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Götköping's Northern Council Meeting

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Van Vliet gave a soft sigh. He hoped what he was about to say would finalise this spat.

'Gentlemen, enough. Clearly this is not just about languages. I think that my compromise was quite appropriate. French is indeed a regional language and the possibility of a Francophone country joining is there. If we include French we don't have to worry about adding any more languages in the future. We have everything covered.'

He finished his glass of water before continuing.

'Now, this is not and should not be about who can control proceedings. The extra cost of translating into French now will be minimal to what it would be throwing it into the mix years from now.'

'Now, Herr Kanzler,' he switched back to German, 'We can always discuss matters of budgetary funding on an individual basis in private at another time if it is really of that high importance. Our Scanian friends from up North have just arrived, they seem to like the charter. Let us all put pen to paper, no? Prime Minister De Jonghe is poised to arrive any moment. I think his landing was delayed. Something about picking up a box of cookies or something...'
 

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The Chancellor sighed, "Again, exemption from Article 5, or the removal of French. It's a waste of funds. Call us the champion of thriftiness if you'd like, but this organization will not spend frivolously."
 
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Typical Tyskreich bully tactics, well Éireann stubbornness can be just as effective.

"If it is truely the cost that is at the heart of this, then change Article V to state that only those primary languages used by the permanent members will be made official and that the list will only be expanded when a new permanent member with an unlisted primary language is added. This way French will not be an official language unless a French nation actually joins, then, if you are right Mr. Chancellor, that the French would never join this Council, you have nothing to worry about."
 

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The Chancellor motions for this aide to speak, as the Chancellor was nearly done with his patience.

"We worry this blank cheque for language additions may get out of hand. Again, we wish to limit the number of languages. Which is exactly we felt our compromise fulfilled everyone's wishes. It allows private operation of languages at the Northern Council and allows for translations to become official when confirmed by the Great Council. If the Great Council becomes bogged down by translation issues, I'm quite sure a particular language, if used often can achieve official status by charter amendment, be that French, Frisian, Danish, or whatever language that might just so happen to find common use."
 
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Van Vliet had had enough.

'I disagree with Éireann on adding languages for every new member. The whole point of this paragraph is to prevent that. On the other hand I disagree with the Tyskreicher delegation regarding the exclusion of French. If French is included we have all the regional languages covered. If they are really concerned about a bit more money spent each year, I already told them that we can discuss these things outside this meeting. Let us move on, gentlemen, and get this organisation up and running.'

Van Vliet's aide handed a note to a page who brought it over to the Chancellor of Tyskreich. Scribbled in German, it read as follows:

My government will pay for the damn French, enough already with this dithering, you've quite made your point. Agreed?
 
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"If it is cost, then my proposal is the most cost effective, if the language is not one that is the primary language of a permanent member, then there will not be a translation into that language, but, if one joins, then the cost per language will not change, and if more than one joins that use the new language, the over all cost will actually go down."

"On the other hand, if we go the way the Chancellor suggests, we are paying to translate documents into a language, namely English, that is not the primary language of any nation represented here, and with no guarantee that an English nation will even join, cost effective...no! Unless it is the fact, if any one of the French join, their language might not be placed on the official list and therefore will have to pay for their own translation, but being permanent members, they will of course be expected to help foot the bill for all the other translations as well, it may make it cheaper for the rest of us but will not the kind of organization that would not live up to the ideals stated in the preamble of the charter."
 

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Chancellor Rilke-Schrödinger looked at the memo with a great deal of interest. He had made his point? The point to be made was that he wanted something and would never bow down to the Celts. French would not be a member language. He jotted down some scribble on a piece of paper and returned it back to Van Vliet. It read,
"My Republic does not believe French should be part of this assembly. That is our demand. Your demand is that we should not readily allow for more languages upon the admission of members. We all know this is a silly subject on which to choose to discontinue this affair, else I would have readily left this building already. I cannot have the tabloids raging this and that because of the French language. Yet the question here is the Eireann delegation, they choose to want both of what we do not want. This is the glory of politics, the effort and of course art of finding compromises to gain the approval of all parties. Thus far, Eireann has only demanded, and we've conceded on the admission of new languages by allowing for privatized language groups. Eireann won't have that either. They surely cannot have their cake and eat it too and so we sit at an impasse because these self-serving twits believe they are more important than the size of the rock they live on."
Soon after an aide walked the memo over to the Batavian delegation the Chancellor spoke again. "There will be an English speaking member of this body. I guarantee it. That point isn't even debatable. As for the French, well perhaps they should have had a champion for them or at least shown an interest in our proceedings. As it stands, Swedish and English additions were my objective based upon my own friendships with neighbors that will join this body. Your French ambitions are your own desire to be some sort of peacemaker in which you are sacrificing the signing of this document so that Gaul might smile upon you. Sir, your senseless ambition sickens me. You have yet to offer a viable alternative, other than allow French or allow all languages, something your government well knows that neither the Batavian nor Tysk governments will sign onto, and yet you continue to smash down every other compromise given by our nations. Sickens isn't even strong enough a word for this mindless conquest of personal kudos and regional strong-arming!"

He paused as an aide yet again gave him another piece of paper to quickly look over. Ludwig nodded and smiled. "Yet again! I have yet another compromise! If this isn't good enough, then upon Jesus' name himself, I will demand the removal of the Gaelic language... Article I, Section ii, will now read as, ii. Membership grants full voting rights in NC affairs and full access to agreements passed by the council. In order to be considered for full membership, prospective members must hold territory north of the southern most border of the Free Union's territory of BLOIS; west of the Wieser city of AUGSBURG; east of the Batavian held MAARTEN ISLAND; special exceptions may be made to any island nation in the Great Sea or upon the invite of two-thirds of the Great Council.

"Article 4, Section iii be rewritten to state; To control costs of interpretations and translations further additions to the list of official languages is strongly discouraged even with further expansion of permanent member states. The Northern Council offers services in seven languages which may be chosen by any future states to act as their mode of operation. Expansion nation states are however allowed to maintain their own privately financed translation services that are accepted as legitimate bodies housed in the Northern Council. Translations produced will not be officially approved translations for the Northern Council until they achieve official status with the stamp of approval of the Great Council.

"If this is still objectionable to the Eireann delegation I do have a few questions to ask of them that are unrelated to these amendments."
 
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The Special Representative was having quite enough of this petty squabbling. The Tyskreich proposal was typically Tysker, harsh and uncompromising without room for compromise and the Gaulic solidarity was equally obtuse. The Special Representative put his hand up to be recognised by the Chair which was a nice break from the back and forth banter.

"Honourable colleagues, this squabbling is pointless and the tit for tat redressing are harmful. We are clearly at an impasse and my Government is keen to see agreement. Thus I have two different proposals to clear this impasse: 1) members will be required to contribute for official translations into the official language of their state; 2) the Royal Scaniam Translation Institute will provide translations into French and if requsted any other official language with cost bourne by Skåne.

I do hope that one of these two proposals can satisfy the Tysker frugalness and the Gaulic solidarity."
 
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'With all due respect, Kanzler, I am not in favour of your first proposed amendment. I would like to see this organisation relatively open minded in terms of long term expansion goals. Having prospective states required to be north of Blois would keep out Breotonia and, yes, some Francophone states. I understand your opposition to the francophones, but no one says they will join now and things change. As for your second amendment, I think it complicates matters even more.'

'Now, on the other hand, I think that the level-headed and more neutral Skånskige proposals are adequate. They have graciously offered to pay for French, which appeases the Celts, by including it, and appeases Tyskreich, be axing it, for now, as an official language. Because, Herr Kanzler, you are correct when you say that the francophone countries have as of yet not signalled interest in this group.'

Van Vliet looked around the table and saw a room full of tired diplomats and their aides. He himself just wanted to go home and get this done. He was about to continue speaking with his calming drone of a voice when an aide whispered into his ear.

Van Vliet couldn't help but let out a slight look of surprise and said, perhaps a bit too loudly, 'Hij is al hier?'

The door to the sun-lit conference room swung open and in walked none other than President Joost van Randburg of Batavië. He came in with a smile and shook the hands of each of the delegations' leaders.

'So sorry for my late arrival, but I was told this treaty is ready for signing. So, where is it and who has a pen?' He sat down next to Van Vliet and kept his jovial demeanour even after Van Vliet muttered into his ear that they weren't quite there yet.

'Ah, yes, the language debate.' he chuckled. 'Well I only hope that everyone here understands the potential benefits of this group. It looks like the Skånskige delegation has something fine. Let me have a look.' He read the proposal and set it back down.

'Well...comments?'
 
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O'Donell mulls over the Scanian proposal. The Éireann people may be stubborn, but they can compromise when real compromise is proposed.

"It is the desire of the Éireann that this organization be one of inclusiveness rather than one of exclusiveness, therefore, as the proposal made by the honourable Special Representative from Skånskige Statsunionen is in the spirit of the former rather than the latter, I find it quite acceptable."
 
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'Well then. Do we have an agreement?' Van Vliet turned to the Tyskreicher Chancellor.


OOC: Guys, I completely forgot to include a leadership position in the charter. We need a Secretary-General to guide the organisation. I think a simple vote by the NC Parliament would be democratic and efficient. The different parties in the NC could nominate anyone they see fit to fun. If I draft a paragraph for this, do I have your permission to retcon it into the charter? Sorry, I just don't want to spend another 4 days arguing over another thing and I honestly believe that this won't be a controversial addition.
 

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"Our government might be able to agree to this in principle. Yet, we still believe that the private option should be kept. Perhaps this is also how French is implemented and funded by Skåne. If not, we'd like to see how this is to be implemented in written fashion."
 
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'If the Skånskigen delegation would be so kind as to draft us a paragraph, perhaps we can finally move on.'

OOC: I am assuming, Coro, that you are fine with the retcon?
 

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OOC {
Yeah. Just be prepared for another battle if it is written oddly.
}
 
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OOC: here is the retcon paragraph, no. vi., into Article III. I will add it in so long as there are no descenting voices:

vi. The guiding leader of the NC is the Secretary-General, who is nominated by the parties of the Northern Parliament and elected by the MNPs in a simple majority vote. The Secretary-General does not represent any government or country, only the interests of the Northern Council. The Secretary-General's term is three (3) months with no term limitations.

IC:

'I do ask that the Skånskige delegation provide the Chair with a draft of their proposed compromise paragraph so that we may move on to signing this treaty and implementing this organisation's goals.'

Van Vliet turned to his left where President Van Randburg was sitting to see a slight smile of confidence.
 
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ooc: sorry for going AWALL and not responding to this thread. Needless to say Arendaal fully approves of the charter
 

Jydsken-Østveg

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"It might seem that the Skåners do not have a viable option aside from paying for it themselves. In which case I believe the clause we first brought forward that allows for a private option be funded by Skåne. How this is done is fully a Skåne run operation and thus of no concern to our charter or to it's further delay in signature. Are there any disagreements with this notion?"
 
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'I agree that a private company handling these translations is adequate ad if Skåne wishes to fund that, we should allow them to and thank them for it. I believe we should move on with the signing.'
 
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"I will not agree to sign until I see the Skånskige proposal in writing, and if agreeable, the Charter reflect that change."
 
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