With five votes for and six votes against, this act has failed.

Iras Tilkanas
Council Speaker and Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen

Company: Marketshare Sales: Kligenberg MG 25.34% 1,049,577 European Automotive Group 21.64% 896,193 JLR 13.81% 572,118 Other Duchian: 0.75% 31,165 Dominion Motors 4.65% 192,468 Negishi 6.61% 273,979 Hyundai -Kia 4.47% 185,071 Tata 3.02% 124,940 Mahindra 1.22% 50,588 Subaku 5.10% 211,321 Mizuiyo 4.59% 190,151 Tesla 3.91% 161,789 Other: 4.35% 180,166 Total: 100.00% 4,142,101

Rally Elthize:
Hello Elthize
I know you as a nation like the EU and want it to work much like most Europeans but sadly the EU hasn't done a whole lot of working for you over the past year. The EU in its current state is a dismal failure. Want to pass legislation to protect consumer rights and environment or other pressing issues for the European people , it won't happen because of obstruction or inaction. Want to actually get a development project done with EU funds it won't happen. Why? Because its all centralised in Europolis in three people , three people to approve all applications including the smallest development fund application of a few million Euros. Hopefully you can see thats not how you run a multibillion Euro organisation, imagine if your government had only the President and a few of their cabinet approving all benefit applications and all transactions of the Elthize government on their own and didn't have the office support workers approving anything, you'd never get anything done. Yet that is how the EDA a organisation of 47.1 Billion Euros and supposedly most important professional development organisation in Europe is run, by three comissioners and thats it. The result gridlock of funds not a single Euro has been spent of EDA money, money took off you the hardworking taxpayer to be sitting around in an account in Europolis doing nothing, thats worse than useless thats actually harmful because if your government had that money they could spend it on services and the public good but they cannot and if they want to counter it and deliver development funds that should be out there they have to raise taxes or borrow money effectively raising taxes on your kids to just get back to where they were.

The solution I propose is simple each nation should have a National Development Board under the EDA half apointed or selected by the memberstate in a way they see fit and half appointed and selected by the EU commission or EU in a way they see fit. They get given an allocation of money based on factors of development need and population and they approve applications within a framework provided by the EU of sustainable development. Being local they would use local context and knowledge no one in Europolis could possibly have for example is your local area public transport based, more care based or more micro-mobility based. Is your area denser or more rural. Your NDB would know this stuff because its formed of experts from the area and they can set up sub-comittees to deal with different types of applications based on expertise further localising the process and delivering decisions based on actual knowledge not some pre-conceived idea of one man in the centre. Now you might say but what about accountability and corruption well simply put each NDB would be audited reguarly to make sure money is effectively being spent, if its not or fraud is found reforms must be done or money will be cut off, but I ask you this what are the checks at the minute, suppose a group of three corrupt comissioners get in that all support a certain industry or corporation whats to stop them just approving funds only for that organisation right now, there is no oversight as of now. That is a fatal flaw , its doesn't even need corruption it just needs one to only have their national vision of development without understanding the local context and whole types of development can suddenly be without EU funds because of the ideological views of 3 people.That is now how you run a successful development agency and the numbers prove it 47.1 Billion Euros were handed to the EDA in December they have done nothing with it and its now June. Other agencies like the ESA aren't in a much better position, they are given funds but because everything must be approved at the centre or they are given very strict limited ways to spend it they cannot even launch a single sattelite for a Space organisation. All they can do is some vague notion of developing standards for the Space sector, thats not unity or doing good thats just money being wasted on an organisation that cannot do anything. I know of so many people in the EU agencies that want to do stuff, want to benefit the European people but can't because of a centralised EU bureaucracy machine trying to micromanage everything with a small number of people. The result is no projects get done and no good gets done just money sucked out of your pocket to sit around in accounts all year. This is not tolerable agencies need autonomy with oversight to be able to actually deliver, lets unleash the actual experts to allow them to do their jobs and deliver for the European people. People accuse me of being anti-EU because I criticise the running of the EU but I criticise it because it doesn't work, because its holding back unleashing the power of the EU. Because by actively calling any reforms of the EU to actually make it work is the real anti-EU move. I also question the value of the EDA when you have to go to Europolis even for the smallest grants, what organisation with just a few million in funds bidding for EDA money has the time or money to send their staff to Europolis multiple times, imagine how much easier it would be if all that was required was 400 Euro business trip to Forecoaster or St Lucas instead of a trip to Europolis. You could even have the member of staff home by night. We do not live in a wonderland where the EU works perfectly and needs no change lets not let this delusion of pretending we do take hold, you are all smarter than that.

I move on to communication. How many of you feel listened to by the EU comission? How many feel like the commission is actually communicating with you? I have rarely seen a communication from the commission , in fact when you contact them it can take weeks or months for a basic response. They can't even process a vote in the required time on applications, votes take months rather than the days they should the commission is essentially missing in action , sure it can come out with the odd statement and pop up with the odd statement on the situation in Istkalen but it needs to do more. You need a commission that's active responding to every message as soon as possible from the European citizens and nations, that's communicating whats going on , that you can see working . That is the job of a commissioner after all. I again ask if your president behaved in the way the commission as a whole has not just for this term but many terms would you accept it? I get the idea if your government behaved that way you would kick them out of office ASAP so why should the EU get away with it? Use your voice to vote for a commissioner that will actually do the job of the commissioner and no its not an excuse to say I have no time, if you have no time for the job don't run and let someone else who can run and do the job instead.

And I move on to the courts I think its time we end this election nightmare where we struggle to reach the numbers required regularly. We should have a pool of judges 5 from each nation sent in sitting on the pool for years not just a few months at a time. Each time a case comes in the relevent national judges that can't judge on it get removed from the selection process and five random nations get selected. Nations will have to actively select judges though and if there is inactivity those judges get replaced by more active judges. I also believe having to bring a case to the ECOJ is an issue, what if a member state scares its population into not bringing cases to ECOJ even though they break fundamental human rights under EU law, the ECOJ can do nothing. The court needs powers to prosecute , it needs powers to assess the situations in countries and laws coming in and if need be sue the country by launching proesecutorial action or we need an institution seperately that does this and brings cases to the ECOJ against nations perhaps run by selected, elected or appointed European Prosecutor , perhaps called the European Union Prosecutorial Organisation or EUPO. This would give teeth to legislation and the EU making countries actually follow EU law. This would protect the people of Europe. The situation in Istkalen only shows the shortcomings of the EU a clear breach of EU laws but nothing can be done because no one from Istkalen will sue because they are scared , and rightfully so, and this doesn't just happen in Istkalen there a several other EU states that have this issue. Look at Inimicus , look at North Diessan among others. We need this sort of reform to make the EU work. At the moment the EU can't spend money, can't administer projects and can't even enforce the few laws to protect Europeans that pass, it is a Do Nothing EU and that needs to change we need an EU that can actively serve its citizens that can actively protect its citizens and provide a platform for regional co-operation on big picture issues that can only be solved through European cooperation such as on the environment. I am proposing a Do Alot EU rather than a Do Nothing EU.

Under me I would put an amendment in the constitution where if an EU official does not respond within a week of a message being recieved they recieve a strike, if they miss a deadline such as on voting on EDA proposals they recieve a strike and on the first strike you get a warning on the second strike you get a warning and on the third strike you lose your job and another selection or election process is run to replace that person. This would be extended over key holiday periods such as Christmas or Easter which would be recess periods in the calendar or if there is a recess but otherwise you would be expected to respond and just do the job you were selected or elected for. We need this reform urgently otherwise we will get more and more EU comissions that don't work or who are lazy just running because it looks good on their C.V for their book signing tours or media careers. That should not be tolerated and won't be under me , I cannot promise to do this overnight but vote me and I can start delivery on delivering a responsive , effective EU that's easy to interact with. If you want this vision of the EU vote me and I can kickstart the reform to make it happen.

Thank you and Lets Get EU moving again!

Statement regarding the recent developments in the Republic of Istkalen

June 14, 2023

On June 8, 2023, I initiated a discussion within the European Council concerning the appropriate actions for the European Union to take in response to the dire situation in Istkalen. In Istkalen, the National Salvation Council, a military-backed organization, poses a threat to the democratically elected government by enacting laws that blatantly violate the Constitution of the European Union and jeopardize the safety of marginalized groups.

Regrettably, the outcome of this discussion has been unproductive, as the representatives from the United Kingdom and the United Duchies have effectively blocked any meaningful conversation. They have implied that I am advocating for military intervention, misrepresenting my intentions through the use of a strawman. I want to clarify that I do not possess the authority or capability to initiate such action, nor do I intend to use military intervention, ever. I condemn such actions.

Following the discussion in the European Council, the situation in Istkalen has deteriorated further, with the National Salvation Council (NSC) posing a significant threat to the democratically elected government and legislature of the country. The NSC's enactment of draconian laws is in direct contradiction to the values upheld by the European Union, and I strongly believe that inaction in the face of this crisis is unacceptable.

In light of these developments, I am committed to taking action. In the coming days, I plan to engage in discussions with my colleague Juncker, as well as the incoming Premier Commissioner, if necessary, to address this issue. It is important to explore all possible avenues to ensure that the values of the European Union are upheld and that appropriate measures are taken to protect the democratic institutions and the safety of all individuals in Istkalen.

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Wirt Harland
Internal Affairs Commissioner of the European Union

I am concerned sanctions will hurt Istkalen. While it may seem appealing to place sanctions or take some sort of action and comforting to be seen "doing the right thing". I have still yet to see evidence Istkalen are a threat to Europe itself. They are not killing people on foreign soil or presenting a national security threat of foreign soil as of yet. We may I fear in attempts to help hurt the very people we are trying to help. The best action is to accept LGBT and political refugees if they appear.

James Mizrachi-Roscoe, Councillour for United Duchies

Nominations are now closed. These are the candidates to the European Commission:

For the Office of Premier Commissioner

Sofie ČIKAROVÁ (Czech Slavia)
Akem LINEK (Istkalen)
Ricarda SCHMITZ (United Duchies)

For the Office of Internal Affairs Commissioner

Wirt HARLAND (Elthize)

For the Office of Foreign Affairs Commissioner

Tomáš KREJČÍ (Inquista)

Aubry: "Cair Para works to destroy the social contract"

Today, Jacqueline Aubry, leader of the ADA and its sole member in the municipal assembly, delivered a speech strongly criticizing the government in Cair Para, accusing it of trying to undermine democracy, the social contract, trade unions, and small business. Though known as a hardline Anastasian nationalist, Aubry stayed away from mentions of an "Anastasian nation," choosing to focus on populism and economic issues throughout the address, in a reflection of the marginalization of her stances within her party.

"In the name of the people," she began, "the elites in Cair Para have decreed their destruction. In the name of the people, the elites in Cair Para have placed the people on the altar of profit to be sacrificed to Mammon. They have sold this country, this city, to the oligarchs and their yellow unions, to the cartels and the speculators. They press down, more, more, on the workers and small proprietors, until they can no longer withstand the pressure and bend to their eternal reign."

"What they have done is simple. It is the right of associated capital and associated labor to negotiate their conditions themselves, on equal ground. In this way, demands are made by the people on a consensual basis. This is the foundation of any real democracy. What those in Cair Para do is undermine this system, this sacred social contract. They increase - and that is good - but by increasing they weaken the power of the red unions, of the real unions. The state becomes responsible for workers' conditions, and the institutions that defend workers' rights atrophy in favor of the dominance of yellow unions and paternalists. And when the state inevitably falls into these hands, there will be a lowering, and no one will be able to do anything about it."

"The puppets of the oligarchs will accuse us of being anti-worker. We do not care, because we know that they are the ones who are against the worker. They are the ones who whittle away at what remains of the power of the true workers' associations, at what exists of workers' democracy in this country, and they are the ones who will, when they have whittled enough, turn and brutally attack the workers until they are slaves in all but name."

"And why believe us? Look at their record. These people hold to the belief that talking to your coworkers at work is immoral. If one does not empty one's head of any and all human thoughts - of love for one's family, of desire for one's party, of want for companionship, of simple fantasy - then one is, in their eyes, the ultimate failure. This alone is proof enough of their alignment. For them, workers are not human. They are automatons who must do their task, without stopping, without fail, without any need to fulfill the basic desires and needs of any living thing, until the clock runs down. We, on the other hand, have always been on the side of workers' democracy and workers' rights. We are the ones who have assisted the cooperative movement, the autogestionary movement, in this city. We believe in the essential dignity and humanity of everyone, whether at home or at work, the innate right to freedom that everyone is entitled to."

"Here are our immediate demands. We want an end to the dictates from Cair Para. It is the right of the Irmgardian workers, and no one else, to negotiate their wages as a collective. We want to replace the system of state-mandated minimum wages with one based on democratic bargaining between major unions and trade associations, represented in special chambers of labor and commerce we want the Irmgardian government to establish. In businesses with more than 100 employees, we want to establish real workers' councils to monitor working conditions and ensure that humanity and democracy, in the place of a paternalism that demands the sacrifice of humanity, prevail."

"Cair Para works to destroy the social contract. We work to heal it. Here is what we say:"

"Away with the yellow unions!"

"Away with the oligarchs!"

"Away with the cartels!"

"And up, always, always, the people and our beloved Irmgardis!"

Enough with this idolisation of politicians

I wake up today to see the news that Jean Claude Juncker in another vanity moment has had the Airport named after him something so rare as Airports are normally named after great dead leaders not living ones who just departed from their jobs who can't even be judged from a historic standpoint yet. This is bad and dangerous for Europe and I'll explain why here. In politics our leaders are here to lead humbly and down to earthly and effectively. Juncker has constantly defied this convention , he is not a God or a legend he is a man one man. He done his job at the end of the day , why should he get medals things named after him for this, he has not changed the world. He is part of a trend of idolising politicians and creating a cult of personality. People are more looking at one person than institutions and issues, it becomes more about the name than the issue in voting and in campaigning. That is not right , the first thing should be the people.

If you go into politics to be known you are in the wrong job and it feels like Juncker is this type of politician a demagogue. If he had joined politics in the United Duchies he'd have been seen through and kicked out at the next election as we don't do demagoguery and cult of personality and flashy politics like that and rightly so as it only leads to the trivialisation of politics and the issues of the people. It leads to a focus on the person. Perhaps we should have less of cult of personality and idolisation of politicians but instead a focus on the position and issues of the actual Europeans , the heroes who make Europe work everyday the average working class and middle class European.

MM: Let's not delay any further and get straight to our final result, shall we? I mean, we're used to waiting six months for EV results but a woman like me just doesn't have time for that. I have bills to pay! Let's hear from the United Duchies, who are deciding the entire fate of Europe tonight!

Lenny Henry: Hello Inquista! Hello Europe. I'm calling from the United Duchies with our results.

MM: Glad to hear it, Lenny. What have the people of the United Duchies decided?

Lenny Henry: The Duchian public have been eagerly voting. We have decided to give our 8 points to... Inquista. We give our 10 points to... Spain! We give our 12 points to... REITZMAG!

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MM: And there we have it, everyone! Thank you the United Duchies, and thank you Lenny!

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MM: It's official! Nancy Ajram has won EuroVoice 44: Showtime! Nancy's victory means back-to-back victories for Inquistan artists. This is the retribution we deserve for that nearly 3 year dry spell we had since 2020.

The Nicoleizian Joint Entry Team came in a close second, while our friends from the Conch Kingdom finished in third - the highest ever placement for them. Congrats on the Mishar Republic's debut finish in fifth place, and Portugal in sixth! We hope to see our friends from Portugal participate again. I have to admit, I did vote for them.

Well, so I guess this means we'll see you again in Saint Dominico sooner or later! Can't wait, my darlings. Hope you all had fun tonight and enjoyed this edition of EuroVoice. I had a lot of fun and I want to thank all the amazing artists and participating countries for putting on another strong edition of this contest that we all enjoy. Wishing you all lots of love until we see each other again.

We now invite Nancy Ajram to perform her song live for us one more time! Good night Europe. Kisses!

< Nancy performs Ah W Noss to a victorious home crowd >

[FINAL RESULTS SCORE SHEET]

Statement - On Istkalen

My dear Europeans,

A few days ago, I was informed as everyone else by the Istkalenian media that the National Salvation Council of Istkalen was planning to introduce several reforms, which included "anti-gay laws" or "cultural restrictions"; and that severely attack not only the European Rule of Law, but also puts the primacy of the Constitution of the European Union and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in danger. If this legislation was passed, Sections II, XVIII and XIX of said Declaration would be broken by a member state of the European Union, something that cannot be tolerated.

As Premier Commissioner, I am deeply concerned about this attempt to go against the Constitution, our main rule within the Acquis Communautaire. The European Rule of Law, when it comes to Human Rights, shall be respected and protected by all members of this Union, no matter their cultures, ideologies or religious principles. Not respecting it leads the European Union to a point of no return, in which we tolerate severe breaches of our main pieces of legislation, and the Commission and I as Premier Commissioner will not allow that to happen. This Commission, despite others' comments, is not here to sit down and wait for the situation to resolve, but to act as soon as possible and always looking for consensus.

I would like to publicly applaud the decision my colleague and Commission mate Wirt Harland, the Internal Affairs Commissioner, has taken concerning this possible breach of our legislation, which was opening a discussion on the European Council. On my side, I would like to call the National Salvation Council to vote against these proposals. In addition, I would like to remind Istkalenian lawmakers that the European Commission has the needed powers to take action against any member that breaches sensible EU law, by applying the European Commission (Sanctioning Powers) Act 2021. While I hope that its application is not necessary, I have to remind member states about the consequences that a breach of our Constitution or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights may carry. I would also like to remind that my office is always open to anyone that is willing to discuss these events, and that negotiation is our main priority.

I hope this attempt fails and that Istkalen remains in the correct side when it comes to European law.

Jean-Claude Juncker
Premier Commissioner

With two votes FOR, this act has passed.

Iras TIlkanas
Council Speaker and Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen