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Cloak and Dagger Diplomacy

Jydsken-Østveg

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Foreign Minister of Pannonia, Karl Friedrich Schönbrunn began his secure and private call with Dr. Norbert Schmelzer quite formally, "Dr. Schmelzer it is a pleasure to hear from you and I am glad to have reached you. As I have come to realize we are not acquainted with each other very well. I am a man of great principle, and a man with an illustrious history in field of business. My father's mother came from an imperial past, his own family as well being wealthy for centuries. This family of mine has long featured itself in the fabric of Germanian history. I am someone looking to maintain service to his family and his people, and that found me in the service of Pannonia as Foreign Minister in the Kovács Government. With this in mind, I have had access to many things one should not normally. As you may be aware, there were reports of mercenaries in the news from an anonymous leak. I am that leak. There is occasionally missteps taken by Mr. Kovács, I am occasionally that advisement. You see, I am in the service of my people, and they are from Bécs. A glorious imperial city. My loyalties lay there and there is where I wish to enact policy agreement with you. It is no secret that you are in contact with Bourdignie. Our intelligence agents observed your spies at work. I've come to understand that your country is now engaged in my own, fighting for my people. After all, the Pannonian factories that I own, are now Bourdignique. As such I want to come to terms on the Pannonian recognition of Bourdignie. We will draw the borders together. We will allow your nation to be featured in the peacekeeping between Pannonia and Bourdignie. In return, Eiffelland will rescind recognition of Eugenia and the silly USSR. Then when all is said and done, Bourdignie will be recognized, Kovács will no longer be a problem for you, but instead the other nations further south, and you and your agents will help me escape to Bourdignie. Not to forget that you will insure that I continue to be able to maintain my assets in Bourdignie. What is your opinion of these terms that I have for us to reach a sort of peace map for Pannonia, Bourdignie, and Eiffelland? Of course, you Mr. Schmelzer will have to serve as a make shift diplomat for Bourdignie as well in our talks. They won't be able to join until we sign the paperwork. Will you tell me your thoughts?"

@Eiffelland
 

Rheinbund

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"I fully understand your problem, Minister Schönbrunn," Dr. Schmelzer said. "It is in everybody's interest that the situation in Pannonia calms down. An agreement on the independence of Bourdignie together with the determination of the borders between Bourdignie and Csengan Pannonia will certainly be beneficial. I am absolutely willing to help you with establishing peace for your people, the people of Bécs-Altstadt. I also understand that an agreement on Pannonia that includes the Csengans as peers will offer the best guarantee on long-term peace in Pannonia. At least I think that the fate of the Csengans is the reason why you make this proposal.
But in this form, I cannot accept it. The reason why we recognised Bourdignie and do our best to let it survive is the same reason why we recognised Eugenia and the USSR. It would be impossible to explain in terms of international law why we would uphold our recognition of Bourdignie while retracting our recognitions of Eugenia and the USSR. Furthermore, the Bourdignians, and also your compatriots, will consider it treason when we retract our recognition of Eugenia and the USSR. And justly in my opinion.
I'm awfully sorry, but it is impossible to save Pannonia as a unified nation. And I have to mention that your prime-minister is responsible for that. The split-up of Pannonia is inevitable.
What I do want to work on, is a long-term solution for Pannonia in which also a Csengan nation will get the opportunity to prosper. I have not forgotten the CSEAC; such a treaty should be possible again with the inclusion of all the successor-countries of Pannonia, also a Csengan nation. We will certainly close it with Bourdignie, and propose it to Eugenia, the USSR and Remion.
But also this is only going to work if the government of Csengan-Pannonia accepts that Pannonia will split. Only then can I work towards a solution that will give the Csengans a future. Please also realise that the future Csengan-Pannonia will be surrounded by nations that do not have very fond memories of Prime-Minister Kovács. A Csengan-Pannonia sticking to the principles of the government-Kovács will be surrounded by nations that view it with suspicion.
"

Dr. Schmelzer did not voice it clearly, but he had serious doubts about Minister Schönbrunn's motives. This man was not concerned with his compatriots, but only with his assets in Bourdignie. At least, that was Schmelzer's impression. He also understood that Schönbrunn wanted to close a peace in the west so that Csenga-Pannonia could focus on the east. And of course Schönbrunn wanted to drive a wedge between Eiffelland and Bourdignie on one side and Remion, The Federation and Eugenia on the other side. Well, not with Dr. Schmelzer.
And then the idea of Schönbrunn escaping to Bourdignie! That man was a Kovács-loyalist! No way that the Eiffellandians would let him escape to Bourdignie and take up a role there.
 

Jydsken-Østveg

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Schönbrunn nodded as he spoke on his phone. "I understand your position quite clearly Dr. Schmelzer. I merely look for ways to secure my exit gracefully. I wholeheartedly agree with your position on the devolution of Pannonia. It will not exist in the future. Some day my passport will likely read Bourdignie, for that region near Bécs is my home. While your nation's position has certainly expedited the full fall of Pannonia, Prime Minister Kovács does not share our viewpoint. He is a man with simple tastes, simple pleasures, and a lust for power. I am a business man. A conservative at heart and a monarchist. My greatest desires were the return of the monarchy for Pannonia, but I have clearly places my desires ahead of reality. Now I merely wish to protect the legacy of my family business and my name. I do not care for what future environment Prime Minister Kovács must deal with. I merely wish to secure the borders of Bourdignie as my last act, and then my safe departure home. If I can score some kind of victory which I thought might be the removal of some of Eiffelland's recognized republics, then I may not look like a traitor in the ideas of the people I depart. Give me some kind of victory to Kovács so that a treaty that establishes recognition and borders of Bourdignie is accepted. Kovács needs to have a story to make himself look good in his eyes to the public when he is on TV. He is a narcissist, and we must placate to those desires."

Schönbrunn's plight perhaps looked even more selfish than it was before. That is because it was. He wanted out, and he wanted security when he left.
 

Rheinbund

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Sorry, but it is really out of the question that we retract the recognition of Eugenia and the USSR," Dr. Schmelzer said. "The only thing I can offer, is the guarantee that the Pannonian rump state will be treated well by us. We do not want to humiliate the Csengans; we only want a peaceful solution for Pannonia.
But apart from that, I have the feeling that you want to get out of Kispest, correct? I am willing to assist in that. You can come here in secret, and we will discretely give you asylum. Then from Eiffelland, you will have access to your assets in Bécs-Altstadt.
"
 

Jydsken-Østveg

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Schönbrunn was disappointed because it seemed that Schmelzer had either no clue what was really on the table here, or nothing to offer him. He decided it wanted to really figure out which it was. "Dr. Schmelzer, you seem to be entirely misunderstanding me. I may want out, but I am still the Foreign Minister of Pannonia. I have no place to go if Bourdignie is not an independent country. Until Bourdignie is recognized as independent by Pannonia, I am duty and honor bound to this position and the service of my country. Certainly you have something more to offer Pannonia than a gold star sticker and a smile? We know the position Csengia is in. We understand it is likely to be its own independent country, but until there is an incentive for us to not claim our formal boundaries we have no reason to retreat from the position we're in. The clock is ticking Dr. Schmelzer. Peace is not achieved by happenstance. It requires work. It requires finding compromises. It requires finding places of agreement. It requires understanding and mitigating differences. Thus far, I have given you the position of my country. You responded by saying that is not possible. That is fine, but I ask, what is possible? We have in the balance here the lives of millions of people and the potential to avert a real crisis, a real war by coming to some kind of agreement so that Pannonia will agree to formal borders with Bourdignie. Is your answer really, no thank you? I could continue to make vague demands hoping one of them is acceptable, or you could offer me some kind of compromise that you already know is acceptable."

Schönbrunn paused. Perhaps there were more things he could do to help this along and his frustration with the last response from Dr. Schmelzer was impacting his own viewpoint. "Perhaps I can help you. Pannonia has many interests. We would like all weaponry that Bourdignie has stolen from us to be returned for example. We would like for all of Bourdignie to pay for all maintenance to the canal that feeds them access to the sea. We would like for plebiscites on all border regions. We would like for Eiffelland to respect our borders and refrain from weaponry shipments into conflict zones. We would also appreciate a direct condemnation of the NFZ from Eiffelland. I could keep going Dr. Schmelzer, but of course this conflict has many issues that need attention. How will I know for example Eiffelland won't just start unilaterally sending weaponry into Pressburg tomorrow?"
 

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Schmelzer had the confirmation of one thing he suspected: Schönbrunn was not concerned with Bécs-Altstadt and Bourdignie, but with himself. It was also clear that Schönbrunn was still loyal to Kovács.

"Well, a condemnation of the NFZ is impossible for the same reason why a retraction of the recognition of Eugenia and the USSR is impossible. Furthermore, the security of Bourdignie is Eiffelland's concern. And for Pressburg, how certain can I be that Prime-Minister Kovács does not order to attack or bomb the city? That is the exact reason why the NFZ was established: The fear that Prime-Minister Kovács would suddenly order to bomb Zaran cities. I also have to mention that Prime-Minister Kovács has a track record of special moves, for instance having the Pannonian representative announce the retreat of the Tarusan and Pelasgian mercenaries and then inviting regular soldiers from Tarusa and Pelasgia into the country as peacekeepers," Schmelzer said.

He paused for a few seconds. Then he continued.

"This is what I do. I will contact Bourdignie about our discussion to check what they consider acceptable. I know that you don't consider them a negotiation partner, but I consider it essential to involve them in the discussion, because it is them we are talking about."

One thing Schmelzer agreed with: If Bourdignie benefitted from that canal, it should pay for its maintenance.
 

Jydsken-Østveg

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It was becoming a bit of a chicken and egg problem. "Dr. Schmelzer, that is the purpose of this phone call. I will ignore the preposterous accusation on Kovács bombing his own citizens. I didn't assume you to be one to consume Neo-Tiburan propaganda. Never have we bombed our own people, never was it even a consideration. Our Army has been, let's say overzealous at times, our courts are not always the most impartial, but nothing so outlandish. This is a democracy, as flawed as it might be."

Schönbrunn continued speaking feeling like there was an opening for progress in his discussion with the Eiffelland Foreign Minister, "I want to be able to hold discussions with Bourdignie at the table, but I cannot even get this Government to recognize them at a table. I cannot meet with a single representative of Bourdignie until we recognize them as a legitimate entity. No one in the Kovács Government will meet with a single Bourdignie representative until they are recognized. They will not be recognized until a border is decided upon with strict conditions that the boundary will not be crossed. Bourdignie's endless expansion is a problem for us and if they continue to expand then it will eventually cause a very bloody conflict. I have the ability to speak with you to be able to establish a firm border. If that can happen, more formal talks can occur with a Bourdignie representative in the conversation. We will not meet until a border is agreed upon."
 

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"Like I said, I will contact the government of Bourdignie about this call. I also reiterate that the safety of Bourdignie is our concern. Nobody wants war, and I will do what I can to avoid it, but the safety of Bourdignie is our concern. I have confidence that you understand my words," Schmelzer said. "Let's end this call for now. I will contact you again when I have an answer from the government of Bourdignie."

I really don't understand why Schönbrunn thinks that he will be welcome in Bécs with this attitude, Schmelzer thought. He didn't have a favourable opinion on the people in the government-Kovács, but his opinion on Schönbrunn had worsened during this phone call. What an egocentric person! Schmelzer would do whatever he could so that Schönbrunn wouldn't get a foot on the ground in Bécs after the crisis.
 
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