the Dorvish Landwehr, the primary combat arm of the Dorvish military, squads and units were being equipped with counter-UAS/UAV capabilities largely in the form of mobile jammers and other enhanced electronics. For instance, the typical squad in the Dorvish Landwehr following the rollout will have a man portable counter-UAS/UAV jammer and units will begin forming dedicated counter-UAS/UAV formations at larger organizational levels. The Dorvish Military Intelligence Services (MND) has maintained a number of independent formations over the past several decades focused in counter-UAS/UAV warfare and electronic warfare, one of the hallmarks of Dorvish military ingenuity but roadblocks have existed that the Dorvish government needed to address. Sieg (Luthorian: Victory), the battlefield network developed by the Dorvish Supreme General Staff and now operated by a consortium of Dorvish defense electronic companies, had several major delays in being updated to integrate counter-UAS/UAV operations and last year the Dorvish Supreme General Staff confirmed that it had passed all their requirements and the new version would be rolled out.

Other headlines from Dorvik...

• Wirtschaftsnachrichten für Artania:  Finance Minister Julian Oldenberg (HKA) and President of the State Bank Vinzenz Kalkbrenner welcome Badaran investment in Dorvik.
  

[Auditorii]

Der Globus

International affairs, politics and economics.

Dorvish government hosts reception for bond purchasers.

October, 5675

The Dorvish government hosted a reception for governments and private businesses which had purchased bonds through the Dorvish government bond program over the past several years. Minister of Finance Julian Oldenberg, the keynote speaker, welcomed the investment into Dorvik and announced that a series of legislation that had been passed through the State Council over the past several months aimed at economic growth and deregulation; including easing foreign investment restrictions and streamlining foreign business operations in Dorvik. The Social Democratic government prior to the current government had passed a number of regulatory bills through the State Council that have remained unpopular. These bills passed through the last year of their power were seen as an attempt to shore up support within the Social Democratic Party's base but failed to attract newer voters or swing voters. The reception, hosted at the Ministry of Finance building located in Haldor, was well attended and the Unified Press, both Dorvish and international media were on scene for the event. The Dorvish provided several speakers, including the State Chancellor who spoke on the security of investments into the Dorvish economy as a whole and Dorvik's role in Artania and Terra as a whole.

The Dorvish touched on the special relationships developed between Dorvik and its partner nations. For instance, the Finance Minister noted that trade between Dorvik and Luthori had increased steadily since the 5666 meeting between the Dorvish and Luthorian government. While the focus on Luthori has been reshaping their economic relationship with the Artanian North, including fellow Dundorfian nation, Dundorf and Kundrati, the Dorvish-Luthori partnership has focused heavily on exchanging goods and services. The Dorvish have also promised considerable investment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, and the rise of Luthorian-developed VestriAI has been a prominent boon to AI within Dorvish business and AI circles. The Finance Minister noted that the Ministry of Science and Technology would be leading the push for investment into systems such as VestriAI. In addition, the Dorvish have worked to export goods such as electronic systems, provided by companies such as Ebner AG, and financial services provided by a bevy of Dorvish-based banks such as the Dorvish Development Bank, the Bank of Artania, Reichsbank, the State Commercial Bank and others.

In the Dundorf and Dorvish realm the Finance Minister welcomed deeper cooperation between the two Dundorfian nations as a whole. Dorvish-Dundorfian trade has, like with Luthori, increased nearly double over the past decade. Dundorfian companies such as IdB, DHL Maritime, AG, and Marcks Feiereisin Enterprises which work underneath the umbrella of Bundesrepublik Investitionen, AG (BRI) have purchased bonds further deepening cooperation between the two nations. Badara, a relative outlier in investments into the Dorvish economy, also purchased bonds.

Natural Resources Technical Management Corporation and Northern Oil (NordOl), which is the largest provider of oil and natural gas in Artania, benefits significantly from these bonds as a means to modernize the bevy of oil rigs located off the northern coast of Dorvik. A component of the investments made through the bond purchasing program will allow for a certain percentage of profit from Northern Oil to be shared with bond purchasers as an incentive.

[Auditorii]

Dorvische Allgemeine Zeitung

State Council and State Chancellor welcome first-time homebuyer program.

May, 5682

State Chancellor Andreas Knoerr's Blue-Orange-Black Coalition (Dundorfian: Blau-Orange-Schwarze Koalition) has remained strong, winning increased seats in both the 5670 and the recent 5680 general elections, continuing his mandate. Chief among their success has been rebuilding the Dorvish economy over the past two decades, bolstered by increased foreign investment, the State Chancellor announced a major program aimed at assisting first time homebuyers in Dorvik. The program which provides government-backed mortgages and government-backed assistance has been considered to be a "major success" in areas where housing has become an issue. Major cities and suburbs across Dorvik have experienced increased housing prices over the past several decades which has lead to a series of crisis for younger Dorvish couples to purchase homes, forcing them often into rent or lease agreements that the Blue-Orange-Black Coalition has seen a looming issue. In the closing months of before the October, 5670 general election, the Blue-Orange-Black Coalition worked to produce legislation that would provide support from the State Capital Fund for the program, which ultimately resulted in a near unanimous vote of the State Council in support of it. The legislation creates a consortium of Dorvish and Artanian-based banks and financial institutions who provide mortgages at favorable rates for first time homebuyers, these mortgages are largely backed by the Dorvish government and the State Capital Fund in the event of crisis of loss, and sets up a procedure for any conflicts through the State Court of Administration and State Court of Finance.

[Auditorii]

Der Globus

International affairs, politics and economics.

Haldor wakes up to the situation in Selucia.

November, 5688

Commentators and experts laughed as one of them spoke on Dorvish TV when one of them quipped "It's as if someone stepped in the State Chancellery and reminded the world that they use to be respected." The experts were speaking in regards to the on-going political situation within Migrant's Pass, the 3rd Point Federation and Selucia. The Kingdom has remained rather tight-lipped over the situation since its outbreak several decades prior and has "adapted" to the situation according to the Dorvish Trade Commission and the Ministry of Finance. The Dorvish quietly abandoned the use of Migrant's Pass large in part due to the "bad blood" within the area and have adopted to newer trade routes, albeit longer, but those without controversy for the time being. These alternative routes, largely subsidized by the Dorvish Trade Commission and the Foreign Economic Fund, have drawn ire from Dorvish citizens and have prompted the State Chancellor to take a harder stance in recent years towards Migrant's Pass. Robert Aumeier, a Dorvish citizen interviewed outside a beer hall in Largonia, stated that increased pricing should not be tolerated by the government in Haldor and "...the State Chancellor should do something about that...".

The State Chancellor who has served since November, 5660 but has remained popular, has waded carefully over the past few years due to a significant scandal involving the Dorvish Amred Forces. In a rare public showing, the Dorvish government announced the arrest of 37 officers and non-commissioned officers of the Dorvish Armed Forces and another 59 members of the Dorvish defense industry for a scandal relating to procurement and post-government service pay-to-play. The sprawling raid, carried out by the State Criminal Office and the State Security Service, saw daybreak raids across Dorvik and the arrest of the individuals. The initial arrests occurred in early June, 5686 and thus far 43 members of the scandal have either entered pleas or were imprisoned after a trial. In the wake of the scandal the State Chancellor while not named, was implicated that he was aware of the scandal but had not actively involved himself in resolving the problem. This prompted a wide-scale review of government contracts and military procurement, which has been hastily growing as the Dorvish saw new conflicts on the horizon.

As the situation in Selucia has grown more unstable the Dorvish have sought to capitalize on the situation in September, 5688 announced a new task force assignment to Migrant's Pass to ensure "freedom of navigation". The details of which have remained a closely guarded secret but it is expected that in January, 5689 the task force will be in place and actively operating within Migrant's Pass.

In recent weeks the situation in Selucia has "deteriorated" according to the Foreign Office and the Dorvish have issued a "Yellow List" notice for Selucia, actively noting that domestic situations might spiral and cause further issues. State Chancellor Knoerr has condemned the treatment of Yeudi's in Selucia but has largely remained on the sidelines of implementing wide-scale sanctions on the nation opting for more monitoring of the situation. According to the Supreme General Staff and the State Security and Defense Council the Dorvish government has opted to send one of their High Seas Monitoring Squadrons to the area to monitor the situation. These High Seas Monitoring Squadrons are largely intelligence-gathering operations but include some potential response options according to the Supreme General Staff.

[Auditorii]

Dorvische Allgemeine Zeitung

Growing discontent in the coalition, Knoerr kowtowing out?

February, 5695

State Chancellor Andreas Knoerr faces a massive challenge after announcing the sacking of Inspector-General of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense Generaloberst (Army) Georg Bierkamp and Foreign Minister Karolina Johner (HKA) after a series of "systemic failures" according to the State Chancellery. The State Chancellor, who is entering his mid 70s, has remained popular with the public despite a series of political gaffes and scandals throughout the years. Perhaps the worst of these scandals involves the large-scale acquisitions scandal of the Armed Forces of Dorvik in November, 5688 in which a number of officials and military officers were arrested and many of them imprisoned. A series of challenges from elements of the State Chancellor's own Hosian-Conservative Alliance (HKA), the Free Conservative Party (FKP) and the Social Nationalist Party (SNP) have mounted over the years and despite maintaining their majority in the October, 5690 election there have been increased calls for the State Chancellor to step down. While it is unlikely that Knoerr would run again in October, 5700, there have been calls for an incredibly rare vote of no confidence in the State Council. It has been several centuries since a vote of no confidence has been brought by the State Council and should it be successful it will be a historical moment in the State Council.

State Council watchers have been citing increased activity from across the Free Conservative Party and the Social Nationalist Party, notably in meetings related to the senior leadership of the two parties.