Pelasgian Press Association

[Pelasgia]

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Federative Republic of Pelasgia
Government of Pelasgia
Public Statement​

ΑΣ 4038/2019 | Unclassified | Normal
Propontis, 19 August 2019

To the attention of the Right Honourable Roland Rheinfeld, Chancellor of @Eiffelland and Retalia.

Dear sir,

On behalf of the Federative Republic of Pelasgia, I would like to thank you for your congratulations. I would like to take this opportunity to extend the warmest greetings of both myself of His Excellency, President of the Council of State Admiral Eressiotis, to yourself and His Majesty, the King of Eiffelland-Retalia. Both myself and His Excellency would be glad to visit your beautiful capital city to discuss important matters of bilateral importance as soon as possible.

Signed and sealed,

Eustratios Kontaxis
Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Federative Republic of Pelasgia

 

[Pelasgia]

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Pelasgia and Serenierre form Alliance to guarantee regional Status Quo
Propontis, 19 August 2019 | Kleon Nikitaras

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The main entrance of the new building of the Pelasgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Chrysoupolis district of Propontis

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Pelasgia, Mr. Sophokles Dragonas, and the Commissar for External Relations of the Serazinist Republic of Serenierre, Bernard Lavosnier, formally signed a Treaty of Mutual Defence, Friendship and Cooperation between their two countries. The Treaty, termed the Treaty of Chrysoupolis due to its being signed in the district of Propontis housing the new centre of power of Pelasgia's newborn Republic, is the product of months of negotiations and rapprochement between the Himyari and Gallian powers. Though Pelasgia has been largelly cautious in its approach with Serenierre, partly due to a strained history in which war was narrowly averted twice, and partly due to Pelasgia's preference for Ivar in the Serenierre-Kadikistani split, the move was anticipated by many analysts due a series of recent events. For one, the Kadikistanis and the Sereniens seem to have finally bridged their split, or at least moved on the path to doing so due to bigger problems for Gallo-Germanian socialism materialising through the Engell invasion of Bourgogne. Moreover, the volatile atmosphere of the Long Sea region and Gallia has left Pelasgia wishing to find a means to preserve the local status quo, even if it means coming to terms with Villesen, as Pelasgia was once forced to do with Ivar to pursue the Hamar Sea status quo. Pragmatism seems to have motivated the rapprochement on both sides, a fact which many view positively, as it was pragmatism that preserved the original Status Quo Treaty to this day and led to Kadikistan and Pelasgia's current relationship.

The precise terms of this relationship are not yet clear, as the Treaty, parts of which are classified, seems to have been intentionally drafted in a manner that allows the two sides to develop their ties as they go, instead of setting everything in stone right away. This has been a practice greatly favoured by Pelasgian diplomats in recent decades, largely owing to the success of the flexible Status Quo Treaty and the failure of the rigid and clearly set-out Trier Concord. Even so, the text clearly includes a defensive alliance between the two countries, along with a promise to uphold the regional Status Quo and to respect each other's spheres of influence. This could essentially be interpreted as an extension of the Hamar Sea Status Quo policy westward, which has long been a Pelasgian objective, as evidenced by the abortive and very similar Treaty between Pelasgia and Auraria, known as the Avgiros-Ferreiro Accords. Though the Avgiros-Ferreiro Accords have been denounced by Solis, Pelasgia's objectives remain fundamentally unchanged: ensure the protection of the Christian world from any external incursions, preserve the current economic and political regime and balance of power in Gallia, and keep open the vital trade ways and shipping lanes of the Gallian region, which the massive Pelasgian merchant marine and the Pelasgian export industry owe a considerable part of their revenue to. Without a market for Pelasgian shipping, oil or cheap industrial goods across the Long Sea, Pelasgia, even after its diversification efforts, would find it fundamentally very difficult to pursue its economic revitalisation and modernisation initiatives.

What this development means for the future of the region is yet unclear, though, if Pelasgia's objectives are met, it would mean that very little change in the region indeed. This would allow Propontis to continue pursuing its 5, 10 and 25-year economic plans which were put in place following the end of the National Schism, while consolidating its influence over the Long Sea corridor and Eastern Himyar. As far as Propontis is concerned, the effectiveness of the Treaty of Chrysoupolis should be evaluated based on two factors, similar to the Status Quo Treaty: 1. what it prevents, rather than what it creates; and 2, the relationship that grows from its long-term survival between the signatory parties.

The Treaty is set to be voted on by the Common Parliament by the end of the week, being the first major legislative proposal of the newly confirmed government, and is expected to pass with flying colours, with only the People's Party and National Phalanx voting against it.

In other news
☞ (Local) – New urban plans for Chrysoupolis approved following complete integration of the former independent city into the Metropolis of Propontis. Newborn Pelasgian Republic seeks to make Chrysoupolis the new centre of government of the country. Plans reflect desire for modernisation and progress with revolutionary new high-rises and modern designs, while also incorporating elements of Pelasgian architecture and local Propontine techniques and materials. Pelasgian construction giant Herakles S.A. wins contract for government quarter, while Governor of the Federal City of Propontis changes zoning and tax laws to favour private construction in the rest of the city based on published development guidelines.
☞ (Law and Order) – Propontis Directorate for Public Security breaks up attempted illegal march on Agoras Avenue. The march titled "First Propontis Pride" was organised by a variety of Pelasgian and foreign-backed organisations, many of whom have been previously involved in illegal gatherings. Pursuant to the Law on the Promotion of Anti-Social Activites and several articles of the Pelasgian Penal Code, the authorities of the Federal City declared the march illegal. This, however, did not stop approximately four hundred marchers from showing up, only to be detained by a much larger police force. Though most were released, several organisers were arrested and charged with several misdemeanors and at least two felonies.
☞ (Defence) – Pelasgian Navy General Staff publishes video of demonstration of a brand-new anti-shipping ballistic missile developed by Artemis Aerospace for the Pelasgian Navy. Missile, named "Kamax III" has the greatest range of any Pelasgian ballistic missile yet, and successfully hit and sunk an Op-For carrier in a test operation conducted at an undisclosed location by the Navy using the hull of a decommissioned Pelasgian carrier belonging to an older class. The Pelasgian Navy has signed a contract with Artemis Aerospace for a series of such missiles, with several already in stock according to Ministry of National Defence sources, though the government has declined to comment on how many.

 

[Rheinbund]

Aussenministerium — Ministero Degli Esteri
Trier, Eiffelland-Retalien — Treviri, Eiffellandia-Retalia

We are puzzled and extremely concerned about the fact that Pelasgia aligns itself with exactly the country that is the most destabilising factor in Gallia and Germania, exactly the country that floods the market with inferior medications, and exactly the country that used weapons of mass destruction during the 2018 war. We urge the Government and Parliament of Pelasgia to reconsider the closure of the Treaty of Chrysoupolis, because that treaty will only reward the threatening behaviour of the current government of Serenierre and the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Gianluigi di Gravesano-Carone, Minister of Foreign Affairs

 

[Pelasgia]

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Snubbed by Business Leaders and the Labour Minister, Pelasgian Unions call a General Strike
Propontis, 23 August 2019 | Petros Alexiopoulos

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Leaders and members of the Pelasgian Coalition of Labour Associations march through Thriamvon Avenue

The Pelasgian Coalition of Labour Associations (PSES) has called on the new Pelasgian government to meet with it to discuss the future of the Pelasgian labour movement and labour law. The call comes after PSES adopted a series of points during its 101st Annual Congress in the Propontine port district of Pyrgos, which it forwarded to the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy to no avail. PSES then attempted to invite the Minister, the Pelasgian Association of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, and the Pelasgian Chamber of Shipping to a meeting to discuss the proposals, but received no response. As a result, PSES has proclaimed a general strike on Friday, August 23rd, and announced that it planned to hold a major march through one Propontis' main thoroughfares, Thriamvon Avenue. The march begun this morning and was simultaneous with marches by organised labour groups in other major cities of the Republic. It is unclear how long the general strike will last, or if it will continue until the labour leaders' demands are met. The Government of Pelasgia has shown no sign of acquiescing, but has so far remained silent. Some policy makers have aired the idea of declaring the strike and marches illegal; however, many are skeptical of using the same repressive measures that the Empire once used against the labour movement. Whatever the case, the Nationalists are dependent upon the support of the market liberals for their coalition government to survive, and will thus likely resist any efforts to advance workers' rights.

The proposals at the centre of the dispute focus on labour law reform and increased protections for workers. Among these are defences from arbitrary firing and suspension, bans on the use of strike-breakers, more rigorous enforcement of labour safety and health standards through the implementation of an independent monitoring system, bans and limits on the use of foreign contract labour, bans on forced overtime and unreasonable working schedules (which are frequently used to circumvent the eight-hour workday and fifty-hour workweek instituted in 1957 by the Liberal Union and restored by the Anastasiades administration), bans on the firing of workers exercising their right to collective bargaining, investigations on workplace intimidation particularly through the use of private security contractors, and more robust minimum wage and severance pay laws. Compiled together in what PSES has named the "Comprehensive Labour Reform Plan", the collected proposals have been published online and in-print via labour groups across the country. Some copies have even been mass-mailed to members of the Common Parliament. However, the Pelasgian political class seems to largely ignored these proposals; even the Socialist Workers' Party seems to have limited its support to labour groups affiliated with itself, ignoring many other highly popular labour organisations' offers for cooperation.

Political analysts and experts, as well as the general public, are watching attentively to see how the newborn Republic will deal with the first major crisis to have arised. Now that the State of Steel seems to have finally crumbled, the Pelasgian working class is once more asserting its right to collective bargaining, in defiance of the Delictum Sui Generis law and the other measures used by previous Propontine regimes to supress dissent. Whether this belief in liberalisation and change validly stands remains to be seen. For now, Labour groups have announced a new march towards the old Grand Palace of Propontis, which houses the Grand Council of the Federation where representatives of the Federal Government and the Federal Subjects are discussing the future of Pelasgian federalism.

In other news
☞ (Far Southern Affairs) – Government of Pelasgia and Pelasgian Southern Himyari Company (PSHC) reach preliminary agreement on resettlement of penal exiles to the Far South. Plans focus on political dissidents and non-violent offenders, who are to be conditionally pardoned, with an initial group of 20,000 exiles already chosen. Government and PSHC also considering plan to relocate landless and unemployed Pelasgians as part of new initiative, as well as temporary workers who need to pay off their debts.
☞ (Justice) – Pelasgian Civil Rights League (PCRL) files lawsuit in the Propontis District Court challenging the legality of the Federal City's response to the "First Propontis Pride" march. PCRL files simultaneous lawsuit arguing that the Law on the Promotion of Anti-Social Acitivity and ss. 353-357 of the Penal Code are unconstitutional and in direct violation of the rights outlined in Section II of the Constitution of Pelasgia. Federal City of Propontis and Attorney General of Pelasgia expected to file response soon.
☞ (National) – Standing Federal Senate Committee on Education issues much-anticipated Report on Higher Education. Report lambasts inflexibile educational establishment and casts serious doubt on peer-review system, while also drawing attention to the issue of many young Pelasgians pursuing higher education in fields that cannot absorb so many graduates, such as political science and the arts in general. Report also draws concern to the 'commercialisation' of higher education in Pelasgia and abroad. Many solutions proposed, including breaking up and reforming universities into Institutes focused on a sole field for substantive research and professional education.

 

[Beautancus]

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CONFEDERATED REPUBLIC OF BEAUTANCUS
STATE FOREIGN SERVICE,
OFFICE for the ADMINISTRATION of GOVERNMENT
Drummond House, 2552 Company Street,
Welmonton, City of Welmonton, CRB, 58362
​

While it may not be said that the circumstances our two nations find themselves presently in are the most favorable we have ever enjoyed, and the current state of affairs abroad being as they are otherwise, it is more important than ever that the prominent impact Beautancus and Pelasgia have made one upon the other is not forgotten. The commond good and prosperity of our mighty and worthy civilizations have been well guarded through generations of meticulous effort and prudent guidance - the inheritance of the Most Ancient and Newest Worlds, by the gravity of our shared fortunes - so long and heavily intertwined, and in honor of the sacred obligations exchanged and upheld between our countries and peoples - sworn in days now rendered naught save dimly recollected legend and myth.

It is as a result of our shared history and obligations that This Office for the Administration of Government of the Confederated Republic is compelled to express a state of growing anxiety at the continuing deterioration of the economic and social fabric of society within the Pelasgian State - regardless of who is leading it. The commitments shared between our nations have ever served the needs of our two peoples, it is for their benefit and between they that the muscle and sinew of our mutual amity and partnership are exercised. Likewise, it is they, the forthright citizenry of Beautancus and Pelasgia that have and will continue to languish under the stinging lash of the present state of turmoil and uncertainty.

The Confederated Republic does and for many long decades has supported the right of the working class to self-organize for the purpose of safeguarding their own rights and interests within their respective industries. That said, a certain not at all minor apprehension must be expressed over recent calls for a general strike by the PSES. We appreciate and support the Pelasgian Coalition of Labour Associations' desires for comprehensive labor reform, and would not be miserly in the issuance of foreign aid to assist in the alleviation of some of these pressures - but we feel that a prolonged general strike could and would only further destabilize the already delicate economic balance in Himyar and the rest of the world beyond.

Pelasgia is as and more experienced with labor revolts, allowed to grow beyond their organic boundaries and metastasize into far more dangerously malignant states, than Beautancus will ever be. We Cussians have still suffered through our share of similar upheavals, and habe keenly observed all others unfolding beyond our own frontiers. It is the realism borne of these past examinations that has lead us to voice these concerns - and our continued commitment to the Cusso-Pelasgic Partnership - as enumerated herein. The Confederated Republic does not abandon their true and loyal friends, and will not now. The Cussian regard for the ancient dignity and unquestionable sovereignty of the Pelasgian people and their State necessitates that we must await your invitation to act in these regards. Rest ye well assured that such action will be immediately effected upon receipt of such an invitation.

With the regards and best wishes of This Office, I am and shall remain,



Sir Endymion Victavio Walker,
State Foreign Service Secretary,
Confederated Republic of Beautancus,

 

[Serenierre]

Commissariat of External Relations
We call on the workers of the Pelasgian Republic to seek alternative means of industrial action. The proletarian struggle is not served by falling in line with impressions of the labour movement inculcated by fascistic propaganda. We call on the leaders of the unions to adopt a mature approach.

BERNARD LAVOSNIER
Commissar | External Relations

 

[Pelasgia]

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Common Parliament approves Decree declaring General Strike 'Unlawful and Abusive'
Propontis, 26 August 2019 | Petros Alexiopoulos

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Special Constables of the Federal Government's General Directorate for Public Security on a street near the Parliament building, during the weekend's rioting

The Common Parliament of the Federative Republic of Pelasgia has officially approved a Governmental Decree declaring the surprise general strike called by the Pelasgian Coalition of Labour Associations (PSES) "unlawful and abusive". The term is used in Pelasgian law to refer to strike which has been declared in bad faith and which has failed to meet the legal requirements outlined in the Labour Relations Act. The Decree, which has been submitted to the Council of State for official assent, cites a number of causes as being the cause of this declaration including "the openly declared coercive intent of the strike, which contravenes the inherent obligation of good faith enshrined in the Act and the basic spirit of labour negotiations", "the highly hostile and aggressive manner in which the Association's leaders conducted the strike, including surprise strikes in vital national industries and aggressive action against workers refusing to strike without a vote" and "the failure to hold a general ballot by the members of each Labour Association to validate the decision to strike within a reasonable time". The Decree's preamble also mentions the violent attempts by some strikes to reach the Palace of the Federation earlier this week, which left dozens injured and led to over two hundred arrests by Propontis and Federal law enforcement.

During the vote, the Common Parliament building was surrounded by thousands of strikers and demonstrators, who were kept back by forces of the Propontis Directorate for Public Security. For the first time since the Iolcus Riots, the Federal Government of Pelasgia brought in Special Constables of the General Directorate for Public Security to reinforce the Federal City's forces. The Federal forces pushed back the protesters in coordination with the Federal Subject's forces, using flash-bang grenades and teargas. Over one hundred arrests were made and a dozen injuries were recorded, according to statements by law enforcement. Following the Decree's approval, Public Security Directorates across the country have been ordered to break up unauthorised protests, especially near factories, government buildings or in public areas. Moreover, once the Decree receives official assent, officers will be expected to go door to door, asking workers in designated vital industries whether they will strike or not. According to Pelasgian law, those who refuse to sign that they will return to work will be arrested and charged. Given the size of the strike, the Government might be forced to call on the National Defensive Civil Guard Regiments (TEPA), which act as a local volunteer reserve force for all sorts of emergencies, for aid in enforcing the Decree.

For their part, the Labour Associations seem divided on the issue, both amongst and within themselves. Many Labour Associations want to pursue the strike, though many others, especially public servants who fear dismissal, as well as those working for businesses owned with the Government or closely related to it, want to obey the Decree. Equally, many within both groups of Associations support either position, leading to greater confusion. It ought to be noted that a higher percentage of Labour Association leaders, who fear the consequences of a failed strike for themselves, support continuing the strike, than simple members. This division might force PSES to call a general ballot on the strike, though the risk of losing the vote or winning by a thin margin might make such a move a double-edged sword. Furthermore, the neutral stance taken by the Labour Socialists and the Solidarity Party has deprived the strikers of official political support within the Parliamentary system, at least on a Federal level. This might weaken the movement as a whole, but may force some of its more radical members to seek non-peaceful solutions to force the Government to enact their demanded reforms. Some in Propontis fear a repetition of the Bloody Autumn but a few weeks away from its anniversary.

In other news
☞ (Far Southern Affairs) – Pelasgian Southern Himyari Company (PSHC) and Far Southern native tribes in the vicinity of PSHC settlements reportedly enter into talks regarding preliminary treaty for mutual recognition. PSHC confirms that expert team of negotiators and translators has been dispatched, though it refuses to comment on the exact substance of the talks. Experts note that discussions probably centre on the issue of exchanging recognition for PSHC land claims and medical and other modern amenities. PSHC will also probably to achieve trade and more permanent relations, including a permanent presence in each other's centres of government, to aid its efforts to consolidate its control in the area. Settlers reportedly prioritise recognition of their PSHC land titles over all other concerns.
☞ (Justice) – Propontis Administrative Court of First Instance upholds the constitutionality of the Law on the Promotion of Anti-Social Activities and ss. 353-357 of the Penal Code. On the same day, the Propontis District Court publishes a decision upholding the legality of the Federal City of Propontis' declaration that the "First Propontis Pride" was an unlawful gathering, while also rejecting accusations of 'excessive force'. Facing a double defeat, the Pelasgian Civil Rights League (PCRL) vows to appeal the decision to the Propontis Administrative Court of Appeal, while the Attorneys General of Propontis and Pelasgia expressed their satisfaction with the twin rulings.
☞ (National) – Pelasgian Border Guard and Special Directorate for Public Security conduct joint operation arresting sixteen human traffickers and over a hundred illegal immigrants in surprise sting operation at Embasis and Berenice Arsinoica, in the Federal District of Kyphtic Memphis. Immigrants, largely of Eastern Himyari origin, aimed to reach northern Pelasgia's major coastal cities and either remain there or make their way across the Long Sea according to sources of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (YPES). YPES announces further raids on Pelasgia's border regions to counter illegal immigration, human trafficking, organised crime and contraband smuggling. Two days earlier, Border Guard ships intercepted and turned back a boat carrying thirty-six illegal immigrants.

 

[Pelasgia]

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Senator Komnenos breaks deadlock over Language Question with successful compromise proposal
Propontis, 30 August 2019 | Vasileios Eipirotis

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The Federal Senate of Pelasgia in session, during a debate on the proposed "Law on the Official Language of the State"

The Federal Senate of Pelasgia has approved the proposed Law 301/2019, officially titled "Law on the Official Language of the State" with 32 votes in favour and 12 votes against. The proposed law was submitted by Senator Andronikos A. Komnenos of Euxenia, a Senator of the People's Party of Pelasgia, and gained the support of some People's Party and some New Nationalist Party Senators, along with all Senators of the Liberal Democratic Coalition and the Socialist Workers' Party of Pelasgia. The proposal devided both major parties but ultimately put an end to months long debate over how to resolve the Pelasgian Language Question. The Pelasgian Language Question is the question over which form of the Pelasgian language, namely the archaic, literally "Katherevousa" (or "Purist") form or the modern, popular "Demotic" vernacular, should be the official language of state and everyday public administration. Great statesmen, academics, authors and other personalities of Pelasgian public life have placed themselves in either camp over centuries of debate. Though the former camp generally won for most of the Empire's history, the 1957 Laskarid Revolution started a new era of Demoticism, only to be violently brought back to Purism in the 1970s following the Reactionary Coup. Since the restoration of parliamentarianism and fall of the Dictatorship, Pelasgian public debate on the contentious linguistic issue has been reignited.

Senator Komnenos' proposal would allow the Pelasgian Orthodox Church and other traditional bodies as well as private citizens' groups, such as Nobles' associations and literary societies, to use Katharevousa. The official State would also be allowed to use Katharevousa for various ceremonial purposes, such as state awarding ceremonies and remembrance events. At the same time, the official language of everyday public administration, jurisprudence, legislation, science and education of all levels would be Standard Modern Pelasgian (SMG), which is how the Senate has designated the translation of the term "Neo-Pelasgian Koine" in Engelsh. Standard Modern Pelasgian would also be mandate to be used by all businesses, newspapers and other entities producing any commercial item or publication for general consumption (for example, all product labels and newspapers, including the Propontios Logothetis would have to be printed in Standard Modern Pelasgian from now on). Standard Modern Pelasgian has been defined by the Law as "that form of the Pelasgian language which has evolved as a common means of communication and intercourse for the Pelasgian Nation and public at large in the contemporary era, without any excesses, incorrect vulgarisms or regionalisms". The Triantaphylopoulos Grammar and Protopapadakis Lexicon of Modern Pelasgian are largely considered to be the official sources for this 'moderate' form of modern Pelasgian, which is a compromise between the literary and vernacular varieties promoted by the Church and educational reformers respectively.

Despite passing the Federal Senate with flying colours, the proposed Law will still need the approval of the lower house of the Pelasgian Common Parliament, the Boule of Representatives (VtA). There, voting is expected to be even more peculiar in its patterns, dividing the two major parties and eliciting varying degrees of support and condemnation from the smaller parties, whose preferences might very well decide the Law's future. Even after passing both houses of the Common Parliament, the Senate Bill will still have to gain the approval of a majority of Councilors of State to get the approval of the Republic's collective Head of State. Of course, it is highly unlikely that the Council of State will attempt to veto such an important piece of legislation if it gains as wide support in the Boule as it gained in the Senate. Apart from being the first major proposed Law of the Republic that originated in the Senate, the law in question is also notable for being one of the most high-profile initiatives of the popular (also called "populist" by its detractors) wing of the People's Party. This wing its noted for its strong support of social conservatism, isolationism and protectionism, while also rejecting the elitism of the traditional political class of the Loyalist faction. Though historically seconded to the mainstream Goldcoats, the Popular wing of the People's party has been increasingly assertive since the enactment of the new Constitution, seeing the traditional conservative politics of the Party's mainstream as outdated and out of touch with the voters, and therefore incapable of effectively countering the Nationalists by capitalising on popular opposition to many of their market and social liberal reforms. It is also notable for propelling Senator Komnenos to a household name for virtually all Pelasgians, given his notable rise to prominence among the ranks of the Senate opposition in in recent months. Many have begun to speculate that Mr. Komnenos, a direct descendant of the Komnenos Dynasty which was deposed by the Laskarids in the late 1950s, might be planning to attempt to gain a leadership role over the conservative and right-wing populist factions of the country.

In other news
☞ (National) – Law enforcement's response to the now-illegal General Strike has forced several thousand strikers back to work, with Public Security forces deployed to protect the workers returning to their jobs. The Pelasgian Association of Labour Associations (PSES) has vowed to keep fighting to force the authorities and business leaders into a settlement. In a heated session on Thursday, PSES decided to organise a general ballot over whether the strike should continue. PSES's leaders hope to outflank the government by legitimasing the strike, thus claiming it is not "unlawful and abusive". Yesterday, clashes between riot police and protesters in the Port of Trapezon led to twenty injuries, including four maimings, and over one hundred arrests and detentions. The strikers attempted to stop dockworkers from going back to work, before the affair turned violent and was dissolved with teargas and baton charges.
☞ (Justice) – Propontis Administrative Court of Appeal upholds the twin decisions of the Propontis District Court and the Propontis Administrative Court of First Instance regarding the Federal City of Propontis' response to the "First Propontis Pride" event. Appeals Court unanimously upholds the constitutionality of the Law on the Promotion of Anti-Social Activities and ss. 353-357 of the Penal Code, and thereby justifies the response of the Federal City as a valid and proportionate enforcement of these laws. Despite a third major judicial setback, the Pelasgian Civil Rights League (PCRL) has already applied for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Judicature, despite protests by the Attorneys General of both Pelasgia and Propontis that it is "wasting the judicial system's time and resources over a settled issue."
☞ (Law and Order) – Ministry of Internal Affairs (YPES) unveils plan to reform policing in Pelasgia, both on a Federal and Federal Subject-level, as well as a reform of Pelasgia's intelligence and security services. Proposal to separate policing responsibilities based on matters afforded to each level of government in the Constitution, with both Federal and local police forces extant. Civilian policing for urban centres to be taken over by the Civil Guard (a provisional name which may changed at a later date), while the National Guard will take over gendarmerie-like activities and policing of the countryside and towns with less than 20,000 residents. The Corps of Special Constables will also be maintained as a federal body to handle special tasks such as court security, outstanding warrants and security of federal buildings. Finally, the plan airs the idea of the reformation of the Central State Security Service (YKAK) into the Federal Service for the Protection of the Constitution (OYPP), with more civilian oversight and mechanisms for internal control.

 

[Pelasgia]

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Pelasgian Business Leaders, Government unveil new Industrial Restructuring Initiative to boost Exports and Growth
Propontis, 30 August 2019 | Vasileios Eipirotis

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The Propontis Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EEVP) in Propontis' Metaxopoliton business district

In a brightly-lit and crowded press session, the leading members of the Pelasgian Association of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists (SPEV) and the Pelasgian Minister of the Economy, Mr. Dimitrios Diamantis, unveiled a new plan to restructure Pelasgia's major industries. The plan, titled "Pelasgian Federal Industrial Restructuring Initiative" intends to restructure Pelasgia's biggest economic sectors, particularly various heavy industrial sectors, by consolidating the competing companies owned by the Omiloi, Pelasgia's large industrial conglomerates, into single industry-wide mega-corporations. The Omiloi would retain their share in the new industries, but the elimination of needless replication within the same sectors would facilitate exports, international compeition, specialisation, innovation and efficiency. For example, the Pelasgian automobile industry, Himyar's largest, is currently split into four major companies, led by the Pegasus Group and the Adamidīs-Aetos Group. The new plan would see the various companies owned by these groups in the automobile sector consolidated into the National Motor Company of Pelasgia S.A. (NamCoP or EVOP). Pegasus and Adamidīs-Aetos would retain their respective shares in the company, as would other stakeholders who have signed on to the new plan. Likewise, many of the individual companies would be reorganised as subsidiaries of the new group, usually in the form of Limited Liability Companies. The Pelasgian Shipyard sector, one of Europe's largest, would also see the various shipyard companies consolidated into Pelasgian Shipyards S.A., which already exists as a company partly under State and partly under Omiloi ownership, mainly focused on the production of military vessels (though its new subsidiaries will continue their production of civilian ships, such as freighters).

The Pelasgian Government has unveiled this initiative in an effort to boost Pelasgian industrial production, exports and development, during a time of global economic calamity, hoping to continuing working towards the industrialisation and economic modernisation goals of the current 5, 10 and 25-year plans. The Pelasgian Government's recent trade treaties, such as the most recent one with Serenierre, and policies of mutual tariff reductions and other economic liberalisation measures have reflected this initiative, resulting in a noticeable growth of economic international activity linked to Pelasgia. Propontis also hopes to strike new deals with nations such as @Clarenthia, due to growing economic and socio-cultural relations with the Engell world, most notably expressed with the Treaty of Kyparissos between Beautancus and Pelasgia last year. However, an increasingly active Himyar is also a central part of Pelasgia's economic planning. The Three Himyari Lion economies have all noted movements toward economic growth and modernisation in recent years, and trade between the three countries has only continued to grow, despite chilly relations from time to time. In fact, it is this level of economic interconnectedness that, according to many analysts, let the three countries to put their differences aside, and which has avoided any open confrontation between them thus far. The new trade routes and resource reserves opened in the Far South by the Pelasgian Southern Himyari Company are another factor contributing to growing Himyari economic activity in recent months.

In recent years, Pelasgia's large and growing population base, as well as its large merchant navy (Europe's largest according to many estimations) and easy access to vital sea-routes, along with a favourable geography, a wealth of natural resources and a new influx of modern industrial technology coupled with economic liberalisation have led to Pelasgia becoming a major industrial powerhouse, being a prime target for offshoring and cheap production of the goods of Western nations were domestic industrial production has often become too expensive. This has been a general movement since the end of protectionism and economic isolationism-autarkism followed by the Militarist Regime of the 1950s, and has been only expounded by the creation of growth of major indigenous Pelasgian industrial firms. These firms are not just engaging in offshoring for foreign firms but are developing and producing their own goods and services, actively competing with foreign firms using their comparatively low cost and reliable (even if often not luxurious) quality. To many experts, the new Restructuring Initiative is a necessary next step to Pelasgia's export-oriented economic policies. "The Nationalists have been particularly passionate about economic liberalisation and modernisation but, truth be told, this has been a clear movement in Pelasgian policy, society and economy since the 1970s, if not the 1950s," said Xenophon Argyros, Dean of the Faculty of Economics at University Ioannes VII Laskaris National University of Propontis. So far, markets have been responding positively to news of this development.

In other news
☞ (Economy) – Future of General Strike in question, followed general ballot by Pelasgian Coalition of Labour Associations (PSES). While a majority of unionised workers have voted to continue the strike, a majority of unions have voted to stop it. This is due to the fact that most Pelasgian workers fall into a handful of large unions, while more specialised and white-collar unions, which often include public servants and workers in fields closely related to corporate management or the government, have managed to remain independent of these unions, tipping the balance in their favour through force of numbers. According to PSES's charter, the strike must end, but many leading figures of the Coalition have stated that the workers are manifestly against this and PSES must thus heed their wish and fight on. The President of the Association has so far refused to comment on the issue. The Propontis Stock Exchange (PEX/PXO) has responded positively to news of the general ballot results.
☞ (National) – Boule of Representatives approves new bill requiring the servers of social networks operating in Pelasgia to be required in Pelasgia, alongside with a host of other cybersecurity provisions. The proposed Law 440/2019 "On the Internet, Digital Systems and National Security" intends to strengthen Pelasgia's "sovereign cyberspace" system, which restricts access to several websites listed by the Federal Telecommunications Council as harmful to public order or national security, while also blocking access to some Pelasgian sites from abroad and slowing down certain pathways of international internet traffic. Though often criticised as censorious and authoritarian by internet freedom activists, the system has been a staple of Pelasgia's approach to the internet since the earliest days, and the proposed reform is expected to pass the Federal Senate.
☞ (Politics) – The Standing Committee on Legal and Judicial Reform has released its proposed amendments to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' (YPES) plan for Pelasgian police reform. Policing of urban centres of over 20,000 persons to be handled by the National Astynomia (Police), a civilian body, while smaller towns, rural areas, highways and emergencies will be dealt with by the National Guard, a paramilitary gendarmerie. Though the National Guard is to be strictly federal, the Astynomia will follow the traditional Pelasgian model of being a national umbrella body with both federal and local directorates and services within its structure (though the body will remain united throughout Pelasgia, it will be up to local municipal and Federal Subject authorities to organise their individual directorates of the Astynomia). The Corps of Special Constables will also be retained as an independent federal body of National Guard troops for specialised duties such as court protection, federal building security, anti-terrorism and other such activities. A reorganisation of the Central State Security Service (YKAK) has so far been abandoned, being best left to a separate legislative proposal in due time.