Representative Trent Franks, leader of the Texan National Renewal Party, has announced that he is stepping down from the leadership of his party and his seat (representing Phoenix Northwest-Maricopa) over allegations of sexual harassment. More details to follow.
Interesting to see how this will develop
ALLENTOWN-Local activist and widow of former MIP Daniel McNeill (SD-Lehigh Valley) Jeanne McNeill won last night's by-election for her husband's seat, in a landslide result that surprised few observers. McNeill carried the eastern Pennsylvania constituency with nearly 68% of the vote, defeating Conservative challenger David Molony, two separate Libertarian-affiliated candidates, and a Liberal school board member from the town of Easton. Lehigh Valley, a constituency that Daniel McNeill held since 2005, is considered to be one of the safest Social Democrat seats in Columbia, with its large and increasingly diverse population clustered in several large, formerly industrial cities, most notably Bethlehem and Allentown.
Excellent work as always
It's always good to have some local knowledge to help develop this world. Keep it up!!
And following up on the others, I'd also like to see some stuff about Scandinavia. Very interested to know about the various monarchies in the Nordic Union and how its government system works.
So I know a lot of people have been asking about this, and it's a part of the world of
Hail, Britannia that I've really wanted to share with you for a while. Unfortunately it has taken me a while to get the write ups sorted and to actually straighten out how I wanted the
Nordic Federation to function. I'm pretty happy with how it has all turned out, and I hope you all are as well
All being well I'm going to follow this up in the next few days with an infodrop about the five Nordic monarchs, three from OTL and two completely unique to TTL
Until then, I hope you enjoy experiencing the
Great Nation of the North:
The
Nordic Federation, also known as the
Nordic Union,
the Nordics, or simply
Norden, is a confederation of states located in Northern Europe, primarily on the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordered by the Arctic Sea, the Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics, the Baltic Sea, the Kingdom of Hanover, the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Although commonly referred to as
Scandinavia, which has historically only included the nations of the Scandinavian Peninsula, the term
Norden has gradually become more prominent in international relations to refer to the federation as a whole.
Little evidence exists in the Nordic countries from prior to the Viking age, which is when they first came into more permanent contact with the rest of Europe. Most permanent settlements were concentrated in what is now southern Norway and Sweden, Denmark and the Faroe Islands, whilst Viking raids spread across the coasts of the Baltic and North Seas as well as the Atlantic coast of modern France and the British Home Isles. Christian Europe responded to the Viking raids and conquests by launching numerous missionary activities to convert the region to Christianity, which finally came about in the 11th century by which time three kingdoms had emerged in the region: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. What is now Scania was part of the realm of the Danish monarch at this time, while Iceland came under Norwegian rule in the early 13th century, and Swedish rule was established in Finland sometime in the mid 13th century. During the Late Middle Ages, the Nordic countries were first unified under a personal union known as the
Union of Kalmar, that was formed in 1397 when the three kingdoms were joined under a single monarch. Swedish dissatisfaction over Danish dominance would hamper the activities of the union, and it dissolved into the two separate realms in 1523 when Gustav Vasa became King of Sweden; Denmark-Norway in the west and Sweden-Finland in the east.
The Thirty Years' War of the mid-17th century saw the rise of Sweden to become a major European power, while also marking the start of a decline in influence for Denmark. In various conflicts throughout the century, Sweden extended its reach across the coastal areas of modern-day Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Brandenburg and Poland, while the Second Northern War (1655-1660) proved pivotal as it saw Sweden acquire the provinces of Skåneland from Denmark, becoming the dominant power of the Baltic region. Those provinces make up the modern Kingdom of Scania. However, after the Great Northern War (1700-1721), Sweden lost most of its territories in the eastern Baltic to the Russian Empire, which became the new major power in Northern Europe. The Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century saw major changes to the geopolitical landscape of the Nordic countries, as Sweden lost Finland to Russia but gained Norway from Denmark, establishing the United Realms of Sweden, Norway and Scania, more commonly known as the Akershus Union. However the formerly Norwegian territories of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands remained part of the Danish Realm.
During the early 20th century, rising nationalism led to the dissolution of the Akershus Union, with both Norway and Scania gaining independence as monarchies under cadet branches of the Danish royal family. Excluding Finland, which was then part of the Russian Empire, the Nordic countries were neutral during the First World War, and the aftermath of the conflict saw further constitutional and political changes with the granting of autonomy to Iceland as a separate realm and the independence of Finland as a monarchy under a cadet branch of the Swedish royal family. Iceland would eventually become a republic and sever legislative ties with Denmark in 1944. Although the Nordics were not involved in the First World War, during the Second World War they could not remain apart from world politics. The Soviet Union attacked Finland in 1939, Denmark and Norway were both occupied by Nazi Germany while Iceland became a
de facto British protectorate. Sweden and Scania were able to formally maintain their neutrality throughout the conflict, although both countries clandestinely supported the Allies. At the end of the war the six Nordic countries escaped relatively unscathed, while Finland expanded to include the entirety of Karelia and the Kola Peninsula.
With the onset of the Cold War, the Nordics found themselves on the front lines of the conflict between Britain and the USSR, and despite efforts to tread a third path of neutrality, found themselves aligned with Britain as part of the capitalist west. The Scandinavist movement, which had been prominent in the 19th century, reemerged in the post-war years as an alternative to dominance by either Britain, Russia or the growing unity of Western Europe. The concept of a Nordic Union gained momentum across the region, and in 1953 leaders from all six nations signed the Treaty of Malmø in the Scanian capital, establishing the
Nordic Cooperation Council, followed quickly by a passport union to allow visa-free travel and freedom of movement between the nations. Further developments in Nordic unity came in the 1960s with the establishment of a unicameral Nordic Parliament in 1961 and the signing of the Nordek Agreement in 1962, which established a single economic area and currency, the Nordic krona, between the six nations. In the early 1980s, with the increasingly unstable relationship between Britain and the Soviets, Nordic Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld proposed the creation of a
"Nordic Federation", a full union of the six countries into a single sovereign state with a unified military and foregin policy. In a referendum held across the Nordic countries in 1984, the Federal Constitution was supported by nearly 80% of voters, and on 25 September 1985 the Nordic Federation came into existence, with Hammarskjöld as its first Chancellor.
Having been a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, including the Common Travel Area, Commonwealth Economic Community and Common Defence Pact, since 1953, the Nordics are one of Britain's closest and most strategic partners in international affairs, however since the end of the Cold War there has been a realignment of Nordic foreign policy away from Britain towards Europe and the Soviet Union, as well as the growing powers of India and China. At 3,824,971 square kilometres, the Nordic Federation is the sixth largest nation in the world, and with a population of just over 30 million it ranks as the fortieth most populous. The Nordic Federation ranks near the top in numerous measures of national performance, including education, economic competitiveness, civil liberties, quality of life and human development. While each of the constituent countries has its own economic and social models, sometimes with large differences from its neighbours, the Nordic countries share the Nordic model of economy and social structure: market economy is combined with strong labour unions and a universalist welfare sector financed by heavy taxes.
The
2016 Nordic Federal Assembly election was held on 17 July 2016 to elect the 458 members of the Nordic Federal Assembly, the lower house of the Nordic Parliament. Elections to the Assembly are held under a party list proportional representation system within national constituencies, and are held concurrently with elections to the Nordic Federal Council.
The incumbent
Red–Green coalition government, led by Chancellor Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, went into the election aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive term in office, with the three member parties of the alliance, the centre-left
Social Democratic Party, the left-wing
United Left and the ecological
Greens, having been in government since the 2008 election. The opposition
Coalition, an electoral alliance between the centre-right
Nordic People's Party, the liberal conservative centrist
Centre Party, and the
Christian Democratic People's Party, led by Jyrki Katainen of Finland sought to return to government after eight years in opposition.
Key issues in the election were relations with the European Union, the size and role of the Nordic Armed Forces, and the ongoing increase in migration from Europe. Chancellor Stoltenberg and his government had pursued closer relations with the EU, with several high profile meetings taking place between the chancellor and the President of the European Commission, Angela Merkel of Brandenburg. Although many Nordic citizens supported closer ties with Europe, a recent poll showed 67% in favour, many were concerned at the increasingly "presidential"-style of governing adopted by Stoltenberg and his lack of consultation with the governments of the constituent countries. The Nordic Armed Forces had been part of an ongoing debate within the federation since 1985, which in recent years has focused on increased effectiveness while retaining an adequate and appropriate force. With the ongoing War in West Africa, as well as the potential for intervention in the Haitian Conflict, the NPP questioned the wisdom of the Social Democrats in "following Britain into foreign wars", while refusing to commit to a complete withdrawal of overseas forces. The issue of migration from Europe, predominantly centred around economic migrants from North Africa and the Middle East, as well as the perceived lack of integration was a sensitive issue for the campaign, with most parties adopting a moderate position on the issue.
After voters went to the poll across the Nordic countries, the results showed a moderate swing towards the NPP away from the Social Democrats, although the landslide predicted in polls failed to translate to actually seat changes. In a not completely unexpected result the right-wing
Nordic Democrats surpassed the United Left to become the fifth largest party in the assembly, whilst the Greens found themselves the fourth largest group. The CDPP have continued their slow collapse in support, as voters switch to the NPP or Centre, whilst the
Pirate Party picked up a seat in Scania and an extra seat in Denmark. When the newly elected Federal Assembly met on 22 July to vote for the new chancellor, the majority of seats were held by the Coalition, resulting in Jyrki Katainen being elected and sworn in as the seventh Chancellor of the Nordic Federation, with Centre Party leader Margrethe Vestager of Denmark as his deputy. Jens Stoltenberg accepted the result and announced his intention to resign as chair of the Social Democrats. He was succeeded by Anneli Hulthén in the subsequent leadership election.
The
2016 Nordic Federal Council election was held on 17 July 2016 to elect the 38 members of the Nordic Federal Council, the upper house of the Nordic Parliament. Elections to the Council are held under a single transferrable vote system within national constituencies, and are held concurrently with elections to the Nordic Federal Assembly.
As with most elections to the Nordic upper house, the results mirrored those of the lower house, with the incumbent Chair of the Council,
Social Democrat Jutta Urpilainen of Finland, losing her majority in the council to the opposition
Nordic People's Party led by Valgerður Sverrisdóttir of Iceland. One surprise of the election was the result for the right-wing
Nordic Democrats, who secured only a single seat in Denmark for Anna Rosbach, whilst many commentators had predicted that Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the affiliated Swedish Democrats, would successfully win a seat in Sweden. The
Pirate Party finally managed to enter the council with a victory for Jón Þór Ólafsson of Iceland. With the
Coalition holding a majority in the Federal Council, government business is expected to progress smoothly without being held up by the upper house.
The
Nordic Parliament, also known as the
Nordic Federal Parliament, is the bicameral legislature of the Nordic Federation consisting of two chambers: the Federal Council and the Federal Assembly, as well as the Nordic President.
Both chambers of the Nordic Parliament meet at Parliament House, which is located in the Eriksberg district of the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. The Parliament has 496 voting members in total, and both chambers are elected concurrently in nationwide federal elections, although the two chambers use different electoral systems. Councillors, the members of the Federal Council, are elected in national constituencies using the single transferable vote, with five elected from each constituent country and two from each autonomous territory, giving a total of 38 councillors. The 456 Members of the Nordic Parliament (MNPs), who sit in the Federal Assembly, are elected from national constituencies using party list proportional representation. Each constituent country is guaranteed a minimum of 5 MNPs, while each autonomous territory is guaranteed one, with the remainder allocated based on population.
The Nordic Parliament came into being as a unicameral body in 1961 to oversee the activities of the Nordic Cooperation Council, and was made up of parliamentarians elected from the various national parliaments. 1973 saw the first democratic elections to the Parliament held across the Nordic countries, and this continued until 1985 when the Federal Constitution entered into force. Under the constitution, the Parliament as it existed was merged with the Nordic Council to form the two modern chambers of a single Nordic Parliament.
An interesting anachronism that exists is that, at the beginning of every session of the Nordic Parliament, the incumbent President will make a "speech from the throne". Although this is modelled off of a similar practice in the British, Norwegian and Swedish parliaments, the President does not discuss political issues or government policies, leaving those matters to the Chancellor, instead they deliver a general speech of greeting and officially declare the Parliament open.
The
Chancellor of the Nordic Federation is the
de facto head of government of the Nordic Federation. Created in 1985 with the Federal Constitution, the position of Chancellor is an evolution of the earlier position of Secretary-General of the Nordic Cooperation Council. The Chancellor retains three residences for their use, the first is Gunnebo House in Gothenburg which was gifted by the city to the federal government in 1985, and is the chancellor's official residence. Marselisborg Palace in Aarhus, Denmark was "loaned" to the Nordic Federation in the year 1991 by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark as a summer residence for the Chancellor, but is also used by the Danish royal family. The third residence is Kalmar Castle, which is mainly used for entertaining formal state visits.
Although the Chancellor is the head of government, they are treated as "first among equals" within the cabinet, and function within a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. With much of the Nordic Federal Constitution based on the Government of Sweden, including the retention of a powerless and ceremonial figurehead, the executive power is
de jure exercised by the Chancellor and the Federal Cabinet within a parliamentary system of government using constitutional powers not derived from any monarch or president.
The seventh and current Chancellor is Jyrki Katainen of Finland, who was sworn into office on 22 July 2016.
The
President of the Nordic Federation is the
de facto head of state of the Nordic Federation, and is a ceremonial position that by agreed and established convention rotates amongst the heads of state of the Nordic constituent countries. The incumbent is King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, who has held the post since 25 September 2015, however he has announced his intention to abdicate the Swedish throne on 15 September 2018 in favour of his daughter, who is expected to also succeed him as Nordic President.
Originally the constitution made no plans for a ceremonial presidency, instead all executive power was to be invested in the Chancellor and the Federal Cabinet. However the Danish, Norwegian and Finnish governments expressed their concerns at centralising power in the hands of a single individual, pointing to the inherent instability of presidential republics in Latin America and Africa. The ceremonial rotating presidency was therefore established as a temporary compromise to allow the passage of the Federal Constitution.
The President is officially appointed by the Nordic Council of State, which includes former chancellors, state ministers and other high ranking Nordic politicians, however through convention the council appoints the next head of state in alphabetical order. This mechanism was introduced as part of the constitution to eventually allow for either the abolition of the position or its replacement with a republican-esque presidency, as the council could theoretically refuse to appoint a successor, or appoint one of its own instead. However at present most Nordic citizens are happy with the current arrangement, and the role and appointment of the President is largely a non-issue in Nordic politics.
The
Nordic-British relationship is an exceptionally close international relationship between the Nordic Federation and the United Kingdom and Empire of Great Britannia. The Nordics consider the relationship to be their most important international strategic partnership, whilst the British consider it to be one of their key international "special relationships". Although the relationship between the various Nordic countries and the British Empire can be traced back centuries, the modern-day good feelings between the two nations originated in the Second World War, when the Norwegian government-in-exile resided in London. Towards the end of the war, British forces were instrumental in liberating Norway and Denmark from Nazi occupation, and the close relationship between the Nordics and Britain led to them all joining the Commonwealth of Nations as part of the Nordic Cooperation Council.
A tradition dating back to the 1940s involves the people of Norway sending a Norwegian Christmas Tree to London each year, as a token of the appreciation, respect and friendship between the British and Nordic people. As both countries are part of the Commonwealth, their diplomatic missions and representatives are styled as "High Commissions" and "High Commissioners" respectively, and are seen as important and highly respected positions by both countries. Customarily one of the first international state visits an incoming Nordic Chancellor will make is to visit the British Queen-Empress and Prime Minister, while Elizabeth II has made nine state visits to the Nordic countries, six to the constituent countries and three to the Nordic Federation as a whole.
