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PERT WORLD S.A. IS A SUBSIDIARY OF THE PELASGIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION (PERT) S.A. - FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT

PERT World is division of PERT, the Pelasgian Broadcasting Corporation S.A. (Πελασγική Εταιρεία Ραδιοτηλεόρασης Α.Ε.), the Pelasgian Union's public broadcaster and sole national broadcasting and news network. It transmits Pelasgian and foreign news in Pelasgian and six other languages on radio, television and on the internet. Formerly known as Radio Propontis - World Service, PERT World acts Pelasgia's window to the world. Wholly owned and operated by the Pelasgian Government, it broadcasts the official perspective on Pelasgian news, culture and other issues, and is noted for its high quality documentary and educational content. PERT World operates multiple services, including the sports channel PERT Sport International, and the PERT Prisma network of news services for individuals with special needs, such as the visually impaired.​

© 2021 Pelasgian Broadcasting Corporation - Please visit (in Pelasgian) or (in Engelsh) for more information.

***NOTICE***
As per Presidential Decree № 1001/2021 "Respecting Public Information and Broadcasting", the Pelasgian Broadcasting Corporation has assimilated all other broadcasting services in the Pelasgian Union, including private broadcasters, and is responsible for all radio, television, and internet news broadcasting and nationwide broadcasting under the supervision of the Public Information Service (Υπηρεσία Δημοσίας Πληροφόρησης) or YDP (ΥΔΠ) of the Pelasgian Union. The YDP is a legal person established in the public interest under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior of the Pelasgian Union. For more information, please visit .
 
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ΠΕΡT | Pelasgian Broadcasting Corporation - World Service
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Government to proceed with controversial labour law reform, airs immigration reform
Propontis, 12 January 2020 | Athanasios Stavropoulos

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(Photo from Archive): The Main Building of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Insurance in downtown Propontis, Optimatoi Region

The Minister of Health, Labour and Social Insurance of the Pelasgian Union, Mr. Petros Gounaris, tabled his highly controversial labour reform bill before the Boule of Representatives yesterday morning. The Bill, which would become Act no. 12/2021 of the Common Parliament of Pelasgia upon passage, has attracted much controversy over its proposed reforms, which would radically alter Pelasgia's labour law against the interests of the powerful unions, particularly those in the public sector. More concretely, the Bill, entitled "An Act reforming the right to form unions in the public sector, the right to strike, and other provisions" would prohibit public service union confederations, effectively dissolving the mighty General Confederation of Civil Servants' Labour Unions (GESESDYL). It would further ban general strikes in the public sector, and limit strikes and unions to individual services, on penalty of immediate termination with monetary penalties equivalent to costs incurred by taxpayers imposed upon offenders. Moreover, the Bill would reform strike rules, such that a strike would only be mandatory for all employees in a public service or private enterprise if 50%+1 of the absolute number of employees approved it; otherwise, those opposing the strike would be entitled to continue working. Attempts to intimidate them would incur stiff penalties, including fines and potentially even prison sentences. Finally, union leaders in the private and public sector would no longer be entitled to early pensions or reduced work hours, while their union fees would be paid by their colleagues and not by the employer.

Evidently, this omnibus Bill of profound and substantive reforms to Pelasgian labour law has caused considerable debate. On the side of the unions themselves, the proposed Act has drawn the ire of both GESESDYL, as well as its private-sector counterpart, the National Confederation of Workers' and Employees' Unions (ESEYS), which have lambasted what they see as a return to pre-1970 anti-union provisions, terming the Government's proposal "a return to the professional dark ages". Both unions have already announced strikes and marches to oppose the Bill, though the Government has made it clear that any public service strike will be faced with back-to-work legislation. On the other end of the spectrum, the Pelasgian Association of Entrepeuners and Industrialists (PELSEV), the Pelasgian Shipping Magnates' Association (EPE) and the Pelasgian Taxpayer's Federation (OPF) have endorsed the Bill as a "necessary step to promote sane and fiscally sound governance, and to free the Pelasgian economy from the shackles of outdated regulatory burdens". The OPF went further, organizing counter-protests and characterizing the union leaders relationship with labour as "feudal". More significantly, PELSEV and the EPE control much of the country's private media, and are expected to offer the government considerable support both through the Bill's passage and up until the coming election.

On the political front, the governing National Democratic Party (EDK) and its junior coalition partner, the National Orthodox Rally (ETHNOS), have defended the measure, calling labour law reform a "well-known electoral promise of the present administration". Mr. Nikolaos Angelopoulos, the Prime Minister, soon faced stern opposition backlash for this statement from all parties but the Liberal Union (EF), itself hesitantly supporting the Government's proposal in principle while reserving judgment on certain details. The centre-left Socialist Labour Party (SEK), the EDK and EF's onetime major rival, called the measure "regressive" and ascribed to it a neoliberal obsession with rolling back workers' protections and shrinking government, which, coupled with the EDK's free trade policy, has led Pelasgian labour to a race to the bottom with foreign competition. The left to far-left Progressive Coalition (PS), the official opposition, had an even harsher message. Its leader, Mr. Alexandros Gavriilides stated that "the Government is using labour law reform as a bribe to the major capitalists owning Pelasgia's media in exchange for support in the coming election, in the vain hope that the Pelasgian people will forget Mr. Angelopoulos's broken promises". Mr. Gavriilides clarified that he was referring to immigration reform and electoral reform, two major EDK platform points that have yet to be fulfilled, while conveniently ignoring remilitarization, a foundational block of the EDK-ETHNOS alliance that PS would rather the Government not make good on.

Nevertheless, the governing coalition responded with a series of revelations later that day in a joint press conference of the Prime Minister and the head of the Pelasgian International Investment Bank on an unrelated matter. The Prime Minister announced that immigration reform founded upon a points-based system to meet labour demand and rectify Pelasgia's demographic issues was already underway. He then stated the Government was undertaking cross-partisan negotiations to institute some form of proportional representation without compromising stability or neglecting rural ridings. Mr. Angelopoulos clarified that the EDK and ETHNOS were conversing with "all forces of the constitutional-democratic spectrum", a phrase generally taken to mean all non-radical, establishment parties (i.e., all parliamentary factions but the Progressive Coalition). Mr. Angelopoulos's hardest blow, perhaps, was that of remilitarization; the Prime Minister revealed that the Ministry of Justice had recently received confidential memos on the interpretation and reform of the pacifism provisions of the 1951 Constitution from the Legal Council of the State. The Prime Minister then stated that his Cabinet was committed to submitting a constitutional amendment proposal based on these memos to the Common Parliament for review by the end of the month. The Second Angelopoulos Cabinet seems committed to an active pre-electoral year, as the Prime Minister's statements envision not one, but two, and possibly three major bills by the end of the winter. It would seem that Mr. Gavriilides got more than he was bargaining for when he challenged the Government to make good on its electoral promises in the Boule.

Other News
General Court of Universal Judicature to rule on radical party's suppression: Pelasgia's highest court is set to rule on the Ministry of Justice's petition to have the Revolutionary Socialist Party of Pelasgia (ESKP) banned as unconstitutional by the end of the month, according to the Court's newly released . The case, indexed as no. 1/2021 is to be heard by a plenary of the Court due to its heavy political implications. The Government submits that ESKP seeks to abolish the Constitution of Pelasgia in favour of a dictatorship, something which is banned both by the Constitution itself and the electoral law. In turn, the Party responds that it should be allowed to propose its programme to the electorate within the confines of a democratic election, citing popular sovereignty and freedom of speech, among other constitutional guarantees.
 
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PERT World proceeds with corporate reorganization, new logo
Propontis, 12 January 2020 | PERT World S.A.

Dear customers,

Please be advised that following the decision of the Board of Directors of the Pelasgian Broadcasting Corporation (PERT) S.A. of 15 January 2021, PERT World will no longer be a division of PERT S.A., but will instead be an independent corporation under the corporate name PERT World S.A. (ΠΕΡΤ Κόσμος Α.Ε.), under Law № 4548/2018, "Act respecting corporations" of the Pelasgian Union. PERT World S.A. will be completely owned by PERT S.A., which will hold 100% of the new corporation's shares, but will be independently operated by its own Board of Directors and officers.

To signify this change, PERT World S.A. has adopted a new logo, which can be found . Please be aware that this will not affect any obligations, rights or services of PERT World, as the new corporation is merely a reorganized version of the preceding Pelasgian Broadcasting Corporation - World Service Ltd. PERT World will continue to provide quality services to Pelasgian and international viewers, readers and listeners, on TV, the internet and radio in Pelasgian and six other languages. PERT World will continue to operate PERT Sport International, and the PERT Prisma International network, both of which are now under its sole ownership.

For more information on this reorganisation, please visit . For service in other languages, please visit (Pelasgian), (Frankish), (Eiffellandian), (Urudoah), (Tarusan), (Vistratung).

Sincerely,

The Board of Directors of PERT World S.A.

© Copyright 2021 - ΠΕΡΤ Κόσμος Α.Ε.
 
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In the midst of disputes over rearmament, Pelasgia remembers the Meridian Sea War
Propontis, 18 January 2021 | Alexandros Papaïoannou

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(Photo from PERT World Propontis): Sailors of the Pelasgian Naval Forces form up on Hagiou Nikolaou Street, leading to the Church of Our Lady of the Seas and the Meridian Sea War Memorial, in preparation for the 70th anniversary of the War's end

January 18 marks the 70th anniversary of the Capitulation of Hagios Andreas, whereby the then Pelasgian Empire capitulated to the combined forces of the Coalition opposing it in the Meridian Sea War. The War marked the end of the Pelasgian Empire's pretensions and aspirations to thalassocracy, that is, rule of the seas, and would later bring about the end of the Empire itself. Pelasgia, then ruled by the Militarist Junta which had relegated the Throne and Parliament to a secondary place, had spent the better part of three decades and innumerable resources and funds to construct three massive fleets totalling 24 aircraft carriers. Embarking on a programme of regional expansion, which included denying freedom of navigation and claiming large swaths of surrounding seas as its territorial waters, as well as open colonial expansion overseas and military aggression against neighbours, the Pelasgian Empire found itself against a Coalition of several nations which demanded that it accept freedom of navigation and curb its expansionism. The refusal of Propontis to heed this call resulted in a catastrophic war that last nearly four years and cost Pelasgia between 2 and 3 million lives, military and civilian alike, as well as almost the entirety of its navy and air force, and much of its army. Defeated, Pelasgia was subjected to foreign occupation under threat of foreign invasion, its coastal areas having already faced bombardment and at least one failed landing attempt. The profoundly Orthodox nation would soon lose sovereignty over the Holy City of Hierosolyma and the Sidon region, both of which are under a League Mandate to this day. These traumatic experiences would lead Pelasgia to reform itself as a modern, liberal democratic nation, and forever renounce armed aggression and offensive military forces. They would also bring about profound social changes, many of them positive, as the occupying forces introduced Pelasgia to its first truly democratic election conducted under universal suffrage.

Every year since, Pelasgians remember the war, since every family lost at least one relative or loved, while many elderly still live to remember the horrors of the war, and the Militarist Regime, for civilian and serviceman alike. The commemoration itself usually consists of quiet wreath layings in war memorial around the country, along with school holidays where the message of anti-militarism is highlighted. Poems of the great Pelasgian poet Theodoros Malvasitis, himself prosecuted by the Junta, are often read. The Pelasgian State participates in the ceremonies by laying wreaths alongside foreign representatives in a memorial near Hagios Andreas, where the Junta signed its surrender documents as the Coalition fleets prepared to assail Propontis. More controversially, the Pelasgian civilian and military leadership participate in commemoration ceremonies at the Church of Our Lady of the Seas, a massive Orthodox cathedral constructed in 1961 to commemorate the war dead. Controversy arises from the fact that one of the Junta's three strongmen, Adm. Laonikos Himeriadis, who was killed by Coalition bombers two months before the war's end, is mentioned in buried in the New Central Naval Graveyard near the Cathedral, having technically died in action. As the wreaths laid before the memorial outside the Cathedral honour all the war dead, including those buried at the New Central Naval Graveyard, many have pointed out that the Pelasgian authorities are technically honouring one of the War's authors. While there have been calls to remove the Admiral from the site and rebury him in his family's personal crypt, the Pelasgian Naval Forces, the Government, and even the local Orthodox authorities have refused this, as that would violate Orthodox burial protocols and State regulations about the burial of war dead. The matter was so controversial that the last Pelasgian Emperor, Andronikos VIII, refused to visit the sight until his death in 1991. His successors, the Presidents of Pelasgia, have done much the same, in keeping with their role of being "Emperors in all but name."

Successive Prime Ministers of the dominant National Democratic Party (EDK), including incumbent Nikolaos Angelopoulos, have continued to visit the location and offer honours to the dead. There were discussions that the current President, Alexios Antoniades, would follow suit, being a retired Admiral himself. However, he has so far not done so. While such visits have raised protests at home and abroad, this year's celebrations were much more politically charged than most. The governing National Democratic Party (EDK), itself a moderate nationalist, conservative party, has been pressured by both its electorate and its coalition partner, the National Orthodox Rally (ETHNOS) to rearm Pelasgia. The controversy arises due to Articles 2 and 45 of the Pelasgian Constitution. Article 2 obliges Pelasgia to commit itself to "keep the generally recognised rules of international law, pursue the consolidation of peace, justice, and friendly relations between peoples and states" and thereby specifies that "[a]s such, the Pelasgian State forever renounces war as a means of settling disputes disputes between nations, and will never maintain terrestrial, maritime, or aerial forces, or war potential for this end, renouncing the right of offensive military action." Article 45 states that the Prime Minister is the Head of the Pelasgian Armed Forces, as opposed to the Emperor, thereby ensuring accountability to elected officials; it also specifies that Pelasgia "may maintain armed forces sufficient for its own defence from external or internal threats, and for other emergency situations." These Articles were used by the Pelasgian Government of Themistoklis Notaras (Liberal Union) to reestablish Pelasgia's military in 1961 through Law № 19/1961, "On National Defence". The Pelasgian Armed Forces, namely the Pelasgian Land Forces, the Pelasgian Naval Forces and the Pelasgian Air Forces, are strictly geared towards national defence and internal security, as well as emergency relief, avoiding the nomenclature of the Imperial Pelasgian Army and Navy.

Unlike their predecessors, all three services are subject to civilian oversight through the Joint National Defence General Staff under the Ministry of National Defence, itself reporting to the Prime Minister's Office. With conscription explicitly outlawed by the 1951 Constitution, the Armed Forces are relatively thin, consisting of a professional force clearly geared towards national defence. That, however, did not stop the Pelasgian left and peace activists from opposing the 1961 National Defence law, leading to nation-wide protests, two general strikes, and a 1963 decision by the General Court of Universal Judicature affirming the legality of Pelasgia's new military under the Constitution. However, successive EDK governments have stroked the fires of controversy regarding this issue with various measures. In 2012, the newly elected EDK Government of Nikolaos Angelopoulos enacted a Constitutional Amendment adding the following interpretive clause to Article 46: "For the purposes of this Article, 'defence' shall be taken to mean both the national defence of the Pelasgian Union and its interests, as well as that of the interests of its citizens, and the collective national defence of the Pelasgian Union and its allies, their interests and the interests of their citizens." This interpretation, which caused another wave of protests and another failed judicial challenge, shook Pelasgia, but was finally put into law by the Common Parliament. Soon after, Pelasgia's military took part in naval drills on the high seas with foreign allies for the first time in over six decades, showing off the warships and aircraft its growing funding by the EDK governments had allowed it to purchase.

Recently, however, Mr. Angelopoulos' administration has brought the issue to the forefront yet again, by proposing to further increase the Pelasgian Armed Forces' budget to acquire "novel defensive systems" suited for "collective national defence". More controversially, some members of the EDK-ETHNOS government have proposed another interpretive statement to add "preemptive national defence" and "preemptive collective national self-defence" to the meaning of Article 46's "defence". Evidently, such interpretations would allow Pelasgia to engage in active military action, including initiatives with allies, provided it had a reasonable basis to believe an attack was imminent. Many scholars have criticized this as authorizing offensive military action "in all but name", nullifying the whole purpose of Articles 2 and 46. Other, less marginal proposals, have aired the idea of reintroducing conscription or at least removing the constitutional ban thereupon. Whereas proposals for such changes remain marginal, even within the EDK-ETHNOS government, there is no doubt that Mr. Angelopoulos has both the majority in both houses of the Common Parliament and the favourable precedent and makeup of the General Court of Universal Judicature on his side, should he ever wish to adopt any of these measures. However, it is not all that clear whether the electorate, outside of the EDK and ETHNOS' core supporters, would look as favourably upon such changes. For better or for worse, the last 70 years have made Pelasgia an extremely pacifist society, where talk of military adventures overseas or conscription is all but taboo. As Pelasgia's demographic problems grow and internal pressure for electoral reform piles up, the government might find better chances of gaining votes in moving forward with its electoral commitments in either domain; then again, it might be precisely due to hesitance about doing so that the government more vocal nationalists have taken to voicing their hopes for rearmament to the Pelasgian domestic media, gradually drawing the attention of even international reporters. For now, the Pelasgians content themselves with decorating their clothes with the daisy flower, which often grows in the Pelasgian coastal and insular areas where much of the Meridian Sea War was fought.

Other News
General Court of Universal Judicature Allows Ban of Radical Party: Pelasgia's highest court unveiled early this morning, whereby it upheld the decision of the Minister of Justice to declare the Revolutionary Socialist Party of Pelasgia an "illegal association" and suppress it. The Court noted that the decision was properly taken in light of the underlying statutory scheme, as the Party, which aims to violently overthrow and otherwise abolish the Constitution of Pelasgia, is exactly the sort of body targeted by the relevant law. The Court then found that the underlying statute was supported by Article 121 of the Constitution, which authorizes the State to defend the Constitution, and that it does not unduly violate the Constitution's protections of personal and political rights and freedoms, given that protecting the Constitution advances these safeguards.
Chief Rivals of Pelasgian Football Go to Europa Cup: The historical rivals of Pelasgia's top national football league, Alpha Ethniki, have both made it to Europa cup. Both Venetos OF Propontis FC and Panthermaïkos Prasinos AS FC have made it to the largest world football league, having finished first and second in last year's Alpha Ethniki. Venetos OF Propontis is descended from the Deme of the Blues, the oldest and largest sports club in the Propontine and Tiburian Empires, while Panthermaïkos Prasinos AS is descended from the Blues' historic rivals, the Greens, which faced suppression from Imperial authorities for inciting revolts and were forced to relocate and reorganise in Pelasgia's second largest city, Thermi. Confrontations between the two teams' fans are often heated and sometimes violent, commonly requiring the intervention of the authorities.

© Copyright 2021 - ΠΕΡΤ Κόσμος Α.Ε.
 
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PERT WORLD S.A. IS A SUBSIDIARY OF THE PELASGIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION (PERT) S.A. - FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT

Legislature approves new electoral law, government tables new bills governing immigration, nationality, overseas suffrage and taxation, and abortion restrictions
Propontis, 2 February 2021 | Alexandros Papaïoannou

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(Photo from PERT World Propontis): The houses of the Common Parliament of Pelasgia in downtown Propontis, as seen from the National Gardens

But a few weeks after passing its highly debated - and controversal - labour law reform, the Government of Pelasgia has moved through with another electoral promise: reforming the electoral law. Based upon the new electoral law, Statute № 27/2021 "Amending the electoral law", Pelasgia's near-seventy-year-old system of single member first-past-the-post for rural ridings and proportional representation for urban ones is a thing of the past; under the reformed system, the Boule of Representatives (Pelasgia's lower house) will be made up of 527 seats, just like now; however, 300 of these will be elected based on proportional representation and 227 based on single member plurality (i.e., first-past-the-post). A parallel ballot system will be used, with citizens voting for their party and constituency representative of choice respectively. Notably, elections for the Council of State (Pelasgia's upper house) will not be affected by this measure; this is because the Council of State is elected through proportional representation from functional constituencies, such as unions and industrial sectors. The reformed electoral law passed both houses of the Common Parliament with a whopping 73% support (385 AYEs in the Boule of Representative, and 87 AYEs in the Council of State), gaining the backing of all parties but the Progressive Coalition. Though most parties hailed it as a much-warranted and long-sought reform, the Progressive Coalition protested the fact that the new law did not completely eliminate elements of single-member-plurality in lieu of proportional representation for all seats. Nevertheless, opinion polling suggests that the new law is popular, mostly due to its representative nature in comparison to its predecessor, its inclusion of rural voters' concerns, and the perception that the Government is carrying out its electoral promises.

Such near-unanimity could not be found, however, with regard to tabled by the Coalition Government yesterday, following their passage from committee stage. The two first bills aim to broadly reform Pelasgian nationality law to facilitate nationalization (until now largely limited to jus sanguinis) and to implement points-based immigration, in addition to both enfranchising and taxing Pelasgians residing abroad. The third bill aims to remove one of the grounds for therapeutic abortion allowed by the current Penal Code and restrict the other, while imposing stiffer penalties for violations. The immigration and nationality laws, which have long been in the works, managed to raise eyebrows on every side of the political spectrum: nationalists lambasted immigration and nationality reform, judging the criteria for points-based immigration and nationalization too lenient; the political left had quite the opposite complaint, focusing particularly on the requirement that new nationals renounce any other citizenship*, while the business-oriented liberals were content that their calls for reform to meet chronic labour shortages had been met, though they regretted the low threshold (currently 40,000).

Likewise, provision for overseas citizens' vote was welcomed by Pelasgian expatriates, who have long requested it, but the fees for consular services displeased them. The provision to tax Pelasgians abroad led to widespread controversy among overseas Pelasgians, , leading the Minister of the Interior to request that the summary of the law found on the Common Parliament's website be amended to add the following explanatory note: "The tax rate for overseas Pelasgians is the current average domestic tax rate (22.4%), unless otherwise specified in the Tax Code. If the taxe rate applying to the overseas citizen in their country of residence is below the Pelasgian average, the difference is taxed. If the rate is above or equal to the Pelasgian average, there is no tax. In either case, Pelasgian citizens abroad must file a tax statement with the National Tax Agency via their nearest Pelasgian consular or diplomatic authority. The law includes a number of exceptions to avoid double taxation and makes provision for the facilitation of tax treaties." Though the clarification somewhat calmed spirits down, many in the Pelasgian diaspora are still bitter over the proposed measure. On the flip side, many within Pelasgia welcomed the measure, pointing out that those voting in elections must pay taxes (a long-enshrined principle of Pelasgian politics), while those using consular services and other international services of the Pelasgian State, such as passports and language schools, should pay for them.
*NB: Pelasgian nationality law does not recognize dual citizenship

If the first two bills had not done enough to ignite vigorous public debate, the third one certainly did: the proposed bill, appropriately titled "[a]mending the Penal Code with respect to abortion", would significantly restrict abortion in Pelasgia. Formally, abortion in Pelasgia is illegal, but four broad exemptions exist, such that it is widely available - with the approval of two doctors, a woman may seek an abortion if: (1) the pregnancy poses a serious danger to the mother's life; (2) the pregnancy poses a serious danger that the mother's physical or mental well-being might be disturbed; (3) there is a medical diagnosis that the child born would suffer from a serious disability or incurable disease; or (4) the child to be born is the product of rape or inbreeding. The amendment would alter Article 304 of the Penal Code to remove paragraph (2), effectively criminalizing most abortions currently taking place in Pelasgia. It would also make the other grounds, especially the one regarding the child's own disease, contingent on certified medical diagnoses to be submitted for review to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Insurance - as a result, doctors making false diagnoses to aid women in procuring abortions would face both penal and professional penalties. The imprisonment for illegal abortions would be raised from 2 years to 10. This bill adds Pelasgia to an ongoing international controversy, following a wave of abortion bans in multiple countries elsewhere in Europe. At home, left-wing groups, led by women's rights organizations, have vowed to protest and vigorously oppose the proposed Act, while right-wing groups are in support, welcoming the measure as necessary to fix the nation's demography. Liberals are divided, though it appears the Government will have the majority it needs to pass the bill.

With these measures, the Angelopoulos Administration aims to curb Pelasgia's demographic decline - it has stated that the cumulative effect of the measures could raise Pelasgia's fertility rate, currently 1,43 and one of the lowest in the world, to between 1,70 and 1,80 within the span of 10-20 years. Experts have raised some doubts and pointed at potential negative economic effects, such as GDP growth slowing down or even reversing, as a result of the measures; nevertheless, the Government is confident that the influx of immigrants to fill labour shortages and the new labour law reforms would boost the economy significantly to countenance or at least minimize any such side-effects. For now, all such discussions remain hypothetical, until the bills are put to a vote later this month.

Other News
Defence Ministry seeks VTOL carrier jets: Pelasgia's Ministry of National Defence has put out for one or two new squadrons of carrier-based aircraft. The tender states that the aircraft must be multi-role and VTOL, and it is generally speculated that the aircraft would be therefore used by Pelasgia's new helicopter carrier, the PP Thalassinos. As helicopter carriers are meant to be a defensive weapon, they are generally not able to operate carrier-based aircraft; however, the Thalassinos has been designed to be easily convertible to deploy carrier-based aircraft. Though VTOL aircraft could be deployed without modifications, thus saving the Government some negative publicity and accusations of militarization by pacifist groups, it is rumored that, if the tender is not successful, Pelasgia could go ahead and modify the carriers to use a more traditional naval fighter, such as those made by @Eiffelland. Currently, Pelasgia has one Thalassinos-class helicopter carrier, while another is under construction. It is complemented by Pelasgia's two Karabesianos-class helicopter carriers, which are more traditional defensive ships.
Corporate conglomerates' cooperation raises rumours of merger: The Metaxas Group and Phrangos Group, two of Pelasgia's (known as "company systems" domestically), have undertaken multiple joint ventures in recent months, including two new large mining operations and a new aluminium factory. These initiatives have led many to discuss whether the two Groups are planning to merge, as Adamidis and Aetos once did, forming today's massive Adamis-Aetos Group. The two Groups have dismissed such talk, though it is unclear whether this is merely meant to appease other conglomerates and government regulators. Given Pelasgia's high concentration of capital in existing company systems, it is unlikely that the Government would look favourably upon further concentration.

© Copyright 2021 - ΠΕΡΤ Κόσμος Α.Ε.
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Protests erupt over passage of abortion restrictions; government amends overseas taxation law but enacts nationality and overseas voting laws unamended
Propontis, 8 February 2021 | Alexandros Papaïoannou

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(Photo from PERT World Propontis): National Civil Guard anti-riot officers attempt to arrest a man during scuffles in downtown Propontis

The Pelasgian Common Parliament's approval of has caused wide protests across Pelasgia, with upwards of one hundred thousand protestors showing up in both the capital city of Propontis and other major cities, including Thermi. Act № 37/2021 "Amending the Penal Code with respect to abortion" passed the Boule of Representatives with 316 out of 527 Representatives voting in its favour, and the Council of State with 72 out of 120 Councilors of State supporting it. The vote was strongly partisan, with the governing National Democratic Party (NDP)-National Orthodox Rally (NOR) government voting in its favour, and the left-wing opposition consisting of the Progressive Coalition (PS) and the Socialist Labour Party (SLP) voting against it. The centrist Liberal Union was almost evenly split, with 16 Representatives and 4 Councilors voting for, and 16 Representatives and 3 Councilors voting against. This strong division was reflected in the country's civil society, with the Church and nationalist groups supporting the measure, and women's rights advocates and unions opposing it; academia saw a split, mainly along partisan lines, though most University Senates voted to abstain from public representations on the divisive issue. Calls for protests and mobilizations had taken place well-ahead of the law's tabling for debate, and protests started the day before the bill was tabled, culminating in large marches up to the day of the vote, on Monday morning.
As the Common Parliament approved the bill and sent it to the Grand Palace to receive the President's Assent, Propontis, Thermi, and half a dozen other major Pelasgian cities were filled with hundreds of thousands of protestors, possibly totaling up to seven million protestors and counter-protestors. With local Municipal Police (Astynomia) forces overwhelmed, the National Civil Guard (EPF) took part in efforts to monitor and pacify the protests; both the stationary units of the EPF, which normally police cities alongside Astynomia forces, and the rural, more militarised mobile units of the EPF (particularly the DTA rapid-reaction forces) were brought in to reinforce urban security forces. Though most protests were relatively peaceful, some scuffles broke, particularly in areas of Propontis and Thermi commonly frequented by university students. Tensions were particularly high when left-wing students affiliated with the Progressive Coalition attempted to occupy the historic main building National University of Propontis, which was then surrounded by green-clad mobile DTA troops. The arrival of the paramilitary anti-riot forces further inflamed protestors, leading to scuffles and the use of tear gas and stun grenades; the situation was only diffused when local Astynomia forces arrived and negotiated the students withdrawal, in exchange for no arrests taking place within the campus. Though no deaths were recorded, several hundred protesters were injured, along with upwards of two hundred Astynomia officers and Civil Guardsmen; the Ministry of the Interior announced that nearly four hundred arrests were made over a week-long period of protests and clashes.
Overshadowed by the anti-abortion law was another important reform enacted by the Common Parliament on Monday morning: the reform of Pelasgian nationality law, which would allow for nationalisation of foreign residents through a series of criteria and would institute a system of points-based migration with annual quotas (currently set at 40,000) to curb demographic decline and attract foreign talent. The reform further allowed Pelasgian nationals residing abroad to vote in Pelasgian elections for both district and party list candidates in the Boule of Representatives. These laws received near-unanimous approval in the Common Parliament: the governing NDP-NOR coalition was joined by the SLP and the Liberal Union in its unanimous support for the reforms; the Progressive Coalition (PS) chose to allow its members to vote individually instead, with large segments voting against a law they saw as not progressive enough and others abstaining, though a plurality of PS Representatives and Councilors of State approved the measures. The Government's other much-debated legislative proposal, the bill entitled "Respecting overseas citizens' taxation and fees for overseas civil registry acts and other consular services" was significantly amended , due to a successful court challenge against the bill's Part I, which establishes taxation of overseas nationals. The Government is still considering its options, but judicial scrutiny and international puzzlement have led Propontis to table an amendment removing overseas taxation and merely requiring overseas citizens to declare their income to Pelasgian authorities and notify the National Tax Agency of their tax declarations abroad. The Government has also amended Part II and Part III of the bill, which establish fees and tariffs for consular services, to increase the list and cost of these fees to make up for some lost revenue; the bill's vote has been delayed to allow parliamentarians to study these amendments.
Despite some compromises, notably on the foreign taxation bill, the Angelopoulos administration has been able to get most of its legislative agenda through the legislature in time for the coming election. With all other major items out of the way, remilitarisation and constitutional reform are on the horizon, to the discomfort of Government and opposition alike. Having just gone through one wave of large protests and divisive debates, the nation surely braces for another, as nationalists and internationalists prepare for another round.

Other News
Ship seized, 20 tons of cocaine found on board: Pelasgian Port Corps cutter arrests ship with @Prydain flag for unpaid debts - seizes ship after finding 20 tons of cocaine on board. The patrol vessel intervened to arrest the cargo ship Banshee after it attempted to leave Hagios Andreas port despite an arrest order due to unpaid repair costs. When the Banshee ignored calls by port authorities to stop, the Dioskorphi fired a warning shot, leading it to stop. Port Corps special forces (KEA) then boarded the vessel, finding 20 tons of cocaine on board, along with illegal automatic firearms. The crew, consisting of 12 Prydain citizens (including the captain and all officers), 6 citizens of @Madaray , 1 citizen of @Remion (the navigator) and 1 Pelasgian national was placed under arrest and is set to appear before the Criminal Court of First Instance of Hagios Andreas later this week. The foreign sailors' Governments have been notified through their embassies in Propontis and have been granted visitation and other rights. Pelasgian penal law is particularly harsh for narcotics offences, providing for lengthy prison sentences without parole.
Census planned for May 2021: The Ministry of the Interior has started to make public information related to the upcoming Pelasgian National Census of 2021. The last National Census took place in 2016, five years ago, as part of the implementation of of the "census every five years" policy in 1951. Pelasgia's previous census showed a marked decline in births and an increase in the population's aging patterns, prompting public debate over the country's challenging demography and low fertility.

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Government presents constitutional reform proposals re: defence, head of state, judiciary
Propontis, 15 February 2021 | Evangelos Stephanides

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(Photo from PERT World Propontis): The Office of the Prime Minister of Pelasgia, next to the Cabinet Building, in downtown Propontis

Over the weekend, the Prime Minister's Office published an initial draft of its constitutional reform proposals to incite public discussion and debate. Having largely succeeded in imposing its legislative agenda, the Angelopoulos Administration has gained confidence in its ability to solve the constitutional debates that have gripped Pelasgia for decades, in a way that would woe its right-wing base along with much-needed centrist voters. This confidence is reflected in the proposals themselves. With regard to defence, perhaps the most burning issue of the Pelasgian Constitution, the Government has proposed that Article 45 be amended be amended to maintain the ban on aggression, while enabling Pelasgia to defend itself preemptively and collectively; Article 45 currently reads as follows: "[...] the Pelasgian State forever renounces war as a means of settling disputes disputes between nations, and will never maintain terrestrial, maritime, or aerial forces, or war potential for this end, renouncing the right of offensive military action." Following the proposed amendment, it would instead read: "[...] the Pelasgian State, according to international law, denounces the crime of aggression and vows to never commit it, without prejudice to its right to self-defence, to the defence of its interests and nationals, as well as the defence of its allies and their corresponding interests, in a preemptive or reactive fashion" (in Pelasgian: «... το Πελασγικό Κράτος, σύμφωνα με το διεθνές δίκαιο, καταγγέλει την παράνομη επιθετικότητα και εγγυάται ότι δεν θα την διαπράξει ποτέ, με την επιφύλαξη του δικαιώματός του στην αυτοάμυνα, την υπεράσπιση των συμφερόντων και των υπηκόων του, καθώς και την υπεράσπιση των συμμάχων του και των αντίστοιχων συμφερόντων τους, προοληπτικά ή αντιδραστικά»). Following this addition, the interpretive statement already added to Article 45 to justify collective self-defence would be removed due to redundancy. Paragraph 6 of Article 4, which bans conscription, would also be amended to the following form: "Every Pelasgian who can bear arms is obligated to contribute to the Fatherland's defence, according to the rules set out by the law" (in Pelasgian: «Kάθε Πελασγός που μπορεί να φέρει όπλα είναι υποχρεωμένος να συντελεί στην άμυνα της Πατρίδας, σύμφωνα με τους ορισμούς των νόμων»). The Government has clarified that it would not institute peacetime conscription, but it would pass a law allowing conscription in cases of war, particularly for defensive war as set out in Article 45. Finally, Article 45 would be amended to nominally subject the Armed Forces to the head of state at the advice of the Government and Ministry of National Defence.

The Government has also proposed to touch upon two other major constitutional debates: the head of state and the judiciary. In so far as the head of state is concerned, the Government has made public two proposals: one to replace the current ceremonial, parliamentary-appointed President with an elected position with significant powers; and another to restore a cadet branch of the House of Laskaris, Pelasgia's last dynasty, to the Throne of Propontis, retaining the same ceremonial functions as the current presidency. The proposal for an elected President has evident support in that it would enable the executive to function independently from the legislature while retaining democratic legitimacy, and in that it would rid the country of a costly ceremonial office - it has thus gained the support of many liberal centrists and left-wingers. The proposal for a monarchy has instead gained much favour on the right (after all, the current Presidency is a placeholder for the Pelasgian Monarchy after the mainline House of Laskaris went extinct in 1990), with some moderate centrists seeing it as a necessary evil to maintain the parliamentary system as is. It has long become evident to opinion polling that the current ceremonial presidency is unpopular, with 67% of Pelasgians holding a negative view of it, according to the most recent poll by PALMOS Research Analysis. With regard to the judiciary, the Angelopoulos Administration has responded to criticism of a lack of specialisation among the country's top jurisdiction limiting cassatory and final appeals by proposing a reform of the General Court of Universal Judicature, Pelasgia's supreme court. The main court would be reformed as the Supreme Court of Cassation (also known as the Court of the Magnaura, after its historic seat at the old and new Palace of the Magnaura), dealing with all criminal and private/civil law matters. Division III (Constitutional Review) would be made into a separate court, the Constitutional Court of Pelasgia; and Division IV (Administrative Review) would be reformed into the Judicial Committee of the Council of State. The nomination mechanism for these courts would remain unaltered: recommendation by the head of state (at the advice of the Prime Minister in case of an unelected head of state) and confirmation by the upper house of the legislature.

Evidently, these large scale constitutional reform proposals have caused much debate in Pelasgia. Anti-war groups and unions, particularly in the media and the education sector, have vowed to actively oppose and protest these measures. Such groups are relatively large in Pelasgia, and they are popular with an older generation that still remembers the Meridian Sea War vividly. Younger generations however are more supportive of amending Article 45, seeing that Pelasgia should have the same military capabitilies as any normal country; having known Pelasgia only as a democracy their whole lives, younger Pelasgians, particularly immigrants, find it hard to imagine how a normal military could somehow turn Pelasgia into an expansionist dictatorship. "The safeguards are just too strong," said Nikos, a law student at the National University of Propontis during an interview with PERT World. Head of state modifications are equally divisive along generational lines, but in a reverse trend: older Pelasgians want a Laskaris back on the Throne, even if just a ceremonial one, seeing the dynasty and the monarchic institution as a link back to Pelasgia's history; younger Pelasgians, on the other hand, see this as a matter of increasing democratic oversight and state efficiency, while getting rid of oligarchic institutions. "Pelasgia's flag is the dynastic banner of the Laskarids; what would we be without the Throne?" said Kalliope, a long-retired nurse during a campaign to gather funds for pro-restoration advertising outside the Metropolitan Cathedral of Propontis. "We would be a modern society that elects its leaders and that does not pay well-connected oligarchs millions to rubber-stamp laws passed by an all-powerful Prime Minister", replied Alexia, a young pharmacist who was passing by to light a candle. Judiciary reform has instead seen near-unanimous support among the electorate at large, partly due to the issue's complexity leading to passive acceptance, but also partly due to real concerns: a single supreme court means that many appeals rarely make it to the highest jurisdiction, which itself often lacks profound expertise in areas of appeal, something relatively unheard of in a civilian jurisdiction, where automatic appeals and specialized courts are the norm.

This division has led many to call for a referendum on the first two reforms, though referenda are seen negatively in Pelasgia's conservative political culture, being considered divisive, demagogic, irresponsible on the part of the political class, and lacking in substantive debate. The third proposal, judicial reform is far too complex for a referendum by general admission, though widespread support would render one redundant anyway. As these proposals have just been aired and have not even been put into a bill, it will probably be a while before a definitive package of constitutional amendments is put to a vote.

Other News
Banshee investigation unveils links with international crime: The initial depositions of the prosecutor in the Banshee case have caused wide tremors that have reached beyond Pelasgia. In @Prydain , authorities have launched an investigation into the State Investment Council, which is the ultimate owner of the seized ship, following the eyebrow-raising results of the Council's own internal audit. The National Civil Guard also arrested two citizens of @Remion and three Pelasgians at Propontis Airport in connection with international drug smuggling networks. The arrested individuals reportedly carried documents and electronic records of importance, in addition to nearly 200,000 Euromarks in undeclared cash. The crew of the Banshee itself set to stand trial later this week; according to certain reports, at least three crew members have agreed to cooperate in exchange for lenient treatment.
Appeals Court upholds foreign taxation, abortion rulings: The Administrative Court of Appeal of Propontis has upheld two decisions of the Administrative Court of First Instance of Propontis. The first decision (ΔΠΠ 1/2021, Plenary) struck down the proposed overseas taxation provision of bill № 29/2021 and granted interim relief against the measure. The second decision (ΔΠΠ 4/2021, Plenary) upheld the Government's new abortion restrictions and denied interim relief. For the first appeal, the Government has seen fit to not pursue an appeal to the General Court of Universal Judicature, in light of the amended bill no longer included the overseas taxation provision. For the second appeal, however, the petitioning citizen has made known her wish to apply for certiorari (pestopoesis) to appeal the decision before the highest court of the Pelasgian judiciary.
Gen. Vatatzidis made Marshal of Pelasgia: The President of Pelasgia has signed and published a decree designating General Leon I. Vatatzides of the Pelasgian Land Forces as Marshal of Pelasgia, an honorary title that has been granted to 342 other individuals in Pelasgian history. The decree was published in response to a petition by a number of military officers and security services officials, in recognition of the General's leading role in the post-Meridian Sea War reconstruction of the Pelasgian military and of his profound respect for civilian oversight and political non-interference in a country historically plagued by military intervention in politics.

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Pelasgia

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2 dead, 12 wounded in far-left terror attack on Serbovian Embassy in Propontis
Propontis, 26 February 2021 | Evangelos Stephanides

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(Photo from PERT World Propontis): Officers of the the National Civil Guard's Special Rapid Response Units (IMAD) outside the Serbovian Embassy in Propontis, following yesterday's attack.

On Thursday morning, an unexpected barrage of automatic fire and explosions rocked Propontis' Galatopyrgos International Business District, where many foreign embassies are located. The attack centered on the Embassy of @Serbovia in Pelasgia, taking place barely a week after another attack on a Serbovian diplomatic mission in Bajorország. During the attack, 2 people died, including one Pelasgian police officer who was standing guard outside the officer, and a Serbovian embassy staffer who was outside smoking when the attack began. Despite heavier security measures in the area following recent attacks on embassies abroad, Pelasgian police mainly bore light small arms, such as SMGs and pistols, whereas the attackers used illegally obtained automatic rifles with military-grade ammunition and even some explosives, such as three self-propelled grenade launchers. The attackers then moved to attack the Embassy itself, wounding 12 people before armored security shatters dropped in front of the gate and windows; of these, 8 were Pelasgian nationals and 4 were Serbovians, including 2 embassy staff, who were mostly concentrated in the reception. 3 of the wounded Pelasgians are in critical condition, as they were very close to the entrance when the attackers opened fire. Pelasgian police soon arrived, but their light armament meant they could only attempt to suppress the attackers until the National Civil Guard's Special Rapid Response Units (IMAD) could arrive on scene with military-grade equipment and armour. By that time, however, the attackers had escaped. Police have closed off Galatopyrgos and are scouring the area for any sign of the attackers, whose descriptions they allegedly have and will soon make public. It is estimated that there were 8 attackers, 2 of whom at least were injured, as shown by blood found on the scene.

Already, the Pelasgian domestic terror group "Revolutionary Struggle Brigades (TEA)" has claimed responsibility for the attack in a lengthy message published on a web forum. The message alleges that the attack took place in response to Serbovia's "authoritarianism and disrespect of women's rights domestically and abroad", warning that it should also serve as a warning to the Government of Pelasgia, which it considers "complicit" in these acts, particularly in light of recent legislation limiting abortion availability. In a press conference given early on Friday morning, the Interior Minister, Mr. Angelos Evangelides, announced that the group is known to Pelasgian authorities, though it had limited its activities up to today to robbing a handful of ATMs and some minor vandalism. Mr. Evangelides vowed to bring those responsible for the attack to justice, and has announced stringent security measures in key locations of Propontis, including permanent patrols by elements of the paramilitary-armed mobile Civil Guard units, until the attackers are brought to justice. Mr. Evangelides announced that he considers public safety, particularly that of foreign diplomats, to be a crucial concern, and offered his resignation for not preventing the attack, though it was refused by the Prime Minister. A investigation has also been launched into how the terrorists obtained their military-grade arms, with casings likely indicating a foreign origin on the Himyari black market. The Prosecutor General of the Union has taken over all investigations in this matter and it to cooperate with the Internal Security Directorate (DEA) and the External Intelligence Directorate (DEP), in addition to relevant international partners. A public funeral for all the attack's victims is set to take place early next month, while the President of the Union has offered his formal condolences to the Serbovian authorities and the victims' families.

Other News
Unexpected snows cover Propontis, Evosmos: An unexpected wave of cold weather led to heavy snowfall on Thursday night, covering the northern Pelasgian cities of Propontis and Evosmos in an unusual amount of snow for this time of year. Schools remained closed for the day, while Pelasgian children took an opportunity to play in the snow in a city with typically warm weather and mild, rainy winters. Interior Ministry and local Provincial sources have confirmed that road circulation and other public services will resume normally, as municipal and provincial crews took to clearing the roads in the early morning hours.
Constitutional Reform - Presidential Compromise?: During talks on Pelasgia's ongoing constitutional reform proposals, several opposition and government figures, as well as members of the government factions, have aired the possibility of a strong executive president serving either until removal or for a very long term (7-10 years) as an intermediary solution between proponents of a monarchy and of an elected presidency. Proposals have clarified that the Prime Minister and Cabinet would need to remain subject to parliamentary oversight and confidence requirements, though the details of each proposal are not yet public.

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Pelasgia

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Pelasgian Union | Min. of the Interior | Gen. Sec. of Civil Defence
EMERGENCY BROADCASTING SYSTEM
***Priority Comm. | 22 April 2021 | 00:32 (GMT+2)***

*** Current broadcasting across all frequencies is interrupted for an emergency message from the General Secretariat of Civil Defence under the Authority of the Ministry of the Interior of the Pelasgian Union. The present message is to be relayed to all electronic devices with transponding or internet capabilities within Pelasgia's territory, and sovereign air space and waters. PLEASE HOLD. ***

Propontis, April 22, 2021

By the Presidency of the Pelasgian Union
A DECREE (№ 892/2021, "Respecting National Security and the Protection of the Constitution")

Whereas there has been an attempt to subvert, disrupt, and abolish the Constitution of the Pelasgian Union by certain powers hostile to the said Constitution, aided by anti-social elements and other subversive forces;

And whereas there exists a real or apprehended insurrection against the Lawful Order of the Pelasgian Union within the meaning of Special Law № 4234/1976 "Respecting the State of Siege" as of February 26 of this year;

And whereas the ordinary political and security institutions of the Pelasgian Union have proven insufficient in countering this concentrated, seditious attempt against the Lawful Order, Public Peace, and General Welfare of the Pelasgian Nation and the defence of Pelasgian Society;

WE, the Acting President of the Pelasgian Union, designated as such by the Constitution of the Pelasgian Union and by the specific enabling acts birthing our authority (namely, Law № 21/1991 "Respecting Executive Succession" and Presidential Decree № 891/2021 "Extraordinary Measures for Public Safety and Other Such Ordinances" (Special Issue)), ENACT, ORDAIN, and DECREE as follows:

Article 1
At the advice of the Council of Ministers of the Pelasgian Union, We hereby put into effect throughout the Territory of the State Special Law № 4234/1976 "Respecting the State of Siege".

Article 2
(1) From the publication of these presents, the effect of Articles 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 20, 95 and 97 of the Constitution is suspended throughout the State.
(2) Current standing Courts Martial and any such extraordinary bodies to be established by Us, and all appropriate Military Authorities, exercise their jurisdiction, as amended by Special Law 964/2003 and as will be specified by Our Minister of National Defence.

Article 3
All cases current pending before the Criminal Courts are not to be transmitted to Courts Martial, except for those so reserved by the Military Judicial Authority at its own discretion.

Article 4
These presents enter into force and effect from the moment of their publication in the Government Gazette of the Pelasgian Union.

Propontis, April 22, 2021

GEN. LEON VATATZIS
MARSHAL OF PELASGIA
ACTING PRESIDENT

The Council of Ministers
The Chairman
Arist. Akolouthos

The Vice-Chairman
Sp. Armenopoulos

The Members
Pan. Gotthos, Gr. Protopapadakis [...]

[Static.]

Please note that broadcasting on this frequency and all frequencies has been taken over the Armed Forces Information Service (YPEN). Please hold for further updates.

[The starts playing].
 
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Pelasgia

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PELASGIAN UNION | PUBLIC INFORMATION SERVICE (YDP)
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President, Premier Dead; Martial Law Proclaimed; Marshal Vatatzidis is New President
Propontis, 22 April 2021 | Evangelos Stephanides

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(Photo from YDP Propontis): Pelasgian soldiers taking positions in the outskirts of Propontis, to set up a checkpoint controlling traffic in and out of the city.

Early this morning, before dawn, the Presidency of the Pelasgian Union announced a state of martial law over the entire country. The Government has temporarily suspended several provisions of the country's Constitution and has dissolved the Common Parliament until further notice, paving the way for plenary executive authority. The Government has cited grave dangers to public safety and the Constitution to justify these acts. Namely, as announced by the Presidency a few hours later, the President of the Pelasgian Union, Adm. (ret.) Ioannes Notaras, the Prime Minister, Mr. Nikolaos Angelopoulos, and several other members of the Council of Ministers were assassinated by a bomb during an urgent cabinet meeting convened in the later evening hours of April 21, 2021. The meeting reportedly planned to preempt a joint attempt by ultranationalist monarchists and far-left radicals to overturn the Constitution of the Union through a violent coup; both foreign and internal funding was reportedly suspected, though the Union's security services have so far refused to comment on the matter. In one of his last acts, His Excellency, President Notaras, designated Marshal Leon Vatatzidis as his presumptive successor in the event of his death, after empowering him to use all means at his disposal to put down the insurrection. The Marshal complied and swiftly acted, arresting several thousand conspirators, including some rogue military officers, public personalities, wealthy magnates bankrolling the operation, and other core conspirators. At least one hundred parliamentarians, including some Government Deputies and Councilors, have also been arrested. Following President Notaras' assassination, Marshal Vatatzidis became the Acting President of Pelasgia, and placed the country in a state of emergency; he was later sworn in as the President of Pelasgia by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Propontis, Dionysius VIII.

Pelasgians have awoken to a very different country from the one they last slept in. The Presidency has consolidated executive control and has suspended the legislature for its suspected role in the coup (as, indeed, it is empowered to do during a State of Emergency). The Presidency has also appointed a new Council of Ministers, headed by Lieut. Col. Aristarchos Akolouthos, a technocrat from the External Intelligence Directorate (DEP), and Mr. Spyridon Armenopoulos, the former Minister of Justice and the most senior cabinet member to have survived the assassination attempt. Mr. Akolouthos and Mr. Armenopoulos are to serve as the Prime Minister and Vice-Prime Minister, respectively. Already, the new Government has taken significant measures to control the situation; broadcasting and information in Pelasgia has been provisionally centralized under the Public Information Service (YDP), an agency normally used by the Ministry of the Interior for emergencies and public announcements. The Government has established extraordinary Courts Martial to bring suspected conspirators to swift justice. Given the reported presence of at least three major Business Conglomerates in the ranks of the conspirators (whose names have yet to be revealed), it is rumored that the Akolouthos Cabinet is preparing a decree to nationalize several core industries dominated by these conglomerates. Information as to the Government's next steps is spare, but the new President of the Pelasgian Union, Marshal Vatatzidis, is set to address the Nation shortly, in order to clarify the country's future to the citizenry. For now, the State of Siege remains in effect, and citizens are advised to remain indoors during curfew, and to not congregate in groups of more than three. Propontis Stock Exchange remains closed, as do most educational institutions, until further notice. The Armed Forces will continue to render military aid to the civil power in enforcing the law and the extraordinary public safety ordinances until otherwise announced by the Presidency.

Other News
National Civil Guard Occupy NUP Campus: Forces of the National Civil Guard of the Pelasgian Union, Pelasgia's national gendarmerie and paramilitary rural police, have occupied the campus of the National University of Propontis. The National Civil Guard made use of moderate force to clear out demonstrators who had been illegally occupying NUP and other campuses in northern Pelasgia since February of this year, in response to several controversial laws. The Military Judicial Authority of the Central Military District has launched an inquiry into possible links between the protestors, who include NUP staff, and the failed putsch of April 21, 2021.
State Funeral for Slain President, Cabinet Members: The Presidency of the Pelasgian Union and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Propontis have announced that a state funeral is planned to shortly take place for the late President Notaras, the Prime Minister, and the several members of the Council of Ministers who were assassinated by insurgents on April 21, 2021. The funeral is expected to be held at the Central State Cemetery of Propontis by the Ecumenical Patriarch himself, in the presence of Pelasgia's senior leadership. For the purposes of public safety, entry is to the premises be tightly restricted, though the ceremony will be broadcasted publicly on all media by YDP.

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Ebria

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Ministerstvo Zahraničných Vecí
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The government and people of Nitra are horrified by the events in the Pelasgian Union, which teether on horrifical barbarism. Pelasgia, a nation so old and with a tradition of democracy and the rule of law going back to the ancient world, has unfortunately lapsed into a sorry state or near anarchy and warlordism, where fanatical political groups are ready to commit fratricide for the sake of political oportunism, showing a deep moral rot that is seething through the society.

As much as we understand the need of the state to recover its monopoly over justice and violence, a pragmatic definition of sovereignty, that is, we must, as civilised people, call for the return of the rule of law and the return of the state and its armed forces under civilian control. Only through social concord do nations manage to keep themselves afloat and not be rendered into failed states and this first step in Pelasgia is a giant leap towards a domino effect that will lead to chaos, civil strife, violence and will also threaten the whole region of Himyar and the southern coasts of the Axshaina and Basilisk Seas, especially considering Pelasgia's strategical position in dominating the straits that connect the east and west.

We hope that Pelasgia will return to normal life soon and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this barbarous attack.

Signed and Sealed,
Marek Rybár
Minister of Foreign Affairs
 

Rheinbund

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We are highly concerned about the current events in Pelasgia. Like my esteemed colleague from Nitra indicates, a country flourishes best when the rule of law, the state and the armed forces are under civilian control. On the longer term, Pelasgia and the region it is embedded in are best off when Pelasgia is under civilian and democratic rule. We call upon the armed forces of Pelasgia to prevent long-lasting traumata to the Pelasgian society from happening, and to return to civilian and democratic rule as soon as possible.

Dr. Norbert Schmelzer, Minister of Foreign Affairs
 

Pelasgia

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PELASGIAN UNION | PUBLIC INFORMATION SERVICE (YDP)
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President Reconvenes Parliament as Constitutional Assembly to Ratify Urgent Proposal
Propontis, 26 April 2021 | Evangelos Stephanides

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(Photo from YDP Propontis): Pelasgian Land Forces Honour Guard at the steps of the Common Parliament, in downtown Propontis

Under the watchful eye of Pelasgian soldiers and security services personnel, the twin houses of the Common Parliament of Pelasgia were reconvened in Pelasgia early on Monday. The Presidency of the Pelasgian Union, which has assumed extraordinary powers in light of last week's failed coup d'état attempt, had suspended the Common Parliament due to the involvement of more than 100 parliamentarians; this week, the President, Marshal Vatatzidis, reconvened the legislature in its capacity as a Constitutional Assembly, to ratify a new Pelasgian Constitution. Constitutional reform talks had been stalling since the parliamentary committee on the matter entertained various proposals earlier this year; this political standstill, and the dissatisfaction of radical elements on both sides of the political spectrum with the impasse, is one of the factors that led to the April 21 Putsch Attempt. The President has made it clear that the matter of Pelasgia's Constitution must be settled in a final and satisfactory way, if such unfortunate incidents are to be avoided in the future. With the consent of the Cabinet and through the Prime Minister, the Presidency submitted to the Common Parliament a proposal meant to act as a midway between the two alternatives favoured by the hard right and hard left in previous constitutional talks: namely, a monarchy for the former and an executive presidency for the latter. As a compromise, the President, who is to be elected by the populace at large in a direct vote, is to serve for good behaviour until they retire or are revoked by both houses of the Common Parliament (through a simple majority of the lower house and a 2/3 majority of the upper house). The President will name the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), including the Chairman and Vice-Chairman thereof (the Premier and Vice-Premier, respectively). The Council of Ministers is to be answerable to the President alone. The President's powers are very much expanding, included for executive powers and the power to enact decrees on a wide variety of issues.

The Common Parliament is to be reformed to more clearly distinguish the two houses, and to streamline their factions. The Boule of Representatives is to be retained as is, using its current mixed representation formula with 10 year terms, to ensure stability, long-term legislative planning, bi-partisanship, and equitable representation of urban and rural constituencies. The Council of State is to be reformed into the Senate, a body of permanent legislators and advisors of at least 40 years appointed by the President for life, and drawn from the heights of Pelasgian academia, politics, public service, justice, society, religion, security services and military, culture, and other such facets of public life. There is not set cap of Senators overall, but a new President is allowed a maximum of 60 new appointments upon entering office, along with a maximum of 10 appointments for every decade after that (other than to fill vacancies from previous Senators). In typical Pelasgian tradition, the legislative function is shared between the executive and legislative: the Executive proposes Acts, which both houses need to approve to be made into law. However, the executive has a wide variety of decree and proclamation instruments available to it, such as Executive Proclamations and Extraordinary Decrees, which allow for shorter verification periods or are presumptively adopted unless the both houses or the Senate by itself strike them down. The Judiciary of Pelasgia is also affected, having long been a target of proposed reforms. The General Court of Universal Judicature, Pelasgia's supreme court of law, is to be split into the Supreme Court of Cassation (for civil and criminal matters) and the Constitutional Court (for constitutional matters); administrative matters to be dealt with by the Administrative Council of State, a specialized body falling under the Senate. The judges of all three High Courts are to be appointed by the President at the recommendation of the Council of Ministers - whereas the Senate is empowered to veto any such appointments by a 2/3 majority, there is no formal confirmation process.

The Common Parliament is set to debate the matter within the week; its ranks are thin, as approximately 126 parliamentarians from both houses belonging to all parties have been arrested in connection with the coup, including government and opposition figures, mainly from the radical fringe of each party. Public support for a strong presidency according to pre-coup polls seems to indicate that this is the favourite option of Pelasgians, despite disagreements as to the extent of the Presidency's powers. Many in Propontis estimate that the proposed Constitution has a high chance of being approved, as most Pelasgians, particularly in the political class, wish for a return to stability and normal civilian rule.

Other News
Courts Martial to Hear Cases Indicting Hundreds of VIPs: The Chief Military Procuratorate of the Pelasgian Union has forwarded at least 600 files indicting leading politicians, businessmen, academics, journalists, public figures, and other VIPs on charges of being connected with the conspiracy behind the attempted Putsch of April 21. The Extraordinary and Standing Courts Martial of Propontis are set to take over the files, with hearings starting as early as this week. Proceedings will likely be expedited, due to the urgency of containing the political crisis resulting from the coup attempt.
Government Begins Loyalty Review of Public Servants: The Council of Ministers of Pelasgia and the Military Judicial Authorities have initiated a review into the involvement or support for the April 21 Putsch among public servants, as well as their overall loyalty to the Pelasgian Constitution. The Government has indicated that it is using "public servants" in the broad sense of the word in Pelasgian Law; namely, it includes employees at Government-owned companies and legal persons established in the public interest, among other bodies. The Government has indicated that institutions tainted by extreme disloyalty might be disbanded altogether, and reconstituted in a new form with new personnel or simply superceded by other government agencies.
Foreign Ministry Reassures International Partners: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sought to reassure foreigner partners of Pelasgia's stability and commitment to the rule of law following concerns expressed by the authorities of Nitra (@Corrientes ) and @Eiffelland ; the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Panagiotis Kassiopoulos stated that "Pelasgia is taking all necessary measures to ensure that the rule of law is upheld, and that those who seek to overturn its Constitution are punished. We thank our partners for their interest, and reassure them that the Union will return to a normal state soon."


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PELASGIAN UNION | PUBLIC INFORMATION SERVICE (YDP)
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Sweeping EPS Electoral Victory; Voters Support President Vatatzidis, New Constitution
Propontis, 6 May 2021 | Evangelos Stephanides

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(Photo from YDP Propontis): The main atrium of the Common Parliament building in downtown Propontis

The May 5 Pelasgian general election and twin referenda, which took place right after Orthodox Easter, has assuaged many concerns about the future of the country's politics and society. On the electoral front, the general election for the Boule of Representatives, the Common Parliament's lower house, has returned a strong majority for the National Patriotic Rally (EPS), led by Mr. Aristarchos Akolouthos, a former intelligence service serving as Pelasgia's current Prime Minister. TEPS is the main successor to the previously dominant National Democratic Party (EDK), and retains EDK's social conservatism, in addition to espousing a mixed economic policy with government control over the commanding heights of the economy and more protectionist and mercantilist trade policies. Mr. Akolouthos' party won 390 seats out of the Boule's 527, giving it a supermajority of 74% within the Pelasgian legislature. EPS is trailed by the United Democratic and Liberal Left (IDIFA), a left-wing coalition that succeeded the largely suppressed Progressive Coalition and the minuscule Socialist Labour Party, merging with more progressive elements of the Liberal Union to form a broad left-wing coalition against the dominant conservative establishment. Led by Mr. Zacharias Platanias, a former labour organizer and fireman, IDIFA only won 60 seats or 16% of the Boule, having suffered greatly from the arrest of several prominent left-wing politicians and civil society participants due to their participation in the attempted Putsch of April 21. The smallest party in the Boule is the United Nationalist Front or INEM. INEM succeeded the more reactionary and monarchist elements of the Pelasgian right, particularly those of National Orthodox Rally, but also more nationalist market liberals from the Liberal Union and monarchists from EDK. Under the leadership of Mr. Vasileios Anthimopoulos, a lawyer descended from Catholics who converted to Orthodoxy, INEM captured 53 seats (or 10%) of the Boule.

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Key (Boule): Blue=EPS; Green=IDIFA; Gold=INEM


Overall, it seems that the Pelasgian electorate is content with the reforms undertaken by the new administration and by its efforts to put down radical elements that had brought the country to the brink of civil war over the last few months. EPS has drawn wide support from both rural and urban voters, as well as young and old men and women of all social classes; that being said, it largely remains a populist party, which broadly appeals to the middle and working class, while being led by a hard core of veterans of the Pelasgian military and security apparatus. IDIFA largely draws its support from urban cosmopolitan elites and a combination of various minority interest groups, while INEM retains a working class and rural electorate, along with the support of certain elements of the historic nobility of Pelasgia, which is bankrolled by the remnants of the business oligarchs.
The Senate of Pelasgia, which is named by the President for life, is officially nonpartisan; though the list of names unveiled by President Vatatzidis gathers people from extremely varied backgrounds, ranging from celebrated scientists and academics to renowned authors and intellecturals, the overall composition of the body is such that it is no doubt dominated by pro-EPS and pro-Vatatzidis loyalists. All 60 Senators took their oaths of office earlier this morning, after the results of the election were finalized.

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Key (Senate): Grey=Independent/Non-Aligned

Added to the electoral victories achieved by Mr. Vatatzidis' allies in the Common Parliament under the leadership of Mr. Akolouthos, the twin referenda held on May 5 were a resounding success. Across Pelasgia, 69% of participants voted in favour of the new Constitution, with all Regions voting in favour to the marginal exception of Tyrasia (the region near Perama and Antiperama) and Priene (the region near Erythrae). Voter approval was below average at only 54% in the Hagios Andreas island Region. Overall, however, the Pelasgian electorate broadly approved of the proposed reforms, which were seen as necessary by most Pelasgian polled prior to the referendum. Mr. Vatatzidis achieved ensured the officialisation of his presidency by being supported by 59% of Pelasgians across all regions of the country, earning a resounding victory and the mandate to pursue the rest of his reform platform. It was this victory that pushed the President to appointing all his recommended Senators to the Common Parliament's appointed upper house. "Most Pelasgians consider electoral season to be over, and expect the Government to move forward with proposals and measures to improve their lives and protect the country," Mr. Akolouthos, the Prime Minister, said in public statement earlier today.

Other News
Orthodox Easter Celebrations Across Pelasgia: Millions of Pelasgians across the country celebrated Orthodox Easter last weekend, being joined by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from across the world, many of whom also visited the neighbouring EF Mandate containing the Holy City of Hierosolyma. The Government's lifting of most emergency measures following the April 21 putsch allowed Pelasgians to enjoy a breath of fresh air, as millions left the big cities to roast lambs and attend Easter services in the rural parishes from where they originate.
Unrest in the Tyrasian Mountains: The National Guard made moderate use of force, including teargas and stun grenades, to disperse a series of riots that took place in the mountains of Tyrasia following the announcement of yesterday's referendum and electoral results. Tyrasia is a strongly Orthodox border region, whose traditionalist inhabitants have rejected attempted reforms by the Church, while also remaining staunchly monarchist. The Interior Ministry has launched an inquiry into the instigators and sources of the unrest.

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Our congratulations to Prime Minster Akolouthos for this electoral victory. We look forward to a fruitful cooperation with the new Pelasgian government.

Dr. Norbert Schmelzer, Minister of Foreign Affairs
 

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THE INDPENDENT VOICE OF NORTHERN HIMYAR· PELASGIA'S OLDEST ENGELSH-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER·
Notice: Since April 24, 2021, the Propontis Tribune is under the ownership of PERT World S.A., while retaining its independent editorial board

Editorial: Orthodox Statism - Pelasgia's New (Old) Ideology
Propontis, 9 May 2021 | Mark Heatherton*

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(Photo from YDP Propontis): The Church of the Holy Trinity in Metaxourgeia District, Propontis - one of the largest Orthodox churches in Europe, it has a capacity of 5,000 and was built to mark the 1921 Holy Accords between the Grand Synod of the Orthodox Church and the Militarist-Nationalist Junta, which resolved the Monastery Question

*Dr. Mark Heatherton is the Director of the International Archaeological Institute of Propontis and a scholar specializing in classical Pelasgian sculpture. Originally from Dullwich, Engellex, Dr. Heatherton has resided in Propontis, Pelasgia for the last two decades, where he and his family have made a new home for themselves in the quiet, middle class Metaxourgeia District north of downtown Propontis, after originally residing in the Galatopyrgos International District.

The new Constitution of the Pelasgian Union has been increasingly referred to as the Holy Wednesday Amendment or the Easter Week Constitution, due to its approval by an emergency session the Common Parliament over the Holy Week of Easter, and its approval by referendum immediately after the most important Pelasgian Orthodox holiday. Ironically, this appellation, which has been embraced by the new Constitution's supporters in Propontis, reveals much more about it than would appear at first glance. Near my house in Propontis' decidedly middle class Metaxourgeia District (the very epitome of everyday urban Pelasgian life, if I might say so despite my foreign origins), there is one of the largest Orthodox churches in all of Europe: The Church of the Holy Trinity of Metaxourgeia, which has an internal area of 2,400 m² and a capacity of 5,000. Despite Pelasgia's increasing modernisation over the last few decades, those 5,000 spots have almost always been full during Sunday Divine Liturgy over the last five years at least. Indeed, during my twenty years in Propontis, church attendance has been increasing, contrary to what one would expect of a modernizing society. This is perfectly reasonable, if one understands Pelasgia's workings and internal shifts; whereas urban Pelasgians are more religious than their counterparts in, say, Eiffelland or Nitra, they are rather secular, by Pelasgian standards. Many of them only set foot in a church for Christmas or Easter, and only keep lent during Holy Week, instead of the forty days that their Faith traditionally requires. However, as Pelasgia has urbanized and industrialized since the Meridian Sea War, particularly over the last few decades, more and more young men and women from Pelasgia's increasingly overpopulated rural regions have moved to the cities in search of work. As these young Pelasgians tend to marry young and have large families, often with the aid of the Pelasgian welfare state and the Orthodox Church's extensive charitable institutions, they have slowly but steadily grown as a percentage of Pelasgia's population with every census since that of 1987. By 2006, they outnumbered secular, urban Pelasgians among the young (with religious names such as Theodoros and Georgios overtaking classical Pelasgian names like Aristoteles and Demosthenes); by 2015, they had attained an absolute majority of the Pelasgian populace. This demographic shift was not immediately felt in Pelasgia's politics, as Pelasgia's mixed-member representation and corporatist form of governance diminish the importance of row numbers in favour of social harmony; however, by 2018, the powers that be in Propontis could no longer afford to ignore demographic reality.

Many analysts have pointed out that the April 21 Putsch was not so much an ideogical action, as it was an attempt by established urban elites on both the left and the right to retain control in the face of an increasingly powerful religious, populist majority. I support this theory, which would after all explain how right and left-wing politicians (including monarchists and socialists), as well traditionally progressive academics and journalists, could align with established business oligarchs and reactionary bureaucratic elements. Whatever the case, the April 22 Counter-Coup by forces loyal to the Union Government and Marshal (now President) Leon Vatatzidis made short work of any last-ditch attempt to ignore demography (and democracy) by means of the bayonet. Yet, despite acting in defence of the Constitution and of democracy (in the very country that invented the term), the new President's faction, which is backed by Pelasgia's national security apparatus and officer corps, has enacted a new Constitution and a corresponding ideology that is the antithesis of those found in many liberal democracies. Infrequent elections, non-partisan deliberative bodies, a quasi-monarchical presidency, and a strong, executive-aligned courts are alien to a country such as Eiffelland or Nitra, but quite at home in Pelasgia, where the dominant form of government for the last two millennia has been autocracy. This is, in part, explained by the new Pelasgian ruling class's origins: most of them are themselves descended from the rural, deeply Orthodox populace of "deep" Pelasgia, a people who never really accepted liberal democracy and saw the 1951 Constitution as a foreign virus imposed on the country by secularists and liberals from abroad. Many even likened the event to the Great Himyari Crusade, saying that "In the 1200s, the Latins and the Goths came with convents and swords; now they come with newspapers and ballots." Another popular slogan among the Pelasgian working class has been that "In the Bible, the people only voted once, and that was to crucify Christ and free Barabbas." For much of the Pelasgian populace, democracy consists of electing a strong leader who can "take control" of the state and act in the public interest; deliberative assemblies, public debate, and intellectual discussions are seen as redundant or even harmful. Despite the Pelasgian urban elite's best efforts, over sixty years of mandatory schooling promoting liberal constitutionalism have failed to change this dynamic, in no small part due to the elite's inability to dislocate the Orthodox Church and Pelasgia's strongly nationalistic and personalistic historical narrative from curricula.

Whatever the causes of Pelasgia's current political paradigm shift, one thing is clear: Pelasgia's new state ideology is not too different from the old (if by old, one means the ideology that has governed the Pelasgian political nous before the 1950s). The Sovereign Proclamation of 2021, which set out Pelasgia's new Constitution, made direct reference to its non-infringment of the "rights and privileges" of the Pelasgian Orthodox Church; likewise, Pelasgian officials, including President Vatatzidis and Prime Minister Akolouthos, have made frequent public statements and appearances encouraging religious sentiment and an inward shift toward Pelasgia's own Propontine traditions, instead of a reliance on foreign culture for Pelasgians to situate themselves in the 21st century. More concretely, Pelasgia's increasingly autocratic state has moved to solidify its alliance with the Ecumenical Patriarchate by launching a review of school curricula under the latter's direct supervision. In one particularly telling incident, various interest groups vainly tried to protest the Education Ministry's decision to remove sexual education classes and limit them to strictly physiological components in gymnasium (middle school) biology classes. Their protests fell on deaf ears and were scarcely reported in Pelasgia's almost entirely government-controlled media, while the Propontis Administrative Court of First Instance refused to even hear their case, citing executive immunity. Later that week, the Ecumenical Patriarch blessed the weapons and equipment of troops of the newly established Pelasgian National Guard, a body essentially created to reproduce the role of the old Imperial Gendarmerie in terms of internal security policing. This was repeated by Orthodox priests and metropolitans even as late as yesterday, when National Guard forces were already known to be deployed in Tyrasia, a region in the country's southwest that has seen great resistance to the new Constitution. Many analysts and commentators have rightly pointed out that Pelasgia seems to have a new ideology which conflates the State and the Church, placing the former beyond moral reproach and the latter beyond legal control. Some have even termed this ideology Orthodox Statism. They are all right, except in one aspect: this is not Pelasgia's new ideology, but its old, near-ancient one. Perhaps, it is even Pelasgia's natural ideology, when Pelasgians themselves are allowed to decide without outside interference.

Other News
Growing Unrest in Tyrasia Leads to Curfew: Continued and intensifying clashes between National Police forces and groups opposing the new Constitution have led the Interior Ministry to announce a curfew across Tyrasia Province, in Pelasgia's southwest. The curfew is to run between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., and is to be enforced by the National Police with the help of the National Guard. Reports indicate the presence of paramilitary National Guard formations moving into the Tyrasian highlands with armoured vehicles; the Tyrasian highlands have been the centrepoint of the clashes.
Diplomatic Row with Remion over Pannonian Crisis: The Government of Pelasgia has joined the Government of Tarusa in condemning Remion's illegal and unilaterally enforced no-fly zone over Bajororzság's breakaway border regions. Remion refused to alter its policy, and even suggested that Pelasgia's constitutional amendment was somehow illegal, in addition to requesting new letters of credence for the existing Pelasgian diplomats. Pelasgia provided the letters and directed Remion to its publicly avaialble electoral results, while threatening sanctions against Tibur over the NFZ.

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THE INDPENDENT VOICE OF NORTHERN HIMYAR· PELASGIA'S OLDEST ENGELSH-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER·
Notice: Since April 24, 2021, the Propontis Tribune is under the ownership of PERT World S.A., while retaining its independent editorial board

Editorial: Anti-War Protests in Propontis - Can Pelasgia Support Two Wars?
Propontis, 28 May 2021 | Vasileios Anthimopoulos*

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(Photo from YDP Propontis): An officer belonging to the Pelasgian National Guard escorts Vasileios Anthimopoulos of the opposition party INEM after detaining him at an illegal protest on Propontis' Hippodrome Avenue.

*Mr. Vasileios Anthimopoulos is the leader of INEM, one of Pelasgia's two parliamentary opposition parties, and the Member for Division 12 of Propontis Electoral District II in the Boule of Representatives of Pelasgia.

The Pelasgian capital and sixteen other cities and towns across the Pelasgian Union faced mass protests and even some riots as nearly 7 million Pelasgians gathered across the country to oppose the new Pelasgian government's involvement in foreign wars and its support for the Kovacs regime. Tensions had already been simmering since the European Press Association revealed footage of Pelasgian mercenaries being used by the Pannonian government to suppress opposition forces. Added to this tension was the news of Pelasgian National Guard and military forces being used to suppress the insurgency in Tyrasia. However, popular wrath reached a boiling point when Pannonian Prime Minister Zoltan Kovacs publicly stated that Pelasgia and @Tarusa had signed a memorandum with him to use Pelasgian forces of an unspecified character as official peacekeepers in @Bajorország . The news came on top of leaks on the Pelasgian internet which pointed to the deployment of Pelasgian conscripts to Tyrasia, including alleged photos of official letters telling parents that their sons "volunteered" to fight in Tyrasia and died there--several such families reported being intimidated by the State Security Service (YKA) to stay silent. While the Presidency of the Union was quick to react to both crises, damage had been done. As the Government publicly denied Pannonian accusations and restated its commitment to avoiding a foreign war, on top of decorating fallen soldiers in Tyrasia and vowing to use professional troops, hundreds of thousands of Pelasgian students coordinate on internet forums to organize protests. Attempts by Pelasgian authorities to suppress social media only led to the use of phone services and foreign websites; by the time that dawn broke on Propontis earlier today, several million Pelasgian were marching across the country, including three million in the capital alone.

Whatever the Vatatzidis Administration says or does, the facts are clear. Pelasgians do not want a foreign war, on top of an already unpopular domestic conflict. This sentiment has led the two most important opposition parties in Pelasgia, the United Democratic and Liberal Left (IDIFA) and the United Nationalist Front (INEM) to form a join front supporting the protests and calling on the National Patriotic Rally (EPS)-dominated government to change its policy. Polls in Pelasgia reflect increasing sympathy among the population for the arguments of Pannonian minorities, as even pro-government media have a hard time taking Prime Minister Kovacs seriously; this sentiment is particularly strong among young Pelasgians, many of whom feel that the new administration is taking a decidedly militaristic and expansionist character. While taking part in today's protests, I spoke with many young Pelasgians, some of them only second generation Propontines, who found that, while the new regime has done much to accommodate poorer and formerly disenfranchised working class people from "Deep" Pelasgia, it has done so at the price of liberties and rights that many Pelasgians hold dear. Some have even called for a more reasonable arrangement with Tyrasia and general decentralisation of the ever-more unitary Pelasgian state, whose centralisation of power is one of the major reasons driving urbanisation and the decline of "Deep" Pelasgia into a frontier region populated by those who have been "left behind" by the powers that be in Propontis. Whereas the Vatatzidis Administration certainly has effective control over the country, and, indeed, over its political institutions, it does not have a free reign to ignore the wishes of the people it is supposed to represent. As long as the government continues to throw Pelasgian resources and lives away abroad, it will also engender resentment. Doubly so at a time when Pelasgia finds itself torn by what is a civil war in all but name, even if the government refuses to acknowledge this. Tyrasians have no ethnic or cultural differences with Pelasgians; their difference is political, and it has been caused by Mr. Vatatzidis' own policies. If the people of Pelasgia want peace, perhaps they should reflect on that, and on the current regime's own rise to power--to call it "irregular" would be generous.

Other News
Students Abroad Protest Tyrasian Crisis: A group of Pelasgian students in @Natal organised a protest against the ongoing crisis in Tyrasia. The protesters called on the government to peacefully negotiate with the rebels, so as to better accommodate all Pelasgians in the new constitution. The Pelasgian government and local diplomatic mission refused to comment on the matter, other than to say the Tyrasian Crisis is an internal Pelasgian issue that should not concern third parties.
Summer Wildfire Season Delayed by Reduced Tourism: Pelasgia's recent political upheavals and the ongoing troubles in Tyrasia have led to a 20% reduction in tourism this season, based on current estimates. A major part of this reduction is made up of internal tourism, as many Pelasgians seek to save money and protect themselves from an uncertain future. The Ministry of the Interior has made public a report linking the delay in this year's wildfire season with this reduction in tourists, causing a wave of social media debates. Last year, a wildfire in Erythrae Province killed six and injured twenty-three more after a group of Engell tourists held an illegal barbecue in a dry olive grove.

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Assassination of Journalist in Pannonia Sparks Constitutional Crisis in Pelasgia
Propontis, 2 June 2021 | Artemios Efthimiou

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(Photo from PERT World Propontis): Pelasgian law enforcement observe marchers passing through downtown Propontis during a protest against incumbent President Leon I. Vatatzidis.

Tensions have been high in Propontis since last week, when the Common Parliament approved a law forcing the President to subject the deployment of Pelasgian forces and military assets abroad in peacetime to legislative control. The President refused to give assent to the law and contested the law's validity, alleging that it infringed upon executive powers by attempting to turn Pelasgia from a presidential regime into a parliamentary one. Alexandros Zephyropoulos, the Pelasgian judiciary rejected the President's arguments, forcing him to invoke his veto to invalidate the Special Law №44/2021. As the Common Parliament prepared to pass the bill once more through expedited proceedings with a veto-proof majority, Pelasgians fell asleep on Tuesday night fearing a constitutional crisis. On Wednesday morning, however, news broke that brought this crisis about instantly: Ourania Alexandropoulou, the celebrated European Press Association journalist who revealed the presence of Pelasgian mercenaries in @Bajorország last month, was assassinated in that foreign country. Though the killer is unknown, many suspect that Pelasgian mercenaries from General Security S.A., a private contractor with close ties to the Pelasgian security services, are tied to the killing. That revelation was the figurative spark that lit the very real fire of popular and parliamentary wrath in Propontis.

Almost immediately, all three parties of the Boule of Representatives agreed to revalidate the Special Law №44/2021 with a stunning majority of 437 AYEs to 90 NAYs. This move united virtually all of the Pelasgian mainstream political scene against the executive, including the President's own Prime Minister, Mr. Aristarchos Akolouthos, and virtually all of the National Patriotic Rally. The Senate has not yet voted on the bill, as the various factional leaders are trying to whip support to reach the 2/3 threshold needed for a veto-proof majority. However, despite the law's original passage through the Senate, the upper house's character as a presidentially-appointed body might make attaining such a majority difficult. Nonetheless, mass protests in Propontis and near-unanimous support in the Boule of Representatives, Pelasgia's elected lower house, might put enough pressure on Senators to approve the measure. The measure previously passed with 33 Senators in favour, and it now requires 40 in order to be veto-proof. 2 Senators have already voiced their support due to wide public and political pressure, reducing the majority needed to 5. According to the Constitution of Pelasgia, the Senate must vote for the bill within 30 days in order to validly override the President's veto. Nonetheless, as protests grow and political consensus widens, time might seem to be on the side of the bill's supporters.

If the law does indeed pass, President Vatatzidis will be at an impasse. On the one hand, if he complies with the law, he will be forced to reveal to the legislature the full extent of Pelasgian military involvement in Pannonia, which will allow the Common Parliament to force him to withdraw therefrom. Moreover, the law's passage could also force him to reveal any incriminating evidence about the murder of Ms. Alexandropoulou. On the other hand, if he refuses to comply with the law, the Common Parliament will be within its right to declare him in contempt and to impeach him. The majority needed for impeachment is the same as that to override a presidential veto, which means that the Common Parliament would already have the votes. Yet, the question of whether President Vatatzidis would allow the situation to deteriorate to that point stands. Pelasgia's political system and society have faced great challenges in recent months, and the Head of State might wish to avoid causing further damage to the country and the new Constitution that he signed. Still, some fear that the Marshal of Pelasgia might decide to leave power as peacefully as he rose to it.

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Pelasgian Presidency, embassy address Natalian comments: A communique published by the Ministry of External Affairs of @Natal caused both uproar and applause in Propontis. The communique took sides in the growing political dispute within Pelasgia by dubbing the President a dictator and applauding the Common Parliament for its bravery in trying to reign him in. The Common Parliament left the comment unaddressed to avoid giving the impression of encouraging foreign meddling, but the Pelasgian Embassy "noted" Natal's concern and stated that the matter is a Pelasgian internal affair. The President's spokesman went further, by stating that "Pelasgia will not take lessons in democracy" from Natal, given that Pelasgian democracy predates Natalian nationhood.
EPS youth leader sparks social media war: Athanasia Nomikou, the leader of the women's wing of the youth section of the governing National Patriotic Rally (EPS) sparked a debate on Pelasgian social media by releasing a PikPok video where she lambasted the tend among "certain women" to not remove their body hair as "ugly" and "uncultured". The comment, which was seen as a snipe at a stereotype of left-wing political youth leaders, solicited both support and condemnation from all corners of Pelasgian society. Whereas the Pelasgian left criticised the comment as "elitist" and "sexist", some Pelasgian traditionalists also considered such discussions to be "of foreign origin" and "lacking in humility". Most of Ms. Nimikou's own right-wing supporters fell behind her, starting the viral trend #pestamorom or "say it like it is, babe", which spawned further uproar and memes.

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Pelasgia

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PERT WORLD S.A. IS A SUBSIDIARY OF THE PELASGIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION (PERT) S.A. - FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT

With Vatatzidis gone, Pelasgia prepares for a new political paradigm
Propontis, 6 June 2021 | Artemios Efthimiou

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(Photo from PERT World Propontis): The old Privy Council Building within the Great Palace of Propontis, which houses the Cabinet of Pelasgia and the Prime Minister's office.

The sudden resignation of Marshal Leon I. Vatatzidis from the Presidency of the Pelasgian Union has put an end to the simmering constitutional and political crisis that has troubled the country for the better part of a month. With President Vatatzidis gone, the Pelasgian political scene is almost unanimous in its desire to withdraw from Pannonia and to end the spiraling insurgency in Tyrasia. The former is a rather easy matter; already, the Prime Minister, Mr. Aristarchos Akolouthos, has indicated his wish for Pelasgian forces and materiel currently in Pannonia to return home, and for Pelasgia to re-evaluate its relationship with the Kovacs regime. The latter, however, is a much more arduous task, one that will arguably require a transformation of Pelasgia's Constitution. Tyrasians wish for a return to full parliamentary government, the likes of which Pelasgia has known since the 1990s; however, the rest of the country disagrees. To resolve this issue peacefully, the leaders of all three major political parties have committed themselves to significantly amending Pelasgia's Constitution to establish a federal, semi-presidential system. This would combine increased autonomy and representation for Pelasgia's regions, in addition to striking a reasonable compromise between presidential and parliamentary government. Though the exact modalities of this new system are still to be adjusted, it appears that the Prime Minister and the opposition leaders had come to an understanding with a secret document before Mr. Vatatzidis' resignation. Indeed, this last event signals the failure of quasi-monarchy "strong" presidentialism, given that the former President was forced to admit defeat in his confrontation with the Common Parliament, which sought to impeach him for violating a law that he had refused to sign. President Vatatzidis' resignation is arguably the only thing that saved the Pelasgian Constitution from complete collapse. Yet, though it was not broken, the political system was strained enough to warrant reform. Arguably, the failure of Mr. Vatatzidis' top-down, authoritarian method to enact such reform following the Counter-Coup of April 22nd signals the need for broadly consensual, democratic reform.

Pelasgia's new government, as described in the recently unveiled document, would establish a clear division of powers between the federal and local governments. Pelasgia itself would cease to be the Pelasgian Union, and would instead become the United Pelasgian Republics, with each of the country's major Regions or Provinces taking on the appellation "Republic." Each Republic would have exclusive jurisdiction on the police (excluding federal police), most of education, the press, freedom of assembly, public housing, prisons and media affairs, among others. By contrast, the Federal or Union Government would be responsible for national defence, foreign affairs, immigration and citizenship, communications, and currency standards. Power over business law, civil law, welfare, taxation, consumer protection, public holidays, and public health is to be shared, though federal law may override local law, as long as it meets certain additional criteria of approval. To avoid giving any one Republic too much power, the Union Government is to be seated at a new capital city, which is to be constructed specifically as a planned administrative capital. Both the Republics and the Union are to be governed as constitutional republics. On the one hand, each Republic is to be headed by a unicameral legislature (known as a Legislative Assembly) and a local government headed by its own Prime Minister. On the other hand, the Union is to have a bicameral legislature, known as the Common Parliament. The Boule of Representatives remains unchanged as a body elected through mixed member proportional representation and universal suffrage; the Senate, however, is to be altered, so as to consist of 121 Senators, or 10 from each of the 12 Republics and 1 from the Federal Capital.

The executive of the Union Government will consist of the President, who will appoint a Prime Minister and Cabinet subject to the confidence of the Boule of Representatives. The President is to be directly elected for no more than two consecutive five-year terms, though their total number of terms is not limited (this was a compromise between the current unlimited presidential system and parliamentary government). Because of their direct election, the President is empowered to act as the chief of the armed forces and to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister, though most actual government is in the hands of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, who must maintain the confidence of the Boule of Representatives. It is the Cabinet and not the President that proposes laws, which require the support of both houses of the Common Parliament to be enacted, though the President retains a veto on all laws and treaties. This veto may be overturned by a 2/3 majority of both houses, though the President is always empowered to refer certain laws and treaties to a referendum. Laws also require the signature of the Prime Minister and the Minister responsible therefor. The Judiciary that is meant to oversee this new system remains substantively unchanged. That is, the three supreme courts of Pelasgia (the Supreme Court of Cassation, the Constitutional Court, and the Administrative Council of State) are to staffed by judges nominally appointed by the President, and substantively recommended of the Prime Minister and approved by the Common Parliament.

Another striking feature of the proposed Constitution is its transformation of the provision banning military forces, which caused much controversy in previous Pelasgian Constitutions after the Meridian Sea War. The Constitution would ban offensive military forces and limit Pelasgia to a defensive military, while allowing conscription and other broad military provisions for this new defensive military, including collective and preemptive defence. This measure would deliver Pelasgia's military from the legal purgatory in which it has lied since its refoundation in the 1960s, in addition to ending one of the major political debates of that has plagued Pelasgian politics in the last century. The proposal also ends any hope for a monarchist restoration by a junior branch of the Laskarid Dynasty. This particular provision likely explains the wide powers given to the Republics, as the agreement's drafters likely seek to placate Tyrasia and other border regions, which have a history of monarchist sentiment. To ensure support for this new Constitution, the Common Parliament plans to hold a referendum, which will require a majority approval in all Pelasgian Regions to pass. Regardless of the referendum's success, the Prime Minister then aims to call for a new election, in order to give Pelasgians a chance to select the politicians who will administer their country and represent their interests from now on.

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Celebrations and protests in Propontis, other cities: News of President Vatatzidis' resignation was met with both excitement and disappointment across Himyar's oldest country. While most Pelasgians were generally revealed at the resolution of the dispute, some, including hardline supporters of the former President, considered this to be a blow to Pelasgian democracy. Thousands took to the streets both to celebrate and to vent their frustration, though authorities report a peaceful atmosphere and a lack of violent clashes. The widely influential Orthodox Church has called for peace and a civil transition of power, as have political leaders on all sides.
Tyrasian rebels lay down arms: Rebel leaders in Tyrasia, the Pelasgian region plagued by insurgency and anti-government attacks in recent months, have announced their desire to lay down their arms and put an end to their violent struggle against the new Constitution brought about by President Vatatzidis, following his resignation. Artemios Grivas, the representative of the Tyrasian rebels' civilian front, met with the local National Guard commander and expressed his desire for a peaceful end to the affair.

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Pelasgia

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Location
Athens, Greece
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Demos
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THE INDPENDENT VOICE OF NORTHERN HIMYAR· PELASGIA'S OLDEST ENGELSH-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER·
The Propontis Tribune is a member of Pelasgian International Press Holdings Ltd.

Ballot Results Calm Markets as Himyar's Largest Economy Returns to Parliamentary Stability
Propontis, 11 June 2021 | Jason Gunning*

PROPEX Naftem 400: 17,664.80 +1.82% | VIOMAX Index: 1,182.21 +2.01% | APEEDA (PELDAQ) INDEX: 184.54 +0.06% | REIT Index: 2,156.30 +4.96% | PEL 10 Yr: 2/32 Yield +1.456% | Crude Oil: €M 58.11 -0.39% | €M to PG₤: 86.01 -0.12%

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(Photo from YDP Propontis): The entrance corridor to the new building of the Propontis Stock Exchange (PROPEX), the largest and oldest stock exchange of the Himyari continent

*Jason Gunning, PhD, is Professor of International Trade and Economics at the Engell Propontis International College.

The approval of the new Pelasgian Constitution reassured both domestic and international investors in Propontis following a rocky last few months of the current fiscal year. Pelasgians approved the proposal for a return to a parliamentary status quo and a federal, semi-parliamentary reform in a clear vote: 63% for and 37% against, with approval across all of the new Republics forming the United Pelasgian Republics. Reassured by a return to stability, a disentanglement from foreign wars, a peaceful and quick transition of power, and the maintenance of the judiciary's independence, investors granted PROPEX, or Propontis Stock Exchange, its highest day in the entire year. This trend was reinforced by the results of the legislative election that returned a clear majority for the Constitutional Democratic Party--the centre-right, pro-market, and moderate conservative faction that has dominated Pelasgian politics since the 1956 Constitution imposed upon the country following the end of the Meridian Sea War--as well as a sound victory for its preferred presidential candidate, Mr. Aristarchos Akolouthos, the former Prime Minister who forced Marshal Vatatzidis to resign.

The centre-right Constitutional Democratic Party of Pelasgia (SDK), led by Mr. Spyridon Armenopoulos, a long-time minister and jurist, won a slim but clear majority the lower house of the Common Parliament, the Boule of Representatives, where it gained 278 out of 527 seats. SDK fared slightly worse in the Senate, gaining 55 out of the 120 Senate seats, just short of a majority; this has forced the SDK to cooperate with the centre-left Social Democratic Party (KDK), whose 14 Senators grant the Government its required majority in both houses. The KDK also adds its 39 Boule seats to the SDK's majority. This coalition has operated twofold to reinforce investor confidence: on the one hand, KDK is a small enough and centrist enough left-wing party that it will moderate the SDK's more hard-right tendencies, without compromising its overall, market liberal stance; on the other hand, this majority is clear enough to prevent government instability, without giving the government enough of a majority to modify the Constitution. As such, long-term stability is ensured. This is further magnified by the KDK's conquest of the executive: there, Acting President Akolouthos achieved reelection by 56% thanks to near-unanimous party endorsement; the only major candidate not endorsed by the broad political coalition in favour of the new constitution was the Internationalist Communist Party of Pelasgia's (DKKP) Tyverios Kontomitros, who earned 23% of the vote.

Opposition parties were varied, but largely fragmented due to the Pelasgian left's own long standing disputes since the collapse of the United Democratic Leftist Front in the 1970s. The largest of these parties, the radical leftist and progressive Radical Socialist and Labour Union (EKSE), gathered 151 Representatives and 31 Senators, well behind the governing KDK. The more radical Internationalist Communist Party (DKKP) had to make do with 29 Represenatives and 10 Senators, while the far-right National Patriotic Phalanx (EPF) only gained 30 Representatives and 10 Senators, leaving it isolated and weak. This result has caused alarm in the Pelasgian left, which renewed calls for a new united front, or a recreation of the historic Socialist Labour Party (SEK). Zacharias Platanias, the EKSE leader, made a statement to that effect, as did Evangelos Andreopoulos, the KDK leader. The DKKP leader, Mr. Kontomitros, was the only one to outright reject a coalition, though the divisions between the Pelasgian Social Democrats and Radical Socialists are severe enough that the other two parties seem to be making empty promises.

With that in mind, the new President has summoned Mr. Armenopoulos and Mr. Andreopoulos of the SDK and KDK to the new Presidential Palace in Nymphaion to swear in the new coalition government. Nymphaion itself, formerly a mere regional government capital, is still undergoing construction works to expand it to house the facilities of the new Federal City. Indeed, as the new Presidential Palace is not yet complete, Mr. Akolouthos will have to meet with the new Prime Minister and Vice-Prime Minister in his temporary working quarters, at the old dynastic palace of the Laskarid Dynasty, who originated from Nymphaion. Still, the President remains committed to holding the ceremony in Nymphaion, in order to reinforce Pelasgia's new nature as a federation of equal Republics and not as a new "Propontine Empire." In Propontis, which remains the large Himyari nation's economic heart, the news has only brought reassurance. The governing KDK has promised to reverse some of short-lived Vatatzidis Administration's anti-business measures, and to promote Pelasgian investment across Himyari, as well as cooperation and free trade with regional partners. Given Pelasgia's role as one of the main gateways to the resource-rich but political fragmented continent, this news has attracted foreign as well as domestic interest. The Himyari Industrial Development Bank's stock rose by 12% in a single day, while the mining-intensive Koressios Group of Companies saw widespread investment after being shunned due to political concerns for over a month. Nymphaion might be the new heart of Pelasgian politics, but Propontis will remain the region's financial heart--a heart that now beats faster than ever, after the end of the short-lived experiment with statism and anachronistic autocracy.

Other News
PICA, Church Unveil Plan for Clean Water in Central Himyar: The Pelasgian International Cooperation Agency (PICA), Pelasgia's primary foreign aid body, has announced a new partnership with the Orthodox Church to provide clean water to 25 million households in Central Himyar by 2023. Central Himyar, the region of the Ebony Continent watered by the Index Sea and lying between Northern and Southern Himyar, has been plagued by droughts for the better part of a decade. Political instability and the heritage of colonialism have only worsened this situation. The Church's long-time involvement and goodwill in the region will thus play a pivotal role in the project's success.
Constitutional Court to Hear Death Penalty Appeal in Nymphaion: The Constitutional Court, one of Pelasgia's three supreme courts, has announced that it will hear the much acclaimed death penalty appeal in case no. 57/2021 in its new courthouse in the Federal City of Nymphaion next week. Originally intended as the seat of the new Regional Court of Appeal of Nymphaion, the building is to be expanded and converted to house the Constitutional Court and the Administrative Council of State. The appeal itself lies from an undisclosed criminal matter widely speculated to relate to last year's terror bombing in the Propontis Metro. The Pelasgian Civil and Individual Liberties Association (PESPAE) caused uproar in April by announcing its intent to support the appeal against the death penalty.

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