Trouble in the Batavian Confederation?

ZIJINCHENG/ZEEBURG (e.e.r.s.t.) – The long standing rumours that there is a row between the Grand Duchy of Southbatavia and the Free State of Zeeburg, the constituent nations of the Batavian Confederation (Bataafse Bond), have now been confirmed, as the state-influenced gutter press have reported that Southbatavia will no longer share its military secrets (or state secrets in general, as this reporter has heard a Jingdese colleague say) with Zeeburg. At the source of these tensions lies the fact that Luc van de Bakoven, a ‘relative’ of Zeeburg’s bailiff Luc van den Braende, has joined the Flemish cabinet as Minister of Culture, Sports and Education. Although there recently has been a normalisation, it is no secret that the relationship between Flanders and Southbatavia has often been strained.

The Batavian Confederation, whereby the leader of the Southbatavian regime promises to protect Zeeburg in exchange for a yearly tribute, emerged in the aftermath of the dissolution of ‘Greater Batavia’ last year. Some now question the long term viability of this unnatural alliance between the violent autocracy on Western Cibola and the brave little merchant republic. These countries are very different indeed – not only geographically, but most importantly politically and culturally. They don’t even share a same language, as some may mistakenly believe. Indeed, what does the Free State of Zeeburg have to gain in an alliance with a partner that doesn’t want to share information that is vital to the island’s security, but still wants a revenue from it and demands that Zeeburg’s foreign policy conforms to that of Southbatavia?

Finally, should any Southbatavian read this, it may of interest to them to know that not only Zeeburg’s leader has  ties to Flanders. A ‘relative’ of their Heavenly Light is also a Flemish MP, a position that implies the defense of the interests of the Flemish nation. Can that person, ‘radiating’ in the Imperial Palace of Zijincheng, still be trusted?

“Perhaps the most ambitious government in Flemish history” to be installed

League/Libertarian government to be installed

The Ivory Tower, the Flemish president’s official residence, has announced that a new government will be installed on Monday, after several days of negotiations on an undisclosed location resulted in an coalition agreement between president Erwin V.H.’s federalist League for the Third Republic and Roeland C.’s Libertarian Party. This means that former president Mateo Diez Mattiassen’s Democrats are now almost completely certain of being relegated to the opposition benches, although despite the claims made by the Flanders Post the current president did contact the ‘mateists’ but to no avail.

Nevertheless, the President stated his opinion that a coalition with the Libertarians was the politically more interesting option anyway, seeing that their proposals during the electoral campaign were much more innovating than those of the Democrats. What the president called “one of the most, if not the most, ambitious governmental agreement in the country’s history” contains several proposals which entail a break with certain age old Flemish traditions, most notably:

1.       an evolution from a highly centralised state into a federal one

2.       the possible adoption of a bitcoin based economic system, parallel to the SCUE system

3.       the slow build-up of a military presence, in contrast to the age old Flemish pacifist (and largely isolationist) policy

Flemish foreign policy is likely to maintain its tendency to seek a closer alliance with the member states of the Council of Free Nations, of which Flanders now aims to become a ‘junior partner’ somewhere during the next few months. Other parts of the governmental agreement include cutting in the bureaucratic red tape and reinvigorating the nation’s cultural development.

Jingdese propaganda machine abuses unclarity about government’s composition

The Ivory Tower has yet been unable to specify who exactly will become part of this new coalition government. Unconfirmed rumours have it that the League and the Libertians will be joined by Luc van de Bakoven from the Future Party, a kinsman of Zeeburg’s leader. The officious propaganda channel of Jingdao has been using this uncertainty to spew ludicrous claims about the Flemish president being part of some sort of secret cabal called the Mystic Society. While this is treated as a joke by the Flemish population and those of the civilised nations of Micras, it is to be feared that populations with less opportunities for education - such as those of the feudal society Jingdao self-admittedly is – will not be able to separate truth from fiction.

While certain people understandable fear that a Jingdese unification with Shireroth might destabilise the latter nation (with which Flanders unfortunately hasn’t developed official relations yet, although this will hopefully be realised in the near future), many also hope that this would provide the Jingdese masses some economic development and advances in education and therefore an entry into modern society. Some are even disappointed that Shirekeep doesn’t seem likely to gain an even firmer control on this West-Cibolan backwater. Of course, nobody will say this out loud, given the Flemish government’s official position that relations with the Zjincheng regime should be normalised.