Europe (Progress, Decline and Hope)
July 12th, 2011: Montenegro passes the Law restoring property and raising the status of the descendants of the old Petrovic Njegos royal family. Prince Nikola II represents the government of Montenegro at the requiem mass for Dr. Otto von Habsburg, son of the last Austro-Hungarian Kaiser later in the month.
September 15th, 2011: Prince Albert II of Monaco is accidentally killed while participating in the One Shot Antelope hunt in Lander, Wyoming. Having no legitimate offspring, the throne of Monaco devolves upon his sister Princess Caroline.
October 3rd, 2011:The new Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport officially opens for business, and Berlin Tegel is closed in correspondence.
Januray 17th, 2012: German President Christian Wulff is forced to step down after the BILD published a recent phone call of his, and pressure vastly increased as people heard the aggressive, close-to-vulgar tone of the call and it's threatening implications. The SPD/Green part of the Bundestag (Parliament), as a sign of integration, nominate Cem Özdemir, as the CDU fraction nominates Stefan Mappus for President.
Januray 22nd, 2012: Simeon Sakskoburggotski, the former King Simeon II of Bulgaria and former Prime Minister of Bulgaria becomes President of Bulgaria after being elected to the office at the age of 74.
February 10th, 2012: German Presidential Election; the CDU candidate Stefan Mappus is, even by some members of the CDU, percieved as the man who was responsible for the disastrous performance pertaining to Stuttgart 21, including what by opponents of the station revamp is called “Schwarzer Donnerstag” (hundreds of demonstrants got injured by water cannon during a peaceful demonstrations against Stuttgart 21 on September 30, 2010), and some FDP members around Frank Schäffler defect just for the sake of defecting and griping. Thus, Cem Özdemir wins the Federal Presidential Election with 663 votes (SPD 330, Greens 147, Left Party 111, Pirates 2, SSW 1, Freie Wähler 5, FDP 'defectors' 27, CDU 'defectors' 40), against 577 for Stefan Mappus.
March 4th, 2012: Vladimir is elected President of the Russian Federation with 57% of vote, returning to the position after a 4 year hiatus and succeeding close ally Dmitri Medvedev, who Putin would go on to appoint as Prime Minister as per a deal struck between the two several years before.
May 6th, 2012: Francois Holland defeats incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round run off of the French Presidential election.
May 7th, 2012: In Germany, the Pirate Party get 6% of the vote in Schleswig-Holstein, which gives this upstart party seats in two state parliaments.
June 10th, 2012: The Parti Socialiste wins a majority in the French National Assembly following the election of the party's Presidential candidate, Francois Hollande, the month before.
Januray 1st, 2013: EU countries which decide to join the European Fiscal Union must have signed before this date.
Januray 4th, 2013: German Minister of Defense, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, surprisingly resigns from his post. Rumours spread quickly, that zu Guttenberg was extremely dissatisfied with Angela Merkel's policies.
Januray 6th, 2013: The remaining CSU ministers in the cabinet, Ilse Aigner (Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection) and Peter Ramsauer (Minister of Traffic), follow their fellow party member Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and resign from their posts. By now, the German media speculates not only about a breakup of government, but also about a breakup of the CDU/CSU alliance, that went on for over 60 years.
Januray 13th, 2013: In an exclusive interview with “Der Spiegel”, Horst Seehofer, the head of the CSU, openly attacks Angela Merkel and her policies over the past years. He claims, that Merkel lost the “conservative Germany” by turning the CDU into a “SPD-light”. Conservative Germany will become a heavily used keyword in political debates over the next months.
Januray 14th, 2013: Several high-ranked CDU politicians publicly attack the recent attacks against them by the CSU. They argue, that they had their posts in cabinet and had all chances at implementing their policies. In their words, the CSU was putting partisanship over the interests of the government. However, conservative elements within the CDU sympathize with the critic by the CSU.
Januray 15th, 2013: The amendment of the art. 136 TFEU replaces the EFSF and the FSM with the European Stability Mechanism.
Januray 20th, 2013: The now-infamous “Stuttgart gambit” between the heads of the CSU and the conservative wing of the CDU takes place in the city Stuttgart. Both camps meet each other and agree on a plan to take down the government of Angela Merkel. They plan to iniciate a vote-of-no-confidence against the government in February. If that succeeds, they want to oust Merkel as the CDU leader, and place one of their own as the head of the CDU. Afterwards, the cooperation between the CDU and CSU will resume. If that plan fails, the conservative wing of the CDU plans to detect to the CSU. The conservatives in the CDU pursue this plans, because they fear losing the election, as well as losing the conservative profile of the party.
Januray 26th, 2013: In Germany, the Pirates get 6.9% in the state election in Lower Saxony.
Januray 31st, 2013: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands abdicates on her 75th birthday after a reign of 32 years and is succeeded by her son Crown Prince Willem-Alexander who assumes the regnal name Willem IV.
February 11th, 2013: Angela Merkel's government is toppled, after a vote-of-no-confidence against her succeeds.
April 18th, 2013: Both Senate and Chamber of Deputies elections are held in Italy. The right-wing Popolo della Libertà coalition wins the elections with Corrado Passera, Monti’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport as candidate. Passera is the first of many to come Montiist Prime Minsiters. Passera promises to check corruption strengthen Italy’s role in EU politics and continue with Monti’s successful reforms of the Italian labour and financial market.
July 1st, 2013: Croatia enters the European Union becoming the 28th member.
August 19th, 2013: Longtime President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, affectionately known as “Europe's last dictator”, passes away after suffering a stroke. In the months after Lukashenko's death, formal negotiations and agreements with Putin's Russia make significant progress in the goal of eventually creating a union between the two nations.
September 29th, 2013: Despite the different upheavals in the right-wing, including the dissolution of the FDP and a split between the moderate and the CSU-backed wings of the CDU; CDU only suffers minor losses (thanks to the good opinion of the Chancellor in handling the European financial and bond crisis), however without the FDP to ally with, the new moderate CDU (after CSU decided to become a national party by allowing conservative ex-CDU MPs run under their party) makes a great CDU-CSU-SDP coalition. Pirate Party receives a part of the old FDP vote and surpasses the 5% mark to enter the Bundestag.
October 1st, 2013: In Germany, the Pirates get into the state parliaments of Bavaria and Hassia with 5.2 and 9.7%, respectively. They are now present in five state parliaments.
October 3rd, 2013: The FDP dissolves itself which is a major blow in the German Unity Day celebrations.
Januray 1st, 2014: Final date for the European Fiscal Union's members who have achieved a balanced budget to apply for bailout money if necessary.
Latvia formally adopts the Euro.
June 5th, 2014: The European Parliament’s elections keep the European People’s Party as the largest in the parliament; however it loses over 15 seats. The results are as follows: EPP: 249 S&D: 200 ALDE: 105 ECR: 58 Greens-EFA: 56 EUL-NGL: 36 EFD: 32
June 26th-27th, 2014: G-8 Saint Petersburg Summit; G-8 leaders launch bitter accusations against the United States for its “gunboat diplomacy” citing troubles in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Korean Peninsula.
August 19th, 2014: Several Serbian army brigades led by men with extreme nationalistic views attempt to seize power in Belgrade. Crown Prince Alexander goes into hiding but via Twitter, Facebook and other social networking websites mobilizes hundreds of thousands of Serbian citizens who pour into the streets of Belgrade to protest the coup attempt. The attempt fails and the plotters are forced to surrender. The son of the last Yugoslavian monarch is lionized as a hero of democracy. esident. Elections are scheduled for Januray 2015.
September 1st, 2014: The Montenegrin parliament restores Prince Nikola II Petrovic Njegos to the newly reconstituted Montenegrin throne.
September 22nd, 2014: Motions are approved by the Serbian parliament proposing a referendum on restoring the monarchy.
October 16th, 2014: Prince Andrea of Monaco is introduced to Philippa Middleton, sister of the new Princess of Wales while in London attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
November 30th, 2014: European Union announces in Brussels, Belgium, the completion of the Galileo Project, establishing a new global positioning system (GPS) independent of the United States.
December 1st, 2014: The referendum on the restoration of the Serbian monarchy passes with 64% of the vote.
After two terms and without the possibility of a reelection for the post of President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy retires from politics. The Council of Europe elects French ex-resident Nicolas Sarkozy as new President of the Council.
Januray 1st, 2015: Crown Prince Alexander (b. 1945) becomes King of Serbia.
January 3rd, 2015: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden gives birth to her second child, a girl, whom her parents name Renata Madeleine Desiree Marie.
Januray 17th, 2015: Ukrainian Presidential Election; Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko returns to her former post in a rematch of 2010, defeating incumbent Viktor Yanukovych by a margin of 47.7-46.1 percent. The pro-Russian Party of Regions cries electoral fraud in the aftermath of the election, leading to civil unrest between West and East. Russian President Vladimir Putin calls for Tymoshenko to allow for a recount, “in the name of stability and unity in the Ukraine.”
July 1st, 2015: The Russian Federation and Belarus formally unite into a single entity known as the Federal Union of Russia and Belarus, more commonly known as the “Union State” and in reality almost completely run from Moscow. Russia's outward shift in foreign policy is capitalized by this move, and Western Europe is becoming increasingly worried with the Russian bear flexing its muscles once again.
July 3rd, 2015: After months of unrest in response to the disputed presidential election, full-blown riots in the eastern parts of the Ukraine. Prime Minister Tymoshenko, leader of the pro-West incumbent government, asks for European Union intervention in the escalating conflict. However Vladimir Putin, seeking to maintain influence in the Ukraine in light of the conflict, ask the EU for a joint conference to sort out electoral irregularities. The EU, led by President Nicolas Sarkozy, declines the request and instead launches their own investigation into the allegations of electoral fraud.
July 11th, 2015: Former King Michael of Romania, after attending the official ceremonies of restoration for the kings of Montenegro and Serbia, dies at his villa in Switzerland. After his death, monarchism in Romania dwindles to almost nothing in spite of the restoration of several other Balkan monarchies. The King's grandson, Nicholas Medforth-Mills marries an American girl later in the year and settles in obscurity on the lower slopes of Mt. Hood near Portland, Oregon.
November 24th, 2015: Mariano Rajoy steps down as Prime Minister of Spain and chooses his vice-president, Soraya Saez de Santamaría as his successor as leader of the People’s Party. Despite losses, the People’s Party retains the absolute majority. Soraya Saez de Santamarái becomes the first Spanish female prime minister. The internal crisis in the PSOE continues over the basis of federalism weakening the positions of the PSOE and strengthening the position of centrist UPyD and communist United Left.
Januray 21st, 2016: Almost a year after the disputed presidential election, the Ukraine has effectively been without a functioning government since September 2015 due to the walkout of Eastern MPs. However, a coalition of moderates and Eastern MPs, known as the “Peace and Justice Alliance”, manage to convince the government to lift martial law in some oblasts after months of tenuous negotiation.
May 10th, 2016: The Ukrainian parliament is dissolved following a motion of no-confidence succeeding against the Tymoshenko government.
May 16th, 2016: Following a rather chaotic round of meetings, the EU member states cannot come to an agreement as to what course of action to take in the Ukraine. Many do not like the idea of having to “bail out” Eastern Europe, especially the Ukraine.
September 2016: The Pirate Party get 33.8 % of the Berlin State vote and is able to form the very first Orange-Green coalition (as they find out that the Greens are most compatible, and they got another 14.7 % of the vote, which secures the absolute majority). The media can't yet cope with an Orange-Green coalition, so in the October 26th issue of BILD, what should read “Orange-Green Coalition” is read as “Red-Green coalition”.
November 9th, 2016: The kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro alongside FYROM enter the European Union. The Union State decries the “loss of sovereignty of nations traditionally allied to Russia”.
Januray 21st, 2017: Queen Margarethe II of Denmark dies suddenly from complications of a stroke and is succeeded by her eldest son who assumes the regnal name King Fredrick X. The Queen was well loved by the Danish people and her death was sincerely mourned.
Januray 22nd, 2017: Still hale and hearty at the age of 79, President Sakskoburggotski begins his second term as President of Bulgaria.
February 17th, 2017: Lithuania and Latvia finally meet the Euro membership criteria and join the Eurozone.
April 2nd, 2017: Presidential elections end with the reelction of François Bayrou in a second round against PS candidate François Hollande. UMP ran with ex-Prime Minsiter, Francçois Fillion, who however only got a slightly better result than Marine Le Pen's FN, but not enough to reach the MoDem or the PS.
May 30th, 2017: A second investigation into the disputed 2015 election takes place after the EU, Union State, and the Ukraine come to a shaky agreement. Until the conclusion of the investigation, the eastern oblasts elect their own provisional government to handle day-to-day affairs, effectively giving them autonomy. The West is outraged, however, their isn't much they can do given the unrest embroiling the country.
May 31st, 2017: Princess Charlene of Monaco marries Pieter van der Merwe of Witwatersrand, South Africa and they have three children together. She remains on friendly terms with Monaco’s princely family the Grimaldis for the rest of her life.
June 7th, 2017: After months of fruitless negotiation and a failed second inquiry into the disputed 2015 election, a band of eastern Ukrainian MPs meet with Union State officials about a possible referendum for independence.
June 12th, 2017: The joint EU-Union State investigation provides the same results as the first EU-led investigation, however the Union State accuses the EU of “tainting” with the evidence. The EU counterclaims Russia's accusations, leading to a fall-out in the agreement. Civil unrest erupts once again in the east as they do not wish to fall under the west's control again.
June 15th, 2017: The crisis unfolding in the Ukraine forces EU President Nicolas Sarkozy to endorse a proposal put forth by Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling for a referendum on independence for the eastern oblasts. The referendum is to be held on Januray 1st of the next year. Meanwhile the provisional government in the east maintains control, and publicly states that they will petition to integrate into the Union State if the referendum is successful.
September 2017: The Greens get reelected, but lose a considerable amount of votes mainly because the MCA of Golfech is not a top theme anymore and the Atomausstieg (phase-out) is now safe. They drop from 43,9 to 34,1 % (which is considered a massive loss in germany), the Pirates as second-strongest party, get 22,4 % at the cost of SPD (17,8 %) and CDU (9,9 %). The NPD gets into the Bundestag for the first time with 6,3 %, the newly revamped Zentrum gets (as of yet) 3,5 % and misses the five-percent hurdle. Claudia Roth is elected Chancellor in the very first Green-Red (and not Red-Green) coalition.
September 19th, 2017: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband, Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland announce the birth of a son, whom they name Johan Daniel Carl Gustaf. The baby prince is given the title Duke of Västerbotten.
September 21st, 2017: Parliamentary elections in France result in the consolidation of the new three-party system, resulting in a return to a coalition policy similar to those of the French Third and Fourth Republics. UMP-MoDem returns to power.
October 2017: Due to the orange-green coalition having a majority in both Bundestag (parliament) and Bundesrat (an institution where representatives of the state legislations can have a say), and some factions of SPD (e.g. Northrhine Westphalia's Minister-President) and CDU supporting it, the BedGG comes through and goes into effect on Januray 1, 2019. At the same time, all taxes except the Mehrwertsteuer (VAT), which rises to 47%, are abolished.
October 3rd, 2017: The Bedingungsloses-Grundeinkommen-Gesetz (BedGG, Unconditional Basic Salary Act) is proposed by the Pirates and immediately hailed as success by Pirates, Greens and some CDU and SPD members. Not much is heard about it in the news due to the earthquake in Japan and the ongoing debate about nuclear energy.
October 5th, 2017: The TPD (TÜrkische Partei Deutschlands) is founded and immediately gains success. Membership is on rapid increase, and polls indicate that they could manage the 5 percent hurdle.
Januray 1st, 2018: The referendum in the Ukraine shows a 68 percent majority in favor, making the eastern oblasts independent and thus part of the Union State. While the EU (especially the eastern member states) decry fraud, the Democratic Republic of Ukraine (DRU) emerges in the east and immediately applies to become part of the Union State.
February 1st, 2018: Another presidential election takes place in Germany. Cem Özdemir seeks reelection and narrowly defeats the rehabilitated Sylvana Koch-Mehrin and Sebastian Nerz (as of Januray 19, 2012 chief of the Pirate Party).
March 6th, 2018: The Union State formally integrates the DRU, making the Ukraine split between east and west.
March 21st, 2018: The Pirates, just having been elected and having selected Fabio Reinhardt as chancellor of Germany, plead to firms with the slogan “Free the Workers, Employ more Robots”. This at first causes massive international outrage, but as the Pirates explain their concept behind it all, outrage lessens to the extent that only those being against it for the sake of being against it (“Ich bin dafür, dass wir dagegen sind”) still gripe.
June 1st, 2018: Abkhazia and South Ossetia formally integrate into the Union State, despite protests from Georgia.
August 3rd, 2018: The Razgrad Crisis erupts as representatives of the discontented ethnic Turkish minority in this Bulgarian community seize the city center and and proclaim the Free Razgrad Community. Before violence can break out between the Bulgarian armed forces and the rebels, President Sakskoburggotski, in a marathon negotiating session, resolves the crisis to everyone's satisfaction. Razgrad remains Bulgarian but the Turks are given expanded cultural rights.
November 3rd, 2018: Despite a peaceful resolution over the Ukraine referendum earlier in the year, potential conflict once again erupts in the autonomous region of Crimea (which did not participate in the referendum) when it asks for a similar referendum on independence. When the government denies the request, Crimea immediately falls into chaos as pro-independence supporters organize and plan their own referendum.
November 11th, 2018: In Europe and around the World, people mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. The world leaders of many nation that fought and participated in the war gather in France for a memorial service, taking place near some of the last remaining trenches preserved since the war.
December 11th, 2018: The incumbent Tymoshenko government becomes increasingly unpopular among Ukrainians, due to the fragmentation of the country and the current crisis in the Crimea. Meanwhile, no headway is made in trying to reinstate order in Crimea by the government, and the Union State makes rumblings about intervening. After tensions rise, the government steps back and allows the referendum to occur however reluctantly.
Januray 1st, 2019: The first Unconditional Basic Salary is paid to all those living in Germany.
The Czech Republic formally adopts the Euro.
March 4th, 2019: At a hastily organized meeting, EU officials contemplate what to to in response to the Union State ultimatum against the Ukraine. The Eastern states want to intervene along with President Sarkozy, but others are flatly against in regards to the tenuous energy relationship with Russia. After calling Putin's bluff, Sarkozy famously states at a press conference, “Putin won't try anything,” not when the Ukraine is in negotiations for joining the EU.
March 5th, 2019: Second Crimean War; The Union State invades the Ukraine from positions in the former eastern Ukraine and Moldova, as well as commencing bombing raids that devastate the capital of Kiev. The Ukrainian government vows to fight, while the EU is internally paralyzed to react.
March 10th, 2019: Crimea finds itself under the occupation by Union State forces within a week of the invasion, Ukrainian troops having been overwhelmed.
March 15th, 2019: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband, Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland announce the birth of a second son, whom they name Oscar Fredrick Harald Bertil. The baby prince is given the title Duke of Halland.
April 21st, 2019: In effect on Januray 1 of the following year, education duties will be passed from the states (Länder) to the federal government (Bund).
May 25th, 2019: Tymoshenko’s government is overthrown by a military junta. The EU repeals the membership application of Ukraine.
June 2nd, 2019: The Second Crimean War comes to an end after a military junta that previously overthrew the Tymoshenko government surrenders to Union State forces in the ruined capital city of Kiev. Union State forces occupy over half of the Ukraine's territory, including the Black Sea coast, Crimea, and the eastern half including Kiev itself.
June 8th, 2019: Treaty of Sevastopol; The Crimea is given its independence from the Ukraine following a “free” referendum where 98 percent vote in favor, and the Republic of Crimea emerges. In addition to Crimea, the Union State annexes parts of the Black Sea coast as war spoils. Union State troops immediately withdraw from the rest of Ukrainian territory.
President Sakskoburggotski of Bulgaria, as the main negotiator of the Treaty of Sevastopol barely manages to preserve the integrity of the rump Ukrainian Republic, which lay prostrate at the feet of the victorious Union State. Even though much Ukrainian territory was lost, the President of Bulgaria is lionized as a hero for preserving Ukraine as an independent state. Later that year, after resolving several minor disputes in Africa, the former king of Bulgaria wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
June 20th, 2019: South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, and Ethiopia jointly recognize the sovereignty of Kosovo. Despite concerns over local separatist groups, the four countries collectively decided that the goodwill of the West was worth the risk of a separatist group winning independence. In addition, India announces that they will open a consulate in Pristina, although they do not accept Kosovo's independence, over concerns in Kashmir. Many small states follow the lead of these countries, under pressure from them and from the United States. By the end of the year, Kosovo has been recognized by 103 states.
August 1st, 2019: The Republic of Crimea's petition to join the Union State is accepted by Moscow, and is admitted on its own, separate from the existing eastern Ukrainian state.
January 1, 2020: After several years of delays, Romania formally adopts the Euro. The Eastern European country had intended to adopt it in 2015 but faced protracted difficulties meeting the convergence criteria.
February 29th, 2020: Pro-democracy demonstrators occupy the main Ukrainian cities in response to the establihsment of curfew and the restriction of personal liberties during the last two years of the junta government led by Admiral Mykhailo Yezhel.
Januray 8th, 2021: Norwegian voters once again choose not to join the European Union, however with a higher turnout, the No option won with an even narrower difference than in 1994, only a 0.8% difference. Media comment how could the failure of the membership referendum affect the current Venstre-Høyre coalition.
July 2021: As elections approach for a new president of the Bulgarian republic, new support arises for the restoration of Simeon Sakskoburggotski as king. Many Bulgarians refuse to contemplate losing the wildly popular ex-king as head of state and a referendum is proposed.
September 15th, 2021: The Bulgarian monarchy restoration referendum passes with the approval of 53% of voters. King Simeon II, a statesman and diplomat considered to be a national treasure, resumes the throne he was forced to abandon exactly 75 years before.
December 15th, 2021: Germany, France, Italy, and several other members of the European Union begin talks on the creation of an integrated federation between the member states. Sweden is lukewarm at best towards the proposal, while Poland and many other Eastern European member states are outright hostile.
December 20th, 2021: Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is elected as UN Secretary-General to fill Lula's term, beginning Januray 1st. She will become the first ever female Secretary-General.
Januray 29th, 2022: King Albert II of the Belgians (b. 6 June 1934), dies from complications of injuries suffered in an automobile accident on icy roads while in the Ardennes. The king had planned to meet with Wallonian separatist leaders in Liege in an attempt to resolve longstanding nation-rending conflicts. He is succeeded by his son Philippe (b. 15 April 1960).
March 13th, 2022: Notable Eurofederalist UMP candidate, Émile Deschanel is elected President of France as a conseusus candidate between MoDem and UMP. After third defeat in a presidential election, François Hollande resigns as PS leader.
June 6th, 2022: Newly-crowned King Philippe of the Belgians plays a significant role in negotiations which narrowly avert Flemish secession from the Kingdom of Belgium.
July 25th, 2022: After a good performance of Émile Deschanel in his first months of presidency in the New Caledonian Crisis (more on this later), the UMP achieves its first absolute majority since Nicolas Sarkozy's term as president.
November 12th, 2022: Death of H.R.H Princess Beatrix, former Queen of the Netherlands (1980-2013) from complications of severe anemia.
May-September 2023: Iberian Water Riots; Thousands of citizens protest in parts of Spain after several years of government mismanagement of water resources, due in part to a prolonged drought.
July 14th, 2023: Ukraine's membership application is accepted by the European Parliament after recomendation by the European Commission. The Union State follows suit with a communique condemning the Tymoshenko family of corruption charges in Russia and banning them from returning to the Union State.
August 9th, 2023: Increased resentment against the People's Party's government over mismanagement of water shortage issues leads to the second dismission of a Spanish Prime Minister since 1975. Temporary Spanish Prime Minister, Mr. Ruíz-Gallardon Jimenez (PP) asks in a special meeting of the European Council that water be sent to Spain to remedy the water shortage.
October 5th, 2023: A major 8.4 earthquake strikes the city of Istanbul, causing several billions of dollars in damage.
December 18th, 2023: After civil unrest is mostly over, general elections are held, the main opposition party, the PSOE of Mr. Alvaro Sánchez Salardón wins the elections against Esperanza Aguirre's PP. However, the PSOE only receiving a plurality of votes, forms a coalition governemnt with Catalan sepratist CiU and centrist UPyD, in what was called the Magenta Cabinet, because of the boost that the colaition governemnt would give UPyD.
March 16th, 2024: Professional bassist Prince Felix of Denmark (born July 22nd 2002), the younger son of Prince Joachim and his former wife Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, jins the popular band Solfire.
June 30th, 2024: German Presidency Crisis erupts as Cem Özdemir finishes his final term as President of Germany. The body charged with electing a new president, the Federal Convention, made up of Bundestag members and representatives of the Länder becomes hopelessly deadlocked between two candidates, Sylvana Koch-Mehrin and Andrea Nahles (from the leftist wing of the SPD). Bowing to a general European upsurge in monarchist sentiment and desiring an impartial, non-political candidate, the Convention compromises and chooses House of Hohenzollern head, Georg Friedrich, Prinz von Preussen, (b. 10 June 1976) and pretender to the defunct Imperial German throne as the new German President.
September 6th, 2024: In a special occasion within the rather fruitless EU Parliament, a series of German and French parliamentarians call for a pan-European referendum on a Federated Europe, UKIP, British Conservative Party and other various eurosceptic parties, walk out in the middle of the session.
September 5th, 2025: Neo-Monarchist pressure in Germany results in the deletion by the Bundestag of one word in Section II, Article 28 of the German Constitution (Grundgesetz). The passage in question had formerly read “The constitutional order in the Länder must conform to the principles of a republican, democratic, and social state governed by the rule of law, within the meaning of this Basic Law. “ The Bundestag deletes the word “republican ” making possible the restoration of monarchy at the Länder level of government within the parameters of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany.
November 17th, 2025: King Simeon II of Bulgaria dies and is succeeded by his son Kardam.
March 19th, 2026: The Spanish, Italian, German, French and Dutch prime ministers meet in Düsseldorf, Germany, in what’s now known as the Düsseldorf Agreement (or Düsseldorf Treason) setting a deadline for the commencement of federalization talks within the EU. The five prime ministers agree to the unification of the different European militaries and police agencies into a unified European military command and a FBI-like European agency. Deschanel, however, ensures that French “Force de Frappe” are treated differently and remain in French hands.
November 17th, 2026: Unable to perform his duties for health reasons, King Kardam II of Bulgaria (born 2 December 1962) abdicates exactly one year after his ascension to the throne. Having suffered severe head trauma during an automobile accident in 2008, the King’s health remained precarious. He is succeeded by his eldest son Prince Boris Turnovski of Bulgaria (born 12 October 1997) who assumes the regnal name of King Boris IV.
May 5th, 2027: Referendum held regarding restoration of a figurehead monarchy in Bavaria on the state level. An area where neo-monarchist sentiment is high, fifty six percent of Bavarians agree to the change.
September 2nd, 2027: In the Union State, JINR announces its move from Dubna (in the outskirts of Moscow) to near the atomic test site of Semipalatinsk for safety reasons. Moscow has grown so big as to incorporate the Dubna part.
September 22nd, 2027: Munich lawyer Ludwig, Prinz von Bayern (b. 14 June 1982), the great-great grandson of the last Wittelsbach King of Bavaria Ludwig III, is crowned king in the traditional manner. He assumes the regnal name Ludwig IV.
December 19th, 2027: Wallonian separatists detonate five bombs simultaneously across Brussels killing 34 people and injuring 142. Among the injured are Queen Mathilde who receives minor cuts from flying shrapnel.
December 28th, 2027: In an accident eerily like the one that took her mother's life, Her Royal Highness, Princess Caroline of Monaco and Hanover lost her life in Klosters, Switzerland after suffering a stroke while driving her Maserati. She is succeeded by her son Prince Andrea Casiraghi-Grimaldi.
June 13th, 2028: In a referendum that some historians consider the high water mark of neo-monarchism in early twenty-first century Europe, voters in the state of Saxony approve the restoration of the monarchy at the state level. Alexander Prinz von Sachsen-Gessaphe (b. 12 February 1954) is enthroned in Dresden as King Alexander of Saxony.
August 6th, 2028: The Manchester Accords, a collective agreement between North Sea nations to share energy and defend itself from “hostile pricing” is reached.
May 18th, 2029: In what historians later call the death-knell of neo-monarchism in Germany, voters in the states of Baden-Wuerttemburg, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt defeat monarchy restoration schemes by heavy margins. In June, voters in the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Niedersachsen also soundly defeat monarchy restoration referenda.
June 30th, 2029: Georg-Friedrich, Prinz von Preussen finishes his term as President of Germany and returns to private life.
Hannelore Kraft (b. 12 June 1961), former SDP Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia state assumes the office of President of Germany.
November 9th, 2029: Prince Nikolai of Denmark, (born 28 August 1999), the elder son of Prince Joachim and his former wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg meets Nzinga Lowassa, daughter of the East African Federation ambassador to Norway. This occurs at a local Oslo sports bar while the prince was in town for the state funeral of King Harald V and Queen Sonia, slain in the Goring Hotel bombing.
March 11th, 2030: The assassination of Princess Leonor of Spain’s grandparents, 91 year old King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia after the state funeral of King George VII in London was especially traumatic for the 24 year old heir to the Spanish throne. After the ascension of her father to the Spanish throne as King Felipe VI, it was decided that the princess should go on a state visit to Brazil. While attending a reception in Rio de Janeiro, the princess meets Joshua Arantes do Nascimento (b. 1996) the son of Brazilian soccer legend Pele and is instantly attracted to him.
March 16th, 2030: Princess Leonor escapes from her protection detail and goes into hiding with Joshua Arantes do Nascimento causing an international cause celebre and seriously straining relations between Spain and Brazil.
April 2nd, 2030: Princess Leonor resurfaces in Sao Paulo, Brazil and announces in a press conference that she has married Joshua Arantes do Nascimento and gives up the rights to the Spanish throne for herself and her descendents.
May 20th, 2030: Brazil and Turkey sign the Treaty of Tunis, cementing a growing friendship between the two rising powers. The treaty establishes a free-trade system as well as close military ties. Additionally, Brazilian and Turkish students will no longer have restrictions on study-abroad programs, and visas will not be required to travel between Brazil and Turkey.
June 8th, 2030: Prince Nikolai of Denmark marries Tanzanian native Nzinga Lowassa in Copenhagen in a ceremony that combined traditional Danish Lutheran elements with African wedding traditions.
August 20th, 2030: The European Council meets in Rome for it's bi-annual meeting. Talks focusing on the creation of an integrated federation result in a walk-out of delegates from Poland and many Eastern European states, who refuse to give up further sovereignty to a Berlin-Paris-Rome axis. France, Germany, and Italy continue talks with the remaining member nations, drafting a tentative date of formal integration of consenting EU members by 2040 at the latest. Britain remains neutral in the potential schism of the EU.
October 12th, 2030: Thirteen-year-old Prince Johan of Sweden begins treatment after his worried parents notice signs of violent psychosis such as his taking pleasure in the torture and death of small animals. He also enjoys reading true crime novels which describe old cases in gruesome detail.
November 29th, 2030: Leonor Borbon y Ortiz, former Infanta of Spain gives birth to a son, Edson Arantes do Nascimento III. King Felipe and Queen Letizia are deeply hurt by the circumstances of their daughter’s marriage but finally reconcile in early 2031. Leonor gives birth to six more sons and one daughter and raises them in Brazil out of the limelight.
May 25-26th, 2031: The “Friends of Somalia” meet in Rome to try and forge a unified strategy to deal with the Somali crisis. However, after two days of fruitless talks, the meeting is disbanded. The United States and Europe wished to fiscally and diplomatically continue to support the federal government, China wanted international recognition transferred to Puntland, India wanted more aggressive action taken to stop Al-Shabab, and Somaliland requested an international naval force to protect its shores from pirate raids. No parties were able to come to any agreement, except to meet again in 25 days, on June 20th, in Cairo.
June 20-22nd, 2031: The “Friends of Syria” group (America, Europe, China, India, Somaliland, Ethiopia, the East African Federation, and Russia) meet for the second time in Cairo. Here, some of the most frantic diplomacy since the Second Korean War takes place. India wants a limited intervention, and quickly wins the support of the EAF, and Somaliland, which agree to allow Indian planes and troops to be based out of their country. Ethiopia follows the Chinese line, and asks all sovereign nations to transfer their recognition of Somalia from the government in Mogadishu to the one in Puntland. After two days of fruitlessly trying to convince Indian PM Chakravorty not to take unilateral action, US President Rubio is forced to announce acceptance of India's plan, which calls for airstrikes on Shabab forces, and limited Marine and special ops raids throughout Somalia. Neither the United States nor Europe are willing to commit any support (military or financial) besides diplomatic, however.
July-August 2031: The 2031 heat wave occurs in Western Europe. The heat wave was particularly bad in Spain. According to Spanish officials, there were 1,722 heat-related deaths. Temperatures in Barcelona hit a record 47 °C.
August 6th, 2031: A further set of agreements by the “Friends of Somalia” (America, Europe, China, India, Somaliland, Ethiopia, the East African Federation, Turkey, Brasil, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, Japan, and Russia) is signed in Istanbul. These will later be termed the 'Istanbul Accords'.They establish, with the consent of the UN Security Council, an international naval and drone force to prevent piracy off of Somalia (excluding Indian and Chinese forces), a joint development and free trade area between Somalia, Somaliland, and Ethiopia, and an international aid and training fund to aid Somalia in preventing an Islamist insurgency.
October 1st, 2031: In a ceremony in Rabat, Queen Lalla of Morocco marries James Viscount Severn of Great Britain. They had met four years previously at the coronation of Prince Andrea of Monaco. Viscount Severn converts to Islam and moves to Morocco with his wife.
October 8th, 2031: The Nobel Committee announces that Presidents Marco Rubio and Sahane Muftuoglu of the USA and Turkey will receive the Nobel Peace Prize for their “considerable efforts to alleviate the Somali Crisis and avoid potential conflict.” Rubio is the third American president to accept the Peace Prize, while Muftuoglu becomes to the first female head of state to be so honored.
March 2nd, 2032: After months of rumbling, the 4,750 meter Kluchevskoy Volcano located in Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula explodes in an eruption so powerful it destroys the mountain itself. With results similar to the eruption of Laki in Iceland in 1783, an estimated 120,000,000 long tons of sulphur are emitted. While only 2717 people die in the initial blast, there is much loss of wildlife on the heretofore pristine Kamchatka peninsula. The poisonous cloud dissipates over the Pacific Ocean before reaching North America although record thick fogs are reported at sea.
The winter of 2032-2033 is one of the most severe on record. While the world enjoyed spectacular sunsets, snowfall over North America was deeper than it had been in decades. Harbors froze from Maine to Charleston, South Carolina, as did the Mississippi River as far south as New Orleans. As a result of weakened monsoon cycles in Asia and Africa, there was much suffering in famine stricken areas on both continents. The lowering of mean temperatures around the world stopped the progress of global warming for several decades and weather patterns returned to mid- 20th Century norms as glaciers again advanced, ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland firmed up, and polar bear populations began to increase. The effects would wear off by 2060 when scientists again began to note record high temperatures and the loss of ice in Antarctica and Greenland.
September 9th, 2032: Indonesia signs the Treaty of Tunis, formally joining Brazil and Turkey in what is frequently called the BIT block. The treaty establishes free trade, establishes high and low-level military contact and cooperation, expands cultural exchanges, and removes visa restrictions. The three second-class power nations frequently work together to expand their influence on the world stage. They individually exert their power in their respective regions; North Africa and Central Asia, Aládec in Latin America, and ASEAN.
September 13th, 2032: Prince Nikolai of Denmark establishes a residence in Kigoma near Lake Tanganyika. He comes to love Africa and settles there permanently. He takes East African Federation citizenship and later joins the EAF military.
November 28th, 2032: Reigning Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein dies in his sleep at his residence in Vienna. He is succeeded by his son Hereditary Prince Alois (b. 11 June 1968).
July 22nd, 2033: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain sign the Treaty of Rome, laying out the timetable for their formal federalisation, to occur by January 1st, 2036.
October 25th, 2033: Following the signing of the Treaty of Rome the previous year, negotiations begin in Brussels on the status of the European Union following the planned establishment of the European Federation in 2036. Germany and France want the EU to remain much as it currently exists, including the common currency, while Britain, Poland and Hungary support a looser economic union. Meanwhile, Italy comes out in favor of EU membership being merely a pathway to eventual accession to Federated Europe. The UK led bloc are eventually able to gain an edge in negotiations due to the Federation's reliance on the rest of the EU to admit it once it forms.
December 8th, 2033: A second round of negotiations over the future of the EU takes place in Brussels. This broader session also includes several Mediterranean nations as part of discussions over the future of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and the Union for the Mediterranean. The North African nations in particular are looking to deepen the Euro-Med Free Trade Area, as well as the question of the involvement of the non-Mediterranean European nations in light of changes to the EU. Israel and the Palestinian Territories are excluded from the discussions on the basis of the continuing conflict while Mauritania and Syria are excluded on the basis of continuing human rights concerns. All other Mediterranean nations are in attendance.
February 17th, 2034: With the core of the EU committed to federalisation in the realisation of a “Multi Speed Europe” the final round of talks on the future of the EU conclude between all member states. The Treaty of Krakow is signed, agreeing that in the event of the creation of the Federation the EU will lose it's competencies in Foreign and Security Policy with the exception of international trade negotiation, military co-operation, intranational competition matters, social affairs, infrastructure, and agriculture. In addition, several other areas will become far more intergovernmental rather than supranational, such as joint energy programs including nuclear fusion research, and justice and home affairs.
The Treaty also includes the “pre-accession” of the European Federation so that it automatically receives membership upon it's creation, and reforms it's institutions, among other things substantially pairing down the size of the European Parliament and establishing Brussels as it's exclusive home. The ECB would be replaced by the Bank of Europe, which would remain as a nominal component of the EU but would have it's means of representation, as with the rest of the institutions, substantially overhauled, and new terms of reference that remove the exclusive focus of inflation as the basis of setting monetary policy.
March 29th, 2034: Concluding talks on the future of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the Treaty of Instanbul is signed by Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Lebanon, Algeria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Monaco, Montenegro, and Slovenia. The Treaty replaces the Partnership and Union for the Mediterranean with the Union of the Mediterranean. The new Union is stronger than what it replaced, creating it's own “Schengen Area” of borderless travel between it's own members, and increasing co-operation on areas such as the development and protection of the Mediterranean Sea, and creating an integrated energy and transport network.
Crucially, the Treaty is also signed by the signatories of the Rome Treaty granting the European Federation membership upon it's creation, although they will not be part of the borderless provisions, and the European Union, integrating the UM into the EU's single market. Free movement of goods, services, capital and labor, common external tariffs, and harmonised regulations are established between all nations concerned. The Tripartite Arrangement is also established, whereby the Single Market will be jointly run by the Federation, the EU (sans the Federation) and the UM (sans the Federation.) The Treaty is hailed as increasing economic integration between Europe and the Mediterranean while allowing the two regions to pursue separate projects in other areas (such as Europe's continued co-operation on Justice and Security matters and space exploration or the Mediterranean's common infrastructure projects.)
The Union also strengthens co-operation on several areas, particularly in establishing an integrated transport network, energy resource development (principally solar), and developing and protecting the Mediterranean Sea.
April 5th, 2034: Princess Sofia, daughter of King Felipe VI of Spain and heiress to the throne marries Pedro Tesifon José Marcilla de Teruel-Moctezuma y Palafox, 8th Duke of Moctezuma de Tultengo, a Spanish nobleman and descendent of Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II.
April 25th, 2034: Pledging a plebiscite on dissolution of the Belgian state, the New Flemish Alliance is able to form a government under the leadership of Bart de Wever (b. 21 December 1970).
May 9th, 2034: Negotiations conclude on the drafting of the Constitution of the European Federation by the committee established under the Treaty of Rome. The proposed final text is formally unveiled to the public and sent to the individual members for ratification. All will do so by popular referenda.
The draft constitution provides for a federal parliamentary republic with a substantial degree of conventionalism. There would be a ceremonial President elected by the Parliament and the legislatures of the component states to 10 year terms, renewable once, who would be Head of State. The Parliament would be composed of the European Assembly as the lower house with 750 members elected by a combination of STV and IRV, and which would form the Government of the Federation by electing a Prime Minister at the start of every Parliament, while the upper House would be the European Council with 10 members per state to begin with, all of whom serving at the pleasure of their respective national legislatures.
October 15th, 2034: Belgians vote to dissolve their nation. Negotiations begin on how to effect the divorce peacefully.
November 11th, 2034: Spain becomes the last state to vote on the Federation Constitution, with the “Yes” side winning by a popular margin of 57.3% in a national referendum. All signatories of the Treaty of Rome have now successfully ratified to the Treaty and the date for the new state's establishment is set for 2036. Several states concurrently passed amendments to their national constitutions as part of the ratification process to ensure legal compatibility.
December 21st, 2034: Citing a recent diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease, King Alexander II of Serbia abdicates in favor of his American-born son Peter (born February 5th, 1980) who assumes the Serbian throne under the regnal name of King Peter III.
Januray 1st, 2035: Belgium formally ceases to exist. The Republic of Flanders is established with Bart de Wever as first president. The former Belgian province of Luxembourg rejoins the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg as does German-speaking Eupen and St. Vith. The province of Namur and the rest of French-speaking Wallonia becomes the entirely francophone Kingdom of Wallonia with former Belgian King Philippe of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha as monarch. The city of Brussels, a French-speaking enclave entirely surrounded by the Republic of Flanders becomes a Free City in anticipation of becoming the capital of the proposed FES.
May 5th, 2035: Mt Vesuvius begins to rumble causing an increased number of earthquakes.
June 15th, 2035: The number of earthquakes under Vesuvius increase Italian authorities begin to put the population of Naples and surrounding areas on notice.
July 25th, 2035: Ex-King Alexander II of Serbia dies from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
September 11th, 2035: Scientists announce an eruption of Vesuvius is imminent and Italian authorities order an evacuation within 25km of the volcano.
September 14th, 2035: Mt Vesuvius erupts in an eruption just as powerful as the Bronze age eruption covering Naples in pyroclastic flow and ash.
September 18th, 2035: Mount Vesuvius (Monte Vesuvio) stops erupting after 15 hours. The damage is catastrophic; the death toll surprisingly limited. While Naples and the ancient city of Pompei were buried by Pyroclastic flows, and most of the area is covered in a thick layer of ash, only 232 are estimated to have been killed, due to the effective evacuation plan. In the days that follow, massive refugee camps are built for the over 2 million who are now homeless. Some are offered houses in the north of Italy, well away from Vesuvius. Over 10,000 accept the offer within the first 2 weeks, and begin moving what possessions they have to the north.
May 9th, 2036: The European Federation formally comes into existence on the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, commonly known as Europe Day. Celebrations sweep the new country's cities. Elections to the Parliament and Presidency had taken place the week before.
February 15th, 2037: Princess Sofia of Spain gives birth to a son, Carlos.
May 9th, 2037: Norway, Switzerland and Georgia join the reformed EU. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950.
August 3rd, 2037: In a freak accident, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia are killed when the king’s yacht strikes a World War II era mine in the waters off Palma de Majorca. Prince Carlos Marcilla de Teruel-Moctezuma y Borbon become the new king of Spain with the reignal name of Carlos V. His father, the 8th Duke of Moctezuma de Tultengo is named regent. The royal family becomes known as Moctezuma-Borbon and American wags call this the ultimate “Montezuma’s revenge.”
March 25, 2038: Lichtenstein becomes the first European micro state to join the FES.
March 19, 2038: Two years after a Supreme Court ruling legalized online piracy in the United States, the European Parliament passes the Filesharing Legalization and Copyright Reform Act, which legalizes non-profit piracy and retroactively reduces copyright terms to 28 years from publication. Polls show 73% of European citizens support the move.
June 2nd, 2038: Prince Johan of Sweden is inducted into the Swedish Army.
Januray-February 2039: Outbreak of a new, extremely virulent strain of the H1N1 virus in the Wallonian city of Charleroi. The virus (dubbed the Belgian Flu) is quickly identified and the Wallonian government closes all borders and restricts air travel in and out of the country. Although a few cases are reported in Luxembourg and Germany, the spread of the virus is effectively contained to Wallonia. Particularly hard hit is the capital, Namur, which is placed firmly under quarantine. Among the 13,488 Wallonian victims are King Philippe, his four children and five grandchildren. Queen Mathilde contracts the disease but miraculously survives.
Januray 17th, 2039: Princess Astrid (b. 5 June 1962), sister of King Philippe ascends the Wallonian throne on the death of the king from the Belgian Flu. Vacationing in Palma de Majorca with her husband and five children and their families, the new Wallonian monarch is unable to return to Wallonia until April when the epidemic finally burns itself out.
Spring-Summer 2039: Devastated by the tragic deaths of her entire family during the Belgian Flu epidemic, a profoundly depressed dowager Queen Mathilde of Wallonia contemplates suicide. She finds herself encouraged by visits from an old friend, the widower King Willem IV of the Netherlands who flies to Namur weekly to cheer her up.
May 9th, 2040: Slovenia and Croatia join the Federated States of Europe after a year of negotiations. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration.
September 15th, 2040: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Indonesia recognize Kosovo's sovereignty.
May 6th, 2041: The last of the Vesuvian refugee camps is finally closed. Naples and several other towns have been rebuilt, although there is a population cap on each one. In addition, all the buildings are designed to withstand at least 2 feet of ash fall. The total population of the area is around 200,000. Naples is capped at 100,000, while most of the land is converted to agriculture. The region will, in the future, be known as the “Farm of Italy” because of its low population and extreme agricultural productivity. A new city, Vesuvio, with a population of around 800,000 former refugees, has sprung up in Northern Italy south of Milan. Other former inhabitants of the Napoli area are spread all over Italy. It is decided that Pompeii will not be re-excavated, in order to keep it preserved within the rock. Rather, the area is well-marked and the location recorded for future generations. A partial replica is built on top of the rock where Pompei once stood.
May 29th, 2041: China, Mongolia, and the Philippines recognize Kosovo. Three weeks later, Kosovo is inducted as a UN member, and is recognized by every state except Serbia.
December 1st, 2041: Polish Foreign Minister Józef Adamowicz is elected to the post of United Nations Secretary-General.
May 9th, 2042: The Czech Republic joins the Federated States of Europe after a year and a half of negotiations. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration.
June 17th, 2043: After several years of enjoying each other’s company after both were brutally shown that life is short, 76-year-old King Willem IV of the Netherlands (b. 27 April 1967), marries the 70-year-old dowager Queen of Wallonia, Mathilde (nee d'Udekem d'Acoz, b. 20 Januray 1973) in Sedona, Arizona. Queen Mathilde becomes Queen Consort of the Netherlands after previously holding the position as Queen Consort of Belgium and then Queen Consort of Wallonia beside her first husband, Philippe.
September 29th, 2043: President Boone declares the North Atlantic Diplomatic Pact, an economic and political alliance between the United States, Federal Europe, and Canada, during a conference with the European President and Canadian Prime Minister. The new alliance effectively makes NATO a powerless entity on the international stage, especially since Britain has moved away diplomatically from Europe and America in the past ten years and closer to China, though the organization will continue to exist primarily as an instrument for humanitarian operations in Europe and parts of Africa. Historians would later view this as the beginning of heightened tensions between the multiple power blocs of the world, known as the Globalization War. British Prime Minister Max Rodgers declares his intentions to move the United Kingdom further away from the powers of Europe, and towards closer relations with China.
February 21st, 2044: The conservative President of France, Charles Lescalier announces that he is going to propose a law to eliminate bargaining via union rights causing uproar in France.
March 2nd, 2044: With the French controversy over unions, other nations begin to question their own policies which results in political debate in many nations.
April 30th, 2044: Princess Philippa of Great Britain gives birth to a son, Prince William Johannes James Alois who is not only a prince of the United Kingdom but heir to the throne of Liechtenstein. The small handful of Jacobites in the world of 2044 rejoice as the baby prince is third in line for the British throne not only by British law but also by Jacobite rules of descent from the House of Stuart, replaced by the House of Hanover in Great Britain in 1714.
May 31st, 2045: Queen Astrid of Wallonia dies in London from complications resulting from a broken hip. She leaves the throne to her eldest son Prince Amedeo of Wallonia, Archduke of Austria-Este (b. 21 February 1986). King Amedeo, whose father was an Austrian Archduke, now reigns over territory not possessed by the House of Habsburg since 1794.
November 17th, 2045: Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein is caught in flagrante delicto by journalists with a young actress in the backseat of a car in Cannes, France. A firestorm of scandal envelops both the royal families of Britain and Liechtenstein.
December 4th, 2045: Stockholm police detective Ole Gunnar Andersson, while investigating the grisly murders of five male prostitutes notices similarities to the five classic murders committed by Jack the Ripper in London 150 years previously. A clue left behind at the scene of the last murder erroneously leads him to believe the murderer to be French. Tabloids dub the murderer “Jacques the Ripper.”
December 15th, 2045: Princess Philippa goes to court in London suing her husband Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein for divorce on grounds of adultery.
March 28th, 2046: The Anglo-China Strategic Platform and the GAREM are replaced by the Nordic-Asia Strategic Platform (NASP) jointly signed by China, Mongolia, Britain, Korea, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
May 9th, 2046: Iceland joins the Federated States of Europe after three years of negotiations, especially over fishing rights. of negotiations. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration.
June 15th, 2046: Decree Absolute granted in British court for divorce of Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein and Princess Philippa of Great Britain. Custody of Prince William Johannes granted to Princess Philippa. Princess Philippa abandons Catholicism and returns to the Anglican faith of her childhood.
July 24th, 2046: On the day the treaty, named the Mumbai Accords is due to be signed at a ceremony with all UN Security Council members and Iran, Iraq and Pakistan present, Rodgers withdraws from the treaty making allegations of interference from world powers for energy and corruption from diplomatic officials in the Union State and the Middle East about what remains of oil supplies. Rodgers announces his resignation, citing a need for new diplomacy in Britain effective upon election of a new Tory leader.
July 25th, 2046: Enraged about the British PM's speech, Russian President Chyrnin launches an inquiry into the treaty as do the UN.
August 2nd, 2046: UN lead negotiator on the Mumbai Accords Claude Denizet confirms that the negotiations had been marred by stalling from the Russians and sides with the outgoing British PM Max Rodgers in accusing Union Foreign Minister Anna Romanov in personally profiting from the oil deal.
August 26th, 2046: Under heavy pressure from members of his family including his father, Prince Alois, Prince Joseph Wenzel gives up his place in the succession of the Principality of Liechtenstein for himself and for his son, Prince William Johannes. The young prince will be raised as a British royal with little contact with his Liechtenstein relatives. King William V deeply protests the loss of his grandson's rights to the throne of Liechtenstein.
August 29th, 2046: Prince Joseph Wenzel commits suicide in the Liechtenstein family castle above Vaduz.
November 2nd, 2046: A UN inquiry states that there were corrupt actions by Middle Eastern officials and the Union State Foreign Minister, Anna Romanov who resigns. President Chyrnin angrily states that “Russia will not tolerate Western interference.”
December 1st, 2046: A warrant is issued for the arrest of former Union Foreign Minister Anna Romanov by the ICC.
December 30th, 2046: Anna Romanov is caught fleeing in Ukraine and arrested for corruption by the ICC, Union State President Aleksei Chrynin denounces his former Foreign Minister in an act of renunciation for Russia.
Januray 16th, 2047: Reigning Prince Alois of Liechtenstein dies, some say from a broken heart. He is succeeded by his second son, Prince Georg Antonius (b. 20 April 1999).
March 6th, 2047: After a thorough investigation, Stockholm police detective Ole Gunnar Andersson discovers undeniable DNA proof of the identity of “Jacques the Ripper and arrests Prince Johan, Duke of Västerbotten, the elder son of Queen Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland for the grisly killings. The prince is ruled insane and sent to an asylum for the mentally ill where he is kept under close supervision for the rest of his life.
May 9th, 2047: Denmark joins the Federated States of Europe after a years of negotiations. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration. Greenland becomes an autonomous region of the FES.
May 9th, 2050: Slovakia joins the Federated States of Europe after a year of negotiations. The accession occurs on the 100th Anniversary Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration.
May 22nd, 2051: In Höhn v. Aldi Süd, the Constitutional court of Germany (Bundesverfassungsgericht) rules that discrimination prima facie on the basis of genetic augmentation is unconstitutional, it being held that under Article 1(1) and 2(1) the Basic Law requires the criminalisation of such. The respondent, Aldi Süd, did not want to employ Mr. Höhn, who felt discriminated against because he was a Scion. The court, however, studiously avoided a blanket prohibition on any discrimination against scions, leaving the door possibly open for legal discrimination in certain areas such as sports.
April 12th, 2054: The Federated European States announces that it will begin contributing planes and drones to the air intervention in the Congolese Civil War. At present, the rebel Soldiers of Christian Zaire control about 2/5 of the country's population, and 3/5 of it's land area. Most of the country's Muslim majority has fled to the west of the DRC to avoid the genocidal maniacs of the SCZ.
May 9th, 2054: Cyprus joins the Federated European States after a year of negotiations. The accession occurs on Europe Day, which celebrates the Schuman Declaration of 1950, which catalyzed European integration.
February 8th, 2058: EAF Special Forces Brigadier General Prince Nikolaiof Denmark, after providing outstanding leadership during the capture of Matadi, is severely wounded while leading his troops into newly liberated Lubumbashi, but goes on to make a full recovery.
Januray 10th, 2059: Protest marches are held across the United States and Europe against the Congo intervention. Over 20,000 march in New York and Berlin, with smaller crowds in Paris, Chicago, LA, and Rome. The protestors demand a drawdown of coalition forces and nearly immediate democratic elections in the Congo.
July 29th, 2059: The Indian foreign minister and European defense minister engage in an embarrassing shouting match over the Congo PEACECOM mission on the floor of the United Nations. Visinath Pollinuriti accuses Pao Golanzes of not showing humanitarian backbone, and of running away like a coward when things get hot. Golanzes retorts that the Indians have “neo-imperial” ambitions in the Congo. Both countries swiftly repudiate their officials' statements, and Pollinuriti and Golanzes apologize to one another.
November 15th, 2059: Regarding the Congo intervention, a report leaked from the European Armed Forces finds that more European and American troops have been killed in the last five months than in the previous two years of the PEACECOM mission. The report suggests that SCZ guerrillas are targeting Westerners to try and force them to withdraw. Additionally, the report cites a Foreign Ministry memo which suggests that coalition forces evacuate all remaining Muslims from the FSC when they depart. This sparks debate across the coalition countries.
January 1, 2061: Despite opposition from nationalists, Poland formally adopts the Euro, in anticipation of its likely accession to the European Federation. One of the most conservative and fiercely independent countries in Europe, Poland had been reluctant to adopt the Euro due to traditional attachment to their own currency and reluctance to give up power to Brussels. Ultimately, however, it became economically impractical to compete with the European Federation, and there was enough political will to give up the currency.
February 23, 2061: The European Parliament ends the “Scion Crisis” (which had led to significant schisms in several branches, especially sports) once and for all with adding to the constitutional Article 3 the words “Discrimination is forbidden on the base of race, religion,… or genetic makeup”.
April 2nd, 2061: The European Parliament votes 321-179 to withdraw all European forces from the Congo by the end of 2062, following the death of André Lubaya and his top aides. According to a PEACECOM report, violence has dropped sharply as the SCZ falls into chaos.
August 2nd, 2062: Quartermain announces his plan for the NAP called “A Stronger Pact” and it is soon clear why Quartermain created a Minister for the Pact in his cabinet: he intends to turn the Pact into a viable geopolitical force.
August 3rd, 2062: Four months ahead of schedule, the last European troops leave the former Democratic Republic of the Congo, as violence has dropped to its lowest level ever.
August 31st, 2062: Quartermain, Knoxton, Wei and Akwimbe meet with other heads of government and ministers from the NAP member states and all the nations agree to work together more closely on defense and energy initiatives. Their is even talk of a unified currency and army and Newspapers in Norway, Denmark, Britain and Finland all seem to have sources in their respective governments telling them the pact will become tighter.
September 15th, 2062: The government announce a second longer Pact conference scheduled for February in Oslo. Speculation begins to mount.
September 28th, 2062: Quartermain and King William both visit Ireland. The visit is a success as the Irish people adore the Royals and Quartermain's witty banter goes down well in Dublin. Quartermain makes a speech criticising the economic recession Ireland finds itself in and seems to hint at a genuine belief that the EF is bad for Ireland. The Irish Taoiseach John Keville enjoys a mutually beneficial meeting with Quartermain and the Anglo-Irish minister for Trade Peter Donovon also undertakes productive negotiations with his Irish counterpart. Cultural and Trade links with Ireland are significantly strengthened.
November 23rd, 2062: The Dublin Agreement is formally enacted between Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The agreement is seen as Ireland beginning to move away from the EF and coming towards Britain. Bilateral trade between the countries is increased and the EF acts with indifference as its relationship with Ireland has often been tumultuous.
March 28th, 2063: Lionel Akwimbe the Minister for the Pact announces a meeting of pact foreign ministers in London in two months time.
March 18th, 2064: Using methods developed at the Los Pinos Institute for Genetic Research, doctors at the Queen Elizabeth II hospital in Edinburgh perform surgery on 79-year-old Prince Andrea of Monaco (b. 8 June 1984). The lifetime smoker receives newly cloned lungs to replace his original emphysema and cancer-ridden originals. The surgery is a complete success. Prince Andrea finally quits smoking.
May 9th, 2065: Poland and the Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) join the European Federation in the largest expasion of the EF since its inception in the 2030s. The access of Poland in the FES is considered the life's greatest achievement of former Commissioner Alphonse Supré. The Union State is alarmed by the progress of the EF towards Eastern Europe, especially after reaching its border.
November 14, 2067: A referendum on joining the European Federation is voted down by the people of Hungary in a narrow 52-48 vote. The Prime Minister of Hungary says the vote is “a reflection of Hungary's desire for independence and freedom. Joining the European Federation is not a desirable goal at this time.”
May 9, 2069: Bosnia-Herzegovina accedes to the European Federation, on the 119th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration. The main reason for its delay into the Union was antagonism between it and neighboring Croatia, as well as simmering discontent with the West in general over the Yugoslav Wars. However, this hostility ultimately faded as the generation that remembered Yugoslavia passed on, and the nation eventually decides to join.
August 5, 2069: Death of Queen Ingrid of Norway in a combine accident at her husband’s wheat ranch near New Salem, North Dakota. The monarch, like many ranch wives in the area, was helping her husband in the fields with harvest when the gas tank of the decrepit, late-20th Century combine the family used explodes. Also killed is her husband, H.R.H Prince Jason (Peterson). She is succeeded by her eldest son, Prince Magnus (b. 21 August 2034) who ascends the Norwegian throne as King Magnus VIII.
December 14th, 2070: Prince Daniel, Duke of Duke of Västergötland (b. September 15, 1973), husband of Queen Victoria of Sweden dies at age 87 from injuries sustained during an accident with a faulty piece of exercise equipment.
January 13th, 2071: Prince Johan, Duke of Västerbotten, (b. September 19, 2017) the elder son of Queen Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland dies of brain cancer at the insane asylum outside Stockholm, Sweden where he had resided for most of his adult life.
April 11th, 2071: Queen Victoria of Sweden (b. 14 July 1977) abdicates the throne of Sweden leaving the throne to her daughter Crown Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland (b. 23 February 2012). Citing her desire to follow in the footsteps of another Queen Regnant of Sweden who abdicated, Queen Christina, the deeply depressed ex-Queen of Sweden moves to Rome and converts to Roman Catholicism.
August 7th, 2072: Several bombs are detonated at the G-13 summit at Nairobi, EAF. The building is devastated, 200 are believed to be dead and 341 more are injured. Among the casualties are such prominent world leaders as American President Norse Cavalier, UK Prime Minister Theodore Quartermain, FES Commissioner Kyriakos Amanatidis, President of the EAF Vincent Oliech, and President of the Union State Andrey Brezhnev. Chinese Premier Shao Chianglei barely survives. Suspicion immediately descends upon the remnants of the SCZ, in cooperation with other Christian Fundamentalists.
August 8th, 2072: Ex-Queen Victoria moves back to Stockholm, un-converts from Roman Catholicism back to Swedish Lutheranism and takes off her widow’s weeds. She tells her family “I’ve decided to live again.” Hale and hearty and in amazingly good health at age 95, the ex-Queen resumes an active social life.
The PES (Party of European Socialists), the largest party in the European Assembly and lead party of the governing coalition, hold an emergency leadership election after the assassination of the incumbent Kyriakos Amanatidis. Martin Aubrek, the Deputy Leader, is elected, and by virtue of the office also succeeds Amanatadis as Prime Minister of Europe, being formally appointed by the President the same day.
November 1st, 2077: Ex-Queen Victoria of Sweden (b. 14 July 1977) at age 100, marries Don Juan Guerra y Alarcon, a retired Spanish diplomat forty years her junior. Many Swedes are scandalized. Ex-Queen Victoria “doesn't give a rat's pimply left butt-cheek” (her exact words, spoken in private to her daughter but recorded in her memoirs) and gets married anyway.
August 13th, 2081: Ex-Queen Victoria of Sweden (b. 14 July 1977) dies peacefully in her sleep at age 104.