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Zara, North of Fonda

Jydsken-Østveg

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Eugenian Republic


Prelude
The events in Fonda have been followed closely by literally every interested party in Europe. The same could be said in Eugenia as citizens sat glued to their twatter accounts debating the speeches and rumors from Fonda. The mood on the streets of Gonzaga had been melancholy as even though the war was over, nothing seemed particularly better. The Forum at Fonda changed this atmosphere. As President Constanza spoke harshly to interim President Fontana, a group of university students decided that it was time to stand up for what they believed to be right. It was time for elections. They took the streets with signs and marched towards the building where Congress met. As they marched, the crowd grew. Soon it became quite a large crowd that sang songs, chanted, and danced. They wanted change. Congress then received an offer from Tarusa and it became clear that this protest was being televised around the world and the gathered together in an emergency session.

Act I: Congress
The Congress of Gonzaga met together mulling over how to handle the crowd that gathered outside. It was peaceful and so at first they did not care to take action. It was a particular diplomatic message from Tarusa that sat uneasy with them. A gathering unease as it contained an offer to help suppress the protest. Congress did not trust Tarusa to match its promises to withdraw after suppressing it, but they also knew that if something was not done it could harm their legitimacy and have Tarusa invade anyhow. Remion might again get involved and a war worse than the original could take place.

"—We cannot allow a single Tarusan on our soil!"

"—there is no way that we can even be assured that if we ignore their advise that they won't come whether we like it or not!"

"—if we are not able to summon the courage to stand for this action of free speech, what did we even fight for!?"

"—we won't be able to have future cases of free speech if we don't take action to disperse this crowd and adhere to Tarusan advice!"

"—who cares what Tarusa thinks?"

"—we could just give into the demands of the crowd and allow elections?"

"—elections for what? We haven't a constitution!"

"—what right do we have to govern without a constitution anyway?"

"—we keep order here!"

Debate lasted hours and it was at this time something else happened. News that President Constanza had landed at Gonzaga International Airport. There were fears this could now turn into a riot, or something far worse. Congress finally agreed that the military needed to be called to the scene to prevent any harm occurring to President Constanza or to the Congress itself.

Act II: The Army
Tanks rolled onto the streets. Freshly painted with Eugenian symbols, they moved as quickly as possible to the square in front of Congress with rows of armed men behind them. News quickly broke to the protestors and they now felt that they would have to stand off against what appeared to be a dictatorship of the Congress. It was then that the famous El Presidente was recognized and he mingled with protestors and students who were all so eager to shake his hand. This seemed like a special moment in time.

The tanks had trouble getting up to the Congress building. Students initially threw things at the tanks but suddenly, they stopped. A man walked out of the lead tank, with a large military cap he shook the hands of students and smiled. Slowly behind him the military made it to the Congress building and there the "General" with the hat found himself face to face with El Presidente. They chatted for what seemed like ages as a fever pitch swelled among the crowd. The two men then walked up the steps to the top of the Congress building and a man handed them a megaphone. "ThE dIcTaToRsHiP oF tHe CoNgRessss iS oVeR!" The megaphone inconsistently amplifying the man's voice. The man growing accustomed to the megaphone continued, "—now I, General Leone can proclaim together with our friend, President Constanza, the beginning of our Socialist Republic of Zara! We will have elections in October! The Army will see to it!" General Leone clearly had something in mind that was not what the Congress of Gonzaga wanted. The military was now in charge of the political process.

Then the General and El Presidente raised their linked hands together in the air to the cheers of the crowd. El Presidente was given the megaphone to speak to the crowd while soldiers walked into the Congress building and disbanded the Congress of Gonzaga. The Congressmen were not held, but they were forced to leave the building.
 

Josepania

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Act IIA: El Presidente
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This was what President José Constanza lived for; the utter thrill of being among the people during a political rally or, in this case, a protest. It felt just like home in Palmira as he strode through the crowd of students and protesters, shaking hands and giving encouragement to all who wanted to listen. And there were selfies, so many selfies. During a brief moment of respite on his phone he managed to find a excellent picture of himself shaking hands with protesters, and he didn't hesitate to retwatt it with a couple of trending hashtags. The number of followers on his account was exploding faster than he could keep up with it, and nobody could stop talking about him on Twatter.

This beat the hell out of being stuck in Fonda, watching from the sidelines.

The trip to Gonzaga was surprisingly easy. His pilots didn't question his impulsive decision, and he even got an impromptu military escort from the Remi Air Force, who likely were panicking over the possibility of any harm coming to him, which no doubt further added to the gravitas of his boldness in traveling to Eugenia. When he arrived at Gonzaga International Airport, there was an extremely impromptu and hastily put together security detail to add to his own, as the Eugenian law enforcement scrambled to keep up with what was happening. There was no way they were going to let a foreign head of state be exposed to danger, but this gave President Constanza some freedom to do what he wanted, as he commandeered a car to drive down to Congress to meet with the protesters. The ease of his trip only further boosted his confidence in his reckless decisions, as apparently this whole affair caught everyone who could have stopped him completely off-guard.

Then the Eugenian Army began to show up, just as he made it past the protesters to the very bottom of the steps that led to the hallowed halls of Congress. There was some initial confusion over the intent of the army, and for the briefest moment El Presidente wondered if the Global Exploitation Conspiracy would match his boldness by putting down the brewing revolution and himself with armed forces. But instead, a man of similar gravitas and an aura of power stepped out of the lead tank and emulated El Presidente's connection with the people. The mood shifted; the army wasn't there to disperse the protests, it was there to help them. Everything was coming together beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

The Eugenian military man finally made it to where President Constanza stood, and the Josefino was visibly impressed. He was a general by his rank and his extremely impressive hat, and there was something about Il Generale that El Presidente liked. It was a kinship of sorts that allowed the two of them to formally introduce themselves to each other and talk in hushed tones over the chanting, singing, and celebrating of the protesters around them. He confirmed President Constanza's conclusions, that he was here to join the people in peacefully removing the corrupt Congress from power and, inspired by El Presidente's boldness and ideology, proclaiming a Socialist Republic of Zara to replace the Eugenian Republic. A constitution with extensive socialist reforms would be drafted, free elections would occur in October, and the Zarans would finally be able to have a functioning, worthy successor state to arise from the ashes of Pannonia. President Constanza was, of course, delighted by this plan, going beyond anything he could've imagined when he first learned of the protests. His popularity in Eugenia and back home in San José was going to skyrocket, as was San José's international prestige and notoriety. With little hesitation, he let General Leone know that he fully supported this plan, and would do everything in his power to assist this peaceful socialist revolution, both personally and through San José.

With that, the two men strode to the top of the steps of Congress, and one of the soldiers handed General Leone a megaphone so he could make his official proclamation. The crowd was ecstatic, and as the two men of action raised their clasped hands to the sky in celebration, El Presidente could not be happier where he stood now: at the center of international attention. Then, as Zaran soldiers filed past the two men into Congress to formally disband them, General Leone further boosted President Constanza's joy by handing him the megaphone. It was his turn to speak.

"Popolo di Zara, buonasera!" He began, using some of his limited knowledge of Zaran to connect with the people, much to their delight. He'd revert back to Josefino for most of his speech, which the people could mostly understand given their status of sister languages, but making this initial effort already paid extraordinarily large dividends to his popularity.

"Today, you have become a beacon of hope to oppressed people all over the world, by taking into your hands the power that so rightfully belongs to you, expelling the forces of corruption and tyranny masquerading as representatives of your will, and proclaiming a democratic, free Zara! Popolo di Zara, today, you are the heroes of democracy!"

He let the cheers wash over him for a minute, before he continued. "I am here as a representative of the Free World, the democratic peoples and nations who helped you secure your freedom from authoritarianism, absolutism, and aggression. I was inspired by your love for democracy to join you on the front lines of this most noble of fights. I know without any shadow of doubt in my heart that the Free World stand with you on this glorious day! San José without hesitation stands with you on this beautiful day! El Presidente stands with you on this monumental day!"

He beamed as the people cheered again, reveling in the joy of the crowd. "The work is not yet over, and the fight is not yet complete. For the forces of the Global Exploitation Conspiracy watch from the periphery, seething in impotent rage over this extraordinary demonstration of the will of the people. Your resistance to their efforts to keep your voices and your desires suppressed, so that they may extract from you all that you hold dear, is something they cannot tolerate. They will not quietly accept this boldness, not without a brutal fight."

He then looked squarely at General Leone standing next to him, radiating an aura of pride and confidence. "But you will win this fight, of that I have no doubt. Your victory is inevitable, so long as your courage remains true and your love for freedom at any cost remains strong. General Leone shall help you, the army shall help you, and you must help them, so that you can vote this October for a government that truly represents you!"

The cheers began again, but they were overcome by booing as the soldiers reemerged from Congress, escorting Congressmen and Congresswomen from the building and to safety. "Do not hate the Congressmen! They saw you through a difficult time during the early stages of your war for independence. They have helped you reach this point, and their efforts to keep you free from the clutches of Csgenia and Tarusa must not be overlooked. They did their part, but their time is now over, and their work is done. Popolo di Zara, now is your time!"

The mood swung back to jubilation, and a crisis that could have derailed the whole affair, at least while El Presidente was present, was narrowly averted. "Stay strong, and stay vigilant! Stay true to democracy, to liberty, to freedom! I promise you that, although I am but one man, one soldier in this war against the Global Exploitation Conspiracy, I will not abandon you. I will do what I can to marshal the Free World to help you as much as we are able. Together, we shall achieve peace, prosperity, progress, and paradise, living together in harmony in the Free World! But for now, popolo di Zara, you should celebrate, for I say again and I will repeat this to my last breath: you are the heroes today! You have achieved what everyone thought was impossible! You, are, heroes!"

With that, as the crowd celebrated their achievement, El Presidente handed off the megaphone and warmly embraced General Leone, cementing their friendship in this moment. He could not be happier here and now, and he slowly walked back down the steps, seemingly shaking every hand that was extended his way and embracing more than a few people in the process, giving his security detail a migraine as they did their best to keep up and be vigilant. President Constanza would eventually make it back to Fonda to resume his participation in the Forum, his little sojourn into Gonzaga successful beyond anything he could've thought possible, but he would take his time, for even though he made sure to proclaim it was the Zarans who were heroes, he felt like the true hero of this story now.

He wouldn't have had it any other way.
 

Imimoya

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[FONDA FORUM, HOTEL, COMMON AREA] Late in the evening of day 1

Roberta Colombo had been informed, upon explicit request, of the return time of President José Constanza to his hotel. She would attend him in the entrance hall of the luxurious hotel, one of several booked for the occasion. The city was full of luxurious hotels as it is one of the most successful European tourist hubs.


When José Constanza crossed the hotel lobby, President Colombo could not fail to notice the face of the tired man standing in front of her. Certainly debilitated but happy with the event she had just experienced and broadcast live to the world via twiter.

"President José Constanza, would you mind giving me five minutes of your time, I assure you it won't take long." Madam President Colombo said. She waited for her interlucent to sit across from her, separated by a glass smoking table. "I had an immense pleasure in following the events that happened in Gonzaga. It reminded me of the part of my university life, where I militated in various student movements. We were full of ideals and dreams, but we didn't understand the price of our choices, or maybe we just didn't care about that part of the political struggle. That crowd, the handshakes, photos and a common front with the campaigners of ideals at the top of the demonstration procession." There was a moment of pause. "But, now I'm no longer that young girl at the top of the procession waving my flag higher than the sun itself. I am a grown woman who knows, or rather, hopes to have compressed the world and its infinite nuances. Because my decisions and actions affect my citizens, and how the whole world see us. From a colleague of mine I would expect a certain professionalism, or at least respect for the hosts. Instead I find myself having to manage two jets of my armed forces diverted to chase one of his whims as a university kid. After all, the cost of your actions will again be borne by the people of Remion, or will I perhaps have to expect your men to react to a new possible escalation of the conflict with the Tarusians? Mr. President, do not make promises unless you are ready to pay the high price that follows. I am tired of signing the letters of the soldiers who died in Pannonia, I hope for you that your actions have not increased my workload."
 

Tarusa

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"Shut it down, shut it down NOW!"

The Tarusan captain was yelling towards his soldiers and the Csengians whom were manning the largest checkpoint of unhindered access North-South. They were at first taken back by the order coming down to them, but did not hesitate to snap back. The armored vehicles pulled across the roadway to block further flow of traffic and the soldiers then began what would be the grueling process of turning back traffic in both directions.

They would allow the flow of traffic incoming if it was returning Csengians or others whom were on return trips back north to other destinations, however the flow of any traffic into Eugenia was completely ceased, and no more traffic originating within Eugenia would be allowed to cross.

This sight was being followed across the few crossings elsewhere where travel had been limited. The Tarusans were informing their Eugenian counterparts at the crossings, all along claiming the orders had come from the Queen, which they had.....but her order had came down from the Tsar. It was at this moment, the links connecting activity North-South were once again severed. The reasoning behind such actions were quite simple. Zarans had once again shown their incapability to govern themselves with the actions unfolding in Eugenia and the democratic world showed it only meddled and destroyed nations at a whim for the goal of control. They were no better than they claimed the Empire to be.
 

Josepania

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[FONDA FORUM, HOTEL, COMMON AREA] Late in the evening of day 1

Roberta Colombo had been informed, upon explicit request, of the return time of President José Constanza to his hotel. She would attend him in the entrance hall of the luxurious hotel, one of several booked for the occasion. The city was full of luxurious hotels as it is one of the most successful European tourist hubs.


When José Constanza crossed the hotel lobby, President Colombo could not fail to notice the face of the tired man standing in front of her. Certainly debilitated but happy with the event she had just experienced and broadcast live to the world via twiter.

"President José Constanza, would you mind giving me five minutes of your time, I assure you it won't take long." Madam President Colombo said. She waited for her interlucent to sit across from her, separated by a glass smoking table. "I had an immense pleasure in following the events that happened in Gonzaga. It reminded me of the part of my university life, where I militated in various student movements. We were full of ideals and dreams, but we didn't understand the price of our choices, or maybe we just didn't care about that part of the political struggle. That crowd, the handshakes, photos and a common front with the campaigners of ideals at the top of the demonstration procession." There was a moment of pause. "But, now I'm no longer that young girl at the top of the procession waving my flag higher than the sun itself. I am a grown woman who knows, or rather, hopes to have compressed the world and its infinite nuances. Because my decisions and actions affect my citizens, and how the whole world see us. From a colleague of mine I would expect a certain professionalism, or at least respect for the hosts. Instead I find myself having to manage two jets of my armed forces diverted to chase one of his whims as a university kid. After all, the cost of your actions will again be borne by the people of Remion, or will I perhaps have to expect your men to react to a new possible escalation of the conflict with the Tarusians? Mr. President, do not make promises unless you are ready to pay the high price that follows. I am tired of signing the letters of the soldiers who died in Pannonia, I hope for you that your actions have not increased my workload."
[FONDA FORUM, HOTEL, COMMON AREA] Late in the evening of Day 1

President José Constanza sat silently and respectfully as he received the scolding from President Colombo, partly due to mild exhaustion from the whirlwind he had inadvertently started and subsequently directly participated in, but also because he knew better than to interrupt his host's rebuke of his impulsiveness. He retained a polite if tired smile throughout, and his attention remained focused on the Remi President to show he was indeed listening. Once she finished, he closed his eyes briefly, gave a pensive sigh, before responding.

"I understand, Señora Presidenta Colombo, why my actions look like what you've described, and doubtless that perception is shared by many here in the Old World. I can tell there is much emphasis placed on dialogue, on consideration of every possible angle, and that certainly has its place especially when this region is so interconnected. But you need not worry, although I freely admit there was much impulsiveness in my actions, there was also consideration of outside forces and what might happen if I acted, and what might happen if I didn't."

He tilted his head inquisitively, "Tell me, do you think the Tarusans would have stood by and watched the protesters passively, after all we have observed since this Pannonian Crisis began? Would they actually do nothing other than talk regarding the challenging of a body that, let us be honest, was hopelessly corrupt, and with potentially some members beholden to the Tsar's will? You are an intelligent woman Señora, you have seen this corruption embodied in President Armando Fontana, you like myself and everyone else in that Forum Room knew nothing would be done to improve the effectiveness and stability of that government after this Forum concluded, no matter what we said or how forcefully we called for action. It wasn't just us who saw it, but the Zarans as well. That is why they acted today, in response to the realization their government wouldn't help them, and I wanted to act as well rather than just sit and talk and talk and talk, with nothing happening."

His eyes closed as he conjured up memories. "Do you remember when the socialists rose up in Kispest? Not just once, but twice? I remember observing the consequences of action, or rather the lack of it. No one helped them, no one acted to save them, including myself and San José, when they were crushed by the Csgenians, then crushed again by the Tarusans. Do you think there wasn't any danger of that happening a third time, but this time in Gonzaga? I believe there was at least the very real possibility of a terrible response to these protests."

He sighed, and shrugged. "Ultimately, it doesn't matter if you agree with my reasoning or not, as what's done is done, and I do not regret my efforts to bring actual democracy to the Zaran people who have been hungering for it since they first separated from Kispest. But I will sincerely apologize for one thing: forcing you to divert two Remi jets to escort me into Gonzaga. They were not requested, but their presence was appreciated. I know full well the potential consequences of a bloodthirsty Tarusa that cannot stand to have their influence curtailed, but I am convinced they would've reacted poorly regardless of my presence there. I sincerely hope that I forestalled death and destruction, for the moment, for the Zaran people, and prevented another Kispest."

He paused and looked directly at President Colombo, "I can assure you, though, that San José will not be idle if the Tarusans once again disregard international law and invade. It will not only be the people of Remion fighting Tarusa, San José will fight too, this time openly rather than in the shadows like last time. I too hope it will not come to that, Señora Presidenta, but as demonstrated time and time again, both in the European Forum and on the international stage our mutual enemy does not restrict themselves to talk. They act, and we too must act in response and preemptively, before things spiral out of control."
 
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