Rheinian news

[Rheinbund]

Only voluntary vaccinations in Bramsfeld, Emsland and Detmold
Shock in Rheinbund's housing market after memberstates make vaccinations compulsory

After Minister of Public Health and Welfare Dr. Weinbaum indicated that the National Government cannot make vaccinations compulsory due to vaccinations being an ethical matter, ten of the 13 memberstates where vaccinations were not compulsory yet started to set up their own legislations. As a result, the memberstates Badenau, Casparringen, Heilbach, Ruppertswald, Scharmbeckerland, Sigmaringen, Spessart, Thorsringen, Tirolstein and Wetterau will make taking part in the national vaccination scheme compulsory as per 1 June. From that date onwards, parents will be obliged to have their children vaccinated according to the national vaccination scheme. Emsland, Bramsfeld and Detmold will be the only memberstates where vaccinations will continue to be conducted on a voluntary basis, while Lotharingen, Ripuarien and Sauerland made taking part in the national vaccination scheme compulsory already in 2008.
Meanwhile, as a result of this upcoming legislation, many reformatorials and anthroposophics decided to move to Emsland, Bramsfeld and Detmold, resulting in massive increases in housing pricing in those memberstates and accellerations of construction plans. Furthermore, more and more families are changing their official residential addresses to camping places and houses in holiday resorts in those memberstates while still staying on their old addresses until a new house has been found, a situation that the municipalities decided to temporarily allow.
As per indications by governmental demographic institutions of the memberstates, as many as 150,000 reformatorials and anthroposophics have changed their residential addresses to Emsland, Bramsfeld and Detmold. Many of them have already moved, but more others temporarily changed their residential addresses to avoid the vaccination obligation in anticipation to a move in the near future. The consequences are also felt in the memberstates that these people leave: Complete villages and city neighbourhoods until now inhabited by reformatorial and anthroposophic communities are abandoned by their previous inhabitants. This also leads to opportunities for the people who stay: Farmersons who are second-in-line can now cheaply buy farms in neighbouring villages. and housing prices in the cities go down.

 

[Rheinbund]

Rheinian national team practices in Costa Ron

Bundestrainer Peter Gref took a total of 25 players to San José. alongside a medical team, masseurs and other supporters. Now he is pulling off a training scheme, not only consisting of physical training but also of theory sessions. Gref appeared to have collected videos of playing moments and a lot of playing statistics of all football players going to take part in the tournament. He will use those videos and statistics during instruction sessions.
Like the Josephine team, the Rheinian team did limited volunteer work in refugee camps as well, in the sense of distributing food and giving football sessions to children. The Rheinbund's most popular football player, Azzeddine Zemmour, son of Magrabbine immigrants to the Rheinbund, said during an interview: "I am a son of immigrants myself, and I know how impacting it is when you have to flee from your home, especially as a result of aggression. As the nation of San José understands, it is essential that we help refugees as much as we can. Therefore, here we stand as Rheinians, like we stand in our own country to help Csengians and Zarans fleeing for the Tarusan civil war."

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Azzeddine Zemmour in a touching moment, embracing a young fan who ran into the field during a match in the Rheinian competition


Rhine Eagle and Air Scharmbeck schedule additional flights to South-Westernesse for the Copa Mundial de Futbol

The Rheinian airliners Rhine Eagle and Air Scharmbeck announce that they will schedule additional flights to South-Westernesse to take football fans to Copa Mundial. Air Scharmbeck is normally known for charter flights to holiday destinations, but it will also jump in for the Copa Mundial.

OOC: That football player, that is Hakim Ziyech

 

[Rheinbund]

Rheinians celebrate after 2-1 victory over Remurian football team

The Rheinbund is under the spell of football. So-called Fanmeilen with enormous screens to project the matches on have been built up in every city of the country, pubs are showing the matches to their guests, and the people not at the Fanmeilen or in the pubs follow the matches on television, computer screen, tablet or smartphone. And so the whole country witnessed Zemmour's winning goal close before the end of the match Rheinbund-Remuria. After the referee gave the end signal, an enormous party broke loose throughout the country. People waving the Rheinian flag climbed statues and ran into the fountains. One guy screamed into the microphone of a television reporter with a hoarse voice: "The Remurians are a tough adversary. They fought a harsh battle. Respect to the Remurians. But we won."

 

[Rheinbund]

Rheinbund advances into second round Copa Mundial after another 2-1 victory against Remuria

"Steh auf, mach laut" sounded again through the Rheinbund's cities and villages after the second victoy in the Copa Mundial. Yet again an enormous party broke loose. People waving the Rheinian flag danced on the streets. People are chanting the names of footballers making the goals in the last two matches: Azzeddine Zemmour (who was responsible for two goals), Wastl Salinger and Cay Thomas. But keeper Jonas Eichler wasn't forgotten for his magnificent savings; also his name is chanted. But also something new is chanted: "Glorious in Sensation Black, glorious in Sensation White."
Meanwhile, the team is preparing for the second-round match against San José. It will be a match against two different football styles: The analytic Rheinian football versus the Josephine salsafootball. It also became known that Wastl Salinger committed a practical joke while doing volunteer work in the refugee camps: He not only taught the children a few football tricks, but also taught some children some naughty phrases in Spessarter dialect as well as yodling.

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[Rheinbund]

The story is over; San José defeats Rheinbund and goes into the semifinals

After the 2-0 loss and today's draw, it's over for the Rheinian team. San José proceeds to the semifinals, and the Rheinbund returns home. Were the streets places of partying earlier in the week, now the people are sad. Everybody went home immediately after the match. Only in Cöllen, the party went on. Somebody there phrased the athmosphere: "Et es wie et ess: San José has defeated us. Et küüt wie et küüt: Once we will be world champion. Et häät noch immer joot jejange, so we can alreade drink a Cölsch on the upcoming world championship." Meanwhile, Coach Peter Gref congratulated the Josephine team, and said: "Every footballmatch is unique, and every time you learn from it. Now we learned as well."

OOC: Translations:
Et es wie et ess = It is like it is
Et küüt wie et küüt = It comes like it comes
Et häät noch immer joot jejange = It has always gone well

 

[Rheinbund]

Rheinian defence industries increase production; army corps sent to border with Csengia

Upon instruction from the Ministry of Defence, the Rheinian defence industries are increasing their production. A spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence indicated that discussions with other Rheinian industries to switch to arms production have started. The same spokesperson indicated that an army corps of the professional army awill be sent to the North of the Rheinbund, and that conscript troops are also being readied to be sent North: "The Rheinbund will not fire the first shot, but we will be ready when the first shot is fired."

 

[Rheinbund]

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Bund der rheinischen Fürstentümer und Bürgerschaften
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Schloss Schöneweide
Fehrbellin, Rheinbund

Betreff / Subject: Bestowal of the Rheinisches Verdienstkreuz für Tapferkeit 1. Klasse

It is with great sadness that we hear about the death of Lieutenant Jeremiah Williams, Lieutenant Junior Grade Casper Russel and Lieutenant Junior Grade Victoria Meadows from the Navy Divers of the Navy of The Federation, while serving humanity. On behalf of the People of the Rheinbund, we will bestowe on them the Rheinisches Verdienstkreuz für Tapferkeit 1. Klasse, if their families allow us to do so.

On behalf of the People of the Rheinbund, we also will bestowe the Rheinisches Verdienstkreuz für Tapferkeit 1. Klasse on the Navy Divers of the Navies of The Federation and Ebria, as well as on the Navy Divers of our own Navy, who were and are active in the demining actions in the Gothic Sea and the Bonaventura Bay, if they allow us to do so.

Philipp von Homburg-Gosta, König des Rheinbundes

 

[Rheinbund]

Rheinbund mobilises and increases alarm level in response to Tarusan invasion of Hanseatic Republics

In response to the Tarusan invasion of the Hanseatic Republics, the Rheinian government has decided to mobilise the armed forces and to increase the alarm level to level 3. Furthermore, the function of Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Stellvertretender Oberbefehlshaber) shifts from the Minister of Defence to the Chancellor. Officially, the Rheinian King is the Commander-in-Chief of the Rheinian armed forces, but de facto the Deputy Commander-in-Chief carries out the duties of the Commander-in-Chief. The Deputy Commander-in-Chief is the Minister of Defence in peace time and the Chancellor in war looming time and war time.
Another decision taken was the closure of the Rheinian Stock Exchange to prevent a destabilisation of the financial system. Also cash withdrawals will be limited, making it only possible to withdraw more than 200 Goldmark per day when people can prove that they have to do a large purchase.
A third decision was the introduction of a compulsory speed limit of 130 km/h on the Rheinian motorways for the duration of the war. This to save fuel. Furthermore, Rheinians are called upon to not use the airconditioning in their houses, and to heat their houses at not more than 19 degrees Celsius.
During the press conference in which all these measures were announced, Chancellor Lauritzen indicated: "We strongly condemn the attack on the Hanseatic Republics by the Empire of Tarusa. This was totally uncalled for. On the other hand, we cannot ignore that The Federation went further in its actions against Gutarike than the European Forum had mandated. Actions like this strip the European Forum of its authority, and on the longer term eliminate The Federation's ability to negotiate deals, and even its international stance. We do understand that sometimes violence is the only option, but violence should not be used when there are still other options left. What The Federation's government thought to be a short-term fix, has escalated into long-term instability."
Upon questions regarding the cease-fire between the Ivanists and the Konstantinist, the Chancellor responded: "This does make us more cautious towards Csengia. We don't know the complete contents of the deal between the two factions in the Tarusan Civil War, but we do want to prevent that goods delivered to Csengia by Rheinian companies end up in Tarusa to be used for war efforts. Therefore, we will restrict trade with Csengia to commodities that cannot be used for warfare."

 

[Rheinbund]

Rheinbund remains neutral despite mobilisation

As a result of a lot of discussions on Rheinian news forums as well as television programs, the Chancellery decided to plan another press conference to answer the questions that arose. During the press conference, the Chancellor said the following:

"The fact that the Rheinbund is mobilising has arisen a couple of questions. The most important one is: Will the Rheinbund join the war? The answer to that question is no. I will come back to the reasons behind that decision later. First I want to make clear why we mobilised. Simply out of necessity. Indeed, the war is currently taking place 1000 km away from us, but it has all the potential to escalate also to the North of us. We have already seen it escalate in our neighbourhood, when Tarusa started to mine the Bonaventura bay. Not being prepared is unwise. We can hope that the war remains contained, but we cannot expect it.
But at the same time, we will stay out of this war. The reason is the following. As you all know, there is a supranational organisation with the goal to solve disputes between countries before they become violent. This supranational organisation is the European Forum. The members of this organisation have the duty to follow this organisation's resolutions. We consider this principle extremely important, because when prominent members violate this organisation's resolutions, the European Forum loses its international influence. And exactly this was what happened in the last weeks. Twice even.
There was a European Forum resolution regarding the piracy issue in the Gothic Sea, but that resolution did not mandate forcing Gutarike to have itself occupied by foreign troops. We understand that The Federation wanted to solve the piracy issue once and for all, but going beyond an EF resolution undermines the standing of the European Forum and only gives another argument to voices murmuring that the democratic world would maintain double standards.
More problematic is the fact that White Helmets conducted an offensive operation against a country that did not do anything to provoke such an attack. This is not what White Helmets were created for. They were created for maintaining the peace, and when necessary enforcing it by defensive means. Now that White Helmets have been used for an unprovoked offensive operation, the European Forum has been stripped from an important tool to maintain peace, and White Helmets have been turned into legitimate targets. Who is going to trust the White Helmets in the future? This is once again an argument to voices whipping up sentiments against democracies.
Of course we fully understand that sometimes a first strike is necessary, but then that first strike should not be conducted by White Helmets. Those are peace keepers, not peace enforcers.
Whatever the intentions behind these actions were, when we would follow the call to the Valls Pact put forward by the government of the Thaumantic Communal Order, we would condone a violation of an EF resolution, and we would condone destroying the right of White Helmets to exist. Even further, we would condone making the European Forum irrelevant.
At this moment, the European Forum is the only international vehicle to achieve and preserve peace that we have. It may not be a powerful vehicle, but it is the only one that we have. The Rheinbund cannot perform actions destroying the existential rights of the European Forum. Therefore, we will not step in.
We do call upon the Tarusan Empire though to cease hostilities against the Hanseatic Republics. They may have been caught by surprise as much as the rest of the world was."

 

[Thaumantica]

Foreign Office of the Thaumantic Communal Order
Offers a very public message to the Rheinbund,

Seamen of the Rheinbund are alive this day because Federal forces halted the Tarusan attack on allied (if they ever were truly allied) vessels in the Gothic Sea which included Thaumantican and Rheinbund counter-mining and anti-piracy groups. Made clear also on this day is that the Rheinan is not his brother's keeper, that promises he makes in safety are not upheld under duress, and that the Rheinbund's word, its leaders signatures, and the mark of its nation means nothing to them.

Finally, we stand by the actions of the White Helmets defending the Csengian Patriotic Commune even after being denied by the world over. We praise the White Helmets for taxiing the Csengian Patriotic Council back to their rightful seat of power on the Serrault and we are baffled as to why respected nations such as the Rheinbund shrink from their responsibilities as members of a EF Security council by saying nothing and doing nothing other than returning home, much like the Tiannese, once conflict with the war drum beating Tarusan Empire finally reared its head.

We have kept the Valls Pact, we have kept the directive of defending small unarmed nations and civilian peoples with the White Helmets, and we will proudly maintain our mark in these agreements even while our partners deny and rebuke us in this critical moment. When the next Tarusan assault and expansion comes, of which there are many current and on the horizon, we will be with the defenders whether its Csengian, Ostmarkian, or Rheinian. A Thaumantican is their brother's keeper.

 

[Rheinbund]

Auswärtiges Amt
Fehrbellin, Rheinbund

Again, it would have been better if the government of the Thaumantic Communal Order would have this discussed out with Valls Pact beforehand. It would also have been extremely beneficial if the government of the Thaumantic Communal Order would have made thoughts about possible consequences. The possible consequence of a continent-wide war for instance, to solve issues that could also be solved in a less devastating way. The Valls Pact was established to contain Tarusan aggression, not to provoke it.

Gustav Kohlschreiber, Minister of Foreign Affairs

 

[Rheinbund]

Christlich-Reformatorische Kirche upholds vaccination prohibition

The Synod has spoken: The 1.1 million members of the Christlich-Reformatorische Kirche are still not allowed to be vaccinated, as per the most recent decision of their synod. This discussion was initiated in the aftermath of the polio epidemic in the beginning of the year, after which the discussions on vaccinations started. This resulted in several memberstates making participation in the federal vaccination programme compulsory, repeated and still ongoing calls from the LDP and Grün to make participation in the federal vaccination programme compulsory at federal level, and discussions within the church communities that still prohibit vaccinations for their members. The Reformatorischer Gemeinde and the Reformatorischer Gemeinde unter dem Kreuz reached a consensus quickly and upheld the prohibition, but the Christlich-Reformatorische Kirche took more time to take a decision, because there were quite some parsons who considered it possible that vaccinations were actually God's Gift instead of a means to circumvent God's Will. There was even the possibility of a schism. However, the Christlich-Reformatorische Kirche managed to uphold its unity and to reach a concensus on the matter. Chairman of the Synod Reverend Horstmar Krauskopf: "Life, death and illness are sent to us by God. It is His decision, and His decision only, who will live, who will die and who will get ill. Vaccinations breach our link with God's Will, because they interfere with God's decisions on illness. We Christians must put our lives in God's hands and puts our trust in His Plan with us. When we prevent illness by means of vaccinations, we express distrust in God's Plan with us. Therefore, a Christian cannot vaccinate."


Parsons secede from Reformatorische Kirche and Befreit-Reformatorische Kirche, and unite as Reformatorische Bewegung

A schism that no-one saw coming, happened in the Reformatorische Kirche and the Befreit-Reformatorische Kirche. Parsons belonging to these two Church Communities decided to leave their original Church Communities and form a new Church Community: The Reformatorische Bewegung. Reverend Arthur Überroth will be the head of the Synod of the new Church Community. As it appears now, a discussion on how to treat gays and lesbians within the Church was going on in the Reformatorische Kirche and the Befreit-Reformatorische Kirche. Standing practice in these Church Communities is not to allow peope who are openly gay or lesbian to Church activities, regardless of whether they actually have sexual intercourse with people of the same gender or not. The parsons currently united in the Reformatorische Bewegung have objections against this practice, because "this leads to a lot of marriages not closed on love but on the wish to stop rumours about somebody's homosexuality", as phrased by Head of the Synod Reverend Überroth. The Reformatorische Bewegung is of the opinion that gays and lesbians should be welcome to Church activities, as long as they exercise sexual abstention. Head of the Synod Reverend Überroth: "Of course gays and lesbians should pray to God to help them overcome their tendency to these awful sins. Key is, that they should take part in Church Life as long as they do not commit those awful sins."


Schism in the Reformatorische Gemeinde: Alt-Reformatorische Gemeinde formed

Another schism took place in the Reformatorische Gemeinde. The reason for the schism is a change in how to handle baptisments performed by women. Standing practice within all Reformatorial Churches is, that a baptism performed by a woman is invalid. But while the currently existing Reformatorial Churches allow that a person baptised by a woman is rebaptised by a man, the Reformatorial Communities do not allow this. Did not allow until recently, that is. The Synod of the Reformatorische Gemeinde decided to allow such a rebaptism. Against the will of a couple of parsons representing about 100,000 believers. They decided to secede and form the Alt-Reformatorische Gemeinde. Head of the Synod of the Alt-Reformatorische Gemeinde Reverend Diethmar Weninger: "A baptism cannot be done twice, and an invalid baptism is still a baptism. Therefore, a rebaptism is an error. We cannot justify this error of the Synod of the Reformatorische Gemeinde, and stick to the old teachings regarding this."

 

[Thaumantica]

An entirely public response collected from discussion in the
All-Nievish Almshouse in Caitekurke

May the Synod and adherents of Reformed Christianity in the Rheinbund receive our love, fellowship, and blessing in search of the Almighty. In this we will pray tomorrow, when the Niommonach take rest, that Christians everywhere are unbound from illness and set free from suffering.

It is our duty, as elected to serve in the House of Alms, to take care of the sick. In this we draw from the messages told in Ezekiel 34 where the Lord condemns the Shepherds of Israel for not tending to their flock, for not being proactive, for not guiding those with lesser knowledge when ye know the path.

Ezekiel 34:4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.​

We then read the passages from Mark 7 collected from the Holy Bible, of which King Padraig joined the spirits of Engwhalian and Nievish in the century seventeenth to make Thaumantican:

Mark 7:14-15 14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.​

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This story, that of Mark 7, describes followers of Christ who are condemned by the Pharisees for supping with unclean hands from unclean bowls and plates. It is known that for the Pharisees to clean their hands and to clean their bowls was a tradition of their Elders, and that their concern for washed hands and bowls did not derive from a theory of germs in any modern sense. Instead it was an application of ruled tradition and a moment for the Pharisees to project superiority over Christ's followers. It is from this sense of applying a rule against all vaccines, categorically, that shifted this Almshouse's conversational view.

When this Almshouse navigates appropriation for research and requirements for vaccines we seek, to the best of our ability, the efficacy of the serum and the intent of its creators and distributors. The vaccine for polio was created with the intent of ending unnecessary suffering among children, a life shortened by painful suffering, and rapidly its distribution was made ready across the world in an increasingly affordable way. Nieveland is a national tier of commune with communes greater and lesser in the Thaumantic: a vaccine, if it is to be approved or funded here, must apply to people communally regardless of their individual riches or peerage.

Blessings be yours

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[Rheinbund]

Synode der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Kirche im Rheinbund
Fehrbellin, Rheinbund

Synode der Reformierten Kirche im Rheinbund
Wetzlar, Rheinbund

Synode der Reformatorischen Kirche im Rheinbund
Laubach, Rheinbund

Synode der Befreit-Reformatorischen Kirche im Rheinbund
Laubach, Rheinbund

Synode der Reformatorischen Bewegung im Rheinbund
Laubach, Rheinbund

We heartily thank the All-Nievish Almshouse. May also the Niommonnach receive our love, fellowship and blessing in search of the Almighty. We will join you in your prayers that Christians everywhere are set free from illness and suffering.

We don’t know if your message was pointed at all Reformed Christians in the Rheinbund, at the Reformed Church in the Rheinbund, or at the Christian-Reformatorial Church. Please be aware that there are a total of nine different Protestant congregations in the Rheinbund.

The Evangelic-Lutheran, Reformed, Reformatorial and Liberated-Reformatorial Churches in the Rheinbund as well as the Reformatorial Movement in the Rheinbund share your views on vaccinations. We consider them a Gift from God, and encourage everyone to take them and have their children vaccinated. Our stance towards vaccinations differs from the one exercised by the Christian-Reformatorial Church, the Reformatorial Community, the Old-Reformatorial Community and the Reformatorial Community under the Cross. It is probably their stance you are reacting on. We leave it to the Synods of those Congregations to defend their stance.

Ralph Franck, Chairman of the Synod of the Evangelic-Lutheran Church in the Rheinbund
Annekristin Rothmann, Chairwoman of the Synod of the Reformed Church in the Rheinbund
Siegfried Rickenbacker, Chairman of the Synod of the Reformatorial Church in the Rheinbund
Leuthold Zuckert, Chairman of the Synod of the Liberated-Reformatorial Church in the Rheinbund
Arthur Überroth, Chairman of the Synod of the Reformatorial Movement in the Rheinbund

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Synode der Christlich-Reformatorischen Kirche im Rheinbund
Laubach, Rheinbund

Synode der Reformatorischen Gemeinde im Rheinbund
Laubach, Rheinbund

Synode der Alt-Reformatorischen Gemeinde im Rheinbund
Laubach, Rheinbund

Synode der Reformatorischen Gemeinde unter dem Kreuz im Rheinbund
Laubach, Rheinbund

We heartily thank the All-Nievish Almshouse. May also the Niommonnach receive our love, fellowship and blessing in search of the Almighty. We will join you in your prayers that Christians everywhere are set free from illness and suffering.

You are right to cite Ezekiel 34:4 for pointing at our duty to take care of ill people. Please understand that we do take care of our sick people, and that we do everything medical science is able to to heal our ill people. We agree with you that that is our duty as per God’s Will.
You are also right to cite Mark 7:14-15 for pointing at the need of hygienic measures. Please be aware that we don’t reject any measures to avoid dainger. When you are driving towards a rail crossing while at the same time a train is approaching, you brake so that your car stops on time. This to avoid a real danger. Before preparing a meal and eating it, you make sure that your hands, pans and dishes are clean to avoid the real danger of a food poisoning by bacteria. It is also allowed to disinfect items to prevent contamination of a wound or the spread of germs. These are examples of avoiding real dangers.

But what about vaccines? Let’s look at the way vaccines work. You apply them to healthy people, who get a little bit ill afterwards. Basically, you make people ill. From a medical-ethical perspective, you cannot make healthy people ill, not even just a little bit ill in order to prevent bigger illness later.
Let’s also look at Luke 5:31: “Jesus answered them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.'” Based on this, doctors should not take actions on healthy people.
And finally, please be aware that it is God’s Privilege to decide on life and death. It is also God’s privilege to decide on illness. When you take a vaccine, you anticipate on something that may but also may not come. With a vaccine, you anticipate on God’s Providence. This cannot be unified with the Statement of Faith, in which we put our trust in God’s Providence.

Horstmar Krauskopf, Chairman of the Synod of the Christian-Reformatorial Church in the Rheinbund
Ruben Delbrück, Chairman of the Synod of the Reformatorial Community in the Rheinbund
Gertwin Dedekind, Chairman of the Synod of the Old-Reformatorial Community in the Rheinbund
Diethmar Weninger, Chairman of the Synod of the Reformatorial Community under the Cross in the Rheinbund

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Bund der rheinischen Fürstentümer und Bürgerschaften
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Korrespondenznummer / Correspondence number: RR/AA/2023-09-09/006051 ; 9. Sept. 2023
Steht in Bezug zu den Korrespondenzen / Related to the correspondences: ———
Öffentlich / Public: ■ │ Vertraulich / Restricted: □ │ Streng geheim / Top Secret: □
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Auswärtiges Amt
Fehrbellin, Rheinbund

It may be good to explain the Rheinbund's stance on vaccines.

Given the many different religions in our country having different stances on many things, ranging from very liberal to very conservative, we have to find a way to live together. We found that way by letting the memberstates decide on ethical matters. Everything that the Rheinbund's ten Christian religions differ in opinion on is considered an ethical matter. Vaccines are such a matter.

Throughout history, the Rheinbund has always been one of the first, and often even the first, to adopt all kinds of vaccines. Some vaccines were even developed by us. We were also one of the first to introduce a federal vaccination scheme, not only a general one, but also several ones dedicated to special risk groups (for instance influenza vaccines for elderly). And although smallpox has been eradicated, we still vaccinate against it.

As indicated earlier, vaccines are considered an ethical matter in the Rheinbund. This means that the Federal Government cannot impose participation in the general vaccination scheme upon all Rheinians. But 13 memberstates have decided to take this measure at memberstate level. In the other three memberstates, participation in the general federal vaccination scheme is voluntary.
The four religions rejecting vaccines represent a total of 2.1 million people, on a population of 60 million people. Vaccination levels are around 94% nationwide, but close to 100% in the memberstates with compulsory participation in the federal vaccination scheme.

Gustav Kohlschreiber, Minister of Foreign Affairs

 

[Rheinbund]

Weissenfels Dance Event visited by a record number of people

This year's edition of the annual dance festival Weissenfels Dance Event, lasting from Thursday 19 October until the morning of Sunday 29 October has attracted a record number of visitors, as can be concluded from the bookings in hotels, hostels, bed&breakfasts, campings and holiday resorts in and around Weissenfels. The WDE is a dance festival that includes many discussions and information sessions on dance music in the afternoon, and many dance parties in the evening and at night. It is basically ten days of partying during the autumn break, and also attracts many visitors from abroad. It is unclear why this year's WDE attracts so many more people than normally. It could be that the organisers advertised more about it abroad, but there could also be a different reason. We heard the following from several foreign visitors to the WDE: "The war is over, let's party."

 

[Rheinbund]

Government offers Rheinian citizenship to refugees from former Pannonia

Minister of Internal Affairs and Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm Pfeiffer announced in a press release that he had signed a decree to offer Rheinian citizenship to all refugees from former Pannonia who fled to the Rheinbund because of the Pannonian civil war in 2021 and 2022. This includes refugees from Zara. Taking up Rheinian citizenship will be voluntary; people who don't want to take Rheinian citizenship will be allowed to stay in the Rheinbund under a refugee status.


Opposition calls Rheinische Volksversammlung back from Christmas Vacation

A constellation of political parties that was unimaginable until recently joined forces to call Parliament back from the Christmas Vacation: The far right Volksunion, market liberal FDV, environmentalist Grün and reformatorial Christians CRVP bundled their forces to demand an emergency sitting of the Rheinische Volksversammlung. The reason for the call to an emergency sitting is the current war between Tianlong and Angliarique. Political leader of the Volksunion Günther Ziesche indicated that he also wanted to ask some questions to Vice-Chancellor Pfeiffer about the decision to offer Rheinian citizenship to Pannonian refugees.

 

[Rheinbund]

23DEC2023
Cabinet survives motion of distrust; No formal declaration of war against Angliarique, instead trade boycott; Article 5 invoked; Rheinbund gives material support to Tianlong

The debate started Friday morning, and lasted until after midnight. All MPs were present. A motion of distrust filed by the Volksunion and supported by the environmentalist Grün, the Reformatorial Christian CRVP, the Communists, Post-Delegationists, Anarcho-collectivists and a part of the Sociodemocratic fraction (one of the coalition partners) did not reach a majority of the votes. It has become clear though that the Rheinian political parties are quite divided on how to handle the war between Angliarique and Tianlong.

Fraction leader of the CRVP, Rainer Stuhr, phrased the dissatisfaction like the following: "This is already the second time within 6 months that countries from outside Gallo-Germania unilaterally commit actions out of impulse and alongside drag us into a major war. Unilaterally, mind you, without consulting us, without consulting anybody. First it were the Westernessians and the Thaumantics, and now our own ally Tianlong. Without consulting its allies, without notifying CETO, it attacked the Angliarique museum fleet. And who is going to be invaded? Not Tianlong, but us."

Fraction leader and political leader of the Volksunion Günther Ziesche was the first one to speak, as the leader of the largest opposition fraction. He said: "From the moment that the government decided to give up neutrality and join a military alliance onwards, it has brought our country at odds with the largest military force active in Gallo-Germania: The Tarusan Empire. The Cabinet Lauritzen II has brought us in danger, and has also imposed an enormous increase in defence spending upon us. For what? We did fine when we were neutral. Look at our southern neighbour Remuria. It flourishes while being neutral. And we are suffering because the Cabinet Lauritzen II gave up neutrality."

Fraction leader and political leader of the market-liberal FDV Winfried Dressler was a bit milder in his words: "Back in July, The Federation, at that time our ally in the Valls Pact, did something without consulting anybody, not even its very own Post-Delegationist allies, and the government withdrew support. Now Tianlong does the same, and we are still in CETO. This is measuring with double standards. Either we should withdraw our support to Tianlong now, or we should have supported The Federation back in July. I would like to know from the Government why things are different now compared with July."

Fraction leader and political leader of the environmentalist Grün Franziska Neumann continued on this: "Mr. Dressler, in both cases, the situation is wrong. The Federation escalated the war, and now Tianlong ignited a war by bombing a ceremonial fleet consisting of 18th century galleons. Like we withdrew our support from The Federation back in July, we should withdraw our support from Tianlong now. With immediate effect."

Fraction leader of the Christiandemocratic CDV (also Chancellor Lauritzen's party), Bastian Buder, attacked Franziska Neumann on her plea to withdraw support to Tianlong: "Mrs. Neumann, do you realise what you are saying here? Do you realise what kind of message we will send to the world if we withdraw support to Tianlong now? We will be seen as an unreliable ally. OK, we are also in the Meridian Union, but at least one of our allies in the Meridian Union, to be precise Radilo, will be reluctant to defend us when needed, because that will be a former CETO ally then, and will remember our 'treason'. Mr. Dressler, I hope that this is also the answer to your question."

Dressler replied to Buder in the following way: "This is partly the answer to my question. But I still consider withdrawing our support to The Federation back in July the wrong decision. And to be very honest, it is backfiring: Now the former enemies are teaming up against CETO."

After all fraction leaders phrased their statements, Chancellor Lauritzen replied: "I do admit one thing: Also we were negatively surprised by the Tianese attack on the Angliariqean museum fleet. Especially by the fact that Tianlong did not discuss this attack with CETO. It should have done so.
But there is also an other side to it. We by all means don't know what those 18th century galleons contained. It could have contained several batallions of marines with modern equipment, or a couple of small drones capable of dropping bombs. Please also note that the galleons were accompanied by two carriers. Very old carriers, but also those old carriers could have contained a couple of modern planes. I realise the amount of conjunctives that I'm using, but you cannot keep such uncertainties out of the equation. Suppose that those galleons were really filled with small attack drones, or a bunch of marines, and that those carriers really contained some planes. And then suppose that those marines, attack drones and planes assault Frescania. How would the world have reacted then? Would it have reproached Tianlong and The Federation for not having prevented this? Apart from that, against a demilitarised island, even a war plane from 100 years ago can inflict damage, even an 18th century cannon can inflict damage. This was part of our own concern, and we have repeatedly tried to make that clear to the government of Angliarique.
Fact is, that before the attack we did not know whether this museum fleet was indeed just an escort of honour, like the government of Angliarique repeatedly indicated, or a transport of military equipment to attack Frescania. In retrospect, it would have been better if Tianlong would have acted upon the occurrence of hostile actions against Frescania by Angliariqean troops, but that is retrospect.
I also want to mention the following. Preceding the attack on the musuem fleet, the CETO countries were not the only ones to demand that Angliarique withdrew the museum fleet. Also The Federation did. Loudly. From that point of view, I consider The Federation's vehement reaction to the attack on the museum fleet very strange. I can imagine that it has some criticism, but now it more or less looks like it supports Angliarique's stance in this.
Nevertheless: I share one concern voiced by the Volksversammlung. Tianlong tends to conduct actions without giving notice. This is something that irritates me as well. CETO is not Tianlong and its vassals, CETO is an alliance of peers. Maybe not when looking at the sizes of the armed forces and the economies, but it is when looking at the level of sovereign states. This means that Tianlong should discuss things out with its allies. This has nothing to do with succumbing to other countries, but with decency. This also means that The Federation has a point when it criticises Tianlong for its testing of an ICBM. Tianlong did that without notifying anyone, and with that exactly did what we reproached Angliarique for: Frightening up other countries with unexpected military moves. What if the tested ICBM would have malfunctioned and landed in a neighbourcountry? Then the political aftermath is much more severe when the neighbourcountries would not have been informed. Performing such an ICBM test without notifying the neighbourcountries is the same thing as sending a fleet to a demilitarised island. I have to mention here that I agree with the government of The Federation, which did have the decency to inform about a big military exercise that it would perform.
Let me describe a parallel: Suppose you live in an apartment block, and you want to celebrate your birthday. In that case, you inform the neighbours that things can get loud. That is the same with military exercises.
This as an introduction to the current problem. Angliarique has attacked Tianese military vessels from ships tarned as commercial vessels. There are two problems here: The attack itself and the fact that the attack was performed from ships looking like commercial vessels. This does support the thesis that the Angliariquean museum fleet sent to Frescania could have been something else than the world was thinking. It shows Angliarique's intention to use civilian assets as cover for military assets. It would not surprise us if Angliarique built its military headquarters and essential military equipment under hospitals, schools and orphanages. This gives us no alternative to distrusting each and every Angliariquean vessel, car or aircraft, may they look like military or civilian. Therefore, effective immediately, Rheinian companies are barred from using the services of Angliariquean shipping companies and ships sailing under the Angliariquean flags, ships from Angliariquean shipping companies and ships sailing under Angliariquean flags will be subjected to excessive inspections upon entering the Rheinian territorial waters, escorted by the Rheinian Navy as long as they are in the Rheinian economic zones and in Rheinian harbours, and will be handled at the most remote quais in Rheinian harbours. Furthermore, all Angliariquean aircraft will be escorted by fighter jets within our airspace, and a trade boycott with Angliarique will be imposed.
Regarding the Article 5 invocation, we are not going to declare war on Angliarique, and we do not plan any military actions against Angliarique. But we will supply Tianlong with fuel, medical supplies, nutrients and if needed equipment and spare parts."

Upon the question by Winfried Dressler why the territorial waters and the airspace were not closed to Angliariquean ships and aircraft, Chancellor Lauritzen responded: "The problem with such a ban is the following. We have seen Angliarique's respect for civilian assets. We expect that country to send in a passenger aircraft filled with passengers to challenge the ban. The Angliariquean spin is so good that, if we shoot that plane down, we will be blamed for having shot down a passenger aircraft, even if we deliver the proof that that plane was filled not only with Angliariquean citizens but also with explosives. We have to be extremely careful here. It could even be that Angliarique sends in a civilian plane complete with passengers and then let it explode above Rheinian soil just to blame us for having shot it down. The same could happen with an Angliariquean cruise ship."

There was also a discussion on the decision by Minister of Internal Affairs and Vice-Chancellor Wilhelm Pfeiffer to offer Rheinian citizenship to refugees from former Pannonia. Günther Ziesche and his Volksunion was alone in his criticism to this decision. He decided not to file a motion for this.

Towards the end of the evening, several MPs filed a motion of distrust against the government. The whole Volksversammlung was shocked when one of the signers of the motion appeared to be an MP of the sociodemocrat RSP, the second-largest coalition party: Anne-Katrin Strub. She indicated that she agreed with the text of the motion of distrust, which was based on the demand to not follow suit with the Article 5 invocation, not even at the low-key level that the government wants to do. Fraction leader of the RSP Mareile Denzinger requested a pause in the debate. After the pause, she asked the floor, and indicated that 82 of the 151 RSP-MPs would vote for the motion, although she herself had strongly recommended against doing so.
The fractions of the FDV and the Tiburan-Catholic TKP came to the rescue: Their fraction leaders and political leaders indicated to vote against the motion. With that, the motion failed.

However, the government does have a problem due to the 82 dissidents in the RSP-fraction. Basically, it has lost the support of the majority of the Volksversammlung. It remains to be seen how this problem will be solved. It is not clear yet what the government is going to do now. Options are to organise early elections or to continue governing until the planned date of the elections (currently scheduled for April next year).

 

[Rheinbund]

02JAN2024
Leading politicians announce their leave from politics

Following

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, lots of politicians announced that they would not stand for re-election in the upcoming elections, would not be available for a ministership and would leave politics as a whole. The biggest drain occurs in the currently largest party CDV: along with Demissionary Chancellor Lauritzen and Demissionary Minister of foreign affairs Kohlschreiber, all other CDV-ministers will leave politics. Also the Demissionary Vice-Chancellors Demissionary Minister of Internal Affairs Wilhelm Pfeiffer (RSP) and Demissionary Minister of Finance Andreas Veltheim (LDP) announced their leave from politics. The reason cited is the debacle with CETO, for which these politicians take responsibility. All people indicated that they will remain in power until their successors have been appointed (which will happen after the elections).
Chancellor Lauritzen did give an advice to the future new government: "Before Christmas, a motion of distrust had been issued against the whole government. If this motion would have passed, the country would have been without government, simply because nothing has been arranged for such a case. Emergency decisions could not have been taken at that moment, because there were no ministers to take them. This also meant that there was no commander in chief. Such a situation cannot occur. I strongly recommend that we couple a motion of distrust against the whole government with the demand that such a motion must name a succeeding Chancellor and succeeding Ministers of at least internal affairs, foreign affairs, finance, justice and defence."


05JAN2024
Bastian Wiltberger to lead CDV in the upcoming elections; RSP and LDP choose their fraction leaders

After Fraction Leader of the CDV Bastian Buder indicated that he was not available as new political leader, the board and the fraction of the CDV appointed the fraction speaker for internal governance Bastian Wiltberger as the new political leader of the CDV. He also immediately took over from Bastian Buder as fraction leader.
The RSP and the LDP also have new political leaders: those parties' fraction leaders Mareile Denzinger (RSP) and Wendeline Gernar (LDP) will take over.

 

[Rheinbund]

02FEB2024
Election results confirmed: Coalition looses majority; no three-party coalition possible

The distribution of seats in the Rheinische Volksversammlung after last Wednesday’s elections have been confirmed by the voting council. The coalition of Christiandemocrats, Sociodemocrats and Social-Liberals have lost the majority, and the fragmentation of the parliament has continued. For the first time in history, the largest political party (the CDV) has only 18% of the votes. The Greens more than doubled their votes, and the Market Liberals jumped from the 5th position to the 2nd. The following table shows the results in more detail.

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The most important conclusion out of the election result is, that a three-party coalition is not possible with these results. Another conclusion is, that the Rheinians want things different. What they exactly want, is not clear though. The movement of votes were substantial, but mainly within the right-wing bloc and the left-wing bloc.
One topic of these elections was foreign politics, particularly the question whom to align with. The Market Liberals and the Post-Delegationists are mainly aiming at aligning with The Federation and Touyou, while the three Christiandemocratic parties, the Sociodemocrats and the Social-Liberals are focusing on intensifying relations with the Meridian Union. The Greens also look at the Meridian Union, but want to apply a strictly neutral military position. In contrast, the far-right Volksunion is aiming for aligning with the Pressburg Pact, a stance that may explain its large loss in the elections; the Rheinians’ opinion on Tarusa has deteriorated significantly after Tarusa’s threat against the Rheinbund after last Christmas.
The election results have created a difficult puzzle for the upcoming coalition negotiations. At first sight, the most viable option would be to let the Greens join the current centre-left coalition, but that would deny the eclatant defeat that the current coalition suffered. Furthermore, it is questionable whether the CDV as a centre-right party would be willing to form a coalition that could not be called centre-left any more, but leftwing.
But other options have their problems as well. The CDV has ruled out the option to govern with the Volksunion, and it remains to be seen if the match between the FDV and the CRVP is good enough for a coalition.
King Philipp will receive the Chairman of the Volksversammlung and the Chairman of the Bundesgericht tomorrow, then on Monday and Tuesday the Oberpräfekte of the memberstates. The fraction leaders will follow on Wednesday.

 

[Rheinbund]

09FEB2024
King Philipp appoints former diplomat Felix Herzog von Walsrode Inquirer

King Philipp has appointed former diplomat Felix Herzog von Walsrode inquirer, with the task to investigate the possibility of a centrist coalition, consisting of at least the Christiandemocrats, the Market Liberals and the Socioliberals, with either the Greens or the Sociodemocrats added to them. The Duke of Walsrode will receive the political leaders of the Christiandemocrats, the Market Liberals and the Socioliberals tonight to discuss the next steps.