National News Eiffelland (from 2009 until 31 July 2020)

[Rheinbund]

Government of Eiffelland invites all diplomatic representatives of countries with an embassy in Trier for new years reception

The new year's concert in the Eiffelländische Oper is a new tradition for Eiffelland, despite the fact that it is a continuation of a formerly Wieser tradition. But there is also a new year's tradition that is not new to Eiffelland, and that is the new year's reception for all the foreign diplomats working at the embassies in Trier. This new year's reception will be held at Schloss Charlottenburg, the residency of the Eiffellandian King, at 10 January. The Eiffellandian government (consisting of the King and the Ministers) will act as the host though.

OOC: So not on 3 January, like mentioned earlier. People may still be in their homelands next Friday.

 

[Rheinbund]

Election year 1954: Emsland chooses new parliament

The first quarter of 1954 will be an important period of time regarding politics: Two provincial parliaments and the Staatstag will be chosen. The province of Emsland will be the first during this weekend. Traditionally, this province is a bullwark of the Sociodemocratic SPE. It was also this party that delivered the prime-minister of Emsland for almost 30 years, but then something special happened in 1950. The SPE lost some seats, but was still the largest party, so traditionally, it should deliver the prime-minister; however, the Christiandemocratic CDV and the market liberal FDV found themselves and formed a coalition in Eiffelland's poorest province, breaking the dominion of the SPE in Emsland. Now the SPE wants blood. Christiandemocratic blood. The SPE campaigned together with the centrist LDP and the pacifist PRP as an alternative to the current centre-right government. It remains to be seen if the SPE will reach a majority with the LDP and the PRP, but it is also doubtful if the current coalition holds its majority.

 

[Rheinbund]

24JAN1954

Emsland votes
Coalition looses majority, no majority for SPE, LDP and PRP

The votes have been counted in Emsland. The coalition currently governing this province looses its majority. The Christiandemocratic CDV managed to keep their seats, but the market liberal FDV lost 4 seats. The SPE, LDP and PRP campaigned together, but in the end only the sociodemocratic SPE managed to gain seats. These are the results:

CDV: 28 seats (+/- 0)
SPE: 33 seats (+ 3)
FDV: 21 seats (-3)
LDP: 8 seats (+/- 0)
PRP: 5 seats (+/- 0)
PCL: 2 seats (+/- 0)
KPE: 1 seat (- 1)
VU: 2 seats (+/- 0)

It was the SPE’s explicit ambition to form a government without the CDV, but the SPE’s dream coalition did not manage to get a majority. On the other hand, the CDV-FDV coalition lost its majority as well. It looks like the SPE will have to form a coalition with the CDV again, although against its will.

 

[Rheinbund]

31 January 1954

Eiffelland recognises Caliphate of Saraar

During his weekly press conference, Chancellor Graf von Seydewitz indicated that the Government of Eiffelland recognises the Caliphate of Saraar. "We think that, with the institution of a constitutional state in Saraar, that this country is on the right track. Therefore, we recognise the Caliphate of Saraar as the legitimate representant of the State of Saraar," the Chancellor said. He wished the people of Saraar much wisdom in the upcoming elections and all the luck they needed for the future. About a dispute between Carentania and Saraar, the Chancellor said: "The government of Carentania must understand that it is up to the people of Saraar to determine how their land should look like, and not up to the government of Carentania, like Minister Kögler indicated earlier this week."

 

[Rheinbund]

10FEB1954

Queen admitted to hospital

The press office of the Royal Family released the announcement that Queen Mathilda fell ill today. She has been admitted to the infection pavillon of the Rudolph Virchow Universitätsklinikum in Trier-Charlottenburg because of Scarlatina. As an emergency measure, the Royal Palace has been put under quarantine. Crown-Prince Friedrich, who does not reside in the Royal Palace, has been appointed regent until the quarantine of the Royal Palace has been lifted. Prince Johann will attend the Imperial Wedding in Valkany on behalf of the King and Queen.


12FEB1954

Queen is doing well

A spokesperson of the Rudolph Virchow Universitätsklinikum indicated that Queen Mathilda is doing well given the circumstances. She is slowly recovering. The physicians indicate that she might need to stay in hospital for 2 more weeks. After that, she will need 4 additional weeks of rest.


Election year 1954: Obereiffel chooses Parliament

This year's second elections will take place in the province Obereiffel, where the people will choose a new provincial parliament. Normally the SPE and the LDP are strong here, but 4 years ago the sociodemocratic SPE lost quite some seats here. It remains to be seen whether the sociodemocrats can gain some of her seats back, but chances for a change in the provincial government are small. Currently this province is ruled by a coalition between the christiandemocratic CDV, the market liberal FDV and the socioliberal LDP, and the athmosphere in the coalition is still good. These three parties might want to continue the coalition, and the polls indicate that they will keep their majority.

 

[Arendaal]

His Majesty King Sven V offers his heartfelt wishes of a speedy recovery to Her Majesty Queen Matilda, as do the Aren government and people.

 

[Rheinbund]

Schloss Charlottenburg
Trier, Eiffelland

I thank His Majesty King Sven as well as the government and people of Arendaal, also on behalf of my wife. I can announce that my wife Queen Mathilda is slowly recovering.

King Albrecht III

 

[Rheinbund]

14FEB1954

No further cases of Scarlatina in Royal Palace; quarantine repealed

After Queen Mathilda fell ill of Scarlatina earlier this week, the Royal Palace had been put under quarantine for the case that more people had been infected. This appears not to be the case. Therefore, the quarantine was repealed. King Albrecht resumes his tasks, which means that the regency of Crown-Prince Friedrich has ended. Prince Johann will still represent the Royal Family at the Imperial Wedding in Valkany. Meanwhile, Queen Mathilda is still doing well. Earlier prognoses that she would be released from hospital in the last week of February still hold.


Government announces prohibition of lobotomies

During his weekly press conference, Chancellor Graf von Seydewitz announced that the lobotomy, a brain operation carried out in psychiatric practice until recently to calm down unmanageable psychiatric patients, will be prohibited per the first of March. The necessary adaptations to the applicable laws have been sent to the Staatstag and Staatsrat. The Staatstag will discuss it and vote over it on Tuesday, and the Staatsrat will do the same on Wednesday. The Chancellor indicated that the lobotomy is "an operation with very drastic consequences to the patient" which "has not only been conducted on psychiatric patients in the past but also misused to get normal but resisting people quiet". He did not have exact numbers on the people who underwent a lobotomy up to now.
Strictly speaking, a lobotomy is a brain operation in which the frontal lobes of the brain are cut off of the rest of the brain. This operation makes an agitated patient quiet, which can be helpful with an unmanageable and uncurable patient. But it also makes a patient completely will-less and initiative-less. Furthermore, this operation is not without danger for the patient; there is a substantial risk that a blood vessel in the brain is cut during the operation, resulting in a fatal bleed. The operation through the orbit, which was presented as an alternative less risky operation than a craniotomy, didn't reduce this risk. Several patients died after this operation, also in Eiffelland. Meanwhile, almost all Eiffelandian neurologists and psychiatrist frown upon this operation, but there are still some doctors who carry them out. These doctors need to be stopped, said the Chancellor. He indicated that lobotomies will also be forbidden in the Eiffellandian Occupational Zone of Solaren.


Eiffelland takes neutral stance in colonies issue

Chancellor Graf von Seydewitz also indicated that Eiffelland will take a neutral stance regarding the question whether all Hymiari colonies should gain independence or not. The Chancellor indicated that it should be "up to the mothercountry to decide whether a colony is ready for independence or not". The call for independence of colonies in Hymiar recently flared up because of the incidents in the East Cape, when several hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed by the Valkanian army. This massacre was condemned by the Eiffellandian government. Today the Chancellor inidicated that the government will not actively campaign for independence of the current colonies.

 

[Rheinbund]

18FEB1954

Small gain for Sociodemocrats
Christiandemocrats win in Obereiffel

The results of the provincial elections in Obereiffel are in, and those results bear a surprise. The Sociodemocratic SPE manages to gain some of the seats lost 4 years ago back, but that was not enough for getting the upper hand in Obereiffel. For the first time in history, the Christiandemocratic CDV is the largest party in this traditionally Sociodemocratic bullwark. The current coalition of Christiandemocrats, Market Liberals (FDV) and Socioliberals (LDP) keep their majority in the provincial parliament. These are the results:

CDV (Christlich-Demokratische Volkspartei): Had 25 seats, gets 30 seats.
SPE (Sozialdemokratische Partei Eiffellands): Had 25 seats, gets 27 seats.
FDV (Frei-Demokratische Volkspartei, market liberal): Had 22 seats, gets 19 seats.
LDP (Liberal-Demokratische Partei, socioliberal): Keeps its 13 seats.
PRP (Pazifistische Reformpartei): Keeps its 8 seats.
PCL (Partei für das Christliche Leben): Keeps its 1 seat.
KPE (Kommunistische Partei Eiffellands): Had 3 seats, gets 1 seat.
VU (Volksunion): Had 3 seats, gets 2 seats.


The CDV, FDV and LDP had already announced before the elections that they wanted to continue their current coalition. Immediately after the results became known, the political leaders of these three parties gave a joint press conference in which they indicated that they would start the negotiations right away.

The outcome of these elections might have an impact on national politics as well: After the coming national elections, the coalition on national level (consisting of CDV and FDV) will have only 101 of the 200 seats in the Staatsrat. If the current national coalition continues to govern after the next elections, one more disastrous provincial election will lead to a Staatsrat that can block every legislation the government wants to propose.


19FEB1954

Emsland has a government

It shortly looked like new elections had to be organised in Emsland, but the SPE and the CDV managed to reach an agreement. The two rivals will govern Emsland together for the coming 4 years under an SPE Prime-Minister. It remains to be seen though how stable this coalition will be. During the electoral campaign, these two parties attacked each other vehemently, and both had indicated that they wanted a different coalition than the one that has been formed: The CDV wanted to continue the coalition with the FDV, and the SPE announced together with the LDP and the PRP that they wanted to form a coalition together. CDV and FDV lost their majority, but SPE, LDP and PRP did not manage to win a majority. The option of the LDP joining the coalition of CDV and FDV was rejected by the LDP. The political leader of the LDP indicated that “it would be unjust to join a coalition that lost its majority”. It remains to be seen how stable the new government of Emsland will be.


21FEB1954

Food aid to Eastern Danmark?

During his weekly press conference, Chancellor Graf von Seydewitz indicated that the government is planning to send food aid to Eastern Danmark. It is the intention to not let the Danish transport the food there, but the Eiffellandian Army. To coordinate this, emergency talkings will be opened with the government in Christiansborg, as well as the various factions ruling in Eastern Danmark. There is one obstacle to the plan of the government: Because the 3rd Army is completely involved in Solaren, the food aid will have to be distributed by members of the 1st and 2nd Army, but these two armies can only be deployed outside Eiffelland to defend Eiffelland’s allies, and that is not the situation at hand. Therefore, a twothirds majority of the Staatstag and Staatsrat has to approve this. It is doubtful if the government will reach this majority.

 

[Rheinbund]

Eiffelland celebrates Carnival

The four days before Ash Wednesday are traditionally the days of Carnival, at least in Eiffelland, and especially in Köln. The festivities already started last Thursday with the Weiberfastnacht. At that day, men could better not wear a tie in Eiffelland, because the women have the right to cut it off. People already go out in fancy-dresses on that day, and that continues until Fastnachtdienstag, the day before Ash Wednesday. In some villages and towns, the carnival procession takes place on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, but for the larger cities the Rosenmontag (the Monday before Ash Wednesday) is the day of the carnival procession. Carnival is the time of year in which the normally decent and formal Eiffellandians let everything go (even the King is not adressed as "Your Majesty", which is usually a serious violation of the protocol), but the fun is bound to many old traditions and rules.
The festivities stop at Tuesday midnight sharp. Then everybody goes home. And the next morning, everybody goes to church to get ashes. The fasting before Easter has begun. In those 40 days, no alcohol is drunk, no cigars or cigarettes are smoked and no candies are eaten, except on the Sundays. The church bells do not sound, either. It is told to the little children that the church bells have flown to Tibur. At Eastersunday, they will return from Tibur, and while flying back to the church towers, they drop eggs into the gardens. So on Eastersunday morning, the children are sent into the garden to look for all the eggs that have been dropped by the church bells. Oh wonder, those eggs aren't crushed, but they are coloured and already cooked.

 

[Rheinbund]

Staatstag and Staatsrat surprisingly approve intervention in Danmark

A three weeks thriller came to a surprising end today. Both the Staatstag and the Staatsrat approved the governmental plans for an intervention in Danmark, after endless discussions in both parliaments, in newspapers and on the radio. Yesterday night the chairmen of the Staatstag and the Staatsrat dined together to discuss the matter at hand, and decided that chairman of the Staatstag would order a vote over the matter to finally bring the discussion to an end. When the Staatstag would approve the intervention, the Staatsrat would gather together immediately and vote over the matter as well.
Given the fact that an intervention in Danmark would require the deployment of conscripts abroad while there was no attack against Eiffelland or its allies, both the Staatstag and the Staatsrat had to approve the intervention with a 2/3 majority, so 334 votes in favour in the Staatstag, and 134 votes in favour in the Staatsrat. The sociodemocratic SPE and the pacifist PRP had already announced that they would vote against the intervention. The PRP would vote against for obvious reasons. The stance of the SPE is more difficult to explain. Eiffelland's land army consists of three armies, of which one army consists solely of professional soldiers. Only this army, the third army, can be deployed outside Eiffelland after approval by half plus one in the Staatstag and the Staatsrat. Currently large parts of the third army are deployed in Solaren, which the SPE wants to change. By blocking the use of conscripts abroad, the SPE tried to force the government to reduce the troops strength in Solaren. The communist KPE followed the same strategy.
The radical-Christian party PCL and the socioliberal LDP, both opposition parties, had already indicated that they would support the government in this matter. The ultranationalist-mezhist VU didn't take part in the discussions, until this morning, when the political leader of the VU indicated that his party would vote for the intervention "to help our Germanic brothers in Danmark out". That was enough for the 2/3 majority in the Staatstag. But the real surprise took place in the Staatsrat, where the SPE, PRP and KPE had enough seats to block the intervention in Danmark. After the votes had been counted, it appeared that five delegates of these three parties had voted in favour. Because the voting in the Eiffellandian parliaments is conducted anonymously, it is not known which five.
Chancellor Graf von Seydewitz and Minister for Defence Wolzow already gave the necessary orders to start the needed preparations. One of the first actions to be carried out will be a food dropping above Eastern Danmark. The Chancellor stressed once more that the intervention by the Eiffellandian armed forces would be focused solely on the stabilisation of Danmark, "after that, it will be up to the people of Danmark, whether Danish or Germanic, to decide about their future".

 

[Serenierre]

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IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT OF SIKANDARA
COUNCIL FOR DIPLOMACY

OPEN STATEMENT

​

The Imperial Government supports the policy of the Eiffellander Government in regards to Danmark. The political maturity demonstrated by the Eiffellander political class is worth praising. Rustam Ghaznavi Grand Councillor for Diplomatic Affairs​

 

[Rheinbund]

Kanzleramt
Trier, Eiffelland

We thank Grand Councillor Ghaznavi for his kind words. We will do everything we can to bring stability back to Danmark.

Matthias Graf von Seydewitz, Chancellor

 

[Rheinbund]

Bauxite deposit found near Lüneburg

The Königliche Eiffelländische Bergbaugesellschaft announced that it had found a bauxite deposit near Lüneburg, at about 100km from the Eiffellandian-Tyrrhenian border. At the beginning of the year, a large geologic investigation had started throughout Eiffelland, and the first result was the discovery of this bauxite deposit. A spokesperson of the Königliche Eiffelländische Bergbaugesellschaft was very enthousiastic about the discovery, and he indicated that more geologic discoveries may follow. Chancellor Graf von Seydewitz congratulated the Königliche Eiffelländische Bergbaugesellschaft with its discovery.

 

[Rheinbund]

Eiffelland increases strategic oil reserves

In reaction to a possible escalation of the war in Yujin, Eiffelland increases its strategic oil reserves. During his weekly press conference, Chancellor Graf von Seydewitz said the following: "Despite our neutrality in the war in Yujin, which cannot be called a civil war any more, we cannot remain blind for the consequences of a possible escalation of this war. A full-blown war between Sikandara, Sri Siva and non-communist forces in Yujin against Vangala, Carentania and communist forces in Yujin is becoming more and more a realistic scenario. We have to prepare for that situation. We reiterate our neutral stance in this war; however, that neutrality also means that only we decide where we buy our oil, and that any decision about that matter will be independent from who fights whom in Yujin. When needed, oil tankers destined for Eiffelland will be guarded by the Eiffellandian Navy."
On a question from a journalist about the stance of the Eiffellandian government on the use of chemical weapons by military forces of Imperial Yujin, the Chancellor commented: "We strongly condemn that, and we hope that this was not ordered or approved by the Imperial government. Any officer or official who ordered or approved the chemical attacks in question must be charged for war crimes. We will do everything we can from a diplomatic point of view to enforce that these officers and officials will be put on trial."
Chancellor Graf von Seydewitz also called upon all the foreign forces in Yujin to focus on stabilising the country and leaving any ideological disputes apart: "Both the Socialists, and the alliance between Sikandari and Sri Siva, and the imperial government of Yujin must open their eyes for the fact that tens of millions of people, maybe even hundreds of millions of people, are suffering from the war in Yujin. Decisions about post-war Yujin should not be enforced at the expense of so many people."


Also parts of army sent to Northern Eiffelland
Navy and Air Force mobilised

The government also announced the mobilisation of the Navy and Air Force. Two reasons were given for that measure: The civil war in Danmark and the possible escalation of the war in Yujin. Chancellor Von Seydewitz: "Regarding Danmark, our support is with the Danish, and that means both the Danes and the Germanics. We support Mr. Kammerschen and the Commonwealth against terror from Christiansborg, but we will also do everything we can to prevent Dane hunts. The conflict in Danmark has the potential to spill over to Northern Eiffelland; we have to be prepared for that. We will prepare the Navy against a possible Danish naval attack, and the army against a possible Danish land attack. Regarding the war in Yujin, we will have to keep trade in the Long Sea secure, and that is what we will enforce."

 

[Rheinbund]

31 March 1954

Eiffelland recognises Faroese Republic

As soon as the results of the referendum on the Faroes became known, the government of Eiffelland announced that it will recognise the Faroese Republic. A spokesperson of the Chancellery indicated that “The Faroese people have indicated their wishes about the future of their islands”, and that “the international community has to respect those wishes”.


11 April 1954

National elections in Eiffelland

The elections of the Staatstag, Eiffelland’s national parliament, are scheduled to take place on Sunday 27 April 1954. A victory for the CDV, Chancellor Graf von Seydewitz’s party, is expected, but it remains to be seen if the current CDV‑FDV coalition manages to keep its majority due to expected losses for the FDV, which is loosing more and more votes to the far right Volksunion. Quite some people traditionally voting for the FDV want to see a more confrontational stance towards leftwing countries like Carentania and Tyrrhenia than the government has shown, and those people decide either to not vote or to vote for the Volksunion.
Apart from that, there is also a movement of voters from the FDV to the CDV. Such a movement is seen more often in CDV‑FDV coalitions; in contrast when the CDV governs with the SPE, the voters move from the CDV to the FDV.
It is uncertain in which way the current war in Danmark will influence the elections. It can lead to losses for the CDV and more gains for the SPE, but it can also go a different way if the Eiffellandian intervention in Danmark turns out to be successful.

These are the stances of the political parties.

Christlich-Demokratische Volkspartei (CDV) (black)
General: Christiandemocratic.
Foreign affairs: It is of vital importance that Eiffelland keeps good relations with its neighbours. Continuation of current cordial relationships with Nichtstein and Franken, given the fact that they are still Eiffelland’s allies in the Germanian League, and Nichtstein is in a personal union with Eiffelland. Continuation of good relations with Sikandara, Ivernia, Arendaal and all other countries Eiffelland has good relations with. Continuation of current good relations with Tyrrhenia, and the building up of good relations with The Commonwealth.
Solaren: Eiffelland cannot retreat its troops before a well‑functioning constitutional state has been grounded there. That state can have a socialist structure, but only if the majority of the Solaris people want that. With emphasis: The majority of the Solaris people, which is not by definition the same as a majority within the SNC. A new constitution must be voted upon by all Solaris in a referendum. It is our opinion that the new Solaris Constitution should not contain any stipulations on the economy. Any radical changes regarding the economy must be taken by a parliament that has been voted for by the people of Solaren.
Commonwealth/Danmark: Continuation of cooperation with the current leader of the Commonwealth, Franz Kammerschen.
Defence: Eiffelland cannot maintain its independence without a strong defence. More attention will be paid to the air force as well as the aeroplanes and helicopters in the navy. The land army will be equipped with more helicopters. More money will go to innovations in defence techniques. We need to become more aware of espionage activities by countries we don’t have friendly relations with; therefore, no budget reductions for the Staatsschutz.
Economic: Continuation of the Social Market Economy. Because of the nature of this system, it needs to be permanently surveyed so that the need for adaptations can be detected as soon as they occur. Additional stimulation of Dassau Flugzeugwerke. Extension of the motorway network, construction of the Trierer Stadautobahn around the city centre, and extension of busy motorways from 2x2 tracks to 2x3 tracks.
Education and science: Education at the Eiffellandian state schools and universities is free of charge. This needs to stay. Furthermore, the need for stipendia needs to be investigated. No structure change in the secondary education. We want to continue stimulating science. Eiffelland is large enough to excel in all scientific topics, but is mainly famous for its biomedical discoveries. We will continue to stimulate that. Furthermore, we want to continue our cooperation with Franken and Nichtstein regarding space travel.
Health care: The current system remains in effect, i.e. everybody is obliged to be insured for health care. Everybody is a member of the Krankenkasse of the commune where he or she lives, unless he or she can prove that he or she is insured for health care at a private company. Krankenkasse-premiums are imposed as a percentage of the family income, with an upper limit.
Ethics: No abortion, unless the life or health of the child-bearing woman is in danger. This is and must remain the current legislation in Eiffelland. More help for unmarried pregnant women; they committed a sin, but there must be room for forgiveness, and their children must not become the victim of this sin. The current legislation of sexual intercourse between persons of the same gender (legal from 18 years of age, and from 16 years of age when the age difference is not more than 731 days) remains unchanged; this legislation was the object of severe conflicts until King Albrecht signed for it in 1950, and we don’t want to open those discussions again. Condoms will have to remain legal. The separation of church and state must remain in effect; it is up to the Church and not up to the state to judge about preservative measures and homosexuality.

Sozialdemokratische Partei Eiffellands (SPE) (red)
General: Sociodemocratic.
Foreign affairs: It is of vital importance that Eiffelland keeps good relations with its neighbours. Continuation of current cordial relationships with Nichtstein and Franken, given the fact that they are still Eiffelland’s allies in the Germanian League, and Nichtstein is in a personal union with Eiffelland. Continuation of good relations with Sikandara, Ivernia, Arendaal and all other countries Eiffelland has good relations with. Continuation of current good relations with Tyrrhenia, and the building up of good relations with The Commonwealth. The relations with Carentania must be improved. As soon as the war in Yujin is over, the events in that war must be evaluated, especially the chemical and biological attacks. Also the actions taken by the Eiffellandian government must be investigated.
Solaren: Eiffelland must retreat from Solaren as soon as the SNC is able to manage the country on its own. The cooperation between Eiffelland on the one hand and the SNC and Carentania on the other hand must improve. The SNC has the last word in Solaren, also w.r.t. the new constitution. The military presence of Eiffelland in Solaren must be reduced immediately, so that no conscripts have to be deployed outside Eiffelland.
Commonwealth/Danmark: Continuation of cooperation with the current leader of the Commonwealth, Franz Kammerschen. Furthermore, the conscripts currently involved in military operations in Danmark must be replaced with professional soldiers currently stationed in Solaren.
Defence: Eiffelland’s armed forces are large enough as they are. Reductions may even be possible. This has to be investigated.
Economic: Continuation of the Social Market Economy, but taxes must become more progressive. No extension of the motorway network, no construction of the Trierer Stadautobahn around the city centre, and no extension of busy motorways from 2x2 tracks to 2x3 tracks. Instead, public transport must be stimulated.
Education and science: Education at the Eiffellandian state schools and universities is free of charge. This needs to stay. Furthermore, stipendia need to be introduced for students of poor families. No structure change in the secondary education. We want to continue stimulating science, and more cooperation with Carentanian and Tyrrhenian universities. We want to continue our cooperation with Franken and Nichtstein regarding space travel.
Health care: Private health care insurances must be abolished; everybody must be insured through the Krankenkassen. No class differences in health care.
Ethics: Currently, abortion is only allowed if the life or health of the child-bearing woman is in danger. We want to legalise abortion up to 12 weeks pregnancy duration also for other than medical reasons. Current legislations on homosexuality and condom use must remain in effect.

Frei-Demokratische Volkspartei (CDV) (blue)
General: Market liberal.
Foreign affairs: It is of vital importance that Eiffelland keeps good relations with its neighbours. Continuation of current cordial relationships with Nichtstein and Franken, given the fact that they are still Eiffelland’s allies in the Germanian League, and Nichtstein is in a personal union with Eiffelland. Continuation of good relations with Sikandara, Ivernia, Arendaal and all other countries Eiffelland has good relations with. Continuation of current good relations with Tyrrhenia, and the building up of good relations with The Commonwealth.
Solaren: Eiffelland cannot retreat its troops before a well‑functioning constitutional state has been grounded there. Eiffelland must actively fight the collectivisation of the Solaris economy, unless the majority of the Solaris wants to go for a Socialist system. This must be determined in a referendum; we cannot assume any more that the SNC correctly represents the opinions of the Solaris.
Commonwealth/Danmark: Continuation of cooperation with the current leader of the Commonwealth, Franz Kammerschen. We realise that this man has a leftwing agenda for the Commonwealth, but trying to change those ideas will only further complicate the situation in the Commonwealth. We have to see what we can do on the longer term.
Defence: Eiffelland must keep strong armed forces if it wants to keep its independence. More attention will be paid to the air force as well as the aeroplanes and helicopters in the navy. The land army will be equipped with more helicopters. More money will go to innovations in defence techniques. The budget of the Staatsschutz will be increased so that it can pay even more attention to counterespionage activities.
Economic: Continuation of the Social Market Economy, but with more emphasis on the needs of the companies. Additional stimulation of Dassau Flugzeugwerke. Extension of the motorway network, construction of the Trierer Stadautobahn around the city centre, and extension of busy motorways from 2x2 tracks to 2x3 tracks.
Education and science: Education at the Eiffellandian state schools and universities is free of charge. This needs to stay. Stipendia are out of the question. No structure change in the secondary education. We want to continue stimulating science. Eiffelland is large enough to excel in all scientific topics, but is mainly famous for its biomedical discoveries. We will continue to stimulate that. Furthermore, we want to continue our cooperation with Franken and Nichtstein regarding space travel.
Health care: The Krankenkassen were originally meant for the people with lower incomes. This must become the leading principle again. People who earn a certain income must leave the Krankenkasse and take a private insurance. Private insurance companies must be obliged to accept everybody leaving the Krankenkasse because of income reasons.
Ethics: Currently, abortion is only allowed if the life or health of the child-bearing woman is in danger. We want to legalise abortion up to 12 weeks pregnancy duration also for other than medical reasons. Current legislations on homosexuality and condom use must remain in effect.

Liberal-Demokratische Partei (LDP) (yellow)
General: Slightly market‑liberal, leftwing in social issues.
Foreign affairs: It is of vital importance that Eiffelland keeps good relations with its neighbours. Continuation of current cordial relationships with Nichtstein and Franken, given the fact that they are still Eiffelland’s allies in the Germanian League, and Nichtstein is in a personal union with Eiffelland. Continuation of good relations with Sikandara, Ivernia, Arendaal and all other countries Eiffelland has good relations with. Continuation of current good relations with Tyrrhenia, and the building up of good relations with The Commonwealth. As soon as the war in Yujin is over, the events in that war must be evaluated, especially the chemical and biological attacks. Also the actions taken by the Eiffellandian government must be investigated, so that we can learn from it for the future.
Solaren: Eiffelland cannot retreat its troops before a well‑functioning constitutional state has been grounded there. The SNC must make sure that it develops a constitution that follows the will of the Solaris as much as possible. The new constitution of Solaren must be approved by the Solaris in a referendum. We advice the SNC to make a constitution for Solaren that leaves as much room as possible to follow whichever path the Solaris want to follow, be it Socialist, a Social Market Economy, or full-blown capitalist. Or an authoritarian democracy.
Commonwealth/Danmark: Continuation of cooperation with the current leader of the Commonwealth, Franz Kammerschen.
Defence: Eiffelland cannot maintain its independence without a strong defence. More attention will be paid to the air force as well as the aeroplanes and helicopters in the navy. The land army will be equipped with more helicopters. More money will go to innovations in defence techniques. The long‑range bombers mainly bomb large areas without any precision; they destroy large areas, killing many people, but are hardly effective in the sense that they do not always bomb what they need to bomb. This was shown several times during the Solaris war. Therfore, the long‑range bomber divisions need to be abolished; they can be replaced with fighter divisions. No budget reductions for the Staatsschutz.
Economic: Continuation of the Social Market Economy. Because of the nature of this system, it needs to be permanently surveyed so that the need for adaptations can be detected as soon as they occur. Extension of the motorway network, and extension of busy motorways from 2x2 tracks to 2x3 tracks, but no construction of the Trierer Stadautobahn around the city centre.
Education and science: Education at the Eiffellandian state schools and universities is free of charge. This needs to stay. Furthermore, stipendia need to be introduced for students of poor families. No structure change in the secondary education. We want to continue stimulating science. Eiffelland is large enough to excel in all scientific topics, but is mainly famous for its biomedical discoveries. We will continue to stimulate that. Furthermore, we want to continue our cooperation with Franken and Nichtstein regarding space travel.
Health care: The current system remains in effect, i.e. everybody is obliged to be insured for health care. However, people who earn a certain income must leave the Krankenkasse and take a private insurance. Private insurance companies must be obliged to accept everybody leaving the Krankenkasse because of income reasons.
Ethics: Currently, abortion is only allowed if the life or health of the child-bearing woman is in danger. We want to legalise abortion up to 12 weeks pregnancy duration also for other than medical reasons. Current legislations on homosexuality and condom use must remain in effect.

Pazifistische Reformpartei (PRP) (green)
General: Centrist in economics, leftwing in civil freedoms, focus on disarmament, pacifism and constitutional reforms.
Constitution: Abolishment of the monarchy. National elections every two years. New laws must not only be voted upon in the Staatstag and the Staatsrat, but also in referenda. It must be possible for the people to fire members of local and provincial governments, as well as members of the national government. This must happen in referenda.
Foreign affairs: Continuation of current cordial relationships with Nichtstein and Franken, given the historic ties. Continuation of good relations with Sikandara, Ivernia, Arendaal and all other countries Eiffelland has good relations with. Continuation of current good relations with Tyrrhenia, and the building up of good relations with The Commonwealth. The relations with Carentania must be improved. As soon as the war in Yujin is over, the events in that war must be evaluated, especially the chemical and biological attacks. Also the actions taken by the Eiffellandian government must be investigated.
Solaren: Eiffelland must retreat from Solaren as soon as the SNC is able to manage the country on its own. The cooperation between Eiffelland on the one hand and the SNC and Carentania on the other hand must improve. The SNC has the last word in Solaren, also w.r.t. the new constitution. The military presence of Eiffelland in Solaren must be reduced as soon as possible.
Commonwealth/Danmark: Continuation of cooperation with the current leader of the Commonwealth, Franz Kammerschen. However, the Eiffellandian armed forces must be retreated.
Defence: Eiffelland can defend itself with much smaller armed forces. The current government is ridiculously paranoid about any threats from the countries surrounding us. It is possible to improve our relations with Carentania and the RDTO, so that our armed forces can be reduced.
Economic: Continuation of the Social Market Economy, but taxes must become more progressive. No extension of the motorway network, no construction of the Trierer Stadautobahn around the city centre, and no extension of busy motorways from 2x2 tracks to 2x3 tracks. Instead, public transport must be stimulated.
Education and science: Education at the Eiffellandian state schools and universities is free of charge. This needs to stay. Furthermore, stipendia need to be introduced for students of poor families. No structure change in the secondary education. We want to continue stimulating science, and more cooperation with Carentanian and Tyrrhenian universities. We want to continue our cooperation with Franken and Nichtstein regarding space travel.
Health care: The current system remains in effect, i.e. everybody is obliged to be insured for health care. However, people who earn a certain income must leave the Krankenkasse and take a private insurance. Private insurance companies must be obliged to accept everybody leaving the Krankenkasse because of income reasons.
Ethics: Currently, abortion is only allowed if the life or health of the child-bearing woman is in danger. We want to legalise abortion up to 12 weeks pregnancy duration also for other than medical reasons. Current legislations on homosexuality and condom use must remain in effect.

Partei für das Christliche Leben (PCL) (violet)
General: Theocratic‑democratic, slightly leftwing in economics.
Foreign affairs: It is of vital importance that Eiffelland keeps good relations with its neighbours. Continuation of current cordial relationships with Nichtstein and Franken, given the fact that they are still Eiffelland’s allies in the Germanian League, and Nichtstein is in a personal union with Eiffelland. Continuation of good relations with Sikandara, Ivernia, Arendaal and all other countries Eiffelland has good relations with. Continuation of current good relations with Tyrrhenia, and the building up of good relations with The Commonwealth. The current events in Yujin must be investigated.
Solaren: Eiffelland cannot retreat its troops before a well‑functioning constitutional state has been grounded there. That state can have a socialist structure, but only if the majority of the Solaris people want that. A new constitution must be voted upon by all Solaris in a referendum.
Commonwealth/Danmark: Continuation of cooperation with the current leader of the Commonwealth, Franz Kammerschen.
Defence: Eiffelland cannot maintain its independence without a strong defence. More attention will be paid to the air force as well as the aeroplanes and helicopters in the navy. The land army will be equipped with more helicopters. More money will go to innovations in defence techniques. We need to become more aware of espionage activities by countries we don’t have friendly relations with; therefore, no budget reductions for the Staatsschutz.
Economic: Continuation of the Social Market Economy. Because of the nature of this system, it needs to be permanently surveyed so that the need for adaptations can be detected as soon as they occur. Additional stimulation of Dassau Flugzeugwerke. Furthermore, the taxes need to become more progressive: Higher taxes for the higher incomes, and lower taxes for the lower incomes. Extension of the motorway network, construction of the Trierer Stadautobahn around the city centre, and extension of busy motorways from 2x2 tracks to 2x3 tracks.
Education and science: Education at the Eiffellandian state schools and universities is free of charge. This needs to stay. Furthermore, stipendia need to be introduced for students coming from poor families. No structure change in the secondary education. We want to continue stimulating science. Eiffelland is large enough to excel in all scientific topics, but is mainly famous for its biomedical discoveries. We will continue to stimulate that. Furthermore, we want to continue our cooperation with Franken and Nichtstein regarding space travel.
Health care: Private health care insurances must be abolished; everybody must be insured through the Krankenkassen.
Ethics: No abortion, unless the life or health of the child-bearing woman is in danger. This is and must remain the current legislation in Eiffelland. More help for unmarried pregnant women; their children must not become the victim of the sin of the parents. Sexual intercourse outside marriage must be forbidden, and sexual intercourse must only serve the conception of children. Therefore, condoms must be forbidden. Also homosexuality must be forbidden again. The state must take up an active role in preventing sins.

Kommunistische Partei Eiffellands (KPE) (red)
General: Socialist Carentanian style.
Constitution: Abolishment of the monarchy.
Foreign affairs: Continuation of current cordial relationships with Nichtstein and Franken, given the historic ties. Continuation of current good relations with Tyrrhenia, and the building up of good relations with The Commonwealth. Improvement of the relations with RDTO‑membercountries. The relations with Carentania must be improved, given the fact that this country gives the example that every country should follow. As soon as the war in Yujin is over, the events in that war must be evaluated, especially the chemical and biological attacks. Also the actions taken by the Eiffellandian government must be investigated.
Solaren: Eiffelland must retreat from Solaren as soon as the SNC is able to manage the country on its own. The cooperation between Eiffelland on the one hand and the SNC and Carentania on the other hand must improve. The SNC has the last word in Solaren, also w.r.t. the new constitution.
Commonwealth/Danmark: Continuation of cooperation with the current leader of the Commonwealth, Franz Kammerschen.
Defence: Eiffelland’s armed forces are large enough as they are. Reductions may even be possible. This has to be investigated.
Economic: Collectivisation of the agricultural and the industrial sector, as well as all companies with more than 20 employees. No extension of the motorway network, no construction of the Trierer Stadautobahn around the city centre, and no extension of busy motorways from 2x2 tracks to 2x3 tracks. Instead, public transport must be stimulated.
Education and science: Education at the Eiffellandian state schools and universities is free of charge. This needs to stay. Furthermore, stipendia need to be introduced for all students. The first four years of education need to be combined in an Oberschule. The students who want to go to universtity get 3 additional years of education in the Erweiterte Oberschule. We want to continue stimulating science, and more cooperation with Carentanian and Tyrrhenian universities. We want to cooperate with the RDTO regarding space travel.
Health care: Private health care insurances must be abolished; everybody must be insured through the Krankenkassen. No class differences in health care.
Ethics: Currently, abortion is only allowed if the life or health of the child-bearing woman is in danger. We want to legalise abortion up to 12 weeks pregnancy duration also for other than medical reasons. Current legislations on condom use must remain in effect. Homosexuals must be treated for their disorder so that they are able to form healthy relationships with people of the opposite gender again.

Volksunion (brown)
General: Mezhist‑nationalist.
Foreign affairs: Continuation of current cordial relationships with Nichtstein and Franken, given the fact that they are still Eiffelland’s allies in the Germanian League, and Nichtstein is in a personal union with Eiffelland. Continuation of good relations with Sikandara, Ivernia, Arendaal and all other countries Eiffelland has good relations with. However, the relations with RDTO‑membercountries must be severed. It is ridiculous that Eiffelland maintains good relations with its post‑delegationist neighbour.
Solaren: Eiffelland must cooperate with the Alleanza della Fede so that that alliance can take over the power in Solaren. The protests in Solaren clearly show that the Solaris want to have an authoritarian society; we must follow that wish.
Commonwealth/Danmark: We helped the government by supporting the deployment of conscripts outside Eiffelland so that our Germanic brothers in Danmark would be protected against an unworthy government in Christiansborg. However, we feel betrayed, now that the government is supporting the leftist Mr. Kammerschen. We will only continue to give our support to the government if it stops supporting Mr. Kammerschen and starts supporting the Germanic Mezhists in the Commonwealth.
Defence: Eiffelland must keep strong armed forces if it wants to keep its independence. More attention will be paid to the air force as well as the aeroplanes and helicopters in the navy. The land army will be equipped with more helicopters. More money will go to innovations in defence techniques. The budget of the Staatsschutz will be increased so that it can pay even more attention to activities against leftwing countries and movements.
Economic: Continuation of the Social Market Economy, but with more emphasis on the needs of the companies. Additional stimulation of Dassau Flugzeugwerke. Extension of the motorway network, construction of the Trierer Stadautobahn around the city centre, and extension of busy motorways from 2x2 tracks to 2x3 tracks.
Education and science: Education at the Eiffellandian state schools and universities is free of charge. This needs to stay. Stipendia are out of the question. No structure change in the secondary education. We want to continue stimulating science. Eiffelland is large enough to excel in all scientific topics, but is mainly famous for its biomedical discoveries. We will continue to stimulate that. Furthermore, we want to continue our cooperation with Franken and Nichtstein regarding space travel.
Health care: The Krankenkassen were originally meant for the people with lower incomes. This must become the leading principle again. People who earn a certain income must leave the Krankenkasse and take a private insurance. Private insurance companies must be obliged to accept everybody leaving the Krankenkasse because of income reasons.
Ethics: Currently, abortion is only allowed if the life or health of the child-bearing woman is in danger. We want to legalise abortion up to 12 weeks pregnancy duration also for other than medical reasons. Current legislations on condom use must remain in effect. Homosexuality must be forbidden again, and punished with long‑term imprisonments.


Polls suggest the following results for the elections:

• CDV: Currently 141 seats; foreseen 152 seats.
• SPE: Currently 119 seats; foreseen 125 seats.
• FDV: Currently 118 seats; foreseen 97 seats.
• LDP: Currently 56 seats; foreseen 52 seats.
• PRP: Currently 35 seats; foreseen 33 seats.
• PCL: Currently 12 seats; foreseen 14 seats.
• KPE: Currently 10 seats; foreseen 10 seats.
• Volksunion: Currently 9 seats; foreseen 17 seats.

 

[Rheinbund]

17 April 1954

Spiegel des Tages
​

The future of Eiffelland: Freedom or dictatorship?

Editorial

The coming elections for the Staatstag have the potential to determine the future of Eiffelland to a large extent. Starting with the Solaris War in 1951, the geopolitical situation has changed dramaticly. A sadistic theocracy was ended, but at the expense of the EDF, an alliance of centrist nations Eiffelland was a member of. After that, the centrist government of Danmark was voted out of office, and a populist rightwing government took over, paving the way for the take-over by a mezhist regime. This resulted in the Danish civil war, that will probably end in a left-leaning or leftwing Commonwealth.

To understand the importance of the upcoming elections, it is needed to look at the current map of the region Eiffelland is situated in. All the countries around Eiffelland, Nichtstein and Danzig, are based on various interpretations of Socialism. Tyrrhenia is Post-Delegationist, Carentania is Socialist, and Cantignia is Christian-Socialist. The direction of the Commonwealth is uncertain, but it will be either Sociodemocratic or Post-Delegationist. The only exception is Solaren, whose future is still uncertain given the stalemate in the SNC. In the case that Solaren becomes a Socialist country as well, Eiffelland, Nichtstein and Danzig will be surrounded by Socialist countries, maybe all members of the RDTO. With that, those countries will gain the ability to impose certain things upon us. We might not only loose our economic freedoms, but our social freedoms as well.

At this moment, the Eiffellandians and the Nichtsteiners enjoy many freedoms. One of them is the freedom of opinion. You are allowed to advocate a Communist or Socialist system. The KPE is not forbidden in Eiffelland, and is even represented in the Staatstag. The same accounts for the Volksunion, a nationalist party based on Mezhist ideas. We also enjoy the freedom of religion. Almost 90% of the Eiffellandians is Tiburan Catholic, but there are also Evangelist, Calvinist and other Christian Churches, Mosques, Synagogues and Buddhist temples. You can even be an Atheist. There are many other constitutional rights, like the privacy of letters, freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Our constitution determines that every individual is equal before the law, and guarantees a private life of the Eiffellandian citizens to a high extent. Eiffellandians don't need to be afraid of the Government as long as they don't commit criminal offenses.
In contrast, the Carentanians have a very narrowly defined description of how the ideal member of a Socialist society should be. The Carentanian government determines to a high extent how the Carentanian citizens should live their lives. People who don't fulfil the ideal image of the Socialist are sent to what the government calls "re-education camps". Even the love life of the Carentanians is controlled by the government: Homosexuals are also sent to "re-education camps". It remains to be seen for what "re-education camp" is an euphemism, but the methods of "re-education" will not be recommended by education specialists working in democracies.
On top of that, especially Carentania repeatedly makes clear that it wants to spread Socialism over the world. And in the case of Carentania its own oppressive system with a stringent definition of how the ideal Socialist should be.

It is obvious that we should do everything we can to keep our freedoms. We must make sure that the RDTO won't be able to strangle us. We must make sure that Solaren won't turn into a vassal state of Carentania. We must ensure that we can successfully defend ourselves against an RDTO attack, or at least that victory over us will have a very high price.
At the same time, we must realise that we cannot impose our system to others, either. Trier is only the capital of Eiffelland; it is not the capital of Tyrrhenia, Carentania, former Danmark or Cantignia. With that said, it is good that the government did not try to impose a certain government upon Danmark, but instead decided to stimulate the development leading to the grounding of the Commonwealth, no matter that the Commonwealth is turning towards a Tyrrhenian systm. Trying to go against both Franz Kammerschen and the Mezhist government would have led to a long-lasting war in Danmark and a deterioration of Eiffelland's international relations, not only with the RDTO.

Dr. Roland Schmelzer

Dr. Roland Schmelzer represented Eiffelland in various international organisations, and was ambassador in several countries. He currently works at the Katholische Universität Köln and gives lectures about international political matters.

Each statement mentioned in this article are the responsibility of the writer of the article and not of the Board of Editors of Der Tagesspiegel.

 

[Rheinbund]

29 April 1954

Coalition enlarges majority in Staatstag
CDV wins historic elections

Last Sunday’s elections can be called historic in several ways. First of all, the Christian-Democratic CDV of the governing Chancellor Matthias Graf von Seydewitz obtained the largest number of seats for one fraction in the history of Eiffelland’s democracy. Furthermore, despite a considerable loss of votes, the Market-Liberal FDV became larger than the Sociodemocratic SPE for the first time in history. The most important conclusion of these elections is a clear mandate for the current coalition of CDV and FDV to continue for the next 4 years, although its majority in the Staatsrat (the other chamber of parliament in Eiffelland) has become small (101 against 99 seats) during the last years. The political leaders of both parties already indicated to do so. The results are the following:

	1954 elections	1950 elections
Political party	Percentage	Seats	Percentage	Seats
CDV(Christian-Democrats)	33.07%	172	26.73%	141
FDV (Market Liberals)	20.77%	108	22.37%	118
SPE (Sociodemocrats)	18.84%	98	22.56%	119
LDP (Socioliberals)	11.73%	61	10.62%	56
PRP (Pacifist)	5.19%	27	6.63%	35
PCL (Conservative Christian)	2.88%	15	2.27%	12
KPE (Communists)	1.92%	10	1.90%	10
VU (Nationalist-Mezhist)	1.73%	9	1.71%	9
Other	3.86%	0	5.22%	0

The political leader of the SPE, Hans-Jochen Rudersbach, announced that he stepped down effective immediately, and that he will leave national politics. It remains to be seen who will succeed him. The political leader of the FDV, announced that he wishes to stay as minister, but that he leaves it up to the party to decide whether he can stay as political leader.
The situation of the PRP is somewhat unclear. There is already a struggle going on between a moderate group and a post-delegationist group, but that struggle seems to become more open now. It remains to be seen what will happen there.

 

[Serenierre]

Grand Council for Diplomatic Affairs
Office for Gallian Affairs

The historic victory of the CDV led coalition government in the Kingdom of Eiffelland is welcome news to us, here, in Shahdara. The Empire of Sikandara looks especially forward to expanding arenas of mutual support and cooperation and for the general trend in our bilateral relationship to continue as it has in the past.

Rustam Ghaznavi
Grand Councillor for Diplomatic Affairs

 

[Rheinbund]

Parteibüro der Christlich-Demokratischen Volkspartei
Parteibüro der Frei-Demokratischen Volkspartei

We thank the Grand Councillor for Diplomatic Affairs of the Empire of Sikandara for his kind words. We assure you that Eiffelland will continue the cooperation and bilateral relations with Sikandara under the new government to be formed by us.

Matthias Graf von und zu Seydewitz, political leader of the CDV and Demissionary Chancellor of Eiffelland
Rudolph Kögler, political leader of the FDV, Demissionary Minister for Foreign Affairs of Eiffelland and Demissionary Vice-Chancellor of Eiffelland