wendmarkinfo.wm - WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

ENGELLEX AGGRESSION AGAINST MONTELIMAR CONDEMNED

The Foreign Affairs Department released a statement condemning the "barbaric aggression against Montelimar", following Dulwich's strikes against Wendmark's western neighbour and a formal declaration of war against Valmy. The Free State of Wendmark remains unconvinced by the justification put forward by the court of Dulwich, finding it to be nothing else than a "bad game of words based upon faulty logic".

It remains a series of undeniable facts that it is the member states of the European Defence Federation that are victims of aggression. For under all accounts and definitions it is not the one who takes up a shield to defend himself that starts a fight, but one who thrusts his sword in the first strike. Through its barbaric aggression against the Kingdom of Montelimar, the Great Engellex has distanced itself from the norms and customs of civilised peoples.​

The ambassador of the Great Engellex to Einsiedeln was summoned and issued with a formal note of protest and a demand to immediately cease hostilities against the Kingdom of Montelimar. A call for immediate cease fire was also forwarded to the ambassador of Montelimar. Diplomatic relations with Great Engellex would be maintained and Ferdinand Niederhausen, Wendmark's Foreign Minister, stated that the Free State's ambassador to Dulwich would not be recalled.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

LANDAMANN CALLS EMERGENCY STAATSTAG SESSION

Walther Grauholzer, the Landamann of the Free State, has recalled the Staatstag from its summer recess to an emergency session concerning the outbreak of war in Gallo-Germania and the potential spread of the conflict following the belligerent statements from the King of Winnemark. The Staatstag is to vote upon several motions put forward by the Government, amongst which a resolution condemning the Engellex agression against Montelimar.

Whilst the Free State's executive has already issued its own condemnation of the aforementioned aggression by the Union of Great Engellex against the Kingdom of Montelimar, a formal legislative resolution has not been debated in the Staatstag until now. The text of the resolution, available publicly on the website of the Chancellery, is broad in its spectrum and contains no specific measures, but would allow the Executive the right to decide on all “appropriate measures to safeguard the Free State's sovereignty and independence, her commerce and economic wellbeing”.

The Staatstag is also expected to vote in emergency on the veiled threats of war made by the King of Winnemark against the European Defence Federation. In particular, the Free State is worried about a possible aggression against the Kingdom of Eiffelland, a fellow member of the Germanian League. Such an aggression is seen by the Government of the Free State as constituting a grave threat to the commercial exchanges of Wendmark, since Wendmark's business use the ports of Danmark, Eiffelland and Franken on a tax-free basis as part of the Germanian League agreements.

Additionally, the Landamann has submitted a resolution commending the Kingdom of Suionia for its pro-active approach to the matters of peace and security. The resolution is expected to give the Government necessary powers to conduct emergency negotiations with Suionia in all spheres necessary to the "preservation of the Free State's independence, sovereignty, to the protection of her commerce and well being".

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

STAATSTAG ROUT FOR LANDAMANN'S RESOLUTIONS

In an emergency session, the Staatstag voted against adopting the draft resolutions put forward by the Landamann of the Free State of Wendmark. After heated debates, only members of the Landamann's Conservative Democratic Party voted in favour of the proposed resolution, with the rest of the Staatstag voting against. The CDP alone does not hold the majority of seats in the Staatstag. Instead, the Staatstag adopted a series of resolutions jointly drafted by a committee of members from the Free Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic People's Party, drafts being amended during debates and supported by all spectrums of political parties, including the Social Democratic Party and the Saxon People's Party.

The revised resolutions, while unambiguously putting the blame for war in Gallo-Germania on Solaren and Engellex, never the less reiterate Wendmark's neutrality and non-involvement in the armed conflicts between third parties. The Staatstag deemed the constitutional powers of the Landamann sufficient to defend Wendmark's independence (since the executive is already competent to order a general mobilisation with only a post facto review by the Staatstag) and refused to extend the Landamann's competences in the matter. The Saxon People's Party feared that extending the military powers of the Landamann might mean a possible involvement, either directly or indirectly, of the Wendmarker Armed Forces outside of Wendmark, something the party deems unacceptable.

“The Saxon People has fought hard for independence, freedom and liberty. This freedom is not simply political, it is the liberty from imperialist wars waged by the petty kings and queens of Europe against each other, wasting their soldiers away as if they were figures on a chess board,” SVP leader Christian Waber said during his address to the Staatstag. “The Free Saxons have won and earned their freedom to not waste away their lives and livelihoods in the name of disputes between crowns. It is a crime and a tragedy to see the good people of Engellex and Montelimar wasted away in such a manner, and we truly believe that the monarchist form of government in these countries is a thing of a past and an unacceptable anachronism. And when the peoples of Engellex and Montelimar decide to embrace the future, the Saxon People's Party shall be there to aid them.”​

In the end, the resolution on Engellex fell short of the Landamann's expectations, something Walther Grauholzer accepted in his televised adress shortly after the emergency session of the Staatstag.

“The Staatstag has spoken and this nation will remain a neutral nation. But I cannot ask that every Free Saxon remain neutral in thought as well. Even a neutral has a right to take account of facts, even a neutral cannot be asked to close his mind or close his conscience. I hope the Free State will keep out of this war, I believe that it will. And I give you assurance and reassurance that every effort of your government will be directed toward that end.”​

The resolution on the Kingdom of Winnemark, however, went farther than the one on Engellex, namely in the fact that it gave the Government sufficient mandate to partake in economic sanctions, should such be decided by the Germanian League in response to a potential aggression against a League member state by any third power, not limited to the Kingdom of Winnemark. For now, however, the operative clauses of this resolution shall remain suspended until such a time as a direct attack is undertaken against a member state of the Germanian League.

Finally, the Staatstag refused to give the Government any additional powers of negotiation with the Kingdom of Suionia. As such, any treaty or agreement signed with Suionia would be subject to standard constitutional and legislative procedure, involving approval by the competent authorities (with the Staatstag being competent for any treaty that falls outside the small administrative agreements within the sole competence of the Government) and subject to mandatory or facultative referendum, depending on the type and kind of treaty.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

HEADLINES

Engellex assets shall not be frozen. The Free State hall not move to freeze assets belonging to the Union of Great Engellex, according to the Department of Finance. The announces comes despite worsening relations between Einsiedeln and Dulwich, that have gone downhill following the latter's invasion of Montelimar and Dulwich'es denial to Wendmark the status of a sovereign state.

Terrorist attacks in Brettaine. The Landamann and the Staatstag send their condolences to the government and people of Brettaine and offer whatever support the Free State can muster to assist in tracking down the perpetrators.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

HEADLINES

Augsburg bombing condemned. Landamann Grauholzer has condemned the “cowardly bombing and state terrorism” against Augsburg and has promised that Wendmark would provide any and all assistance in pinpointing the culprit.

Emergency Aid for Augsburg. The Government has approved an emergency assistance package for Wiese, amounting to a total of 200 million Gulden. The Government has stated that it would develop other means in the coming days.

Civil Protection assistance offer to Wiese. The Department of Defence and Civil Protection has confirmed that it has offered Augsburg the support of Civil Protection specialists to conduct search and rescue operations in ruins, should such assistance be accepted by the Imperial government.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

HEADLINES

Armed Forces Readiness Hightened. By order of the Landamann, the readiness levels of the Armed Forces have been raised, with increased aerial activity, activation of reserve air squadrons, activation of additional land forces units. The exact names and sizes of the mobilised formations were not disclosed.

Voluntary Evacuation of Women and Children from Border Municipalities. The voluntary evacuation shall be assisted by the Civil Protection. Those who do not have relatives or friends in central Wendmark to host them shall be hosted at the various Civil Protection shelters throughout the country. Volunteer servicewomen with the Landwehr and Landsturm are not concerned by the evacuation.

Civil Protection to Cater for Refugee Montelimarians. Montelimarian refugees arriving in Wendmark shall be distributed throughout the Civil Protection shelters and bunkers throughout the entire country and shall not be grouped in "camps" along the border. Wendmark is currently in communication with Franken on cooperation in catering for the refugees and their potential relocation to the Kingdom of Franken, if circumstances so allow.

 

[Großlausitz]

Das Auswärtige Amt

The Kingdom of Franken will naturally cooperate with Wendmark on hatching a suitable scheme to host refugees from Montelimar.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

HEADLINES

Civil Protection Refutes Carentian Propaganda. Wendmark's Civil Protection has refuted claims that millions of Montelimiarians are about to swarm Germania and that the influx of refugees was "not critical" and well "within the capacity of Wendmark's Civil Protection to manage".

Wendmark, Franken to Cooperate on Refugee Issues. The agreement shall see Wendmark's and Franken's respective Civil Protection services working together to best cater for Montelimarian refugees and provide them shelter in the Kingdom of Franken.

Landamann: "Wendmark not going to war". Landamann Grauholzer has reiterated that the Free State of Wendmark was not seeking active warfare with any country in the world, but would not be caught uprepared.

 

[Socialist Commonwealth]

Commissariate for Foreign Affairs

We are worried that Wendmark is willing to put pride before the wellbeing of refugees from Montelimar when it denies the gravity of the situation. Reports from Montelimar indicate entire cities on the run from the advancing Engellexic troops, an event which would put even bigger nations than Wendmark into a dire situation. The Free State should admit its need for more foreign aid in solving the problem, rather than insist on the fantastic capabilities of its civil protection services.

 

[Wieserreich]

You must be registered for see links

Reichsministerium des Auswärtigen
Imperial Ministry for Foreign Affairs
​

"The Empire appeals to Carentania to abandon its senseless offensives on Germanian countries, and cease alienating the international community. The Germanian League is fully prepared to handle the consequences of the shameless conflicts erupting around Europe, including but not being limited to Carentania's own achievements in Solaren, where firm efforts for an international solution are turned down on questionable grounds.

"In the unlikely event the Free State of Wendmark requires assistance in handling the refugee issues from the Solaris and Montelimarean conflicts, the Empire shall be by its neighbour's side as it has always been. However, we shall keep our own borders tightly sealed in this age of uncertainty, in the era where powers hide behind fleeing civilians from Solaren or Montelimar, or behind missile submarines well hidden in the seas."

Regards,
Heinrich Maximilian Graf von und zu Babelfisch
Imperial Minister for Foreign Affairs

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

HEADLINES

SVP Launches On-line Petition Against FRE. The Saxon People's Party launched an on-line petition on its website to be transmitted to Fränkischer Rundfunk Europa. The petition condemns the use of the term "Wendic" by the FRE and demands that it always use either the "official term that is Wendmarker", or use the "real and historically correct term that is Free Saxon". In any case, the petition says, the appelation "isch sichä nüd 'Wendisch'!" Pundits shall guess, the petition is written in Saxon.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

GERMANIAN LEAGUE

Wendmark Calls for an Emergency Session of the Germanian Council. The Emergency Session, called for by the Government of the Free State of Wendmark, is set to debate issues of collective security among the members of the Germanian League in the light of recent challenges to national sovereignty by both overt actors and those who try to conceal themselves.

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

Wieser-Wendmarker Military Talks in Einsiedeln. A delegation from the Reichswehr is in Einsiedeln for talks with their counterparts in the Wendmarker Armee over proposals for joint aerial patrols along Wendmark's western border. Legal and political details are expected to be addressed during the meetings. Analysts agree that whilst Wendmark's Air Force has sufficient capacities to counter even superior enemy numbers, an additional deterrent would be useful to prevent any further escalations, and joint aerial patrols with the Wieser Air Force could constitute such a deterrent.

DOMESTIC HEADLINES

Government, CDP to submit increased defence budget to Staatstag. In the coming weeks, the Conservative Democratic Party shall formally submit a new project increasing the Free State's military expenditures. The proposed amendments are already being debated by the Staatstag's Defence Committee and the Committee's recommendation is due in a matter of days. The Defence Committee had previously told the Army to "watch its appetites" after approving several armaments programs and hinting that in the future, the Staatstag would not be so lenient towards military procurement. If passed, this could constitute a shift in the Staatstag's policies towards military expenditures, currently below those of Wendmark's direct neighbours in percentage of the GDP. Analysts speculate that the Solaris invasion of Lorraine and the Engellexic invasion of Montelimar combined with the missile strikes against Augsburg might have had a "shock therapy" effect on lawmakers.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

GERMANIAN LEAGUE

Emergency Germanian Council Session in Elbebruck. Franken, Wiese, Wendmark, Danmark and Eiffelland discuss possibility of an additional defensive twist to the Germanian League.

Germanian Defence a Germanian Matter, not of the EDF. The Landamann's office has sharply criticised speculations in FRE that the proposed Germanian defensive arrangements would be an "arm" of the European Defence Federation. "This is not the first gaffe made by the FRE and by Frankish officials," the statement read, adding that it was hoped that Wendmark's Franconian partners would refrain from additional gaffes in the future.

Wendmarker, Wieser Air Forces carry out first joint aerial patrols. In a show of Germanic solidarity and ever increasing Germanic cooperation, Wieser and Wendmarker air squadrons carried out joint patrols along Wendmark's northern and western borders.

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

Vistrasia Steps up Military Activity. Whilst claiming Vistrasia would remain neutral in the conflict, the Vistrasian military has ordered mobilisation throughout the Commonwealth's southern regions.

Wendmark “Not Worried” by Vistrasian Mobilisation. In a commentary to Vistrasian mobilisation, the government of the Free State of Wendmark reiterated its position that every state had the right to defend itself, including the right to mobilise its armed forces in a dissuasive manner. Whilst questioning the fact that the mobilisation concerned only the southern regions, bordering the Free State (a neutral nation) and not the northern regions, bordering Engellex (a belligerent nation), the Free State assured that Wendmark's preparations were not directed against the Commonwealth of Vistrasia. The Wendmarker Armed Forces have, in the meantime, assured that the “Jura remains and will remain sufficiently defended to defeat any attempt at foreign aggression”.

DOMESTIC HEADLINES

SVP Threatens Referendum on Germanian Defensive Arrangements. The Saxon People's Party has unleashed a hail of criticism on the Landamann of Wendmark and his Government for partaking in the talks aiming to consolidate the Germanian League into a defensive mechanism. However, the Landamann's Office has responded that “in a world of changing realities and fast developments, in a world where Emperors stab Kings in the back and where the fires of war consume all in their path, the Germanian League and its memberstates needed a strong, competent tool to face aggression, lest they be washed away by the tides of chaos.” Whilst the SVP appeared not swayed by the high worded statement, Staatstag members from other parties have privately admitted that the world has changed and so must Wendmark change.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

GERMANIAN LEAGUE

Defensive Pact for Germanian League "ready to be approved". According to official sources, the final round of talks in Elbebruck between representatives of the five Germanian League memberstates (Danmark, Eiffelland, Franken, Wendmark and Wiese) has yielded a text that is ready to be approved by the Member States.

SVP to drop "active opposition" to the Germanian Defence Pact. According to a statement on the Party's website, the Saxon People's Party "continues to consider that any abandonment of Free Saxon sovereignty to a body that includes the the Wieser Emperor is dangerous and detrimental to the sacrifices of [Wendmark's] forefathers of the Grey League who won freedom and liberty for Western Saxony". However, the statement read, "given the volatile and threatening situation on the western borders of Free Saxony", the Party would not continue its "active opposition" to the treaty and, thus, shall not be the one to initiate a popular referendum on the issue "if the proposed treaty respects in full the sovereignty of Free Saxony".


INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

Wendmarker Armed Forces "maintain vigilance" as Engellex announces annexation of areas of Montelimar. The Wendmarker Armed Forces shall "maintain vigilance and remain committed to repel any aggression against the Free State" a statement by the Department of Defence and Civil Protection read.

Wendmark "shall not recognise Engellexic annexation of northern Montelimar as legal". Ferdinand Niederhausen, Wendmark's Foreign Affairs Minister, has confirmed the Free State's policy of refusing to recognise as legal annexations achieved through feat of arms and not through a free, fair, open process of popular approval unhindered by any exterior presence or factors. The Free State shall henceforth consider any "annexed" territories as "under Engellexic military occupation".

DOMESTIC HEADLINES

Old Catholics celebrate Christmas according to the Julian Calendar. Wendmark's small community of Old Catholics, which split off from the Catholic Church in the late nineteenth century and continue to observe the Julian Calendar, have celebrated Christmas on the 7th of January. The Old Catholic Church is the only native Wendmarker religious community to observe the Julian calendar. Other groups that observe the Julian calendar are made of Eastern Orthodox expats.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

Government To Allow Solaris Bishop of Rijeka to “Reopen” Solaris Catholicism in Wendmark?

The Bishop Mancuso of Rijeka was cited positively in a recent Government report on the Solaris Catholic faith and the organisation of Solaris Catholicism throughout the world. In the Free State, however, the question of the Solaris Catholic Church and its status has long been an extremely complicated and controversial one. History of Catholicism as a whole in Wendmark is quite complicated due to the long held animosity between the largely Zwinglian Wendmarkers and the largely Catholic Wiesers.

As such, when Wendmark attained independence in the 19th century, the local Catholic congregations saw several decades of “increased attention” from the State, as the influence of the Catholic Church was curtailed in favour of Zwinglian and Lutheran congregations in what came to be known as the “Church Balancing”. Most of the restrictions were largely symbolic, such as Catholics being deprived of the right to ring bells from their belltowers. All of the restrictions would only be lifted in the early 20th century as Wendmark finished the “Church Balancing” and coinciding with a growing popular demand for more equality between all faiths of the Free State.

However, this lifting of restrictions concerned only the Tiburan Catholic Church and not the Solaris Catholic Church, as the Popes of Solaren have always been seen with much mistrust by Reformed Wendmark. Wendmark's community of Solaris Catholics has historically been small and so this hic-up of legal history went largely unnoticed by most Wendmarkers.

The hic-up, however, has led to the current confused situation where the Solaris Catholic beliefs are not banned (owing to the Freedom of Thought), but where the activities of the official Solaris Church represented by the Pope of Solaren are forbidden in Wendmark due to the Church being considered a subversive organisation. Not that the history of Solaris Papal aggression against pretty much everybody helped change the reputation of the official Solaris Church in the eyes of Zwinglian Wendmarkers. Wendmark's small community of Solaris Catholics has legally incorporated a non-profit association to cater for their cultural needs, but do not have their own legally registered religious organisation. The Wendmarker Association of Solaris Catholics owns several prayer rooms and ordains its own priests and clergy, the canonical status of whom is far from clear. Whilst Solaris faithful are not hindered in their daily routines by the State, they do complain that the confused status of their official Church in the Free State does contribute to them feeling like “second-class citizens”.

Today the wind of change seems to blow in favour of recognising the Solaris Bishop of Rijeka as the “official interlocutor” for matters concerning “canonical” Solaris Catholicism and the catering for the needs of Solaris Catholics. How this process will happen remains to be seen.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

SVP Boycotts Germanian Defence Treaty Ratification

The Staatstag ratified the "Treaty Establishing Collective Security in the Germanian League" despite some reservations from the social-democrats and a boycott by the deputies from the Saxon People's Party. Despite this absence, the vote was considered valid as a sufficient number of deputies were present to ratify the treaty. According to a previous statement, the SVP saw no reason to partake in the vote as it felt that the ratification was nothing else than “choosing the lesser of two evils”, a situation “forced upon Free Saxony by the incompetent foreign and defence politics of Landamann Grauholzer”.

The national-conservative part of Wendmark's society, based mostly in the country's Alpine regions, has been traditionally opposed to any idea of parting with the sovereignty of “Free Saxony”, as they refer to the Free State. However, the current state of world affairs seemed to have placed them before the fact that without sufficient dissuasion, Wendmark very well risked the fate of Montelimar. The absence of major Initiative Groups to counter the ratification of the Treaty is quite telling. After all, those who vote for the Saxon People's Party have seen with their own eyes the fate of Montelimarians that were sheltered in Wendmark's Civil Defence shelters in the Alpine regions.

With the Wendmarker Armed Forces maintaining their readiness levels, ready to repel any Engellexic aggression through Montelimar or Vistrasia, the circumstances of the ratification and the absence of major vocal opposition to the ratification shall surprise no one.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

Wendmarker Armed Forces Maintain Border Security

There shall be no lowering of border security measures along the Wendmarker-Montelimarian border, the Government has announced. The statement judged that the current measures being implemented by the Free State are “adequate” to respond to “any challenge”. The border remains closed for travel from Wendmark to Montelimar, but remains open to Montelimarian refugees that seek to escape widespread violence and abuse by Engellexic occupation forces. Refugees are scanned and processed by the competent services before being transferred to civil protection shelters elsewhere in the country, as well as to facilities in Franken.

You must be registered for see links

Photograph of a border post in the Jura mountains

The Government deems the current method of splitting refugees into groups under surveillance and care of the civil protection, military police and civilian police and other concerned agencies to be efficient. The policy of constructing new refugee camps, with all the necessary infrastructure and surveillance means is deemed less efficient than using already existing facilities.



GERMANIAN LEAGUE

Defensive Pact becomes League Law. Following its formal ratification by all member states of the Germanian League, the new Treaty on Collective Security becomes part of League Law. The Headquarters of the Defence Committee of the Germanian League shall be in Elbebruck, Wendmark.


INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

Free State supports the right of the people of Nya Västergötland to self-determination. Wendmark supports the right of the people of Nya Västergötland to independence following results in the Suionian island that showed a plurality in support of independence.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

GERMANIAN LEAGUE

Wendmarker pilots to partake in Germanian League exercises. The Wendmarker Air Force has confirmed that a group of Eurofighter Typhoons of the Wendmarker Air Force shall participate in the Germanian League exercises. Wendmarker pilots shall “practice attacking and destroying naval elements” using ordnance provided by Danmarker and Eiffellander forces. The size of the group and the squadron they are attached to has not been revealed. Wendmark's Armed Forces continue to maintain “outmost vigilance” in relation to Engellexic presence in Montelimar.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

Government publishes report and compilation of alleged crimes committed by Engellexic troops in Montelimar. The report was compiled from data, witness accounts and evidence collected by various Wendmarker government and non-government organizations from Montelimarian refugees. The document contains numerous accounts of crimes against Montelimarians, with the facts described having been judged by Wendmarker specialists to be "factually true". Care is taken to preserve the privacy and identity of the witnesses and victims. A copy of the document was transmitted to the Government of Engellex “in advance” of the official publication, to give the Engellexic side time to study the document. According to the Foreign Affairs Department, the Free State has made a formal inquiry to the Government of Great Engellex on what, if any, measures were taken to preserve the rights of Montelimarians.

Danish Red Cross to release its own report on occupied Montelimar. Following the publication of the Wendmarker document, the Danish Red Cross has announced the impending publication of its own report, corroborating the Wendmarker document.

 

[Remuria]

wendmarkinfo.wm

WENDMARKER NEWS, WORLD WIDE​

Wendmark Rejects Kievan Criticism

The Free State has firmly rejected any criticism of Wendmark's economic policies and openness by Kievan state-owned companies. The criticism was veiled in a direct attack by Kievan petrol companies against the Wieser Empire, in which all of the Germanian League was somehow equalled to Wiese and indirectly called subsidiaries to Augsburg.

“Wendmark remains one of the freest and most open markets in the world, strong with effective rule of law, guarantees of private property, personal liberties and freedom,” a statement from the Foreign Affairs Department said. “Foreign businesses are welcome to deal in Wendmark and with Wendmark in accordance to the fully predictable and transparent legislation and procedures. Wendmarker rules on employment favour local recruitment, but foresee numerous options for foreign recruitment of skilled and highly qualified specialists. Foreign companies may buy and rent real estate to conduct commercial activity through their legally established subsidiaries that are subject to Wendmarker law and fiscality. Skilled and qualified foreign specialists in demand on the Wendmarker market need only provide their signed contract with a Wendmarker firm to gain residency. Despite the restrictions imposed by the Lex Friedrich/Koller on the purchase of real estate by foreigners for private purposes, foreign private citizens may purchase holiday homes if they do not wish to reside permanently in Wendmark, but visit the country from time to time.

“In Wendmark, the rule of law is absolute and judges apply the law rigorously and in equity. There can be no abuse of powers by state functionaries that would go unchecked and unpunished by the law enforcement and judiciary.

“Criticism of the Free State by a state-owned Kievan company is, thus, extremely surprising. The Free State of Wendmark shall not allow foreign state-owned companies to demand the application of their national laws in the Free State. Foreign state-owned companies shall not demand preferences in Wendmark that are not accorded to even national companies and are most certainly not accorded to Wendmarker companies in foreign countries. The position of Kievan state-owned companies, backed by the Kievan State, was extremely aggressive and unwilling to compromise.

“Throughout the preliminary negotiations, the Germanian League was open to increased economic cooperation with Kiev, based on reciprocity and mutual respect. Countries of the Germanian League even agreed in principle to afford to Kievan companies the status equal to Germanian ones, but on the condition that the Kievan state guaranteed the rule of law and effective reciprocity for Germanian companies in Kiev. For some reason, at this very moment the Kievan authorities panicked and withdrew from the discussions. Effective mutual reciprocity is apparently not on the table for Kievan authorities as they seek only to gain all the benefits, but not give anything in return. The Free State can only conclude that the negotiating position of Kiev and the Kievan state-owned companies was to gain effective preferences in the Germanian League all while denying the same preferences to Germanian companies in Kiev. The Free State regrets this unproductive position.

“Kievan private citizens, privately owned companies and state-owned companies remain welcome to do business in Wendmark through subsidiaries established in full accordance with Wendmarker law. The procedures and regulations remain the same as they were and Kievan interests continue to be treated as foreign interests in the same vein as private or state owned companies from any other non-Germanian League country.”​

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

Lesser Sarmatia nationalises Germanian League assets. In a move condemned as “completely unacceptable” by the Free State of Wendmark, Lesser Sarmatia moved to nationalise private and state-owned assets of Germanian League countries in the country. Wendmarker trade with the reclusive, xenophobic and nationalist country, riddled with inefficient bureaucracy and in a state of war with its neighbor for over the past twenty years has always been shy and limited. However, a small number of private actors are expected to suffer and the Department of Economic Affairs is expected to release the figures in the coming days. Diplomatic relations between Wendmark and Lesser Sarmatia are handled through the Wendmarker Embassy in Kiev.