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PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE
NEW BIRMINGHAM
08.00, APRIL 5TH, 2021

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"Thanks everyone for the early start." Emryc Isla started the meeting, slightly bleary-eyed, before downing his enormous #NOREFUGEES mug of coffee. "I try to keep these to a minimum, as you know, but you'll also know that today marks seven - well, seven and a half - days since the start of our operation in Neo-Venetia, Stella Maris. I'm going to start by giving a short briefing myself on the situation as it stands, and then Field Marshal Timpson will brief you on future plans."

"So, if you look at the map, you'll see we've made significant progress, especially over the last three days. We've met with comparatively little resistance, even in some cities that had been home to Communist and SRA troops before the start of Stella Maris. It's clear that the initial operation was successful in spreading confusion among the regime forces, and that's enabled us to take a number of cities and towns. We took Caparnaon, Tabaria, Carmiel, and Zecanin on the night of March 28th, followed by a short gap. On the 2nd we took Ponovo and Cavalieri; on the 4th we took Acco with no resistance, and reached the coastline; and later yesterday we entered Raffanea, Archas, Santegidio, and Gibelet. Now we've got our tanks and cars to the frontline, progress has been a lot quicker than in the logistical nightmare following the initial operation."

"Unfortunately, our progress is likely to halt in the coming 48 hours. As we predicted, the Communist forces have largely abandoned the plains for the cities and, regrettably, the mountains too. This is their forte. Fighting continues on the outskirts of Raffanea, and as you can see, there are pockets of serious regime resistance in Megido, Southern Caesarea, Antioch, the countryside to the east of Carmiel, the mountainous border areas, and most of all, Neo-Venetia city. This is expected to be the hardest slog. Field Marshal Timpson will now take you through how we plan to address this issue."

Emryc called the Field Marshal over, and he stood by the map.

"We intend to focus in the coming 48-72 hours on clearing the northern plains of resistance as far as Hatay. This will mark the end of Stella Maris as an operation. Two new operations will follow."

"The first of these is Operation Stylites. This will be focussed on the mountain region and the heavily-mined countryside east of Carmiel. Our campaign there will take on the characteristics of a counter-insurgency strategy, which we expect to last in some form beyond the completion of the main phase of the conflict. Our first goals under Stylites will be to completely secure the main towns - the remainder of Raffanea, plus Ferrand and Marra - and to destroy the barracks southeast of Ferrand, which appears to be intended as a mountain redoubt."

"The good news, on that note, is that we fully expect Stella Maris to cut almost all regime forces off from their mountain redoubt within 24 hours. Only about 20,000 men can be expected to hold out there, based on where we intend to reach the border, hopefully later today."

"The second operation is Operation Ouranos. Ouranos is an urban warfare campaign based on the fact that Antioch, Neo-Venetia, Megido, and Southern Caesarea have become de facto military bases. We intend that the next two weeks will be an aerial-led campaign, focussed on eliminating the integrity of the regime's urban warfare capabilities."

"I'll be frank here and say that we must expect significant civilian casualties. We can and will act based on the highest quality intelligence. We can and will provide warnings, generally and, where appropriate, in specific circumstances. But at this point, the regime's modus operandi has become clear. They will use civilian buildings for military purposes, both for anti-air and ground activities. They will use civilians as human shields."

"The second phase of Ouranos will be ground-based, and that will be the completion of the main phase of the conflict; but please recognise that we can only do this successfully, and without significant losses, including civilian losses, on the ground without first preparing the ground from the air."

"Thanks, Field Marshal. I know what's been said there is quite significant, so I'll open the floor to questions."

One hand shot up. "Nigel Martin, Foreign Affairs. As we all know, the last time we went into NV, we had to withdraw due to foreign pressure. How can we expect to maintain the goodwill of the rest of Europe if we're bombing these cities to hell? You're breaking my equipment before I go out to bat here."

"That's a good question, minister," replied the Field Marshal. "It's not for me to lay out the diplomatic situation; but I should stress we will always try to keep civilian casualties to a minimum. The route we're taking is actually the route of least death."

"The route of least fucking death! I'll use that one on the Inquistan ambassador. Fucking hell."

Martha Lane piped up. "Well, it's not like the Inquistans can complain about bombi-"

The cabinet started talking over each other until Emryc banged the table with his coffee mug.

"Look. Nigel, you know as well as I do that our improved diplomatic situation is as much down to our increased strength as anything else. I'm confident we can get through this fine. Europeans get much worse news images every day than any propaganda the CPNV or SRA will be able to come up with."

A few more, more mundane, questions followed.

"Right, I think that'll do. I want to have a vote now. All in favour of Stylites and Ouranos?"

Nigel Martin interjected. "We're voting on them together?!"

"Yes. Would you like to vote separately, Nigel."

Nigel shook his head, slightly exasperated, and raised his hand. The others all raised their hands.

"Then it's agreed. Field Marshal, keep us posted. Thank you."

Sham Rock all came onto the stage - including the man who played the piano. Anne Barrett, the lead singer, took to the stage, draped in a UNSR flag.

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"It is really an honour to win Eurovoice. You know, I think everyone here in the audience is the belle (or beau!) of Neomantua city! I'm glad I could bring a little bit of folk to Eurovoice. Who doesn't love folk? It seems in the audience there's a disturbance, he is not handsome, he is not pretty and he definitely is not the belle of Neomantua city... Sad! But onto the main speech. I'd like to thank Angleter for this amazing show. The graphics were stunning, and really improved on those at Eurovoice 35 in Icholasen! It's also great to have so many nations here, and that's really a credit to the draw of Angleter as a European cultural powerhouse. New Birmingham and all cities across Angleter produce great artists. Such as,' she checks her notes, 'Drake Bell! I'd also like to extend my thanks to Peter Montford. What a man.' She purred and winked at the Big Cheese. 'What. A. Man. Without him,' the Inquistans in the audience roared with applause, 'what would Eurovoice be?' Anne Barrett continued despite the applause. 'Montford, otherwise known as 'Beefcake Supreme' and 'The Lion of the EUBC', has done so much good work for Eurovoice. It'll be great to see who his successor is, and how they will build on his great work. And so finally, I'd just like to say thank you!! I love my country. Next time in Cesae Vauvra!" There was a mixed reaction from the crowd.

Simon shook hands with Emryc and gave him the gift wine fresh from the cellars of the king.

"It is such an honor Emryc."

Then he left the office and went back to Reitzmag.

HABEMUS PAPAM DAY 2: REOPENING OF THE PAPAL APARTMENTS

The sealed doors of the papal apartments are now ready to be reopened. One by one, Pope Peter II cuts the ribbons on each of the doors from the hallways to his personal office.

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The holy father then went on to the window of his office to look at the people visiting the square. Then, he waves at the people showing that he sees them. After taking some pictures with the media just at the lobby, he proceeds to St. Peter's Basilica to do confession.

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After the confession he then headed back to his room to have some rest.

STATEMENT: NEO-VENETIA
By the Prime Minister, Emryc Isla
Oldknow House, March 29th, 2021

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Good morning.

Last night, His Majesty’s Armed Services commenced an operation to remove the Communist regime occupying Neo-Venetia, and restore the province to its rightful status.

The crimes of the Neo-Venetian regime are well-known.

Earlier this month, a number of regime operatives were captured by our Inimican friends, where they will be brought to justice for their involvement in the disgraceful assassination attempt on Emperor Artabanos, who will always be a friend of our country.

We also know that the Neo-Venetian regime assassinated the previous separatist Prime Minister; they have imposed a totalitarian Communist dictatorship on the Neo-Venetian people; and they have brought into their ranks the terrorist Social Republican Army.

In the interests of peace and stability, since 2009, the Angleteric nation has pursued its interests in Neo-Venetia peacefully and diplomatically.

This continued after the coup last March, which brought the spectre of Communism to our doorstep, to our land. Over the last twelve months, we have made a number of requests of the Communist regime, seeking reassurance that their regime is not a threat to the free area of Angleter.

These requests have been ignored. And so, the atrocities of the Neo-Venetian Communist regime cannot be ignored any longer.

Therefore, yesterday, I took the difficult decision to send our troops into active combat once more.

I am delighted to report that the first phase of our operation has been a success.

Last night, in a series of daring amphibious raids, our Armed Services took control of the cities of Caparnaon, Tabaria, Carmel, and Zecanin.

Having secured the Leontes as far as Carmel and Zecanin, we are now in a position to eliminate various pockets of regime resistance in eastern Neo-Venetia.

The Royal Angleteric Air Fleet has also established complete air superiority over Neo-Venetia and its coastline. We have instituted a temporary no-fly zone over Neo-Venetia while operations are still ongoing.

I would very strongly urge nations, airlines, and private flyers to observe this no-fly zone in their own interests. We have encountered significant anti-air activity from regime forces – regrettably, their signature move since the coup has been making aircraft fall out of the sky – and so it is actively dangerous for any aircraft to fly over Neo-Venetia at this time.

This includes RAAF aircraft, and I must confirm that a number of our aircraft have been shot down, and a number of pilots, sailors, and soldiers injured and killed in this early stage of the operation.

Their sacrifice will be remembered forever by the Angleteric nation. They have fought, been hurt, and died for their King, for their country, and for the safety of their compatriots. Further details about how our nation will recognise the heroism of our troops will follow in due course.

I am at present unable to disclose casualty numbers, although I can confirm that they are significantly higher on the regime side.

I can also confirm that military and civilian refugees from this conflict will be treated humanely.

Our operation has been well-planned for 12 months, and therefore we are well prepared to absorb anyone who has been displaced by this operation. We have applied best practice from Dromund Kaas, and are in the process of setting up habitable refugee camps and POW camps.

All permanent residents of Neo-Venetia are entitled to permanent residency and citizenship of the Apostolic Kingdom of Angleter, with the exception of regime operatives whose treason against this nation has forfeited them that right.
Therefore, the nations of Europe should rest assured that Angleter will absorb almost all people displaced as a result of this operation.

I’d like to thank the many nations, such as Inimicus and Reitzmag, that have acknowledged our rights in Neo-Venetia. I’d also like to stress that our operation’s parameters will reflect our respect for the strategic interests of the Duxburian Union.

I’ve been briefed that this operation will be mercifully short. As such, I will provide an update on our future plans for Neo-Venetia at the appropriate time. For now, however, I would once again like to thank our extraordinary troops for their patriotic sacrifice, and ask you all to rejoice at the news of our success on the battlefield, and at the coming completion of our nation.

NVTV BROADCASTING HOUSE
NEO-VENETIA CITY
3.00pm, MONDAY 24TH MARCH

A uniformed man sat behind the news desk.

"Comrades of Neo-Venetia, it is my great honour and pleasure to announce that the workers and soldiers of this country have taken control of the government and the means of production. We have unshackled ourselves from the parasitical regime whose corruption was laid bare in indictments laid by the Ministry of Justice early this morning."

"This morning, corrupt officials were removed from office, and Parliament voted to remove all other government officials from the inherently corrupt MPF, and transfer power to the workers of this country in the person of Tony Moscati, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Neo-Venetia. Comrade Moscati will immediately set about restructuring our constitution along the lines of Marxist-Leninist thought. Workers across the country launched spontaneous strikes in solidarity with the revolutions in Icholasen and Reitzmag, and later this morning joined the revolution and seized control of their workplaces with the help of the revolutionary soldiers of the country and party."

"The so-called Movement for a Popular Front has been replaced by a genuine popular front, including the Communist Party and the Social Republican Party. Comradely soldiers from the Social Republican Army took direct action against the MPF as retribution for its defrauding of the people by demolishing its headquarters this morning. Later this morning, as the former Prime Minister fled the capital in order to arrange a counter-revolutionary coup, comradely soldiers shot down his helicopter and thwarted his efforts to rally right-wing forces to commit violence against the workers and soldiers of this country."

"All military bases have now been secured, and amnesty has been offered to all soldiers from bases that initially opposed the revolution, but have since surrendered. Anyone still engaged in counter-revolutionary activity is advised that this amnesty will conclude at 4pm. After that point, any counter-revolutionary activity will be recognised as treason."

"Civilian comrades are advised to remain indoors until further notice, and to rejoice that the global workers' revolution has spread to our country. Though the battle for the emancipation of the international working class continues, we can glory in the fact that the revolution is victorious here in Neo-Venetia, and that all our efforts as a nation will go towards the good of the working class and the Communist project, both here and across Europe."

The screen faded into a red flag with a hammer and sickle as the Internationale played.

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Country name:United Duchies
Population (in RP):125,986,776
Catholic % of population:22.80%

Country name:Svarna Surya
Population (in RP):55,325,000
Catholic % of population:5.1%

Voting is over

There were, in total, 9 votes.

All candidates are elected to the ECoJ by default, as there were only five candidates for five positions. Congratulations to all candidates.

For Chief Justice, the number of first preference votes for each candidate were as follows:

Nara AL-KAHINA – 4
Luka REGALENA – 4
Francois MORI – 1

As no candidate has over 50% of the vote, the candidates with the fewest votes – candidates LORENZEN, MORI, and RINDER – are eliminated, and their first-preference votes transferred. On the second count, the number of votes for the remaining candidates were as follows:

Luka REGALENA – 5
Nara AL-KAHINA – 4

Therefore Luka REGALENA is duly elected Chief Justice of the ECoJ. Congratulations to him, and commiserations to the other justices. The new ECoJ's term will conclude on 8th January, 2020.

Voting is over

There were, in total, 8 votes. The results are as follows:

Premier Commissioner

Rodrigo CARMONA-SANTOS – 5
Blair VON SCHROEDER – 3

Internal Affairs

Alexander PHILLIPS – 7

Foreign Affairs

Vincent DRAKE am Weisshaupt – 5
Jean-Claude JUNCKER – 3

Therefore Rodrigo CARMONA-SANTOS is duly elected Premier Commissioner, Alexander PHILLIPS is duly elected Internal Affairs Commissioner, and Vincent DRAKE am Weisshaupt is duly elected Foreign Affairs Commissioner. Congratulations to them, and commiserations to the other candidates.

The new Commissioners' terms will run until 8th January 2020, or, for the Foreign Affairs Commissioner, 8th May 2020.

Do you believe the current regional recruitment rate is sufficient enough, if not what do you plan on doing to alleviate that? As with the other candidates, would you support bringing back the so-called mentorship program?

We currently have 139 member-states, which is neither particularly high or low compared to the history of the EU. However, only about 10 of those nations actively participate in the Union and are formally empowered to utilize the full scope of what we offer. That’s a core participation rate of only 7%, when 10-15% has been our historical average. Recruitment is more or less ok, but there is definite room for improvement in regional engagement.

I don’t think the mentorship program is necessarily the best way to raise engagement, but new nations do need to be welcomed when they join and presented with how they can get involved in the region. The Welcome TG is information overload and too impersonal to fulfill this role, first contact needs a personal touch. This gets into Internal territory, so I feel like it could be a joint project with Internal Affairs.

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December 22nd, 2021
Article by: Sophie Hirst

OVER BY CHRISTMAS? BREAKTHROUGH IN DK NEGOTIATIONS

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Kaasian regime representatives leave peace talks in Tsetinye, Pravoslaviya

Negotiations to end the Dromund Kaas War have intensified following reports from Angleteric officials that a 'breakthrough' allowing Angleteric troops to withdraw from the decade-long conflict are 'in sight'.

The talks, which were briefly interrupted by an immigration raid by Pravoslaviyan authorities, are now continuing on a 24/7 basis, as both camps are reportedly optimistic about an agreement being reached by the end of the year. Prime Minister Emryc Isla's target of an agreement and withdrawal by Christmas are believed to be slipping out of sight, but the Angleteric camp is hopeful that they'll only miss that goal by a few days.

Sithian regime officials are believed to be agreeing to a range of commitments in exchange for a withdrawal by Angleteric, Duxburian, and other 'Coalition of the Willing' forces that have been fighting to topple the regime since 2011, when a series of belligerent diplomatic actions by then-Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin provoked a pre-emptive military response from the region's leading military powers. Since then, however, Dromund Kaas' mountainous terrain has made ultimate victory elusive for the regional coalition, and allowed the denuded regime to dig in around its capital, Kaas City.

Angleteric officials are pushing for the regime to agree to a degree of respect for basic human rights, effective border control in order to prevent a wave of mass immigration to Angleter and other European countries, the disavowal of terrorist activity, and a commitment against the kind of rearmament and regional aggression that led to the start of the war in 2011. While Sithian regime negotiators have held firm on a number of points, it is believed that the devastating effects of the war, including the Duxburian EMP attack at the start of the war, will render many of these points of contention moot, as the regime will lack the capability, let alone the will, to threaten any of its neighbours, let alone the rest of Europe, for the medium term.

Prime Minister Emryc Isla is on borrowed time to conclude both these negotiations and secure Angleter's victory in the Second Neo-Venetia War, where troops are expected to launch an operation into the remaining Communist bases in the coming days. The Prime Minister secured both confidence and supply and a six-month delay to elections on the grounds that an end to both of these conflicts was near, although his commanding lead in the polls was doubtless another factor, and he knows he has weeks before he has to face the public having either succeeded or failed in keeping his core promises.

The remaining military presence is reported to be well-planned for a hasty exit from Dromund Kaas, with some divisions expecting redeployment to Neo-Venetia. No major operations on the Kaasian front have been made for several months, and many troops and much more equipment has already been removed in anticipation of either an agreement or a long-term cooling of military activities in the country. It is believed that a complete withdrawal could follow days after an agreement being signed.

Robert Rice, leader of the Democratic Party, whose government invaded Dromund Kaas in the first place, is an almost lone voice against the negotiations in New Birmingham. He has denounced Emryc Isla for "negotiating with the 9/9 terrorists," and for "selling out our troops and civilian victims in order to meet a manifesto commitment he couldn't achieve on the battlefield," and has predicted that "within 48 hours of this grubby deal going through, the Sithian regime will be back to the oppressive force it was in 2011, and every force for evil in Europe will have its eyes on New Birmingham."

However, after ten years of war, his claims have fallen on largely deaf ears, with the Prime Minister quipping in recent days that "if Robert Rice wants to fight the DK War himself, he's welcome to buy a gun, charter a jet, and do it himself - I won't stop him." According to polling, around 70% of Angleterics would welcome a negotiated withdrawal from Dromund Kaas; and only 35% would support a form of asylum for Kaasians who oppose the Sithian regime or collaborated with coalition forces during the conflict.

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Kacey Musgraves came up onto the stage, draped in the flag of Icholasen, on the verge of tears.

“Wow.” Kacey declared out to the audience. She was so proud of the tiny glimmers of orange Nicoleizian flags glimmering in the audience. “I’m going to keep this short, but thank you so much Europe! I’d like to thank my backing vocalists, the writers and composers who helped me craft this wonderful song and Angleter for hosting this fantastic show. It really has been a wonderful night, and it truly is a credit to how great a nation Angleter is, with amazing presenting talent, vocal talent, and talent for crafting an amazing show. I’d like to dedicate my win to all the horses out there, yeehaw! I really did not expect this overwhelming endorsement for my song, and it is amazing to even have been selected to represent my country. I cannot wait for the 35th Eurovoice in Saint Regina, or wherever! Remember, there’s always been a rainbow hanging over your head. Yeehaw!”

POLITICS OF ANGLETER

I. THE KING AND THE APOSTOLIC CROWN

The King of Angleter, George V, is the sovereign ruler of Angleter. Historically, the King or Queen was an absolute monarch, although they usually devolved day-to-day power to appointed ministers. However, over the last half century, and especially since the Constitution of 1973, the King has functioned as a constitutional monarch. Under the Constitution, the King retains almost absolute authority to appoint and dismiss Government ministers, and all ministers exercise power in his name, as the Apostolic Crown of Angleter. He is, however, subject to limits on the number of MPs he can appoint as ministers, in order to preserve the independence of Parliament.

The Apostolic Crown holds a range of powers under the Constitution, including the power to dismiss and recall Parliament, and the power to veto legislation. However, the Apostolic Crown cannot do various things, such as raise taxes, spend money, make legislation, or declare war, without Parliament.

This means that the King is also limited, in practice, in whom he can appoint as ministers – any Government would need to command the support of Parliament, and so the King almost always appoints a victorious party leader as Prime Minister and accepts their choice of ministers. If the King were to dismiss his ministers, it would likely cause an election.

Despite his role at the heart of the Constitution, the King generally keeps silent on day-to-day party political matters, in order to maintain his role as a symbol of national unity, and in order to maintain healthy working relationships with all parties. While he chairs Cabinet meetings, he rarely takes part in Cabinet votes. However, the previous King, Joseph IV, spoke out occasionally on issues such as Angleter's accession to the European Union, and it is generally accepted that the monarch's word, while used rarely, carries great weight with the public.

II. PARLIAMENT

Parliament is the supreme legislative body in Angleter. The Constitution frames Angleteric politics as a relationship between the Crown and the nation, and Parliament is the official representative body of the Angleteric nation. It comprises two chambers – the elected Chamber of the Plebeians, and the mostly hereditary Chamber of the Nobility.

The Chamber of the Plebeians has 497 members (MPs), elected in single-member constituencies under the first-past-the-post system, which was reinstated in 2009. All Angleteric citizens over the age of 18 may vote in these elections, except for the King, members of the Chamber of the Nobility, convicted prisoners, bankrupts, and those certified insane. All legislation must first be proposed in the Chamber of the Plebeians, and it is considered by far the more powerful chamber of Parliament.

Legislation in the Chamber of the Plebeians is subject to a rigorous legislative process. A Bill is first debated on its general principles, and then either voted down or sent to one of the Chamber's powerful committees, which then scrutinises the Bill and proposes amendments to it. The whole Chamber then deliberates on those amendments and holds a final vote on the Bill before sending it to the Chamber of the Nobility.

Committees in the Chamber of the Plebeians are large groups of around 30 MPs from all parties, focussed on a specific area. Their roles include scrutinising legislation, questioning Government ministers and holding them to account, and conducting enquiries relating to their area.

The Chamber of the Nobility consists of 275 hereditary noblemen and women, and 24 Catholic bishops, all of whom are required to be non-partisan, although it is generally regarded as quite traditionalist in outlook. It is rare that this Chamber rejects a Bill passed by the Chamber of the Plebeians outright, especially after a confrontation with a Socialist government in 1980 where it was threatened with abolition. It does, however, suggest amendments, which the Chamber of the Plebeians then deliberates on. Bills can go back and forth multiple times before both Chambers agree on a text which is passed on for the King's approval.

III. THE JUDICIARY

Angleteric politics is centred around Parliament and the Apostolic Crown, leaving the judiciary relatively weak. The law is first and foremost interpreted by Parliament itself via further legislation where necessary, leaving little room for 'judicial activism'. The Constitutional Court may impose temporary injunctions on legislation or activity that it rules to be unconstitutional, but it defers to Parliament and the Apostolic Crown as to how any such quandary should be resolved. The Constitutional Court consists of seven members, appointed by the Apostolic Crown, subject to the approval of the Chamber of the Plebeians.

Angleter has a common law system inherited from the English crusaders who founded the country in the early 13th century, although its laws have since diverged considerably and taken on influence from other sources of law, including Byzantine law, Catholic canon law, French customary law, and Islamic sharia and 'urf.

There are three main streams to Angleteric law – civil, criminal, and equity. In criminal law, the lowest court is the Magistrates’ Court, presided over by elected Justices of the Peace, where small offences may be dealt with (only if the defendant pleads guilty), and where preliminary criminal proceedings are held. Cases are then tried before a 15-member jury at the Crown Court; and convicted defendants may appeal the jury’s verdict, or the judge’s sentence, at the Appellate Court, which may adjust sentences, or overturn verdicts and order a retrial.

In civil law, preliminary proceedings take place at the hundred court, which can also deal with smaller claims. Most cases, however, are dealt with by one of seven civil courts – the Court of Matrimonial Causes (family law), the Court of Admiralty (maritime law), the Court of Probate (wills), the Court of Constitutional Causes (constitutional law), the Court of King’s Bench (claims relating to the Apostolic Crown), the Court of Exchequer (debts), and the Court of Common Pleas (all other issues). Appeals from the former four go straight to the Constitutional Court, while appeals from the latter three go first to the Court of Exchequer Chamber.

Equity law exists as a counterweight to the possible harshness, and slow pace of change, of the normal common law system; and can offer remedy to deserving plaintiffs where the current corpus of common law can offer no relief. Equity cases include, but are not limited to, matters relating to trusts, fiduciary law, relief against penalties and forfeiture, bankruptcy, and injunctions. The main equity courts are the Courts of Chancery, whose decisions can be appealed at the Appellate Court of Chancery.

IV. DEVOLUTION

Although Angleter is technically a unitary state, decentralisation is woven into its political system. The country is divided into sixteen provinces, each in turn divided into 'boroughs' (large cities and towns) and 'hundreds' (more rural areas), with the boroughs in turn divided into neighbourhoods. Many of these smaller units operate a form of direct democracy, and all units below provincial level are non-partisan.

Angleteric politics, at least in theory, operates on the principle that each issue should be dealt with at the lowest possible level, and each level of government is mostly self-financing, with some degree of 'equalisation' between richer and poorer areas. Policy making in Angleter usually involves the Apostolic Crown or Parliament setting a framework, and allowing provincial and local governments and legislatures to apply that framework in their own way.

The sixteen provinces have their own Parliamentary system, and a member of the nobility acting as Lord Lieutenant, effectively filling the role of the King at provincial level. However, provincial legislatures and governments are firmly subordinate to national law, although some national laws may be subject to a temporary injunction by provinces in extreme cases.

V. POLITICAL CULTURE

Angleter is generally considered a centre-right country, and has had centre-right governments for most of its democratic history. The Conservative Party, founded in 1973 by Sir Charles Catt out of the ashes of the old Levantine Legion, governed from a socially conservative standpoint for most of the 1970s. It later merged into the CLP, or Conservative and Libertarian Party, which combined social conservatism with economic liberalism, and which dominated Angleteric politics in the 1990s and 2000s. It usually governed with centrist, nationalist, traditionalist, or libertarian coalition partners.

In 2009, the Democratic Party, founded by Navdeep Khatkar in opposition to the Neo-Venetia War, swept to power and became Angleter's main centre-right party, although since its defeat in 2015 it has become increasingly divided between conservatives who identify with the tradition of the CLP, and liberals, who would consider themselves heirs to the Social Liberal Party, which supplied a Prime Minister in the form of Janet Norris in the 1980s, as part of a coalition deal with the Socialists.

Many social conservative parties flourished as the CLP drifted away from the Conservative Party's traditionalist roots, and the most successful of these was the staunchly militaristic and nationalist Angleter National People's Party. This tradition has, however, withered in recent years, torn between the hawkish Democrats and the new brand of anti-war right-wing populism advocated by the Citizen Alliance, which gained power in 2018.

Angleter's left wing has long been conscious of its position as a minority, but often has successfully broadened its appeal to obtain power. The Socialist Party was a social democratic party which focussed on economic issues, aiming not to alarm the socially conservative impulses of many working-class and lower middle-class Angleteric voters. It enjoyed its ascendancy in the 1980s and 1990s, before a massive defeat in 1997 led it to tack to the left, absorbing the orthodox Marxists of the Communist Party.

The Socialists split in 2008, with the Communists re-adopting their old identity, and the Socialists rebranding as the Social Democratic Party. A traditional focus on economic left-wing populism and moderate social policies restored the party's fortunes briefly in 2015, with Sam Courtenay forming a minority government than endured for three years.

The Communists, meanwhile, have sought to broaden their appeal beyond traditional working-class enclaves where the local trade unions happened to have a stronger Marxist tradition. It reabsorbed a Maoist offshoot, the Social Republican Party, in 2011, and a growing alliance with student activist groups led it to join an electoral alliance known as the Coalition for Socialism and Liberation in 2016. The CSL's focus on intersectional activism has found it a new, young voter base, at the expense of some of the Communists' already-dwindling working-class support.

I’m still experiencing a strange problem.
I can connect to the forum -as I’m doing now- on my tablet. But every time I try to connect through PC, I receive a message of “connection lost”. I can read posts, but I am not able to upload posts.
The tablet and PC are on the same wi-fi network, so it can’t be the router. I thought it could be the antivirus-internet security software (Bullguard), so I tried to connect on an old PC which has a different internet security-antivirus software than the main one.... with the same result. Message of “lost connection” and can’t post.
I’m flabbergasted. Does anyone have the same issue?