News from the Free States

[Polesia]

News and views from the Free States of Trivodnia.

 

[Polesia]

די צײט | Di Tsayt ‎

Prometheists labled ‘threat to peace’

AMSTOV - The war of words between the social democratic factions escalated yesterday, with leader of the Social Democratic Alliance denouncing the Prometheist tendency as a “threat to regional peace and stability”.

Speaking at a private party gathering, Henryk Frumkin warned if the Alliance adopted Promotheism as its guiding ideology it would put the Free States on a “collision course” with Kadikistan. Frumkin claimed there was no substantive policy difference between the current manifesto and the Prometheist amendments beyond foreign affairs. Domestic concerns, he stated, should be the primary interest of the Alliance.

The aggressive stance puts him at odds with the Popular Social Democratic Party, its sister organisation in Jatvigaria, which has agitated for a more assertive position against Kadikistan following the Calidian crisis. Chairman Jonas Ulba even described himself as a “secret Prometheist” and floated the idea of joining the Prometheist Union, an international grouping.

Social democracy in Trivodnia has been struggling since the surprise election victory of a coalition of conservative Christian and Yiddish nationalist parties. Since choosing Frumkin as party leader, the Social Democratic Alliance has been torn by internal rivalries, with the Prometheists calling for a change of direction to win over lost voters. Esriel Abramovitch, a prominent Prometheist, believes a stronger foreign policy will win over those concerned by Kadikistani interventionism and increasingly unstable neighbours.

The government has not been without its own troubles. Last week farms and fisheries minister Moisei Carlebach of the Homeland Union was censured by colleagues for suggesting the Free States try negotiate for lands lost to Lauenburg during the 19th century.

External Affairs minister Vladimir Pinski has appealed for calm and said Trivodnia would continue with its tradition of armed neutrality. Increased military spending has already been promised, with a focus on boosting recruitment and modernising equipment.

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[Polesia]

DER MORGEN ZSHURNAL
דער מארגען זשורנאל | The Morning Journal

KAHNEMAN: “I STOPPED KADIKISTANI TANKS ON OUR BORDERS”

In his first major interview since leaving office, former Chancellor Alexander Kahneman has claimed to have stopped a newly independent Calidia from sharing a border with the Free States, and defends his policy of “constructive engagement” with Kadikistan.

Speaking exclusively with the Morning Journal, Kahneman warned unrest in Ivernia, Lauenburg and Saaremaa was leaving Trivodnia increasingly isolated in the region, making positive relations with Kadikistan all the more important.

Commenting on the growing disunity within his own party, the old leader told the Social Democratic Alliance to expect to be in power again after the next election and urged its elected representatives to hold the current government to account. The coalition was under pressure internally, Kaheman said, and was unlikely to hold together for the whole term.

Most interesting was his claim to have prevented a joint border with Calidia, having intensely lobbied Wilhelmsstadt behind closed doors. As a result, a few dozen miles now separates Trivodnia from the newly independent state, which recently saw Kadikistani tank units deployed there. Kahneman also claimed to have been in constant correspondence with Kadikistan throughout the crisis, negotiating a careful diplomatic position.

Critics have accused the ex-Chancellor of appeasement, and others suggested his liberal social reforms resulted in defeat at the last election. Kahneman defended his legacy, warning provoking Kadikistan would be a “catastrophe” and suggested closing religious schools was crucial to improving educational attainment.


Full interview inside pages 6 - 8


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[Polesia]

DER TOG

NON-JEWS 'ATTACKED' NEAR SYNAGOGUES

The Law Guards have received several complaints of non-Jewish families being assaulted and harassed near synagogues in and around the capital.

Last week Jatvigarian and Krasnislavian residents of the Sants district in Amstov were repeatedly harried by gangs of Yiddish youths. No group has claimed responsibility, although the local authorities believe the incidents were connected and are being orchestrated. Similar disturbances have been reported in towns and villages outside of Amstov too, with many of the victims injured.

Isaiah Baskin, a city councillor member of the Alternative party, blamed the rise of the Homeland Union for the attacks. The Union, which is currently in a partnership with the People's Party and a member of the governing coalition, is a strong advocate of Yiddish nationalism.

Historically the Union called for an independent Yiddish state, with its more extreme supporters backing the segregation of religions and cultures, a position the party leadership has since condemned.

Moshe Barak, head of the Homeland Union, denied any affiliation and suggested in a press statement the crimes were motivated by theft, not identity.


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[Polesia]

DER TOG

JEWISH EMIGRATION TAX PLAN CONDEMNED

A proposal to tax Jews who leave the Free States has been widely condemned by politicians of all parties.

In a radio interview, farms and fisheries minister Moisei Carlebach called for Jews who move abroad to face a financial penalty. A prominent member of the Homeland Union, Carlebach was criticised last week for suggesting Trivodnia seek the return of territory lost to Lauenburg during the 18th century, which historically had large Yiddish communities.

In the same interview, Carlebach also demanded Zionist organisations promoting Jewish immigration to the Holy Land and World Socialist Republic be banned from advertising.

Other members of the governing coalition, which the Homeland Union is part of, criticised the remarks. Chancellor Yitzhak Epstein, of the People's Party, which has a formal electoral pact with the Homeland Union, condemned the suggestions as "totalitarian". In a joint statement, the Krasnislavian Patriotic Peasants' Party and Septcastellian Populist Front declared "the Free States must represent all peoples or none".

Opposition parties demanded Carlebach resign from his ministerial position, which he has refused to do so thus far. Shmuel Bernstein, leader of the Alternative party, said the latest outburst had proven the coalition was "unsuitable" for government.

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[Polesia]

DER MORGEN ZSHURNAL
דער מארגען זשורנאל | The Morning Journal

TRIVODNIA “INCAPABLE” OF FIGHTING A WAR

The Free States would be defeated in a matter of days in a war with one of its neighbours after years of under-investment into the military, a letter written by retired high-ranking generals warns.

Trivodnia's army, air force and navy are all in desperate need of modernisation, but any attempt at re-armament may come too late, the former commanders say in today's Morning Journal.

They blame successive governments for having failed to take the risk of conflict seriously, leaving a country “incapable” of fighting either an offensive or defensive war.

A series of world events has left many in the Free States more and more concerned about the country's security. A leaked internal briefing paper prepared for the Ministry of External Affairs says the Calidian independence crisis, revolution in Saaremaa and increasingly erratic behaviour of the Chetnik emperor has created “the most uncertain foreign policy landscape in over a century”.

The government has already promised to boost military spending, though was quick to state re-armament was not directed at any nation in particular.

Full letter inside page 4


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[Kadikistani Union]

People's Commissariat for External Affairs

"We are growing increasingly concerned about the political situation in Trivodnia. While the role of the Kahneman Administration during the Oakhampton Peace Accords which established the People's Socialist Republic of Calidia was commendable we see no point in sowing fear among the Trivodnians. Kadikistan has nothing but goodwill towards Amstov and is in no way interested in any form of conflict between our two fine nations. As far as Calidia is concerned, we will honour the Oakhamton Peace Accords. No aggression will come from our side."

Signed,
_X_
Col. Dimitri Leninov
People's Commissar for External Affairs
Democratic Republic of Kadikistan

 

[Polesia]

Ministry of External Affairs

The Free States reiterates the recent decision to invest in our armed forces is not motivated by the actions of one particular nation-state but a general diplomatic climate of instability and tension.

Trivodnia welcomes the reassurances of peace from Kadikistan and looks forward to working constructively with all our neighbours.

 

[Polesia]

די צײט | Di Tsayt ‎

‘Jewish crisis’ leads to political brawl

AMSTOV - Tensions within the governing coalition reached a breaking point last night after an intense debate led to physical altercation at an emergency session of the Council of Ministers.

In discussions on the response to the Chetnik Empire's threats to deport its Jewish population, the Krasnislavian Patriotic Peasants' Party and Septcastellian Populist Front are said to have objected to External Affairs minister Vladimir Pinski's warning of “severe consequences” should the Empire press ahead with expulsions. Both parties fear Trivodnia might be dragged to war with its neighbour at a time of already heightened regional tensions.

New Farms and Fisheries minister Uladzimir Sannikov of the Patriotic Peasants' Party, who replaced the Homeland Union's Moisei Carlebach earlier this week, is also alleged to have said “Krasnislavian blood is not worth spilling for the sake of a few Jews”, prompting Chancellor Yitzhak Epstein to attack him.

Sources in all coalition parties have since confirmed the events. The office of the Chancellor refused to comment, as has the Ministry of Farms and Fisheries.

Both the Patriotic Peasants' Party and Populist Front have historic associations with anti-Semitism, although more openly anti-Semitic members were expelled as part of coalition negotiations with the People's Party and Homeland Union. The two parties' leaderships have also repeatedly made statements declaring their support for the right of Jews to live and work across all of the Free States, not just in the Yiddish territories.

However yesterday's events have made clear the limits of progress. Senior officials in the People's Party and Homeland Union are rumoured to have long been suspicious of their coalition partner's real beliefs.

Publicly, the Ministry of External Affairs has continued to issue warnings against the Chetnik Empire, and talks are underway with the Grand Duchy of Bourgogne to start to formulate a common regional response. But despite the strong language, many political commentators are sceptical Trivodnia will intervene in the case of bloodshed, given the high-level divisions in government.

This is not the first major disagreement the coalition has had to face. Former farms and fisheries minister Carlebach was earlier forced to resign after a series of controversial comments that upset the Patriotic Peasant's Party and Populist Front. The Grand Assembly is at a standstill due to internal disagreements on the specifics of certain legislation.

Opposition parties have failed to capitalise on the divisions. The Social Democratic bloc is more focused on Kadikistani support for the revolutionaries in Saaremaa and secessionists in Ivernia and Lauenburg. Liberals in the Alternative and elsewhere are themselves divided over what Trivodnia's response to nearby instability should be.

Meanwhile, refugees continue to pour over the border. The armed forces, law guards and other services have been deployed to help manage the flow of people. How to handle the exodus is expected to be a major talking point with Bourgogne.

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[Polesia]

די צײט | Di Tsayt ‎

Residency for refugees threatens fiscal crisis

AMSTOV - Proposals to grant permanent residency to the majority of refugees from the Chetnik Empire will cause a major fiscal crisis in the Yiddish Free State, a new report by the influential Treasury committee has warned.

Under plans currently being considered by the state government, all Yiddish-speaking refugees will be allowed to stay indefinitely as permanent residents as part of a decades-old settlement programme designed to encourage Yiddish immigration to the territory. The settlement programme offers a number of key financial benefits, including a six-month tax holiday and subsidised housing, as well as a formal route to eventual citizenship.

Analysis by the state assembly's Treasury committee revealed absorbing the thousands of Yiddish-speaking refugees this way would put huge pressure on the public purse, especially as many are likely to require long-term assistance.

Yiddish First Minister Rudolf Jeger downplayed the findings, suggesting many of the refugees presently accommodated in make-shift camps along the border would choose to return to the Chetnik Empire after the Chetnik Dictator delivered fresh assurances over their long-term safety and status.

Yet other politicians privately predict most will stay, and unease is not limited to the potential financial burden, with many worried about the social and cultural impact. Saul Wess, a state assembly member and representative of the Homeland Union, caused an uproar when he denounced the large number of Hasidic refugees as "alien" and "corrupted by Slavic backwardness", although he has since apologised for the remarks.

In the neighbouring Krasnislavian Free State, which has seen the second highest number of refugees, envoys from the Patriotic Peasants' Party suggested those who stay contribute towards their shelter by selling personal or family possessions, which was swiftly condemned by other parties. Others called for strict language tests to ensure any new residents had an adequate understanding of Krasnislavian, which is closely related to Chetnik.

At a national level, Chancellor Yitzhak Epstein has announced he will use emergency federal funds usually reserved for natural disasters and war to help pay for humanitarian efforts along the Chetnik border. His opponents who defeated him in the National Assembly have vowed to contest the move in the courts, arguing Jatvigaria and Septcastille, which have barely received any refugees, should not be compelled to finance the internal issues of the other free states.

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[Axeldonia]

Official Axeldonian correspondence

The current situation in Trivodnia and it's surrounding regions are concerning. Therefore, Axeldonia proposes a deal. Seeing as Axeldonia has a stable, prosperous economy and a low population, we'd give you a loan out of our treasury to a low premium to help you through this crisis, the sums of which will be settled by negotiations should you accept our offer.

 

[Polesia]

Treasury of the Yiddish Free State

The Yiddish Free State government is currently in the process of devising a fiscal strategy in response to the additional burdens created by the Chetnik refugee crisis but is confident at this stage outside financial assistance will not be required, although welcomes the friendly offer from Axeldonia.

 

[Polesia]

Ziarul​

POPULIST FRONT CALLS FOR RETURN TO DOMESTIC FOCUS

Nicolae Cuza has called on the ruling coalition to stop fighting with each other and being distracted by foreign affairs and instead focus on implementing the government's promised domestic agenda.

The leader of the Septcastillian Populist Front campaigned on a platform of extra subsidies for farmers, tax breaks and regulatory cuts for small businesses and a greater role for the Tiburan Catholic Church in social policy.

The Populist Front was one of four parties who won a surprise victory in the general election earlier this year, defeating the ruling Social Democratic Alliance. In partnership with the Yiddish People's Party, Homeland Union and Krasnislavian Patriotic Peasant's Party, it formed the Free States first conservative government in nearly two decades.

A series of controversies and the recent regional crises have since dogged the coalition, leaving opposition parties to accuse it of incompetence and lacking direction.

Cuza, who serves as education minister, is urging his coalition partners to lead an "organic revolution" to reverse the "serious damage" caused by the Social Democrats' legacy.

He said foreign policy should be based on trade and diplomacy, and suggested developing closer ties with [MENTION=2073]Axeldonia[/MENTION], [MENTION=26]Bourgogne[/MENTION] and [MENTION=18]Eiffelland[/MENTION] given the unrest in the Chetnik Empire, [MENTION=1187]Ivernia[/MENTION] and [MENTION=1517]Saaremaa[/MENTION], although recognised the need for greater military spending to combat potential threats.

The Populist Front is rumoured to be serving as a mediator between the Homeland Union and Patriotic Peasants' Party, after a breakdown in communication between the two parties following the Chetnik Jewish crisis. The Homeland Union argued for Trivodnia to take stronger action, while the Peasants Party urged a softer approach.

Sources close to the Front says both parties are now willing to move on from the earlier disputes, and take advantage of the Social Democrats' divisions and weakness of the liberal and centrist parties.
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[Polesia]

Žinios

Coalition draws different lessons from Chentik ciris

The rise of the ultra-nationalist Ustasha has opened the next chapter of the crisis in the Chetnik Empire, as the Dictator and Orthodox Church struggle for authority in a land riven by racial and religious tensions. But with the safety of the Chetnik Jewry now guaranteed in word, if not in action, the federal government must consider what next - and how to respond to a similar crisis in the future.

For the Yiddish People's Party and Homeland Union, the answers are obvious: the Chetnik Empire must be pressed until its Jewish community feels safe enough to return, and a strong co-ordinated regional response combined with threats of a military intervention ultimately forced the Chetnik Dictator to reverse his threats to expel all the Jews.

For the Krasnislavian Patriotic Peasants' Party, the line of thinking could not be more different. With the Chetnik army protecting the Jewish population from Muslim rioters and Ustasha rebels, the Free States should move swiftly to normalise relations after an overreaction by the Trivodnian Ministry of External Affairs threatened to spark another needless war.

Nicolae Cuza, leader of the Septcastillian Populist Front, is reported to have been personally sympathetic to the position of the Yiddish Parties, but his own voters and colleagues took a more sceptical view.

The Populist Front is now acting as a peace maker between the Yiddish factions and the Patriotic Peasants Party, after allegedly anti-Semitic remarks by the PPP's chairman Uladzimir Sannikov led to a brawl at an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Politicians from the Front dismiss claims of continuing acrimony, and insist the coalition is ready to pursue its ambitious domestic reforms, which will see most of the Social Democrats' legacy overturned.

Riven by its own divisions, the once dominant Social Democratic bloc has failed to capitalise on the government's failings. How best to respond to Kadikistani adventurism has created an ever-widening gap between the Yiddish Social Democratic Alliance and Jatvigaria's own Popular Social Democratic Party, which continues to flirt with Prometheism as a result.

Meanwhile, Trivodnia's liberal and centrist parties are all but extinct after the general election, and have no obvious road to recovery beyond a complete implosion of social democracy in the Free States, which few are predicting even with current tensions in the movement.

All of this leaves Jatvigaria increasingly sidelined. Historically the powerhouse of Trivodnia, it has no representation in the current coalition government, and rivalries within the Social Democratic bloc give it no effective voice in the opposition. Irredentist parties calling for a restoration of the Grand Duchy's borders are on the up, with more and more rallies held each month. But they will have to wait another two years until the state assembly elections to make any impact. It will be a long two years for Jatvigaria.

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[Polesia]

די צײט | Di Tsayt ‎

Coalition introduces States Freedom bill

AMSTOV - After being ensnared in a series of controversies and distracted by regional crises, the coalition government has tried regaining the initiative with the launch of its States Freedom bill, which is being heralded as the "greatest devolution of power in over a century".

In its current draft the bill would reassert the primacy of states' rights in a number of key policy areas, including tax, education and healthcare.

Few new powers will be introduced, leading to one legal expert to dismiss the legislation as "mere constitutional tinkering". But for the coalition it signals the beginning of their ambitious domestic reform agenda.

Social democrat parties, which have long preferred a more active federal government, have already declared their opposition. Trivodnia's dwindling centrist and liberal parties, while having criticised the bill as insufficient, are likely to support its passing in the end.

Some see the old battle lines of the 1852 Revolution being refought, which led to the disbanding of the Commonwealth and establishment of the Free States, creating to the federal system Trivodnia has today.

Nicolae Cuza, the increasingly influential leader of the Septcastillian Populist Front, is leading the charge for the bill. Having brokered a peace between the Yiddish parties and Krasnislavian Patriotic Peasants Party, he is now keen to see many of the changes promised during the election campaign enacted.

Greater state autonomy is central to Cuza's vision. Septcastille historically had a strong independence movement, being the last province to join the Ultrasylvanian Commonwealth. While the Front does not support total independence, it has consistently backed further decentralisation.


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[Polesia]

Vochnblat

THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS DEEMED 'UNFIT'

The Ministry of National Defence faced embarrassment after a report by the Military Inspectorate claimed thousands of service men were ill-prepared for a combat situation, with issues ranging from poor physical health and well being to inadequate weapons training. The document, revealed in the press ahead of its scheduled launch, also asserted much of the armed forces' equipment was outdated and needed upgrading.

In response, the government has reiterated its plans to boost military spending, with a focus on expansion and modernisation. The civil wars in [MENTION=1187]Ivernia[/MENTION], [MENTION=1974]Lauenburg[/MENTION] and [MENTION=1517]Saaremaa[/MENTION] and the crisis in the Chetnik Empire have led to renewed calls for a rearmament programme to allow Trivodnia to effectively counter any threat.

MUSLIM LEADERS DEMAND REPRESENTATION ON RELIGIOUS COUNCIL

A coalition of religious leaders from Trivodnia's small Islamic community are calling for the right to participate in high-level inter-faith talks that regularly occur between the different Jewish sects, the Tiburan Catholic Church and Slavian Orthodox Church. While not a formal state function, meaning they are not covered by federal equality laws, the meetings are often attended by senior politicians from across the spectrum.

The preachers' demands have so far gone unanswered. Tensions between the Islamic community and the government have been rising after it was alleged the military was turning away Muslim refugees trying to flee the violence in the Chetnik Empire.

NATIONALIST MARCH ENDS IN CLASHES

A group calling for the restoration of the Grand Duchy of Jatvigaria's old borders clashed with law enforcement after dozens of its supporters tried entering Lauenburg illegally.

National Resurgence, which also wants a return to a monarchic form of government, led a border-to-border procession to protest the Kadikistani occupation of Calidia. While promising the authorities it would not stray beyond the territory of the Free States, a number of marchers attempted to cross into Lauenburg to reach Calidia, but were ultimately prevented by the Law Guards.

 

[Merioneth]

OOC: thought I should point out Lauenburg isn't in Civil War.

 

[Polesia]

DER MORGEN ZSHURNAL
דער מארגען זשורנאל | The Morning Journal

A WARM WARNING: INTERVIEW WITH KADIKISTANI LEADER LENINOV

Sitting in a grand room surrounded by scenes of Kadikistan's bloody revolution, all captured in the heroic style of socialist realism, Kadikistan's notorious leader Nikolai Leninov takes a long and deep breath before answering our first question. It is the second in a series of interviews with foreign media intended to improve the country's reputation abroad, and unlike with Kadikistan's own tightly controlled press, Leninov knows each word he says will be interpreted freely.

"Neither the Party or the State of Kadikistan has any aggressive intentions towards our Trivodnian brethren," the General-Secretary of the Central Committee of the Kadikistani Socialist Worker's Party begins, "in fact let me use this opportunity to reach out towards both the people of Trivodnia and their government. There is much potential for growth in the relations between your nation and mine."

The relatively dull and bureaucratic sounding title of Leninov obscures his position as one of the most powerful men in the world. Yet speaking with him over a plain wooden table adorned only with a few family portraits and personal trinkets, one could forget he commanded a one-million-strong army currently swarming along the shores of the Gothic Sea.

The Rurikgrad Pact poses "no threat" to Trivodnia, Leninov informs us, despite its forces all being within striking distance of the Free States. Known formally as the Treaty of Mutual Friendship, Co-operation and Assistance, the alliance was established by Kadikistan to demonstrate its clear commitment to the security and independence of Calidia and Milesia, Scania's newest states and widely regarded of puppets of Ivar.

But the Pact also has "the potential to benefit the Trivodnian workers and farmers substantially" due to its role in "advancing the international proletariat" Leninov claims. It is this jarring dissonance that marks the rest of the interview. Within a sentence, Leninov will effortlessly jump from hard-headed pragmatism to an apocalyptic idealism that sees the established global order collapsing in a sea of fire and bloodshed.

Having only just suggested the Treaty will help usher in the liberation of Trivodnia's toiling classes, Leninov then hints at a place for the current Trivodnian government in his schemes. "The Rurikgrad Pact is not an exclusively communist alliance," he starts, "all nations committed to peace and stability in Germania are welcome to join our ranks and help us strive towards durable solutions for our region's problems."

Following on from the policies of ex-Chancellor Alexander Kahnemann, who overturned decades of Social Democratic foreign policy orthodoxy by pursuing warmer relations with Kadikistan, the present government of Trivodnia has been keen not to provoke its large neighbour. Issuing only vague condemnatory statements in response to the murderous actions in Lauenburg and Saaremaa, Amstov is too preoccupied with domestic reform to wade into nearby conflicts.

"With the Rurikgrad Pact signed and approved we can more effectively safeguard the important trade routes going through the Gothic Sea," Leninov continues, which "the people of Trivodnia will benefit from economically". Past events in the Kalahari Ocean had proven Kadikistan was "a reliable and loyal protector of international trade".

A quick question on whether Kadikistan was supporting any armed groups in Trivodnia received a short, sharp "no", before Leninov mournfully adds: "Somewhat to our own regret Trivodnia has yet to develop a base for Marxist-Leninovist thought".

Regardless of whatever else had been said during the interview, this much was true. Perhaps a steady stream of refugees from Kadikistan had convinced the downtrodden of the Free States against revolution.

Our conversation continued for another hour, running through a number of hypothetical geopolitical scenarios. In each case, Leninov made it obvious Kadikistan would have to be involved to a large degree. Yet throughout, he was courteous and polite, never once raising his voice. The Kadikistani dictator has oft been described as an iron fist in a velvet glove, but from our time with him we could not think of a better description.

Landing in Amstov, a diplomat asked what we had returned with. A warning we replied, a warm one, but a warning nonetheless.

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[Polesia]

Ziarul​

CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION FOR OLD FAITHS

Judaism and the Tiburan and Orthodox Churches will receive special recognition for their historical role in Trivodnian society under a constitutional amendment being considered by the coalition government.

The proposal, which would exclude Protestant denominations and Islam, is currently being drawn up for a formal announcement in the New Year. Provisions to allow individual states to favour the predominant religion, for example Tiburan Catholicism in Septcastille, are also being discussed.

To be accepted, the amendment will have to be passed with a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the Grand Assembly and all the state legislatures before being put to a popular vote.

The plans form part of a wider reform package by the coalition to undo much of the Social Democrats' domestic legacy and drive attention back to home affairs, with regional crises having absorbed the media's attention for the past few months.

Speaking after attending Christmas mass at his local church, Populist Front leader Nicolae Cuza also confirmed separate legislation that will prohibit the demolition of religious buildings. It is understood these new regulations will extend to Protestant churches and synagogues too to avoid falling foul of federal anti-discrimination laws.

Additional funding is to be provided for those fleeing religious persecution as well. The announcement follows [MENTION=1517]Saaremaa[/MENTION] abolishing Christmas holidays for workers as part of a state atheism campaign.

While extra money for refugees is likely to prove uncontroversial, granting certain religions constitutional recognition and places of worship special protection will face a strong challenge from the social democratic and liberal parties.

With opposing parties controlling all four state assemblies, the coalition government may have to wait two years until after local elections before pushing through any constitutional changes. Yet such a wait may not pay off, as victory at a state-level for the coalition partners is not guaranteed by any means.

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[Polesia]

Žinios

Popular Social Democratic Party splits

Jatvigaria faces the possibility of early elections in the New Year, after a series of high-profile defections from the Popular Social Democratic Party leaves the future of the state government in question.

Led by chairman Jonas Ulba, twelve members of the PSDP today quit and announced the formation of a new political grouping - the Independent Social Democratic Party.

A self-described "secret Prometheist", Ulba has been at the centre of arguments with the wider Trivodnian social democratic movement, calling for a more assertive stance towards Kadikistan and urging a more accommodating approach to the issue of national identity.

Arguing the interests of Jatvigaria could no longer be served by the PSDP, Ulba revealed plans for a new political force, which he will also lead, on the steps of Byalstock city library.

While many in the rump PSDP are known to be sympathetic to Ulba's views, most are sceptical on the benefits of creating a new party. One elected official, who did not want to be named, said without the support of the social democratic allies in the Yiddish Free State and beyond, fighting elections at any level would be a "struggle".

Those close to Ulba insist more defections are on the way, with resignations deliberately phased to maximise impact. Algirdas Smetona, one of the first defectors and co-founders of the ISDP, claimed "dozens more" were ready to jump ship.

Governor Vytenis Ropė, a PSDP stalwart, called Ulba a "narcissist" and dismissed his supporters as "deluded". The two men have publicly clashed on several occasions and believed to dislike each other intensely on a personal level. Ropė's office is now reportedly pressuring suspected potential defectors to stay, promising promotions in return for continued loyalty.

Now left with only a three-strong majority, talks are also allegedly underway with both the Civic and Christian Democrats on the possibility of a coalition, but initial rumours suggest the two smaller parties are reluctant to enter any formal arrangement, fearing association with a failed government.

Were an election to occur in the New Year, it is unclear who the victor would be. Formed in 1896, the PSDP is one of Jatvigaria's oldest parties and has dominated local politics for the past few decades. It remains incredibly popular throughout the province, and commands a formidable electoral machine. No doubt the PSDP and its allies will try and make an example of the splitters to prevent future schisms elsewhere.

But anger is running high in Jatvigaria. The Calidian crisis awakened memories around the dismemberment of the Grand Duchy, historically one of the most powerful states in the Gothic Sea region. Many blame the dovish foreign policy of Alexander Kaheman, the previous Social Democratic federal chancellor, for present Kadikistani adventurism.

No nationalist movement, like those that have swept through Krasnislavia, Septcastille and the Yiddish territories, stands ready to capitalise on such emotion. National Resurgence, a pretend paramilitary outfit filled with nostalgists, is barely capable of organising a march. In the centre ground, the Civic and Christian Democrats have yet to find a defining platform. The PSDP may emerge the winner once again.
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