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The Consulate of Balder

The Realm of Balder[/big]

Balder Forum
Population - 4,612 nations ~ Delegate Endorsements - 156 ~ Endorsement Cap - 15 ~ Forum Posts - 106,304

Monarchy

Queen - Rach Eriksen
Crown Prince - North East Somerset

Statsraadet (Executive)

Statsminister - OnderKelkia
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Zander Cerebella
Minister of Integration - Tom Vasentius
Minister of War - Theoden Sebastian
Minister of Culture - Gradea

Storting (Legislature)

Lawspeaker - Arastaoir
MP - Gradea
MP - Onder Kelkia
MP - Theoden Sebastian
MP - Tom Vasentius

Election News & Future Plans



In the latest round of legislative elections, three incumbent MPs were returned (Arastaoir, Theoden Sebastian and Tom Vasentius) and two new legislators were elected to the Storting (Gradea and OnderKelkia). Within the Storting, the outgoing Lawspeaker Tom Vasentius did not seek re-election. Arastaoir and Theoden Sebastian emerged as the two candidates for this position, which serves as presiding officer in legislative debates. A close contest ensued. After voting was tied, Theoden Sebastian withdrew from contention, leaving Arastaoir to be elected Lawspeaker as the remaining candidate.

The process for selecting the new Statsminister went more smoothly, as OnderKelkia was elected unchallenged, following a term as Minister of Integration and after topping the polls in the Storting election. The Statsminister serves as Balder's head of government. OnderKelkia was quick to announce his cabinet and detailed plans for improving the performance of each government department.

Under the new administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be developing our valuable relationships with existing allies, while forging ahead with new partnerships which cement Balder's position both among fellow game-created regions and as a leader of the wider Independent sphere. The Ministry of Integration will build on the progress made with manual naturalisation telegrams during the previous term to mentor new forum members and direct them to activities which are beneficial to the region. The Ministry of War will be organising Balder-led military occupations and building up our capacity to provide significant reinforcements led by our allies. The Ministry of Culture will be working on a major event to mark the fifth anniversary of Balder's creation and maintaining growth in general forum activity.

Integration Ministry Reformed

The biggest institutional reform announced by the new Government thus far is the re-branding and restructuring of our Integration functions. Previously, the Balder Civil Service was administered centrally through the Ministry of Integration-Civil Service. Following an announcement by Statsminister OnderKelkia, Civil Service appointments will be directly managed by each member of the Statsraadet within their own department, while the Ministry of Integration will retain ownership of this agenda as part of its wider outreach to new and existing members. It is believed that the new system will provide greater flexibility and allow assistant ministers to become directly engaged in the actual running of their departments. The new grade of Deputy Minister was also created and the Statsminister announced Sygian Vasentius as the first Deputy Minister of Culture.

Treaty News



Over the last two months, Balder has seen a significant amount of new diplomatic activity. In July, we formed the GCR Sovereignty Accords with our allies in The Pacific and The West Pacific. The Accords rapidly obtained the unanimous approval of the Storting. This partnership represents an exciting opportunity expand our cooperation in good faith and enhances the security of all signatories against potential adversaries. The Realm of Balder is firmly committed to carrying forward this agenda.

The Treaty of the Ancient Gods with Osiris was updated and revised in late August following talks between both parties, with new language to remove an out-dated reference to the Imperial Sovereign Realms Army. In reaffirming our alliance, Balder is glad to have renewed commitments to our fellow sinker.

Back on 18th July, there was an announcement in the Gameplay forum delivered by Glen-Rhodes, The South Pacific's Minister of Foreign Affairs, that TSP was dissolving its treaty with Balder. Following this announcement, it emerged that the requisite legal approval for dissolving the treaty had not been obtained in The South Pacific when Glen-Rhodes issued his statement. It is now over 2 months since Glen-Rhodes made his announcement. Despite the passage of time, we have still yet to receive the required five-days' notice from TSP that the treaty has been dissolved in TSP's embassy on our forum, even though providing this notice is a requirement of our treaty.

Statement on the Grey Wardens' Aggression against Osiris



As we approach the fifth anniversary of the creation of Osiris and Balder next month, our commitment to the welfare of our sister sinker remains strong. We are therefore disturbed by recent developments. On 7th September 2016, the Pharaoh of Osiris issued a royal proclamation concerning unprovoked aggression against Osiris perpetrated by the Order of the Grey Wardens. Specifically, the Grey Wardens re-founded Islamic Republics of Iran, a territory belonging to Osiris since 2013. This action followed general threats by the Grey Wardens to engage in hostilities against regions which are prepared to undertake offensive military operations.

The Realm of Balder hereby announces its full support for the retaliatory steps announced by Osiris and our opposition to the Grey Wardens. Barring exceptional circumstances, such as multi-regional anti-Nazi missions, we will not cooperate militarily with the Grey Wardens and we will not entertain any diplomatic relations with their organisation. We will also be developing and implementing security and citizenship policies to maintain the safety and integrity of Balder. The Grey Wardens seized Islamic Republics of Iran as a calculated and gratuitous insult to the sovereignty and security of Osiris. In needlessly choosing to attack Osiris, to minimal practical effect, the Grey Wardens not only gained the enmity of Osiris; they earned the enmity of the allies and friends of Osiris. We will not allow our allies to be singled out and intimidated by enemies who seek to constrain their military autonomy. Balder stands boldly and firmly with Osiris.

Furthermore, by their actions, the Grey Wardens have illustrated that any assurances they offer cannot be trusted. On this occasion, they proceeded to seize Islamic Republics of Iran in spite of the High Constable of the Grey Wardens having previously implied that they represented no genuine threat in conversations with the Pharaoh of Osiris. Clearly, the Grey Wardens are willing to offer misleading impressions to preserve the political position of their members in their target regions, but in the long run they cannot help themselves from jumping on the limited number of military opportunities which arise to undermine their targets. In this context, trusting the Grey Wardens would be naive in the extreme. Any region which is willing to raid has good reason to identify the Grey Wardens as a hostile force which must be contained. Independent regions like Balder have as much reason to fear as Raider regions like Osiris. Accordingly, Balder will be consulting with our allies to develop an appropriate response to the political project represented by the Grey Wardens.

Authored by Zander Cerebella and Onder Kelkia.

Thank you for taking the time to read our update. We hope you enjoyed it.

Thank you for the update!

The Festival of the Ancient Gods

19th October 2016 marks the fifth anniversary of the creation of Balder and Osiris.

Over the past five years, many players have committed their time and effort to the development of Balder and Osiris. Due to the success of our citizens, vibrant communities have emerged and prospered in in both regions. The addition of two sinkers has also had a significant impact on the game as a whole, reinvigorating the game-created regions as centres of NationStates politics and altering the course of gameplay.

In honour of this occasion, Balder and Osiris will be holding the Festival of the Ancient Gods between 21st and 24th October. The first two days of the Festival will take place in Balder on 21st and 22nd October. The second two days will take place in Osiris on 23rd and 24th October.

The Government of Balder is delighted to invite you to join our celebrations. The scheduled events for the Festival include an in-character role-play of the founding of Osiris and Balder, as well as several spam games, tournaments and contests.

All participants from regions with embassies with either Balder or Osiris are most welcome to attend events at both segments of the Festival.

[/font]

Thank you for the invitation...I hope all goes well with the festival.

[big][big]Balder Forum Balder Region Balder Discord

Regional Government[/big][/big]

[table=2,]

Monarchy
Queen of Balder: Rach Eriksen
Crown Prince: North East Somerset

Statsraadet
Statsminister: Onder Kelkia
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Tomb
Minister of WA Affairs: Theoden Sebastian
Minister of Defense: Zander Cerebella
Minister of Integration: Fake
Minister of Culture: Vaclav Vinograd

[c]

Storting

Lawspeaker:

[/b]

Tomb

Members of the Storting:

Theoden Sebastian
Vaclav Vinograd
Tomb
Onder Kelkia
Wycliffe

[big][big]December Elections & Future Plans[/big][/big]

Every two months, Balder holds legislative elections in which it elects five members to its unicameral legislature, the Storting. After its election, the Storting is tasked with nominating and selecting a Statsminister (prime minister) and Lawspeaker (speaker of the legislature). Early this month, Balder held the latest round of legislative elections in which Tomb, Onder Kelkia, and Theoden Sebastian retained their seats in the Storting and were joined by new MPs Wycliffe and Vaclav Vinograd. Despite putting forth a strong campaign, the sixth contender, Deputy Minister of Integration and Culture Fake, failed to win a seat but has pledged to continue being active in the region, and shortly after, was promoted to Minister of Integration by the Statsminister.

Shortly after the Storting Election results were called, the Storting proceeded to nominate and elect a Lawspeaker and Statsminister. Tomb sought another term as Lawspeaker of the Storting promising greater activity within the Storting as well as an increased focus on regional culture, and went on to win a second term in an uncontested race. Onder Kelkia, the incumbent Statsminister, sought a third term in office and was elected unchallenged as well. In his campaign for the position, the Statsminister cited the comprehensive work of the government in improving regional activity while at the same time highlighting its efforts in furthering relations with our allies abroad over the past two terms. He promised to continue this work in this coming term by focusing on recruitment and integration domestically and continuing to build relations abroad. Shortly after winning the election, the Statsminister went on to name his cabinet, which included new faces as well as regional veterans.

[big][big]A New, Dynamic Cabinet[/big][/big]

In his reelection address to the region, Statsminister Onder Kelkia laid out his Statsraadet (cabinet) appointments. The Statsraadet saw reshuffles in some portfolios and the introduction of two new ministers. Overall, the region has high expectations for this cabinet due to its strong standing as a diverse one made of new players and veterans who share one goal in common: improving Balder.

Greetings citizens of Balder,

Tomb is appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs. In addition to the frequent publication of the Raven Post, Tomb will be tasked with the restructuring our current ambassadorial program. With the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff, he will be developing the infrastructure for a new Diplomatic Corps for the Ministry to ensure that Balder is actively represented abroad at all times.

Fake is appointed as Minister of Integration, with responsibility for encouraging nations to join the forums and integrating those members who do join the forum into our community. He has high activity on the forums and the regional message board. In the previous term, while serving as a deputy minister, Fake completed excellent work in producing designs for our forthcoming WA Awards programme. He also pursued several other integration initiatives, including a guide for new members using the forum.

Zander Cerebella is appointed as Minister of War. While the Jomsvikings have seen a minor slump in activity the past few weeks, Balder's military force remains and as committed as ever to defending Balder and protecting its interests abroad.The organizational and leadership skills which Zander showed as Minister of Foreign Affairs will serve him well in his new role as he seeks to further expand the Jomsvikings.

Vaclav Vinograd will continue as Minister of Culture. His recent role in managing the cultural aspects of the Balder-United Kingdom State Visit presages a successful term of cultural activities and events. Apart from arranging cultural events, Vaclav Vinograd's key focus will be maintaining our increases in forum activity over the last two months.

Theoden Sebastian is appointed as Minister of World Assembly Affairs. Together with our partners in Europeia and The North Pacific, we have recently been engaged in efforts to revive the World Assembly Legislative League. In addition, there is vast room for improvement in our own approach to World Assembly issues, centred around improving the number of Balder nations which participate in the WA The Minister will support the Delegate and will not pursue any duties which clash with the Delegate's role.

I believe that this is a strong cabinet which is well-positioned to take our region forward. There will be a further announcement shortly about specific priorities for each department.

Congratulations to all those appointed.

[big][big]Balder - UK State Visit[/big][/big]

On December 11th, Balder hosted a delegation from United Kingdom (UK) for the first Balder - UK state visit since the ratification of the Treaty of Asplund. The state visit featured a grand ball held in the Winter Palace, the Queen's residence, where citizens of both Balder and United Kingdom got to meet each other and mingle. Attending the ball were several prominent UK politicians including King Charles III, Prime Minister George Mountbatten, and Foreign Secretary Elena. On the second day of the state visit King Charles III addressed the Storting in a speech that got the King a standing ovation from the Storting. In his address, King Charles praised Balder and expressed optimism about the days ahead of Balder and UK as they continue to strengthen their alliance.

[big][big]Regional Flag Contest[/big][/big]

[img=275,183]http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/rflags/balder__407860.png[/img]

In the weeks to come, Balderan citizens will be selecting an official flag for Balder. This was a project started by the Storting earlier this year; however, the Storting session at the time never had the chance to complete it due to general inactivity. Several sessions later, Lawspeaker Tomb has prioritized the selection of a regional flag for the region and has promised to see it go through. In what is to be one of the largest projects and examples of cooperation between the Storting and the Statraadet, the flag contest will be a partnership between the Storting and the Ministries of Culture and Integration. The Storting has outlined a timeline for the flag selection process, and flag submissions are planned to take place on December 19th - 24th. Several rounds of regional voting will start afterward, and the winning flag will be submitted to the Storting to be legislated as the official Balderan flag.

[small]The Balder Press Release
Produced and Published by the Balder Ministry of Foreign Affairs[/small]

[small]

All dat coding error

When things are copied and pasted without a thought.

In any case, thanks for the update.

[big][big][big][big]The Realm of Balder[/big][/big][/big][/big]
[big][big]Foreign Update, 2 March 2017[/big][/big]

[big]Balder Forum[/big]

Population - 5,065 nations ~ Delegate Endorsements - 195 ~ Endorsement Cap - 15 ~ Forum Posts - 115,318

Monarchy

Queen - Rach Eriksen
Crown Prince - North East Somerset

Statsraadet (Executive)

Statsminister - Fake
Minister of Foreign Affairs - OnderKelkia
Minister of WA Affairs - Zander Cerebella
Minister of Integration - Cinder
Minister of War - North East Somerset
Minister of Culture - Ervald

Storting (Legislature)

Lawspeaker - Cinder
MP - Fake
MP - Onderkelkia
MP - Rain
MP - Tomb

[big][big]Alliance ratified between Balder and The North Pacific[/big][/big]

Balder is delighted to announce that we have formed an alliance with The North Pacific. Drafted as part of negotiations which began in October, the Treaty of the Northern Folk enshrines provisions for mutual recognition, mutual defence and intelligence sharing between the parties. These mutual obligations will serve to advance the interests of both our regions.

The Treaty of the Northern Folk is based on the close historic friendship between The North Pacific and Balder, derived from our shared identity as Independent game-created regions. It also reflects the practical collaboration between our governments, which most recently has involved working together to revitalise the World Assembly Legislative League as an instrument for achieving our regions' aims in the Security Council and the General Assembly. We look forward to continuing and expanding our cooperation with The North Pacific under this framework.

[big][big]Election of New Storting and Lawspeaker[/big][/big]

Cinder, Fake, OnderKelkia, Rain and Tomb were returned as Member of Parliament in the most recent round of elections to the Storting. The number of votes increased by 50% over the previous Storting election in December, reflecting the general rise in regional activity. The new Storting quickly convened to elect a new Lawspweaker, with Tomb standing down from the position having held it the previous term. Rain was initially selected by a majority vote, but resigned as Lawspeaker shortly afterwards. Following a fresh vote, Cinder has been confirmed in the position of Lawspeaker.

[big][big]A New Administration under Statsminister Fake[/big][/big]

The new Storting nominated Fake to serve as Statsminister (equivalent to Prime Minister of Balder) and the Queen accordingly appointed him to this office in the State Opening of Parliament. Fake succeeds OnderKelkia, who had held the role for three consecutive terms since August. Fake served as Minister of Integration last term and has enjoyed a rapid political rise, having only joined the forums in November. Fake has announced that the primary focus of his administration will be on improving government accessibility and integration.

Wasting no time in announcing the composition of the Statsraadet, the Statsminister appointed OnderKelkia as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zander Cerebella as Minister of WA Affairs, Cinder as Minister of Integration, Wycliffe as Minister of Culture and North East Somerset (who also serves as Crown Prince) as Minister of War. Wycliffe was subsequently removed from his position by a majority vote of the Storting due to his involvement in a serious incident involving Discord channels belonging to another region. The Statsminister has since appointed Ervald as Wycliffe's successor at the Ministry of Culture.

[big][big]Plans for an Assembly of Citizens[/big][/big]

In order to provide an institution which allows citizens of Balder outside of the Storting to engage with legislative affairs, the Storting is considering the Folketing Act. Authored by new Culture Minister Ervald with the assistance of Lawspeaker Cinder, this legislation would establish an assembly of citizens known as the Folketing. The Folketing would have the authority to propose legislation for formal consideration by the Storting, allowing any citizen to put forward an item of legislation. The underlying proposal to establish the Folketing has received widespread support, but the Storting has debated a number of questions regarding how the Folketing should be organised. For instance, following deliberation, it has been decided that no member of the Statsraadet (the region's Cabinet) may serve as Formand (presiding officer of the Folketing) or as a deputy to the Formand. Once established, the Folketing will hopefully offer meaningful insights into work as a legislator to new citizens as they prepare to stand for election to the Storting.

Thanks for the update!

[big][big][big][big]The Realm of Balder[/big][/big][/big][/big]
[big][big]Foreign Update, 19 April 2017[/big][/big]

[big]Balder Forum[/big]

Population - 5,320 nations ~ Delegate Endorsements - 191 ~ Endorsement Cap - 15 ~ Forum Posts - 117,068

Monarchy

Queen - Rach Eriksen
Crown Prince - North East Somerset

Statsraadet (Executive)

Statsminister - Tomb
Minister of Foreign Affairs - OnderKelkia
Minister of WA Affairs - Fake
Minister of Integration - Plembobria
Minister of War - North East Somerset
Minister of Culture - Ervald

Storting (Legislature)

Lawspeaker - Fake
MP - Linkin Talleyrand
MP - OnderKelkia
MP - Plembobria
MP - Tomb

[big][big]New Storting Elected[/big][/big]

Fierce campaigning for the April Storting elections commenced at the start of the month. The Storting functions as Balder's unicameral legislature and the centre of regional politics. Each of the candidates produced a manifesto and proposed policies in an effort to persuade the electorate to support their bid to claim one of the five Storting seats. Prominent issues in the campaign included the standardisation and readability of legislation, selecting the right person to serve as Lawspeaker and the need to promote participation among the region's newer members. After heated debate and a tense three-day voting period, the results of the election were as follows:

Fake 12 (12.9%)
Tomb 17 (18.3%)
Rain 10 (10.8%)
OnderKelkia 18 (19.4%)
Plembobria 12 (12.9%)
Linkin Talleyrand 13 (14%)
Ervald 11 (11.8%)

OnderKelkia, Tomb, Linkin Talleyrand, Fake and Plembobria were accordingly elected to serve in the Storting over the course of April and May. The new members of the Storting quickly convened to select their presiding officer for this term, the Lawspeaker. Fake, the outgoing Statsminister, was the only elected candidate who sought this role and obtained majority support to claim the position of Lawspeaker on a promise to review and improve the laws of Balder.

Apart from the elections for the Storting, this was the first round of elections to feature a poll for the new position of Formand. The Formand will serve as presiding officer of the Folketing, a deliberative body where citizens may compose legislation. Bills approved in the Folketing are then sent for consideration by the Storting. Cinder, an outgoing member of the Storting, was elected to this position after receiving widespread support from across Balder's political spectrum.

[big][big]Statsminister Tomb Takes Office[/big][/big]

Following previous service in the roles of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Culture and Lawspeaker, Tomb put himself forward for the office of Statsminister this term. With a platform headlined 'A Balder to Believe In', Tomb presented a comprehensive programme for radical change across the domestic and foreign affairs policy portfolios. He committed to providing active leadership that focuses on the challenges facing the region. On the basis of this agenda, it did not take long for Tomb to be unanimously approved to hold the office of Statsminister at the first sitting of the newly elected Storting. He was subsequently appointed as Statsminister by the Queen.

Upon assuming office, Tomb promptly announced the members he has selected to serve in the Statsraadet for this term and expressed confidence in the high ability of his ministerial team. Tomb confirmed that OnderKelkia, Ervald and Crown Prince NES would continue serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Culture and Minister of War respectively, having occupied these positions under Statsminister Fake in the previous term. By contrast, fresh appointments were made at the Ministry of Integration and the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs. Plembobria has been brought on board as Minister of Integration to increase forum participation and improve communication with the on-site region. Previous Statsminister Fake takes over from Zander Cerebella with the job of enhancing our World Assembly engagement as Minister of WA Affairs.

[big][big]Storting Debates Accountability and Identity Bills[/big][/big]

Since the last foreign update, the legislative agenda of the Storting has been dominated by two proposals. The 'Accountability Act' was the first of these bills and was debated in late March, prior to the recent Storting elections. It was introduced by Rain, then a member of the Storting, on behalf of Wycliffe, who was not a member of the Storting but devised the proposal. In essence, it suggested that the Folketing be empowered to repeal laws passed in the Storting and proposed a recall mechanism for members of the Storting. There was concern that allowing the Folketing to repeal legislation passed by the Storting would undermine the functioning of Balder's parliamentary democracy and went beyond the intended purpose of the Folketing as a place for new citizens to gain experience with legislative drafting. Following debate, Wycliffe decided to drop this proposal and instead pursue an alternative safeguard on the power of the Storting through the introduction of a royal veto with appropriate override provisions.

In the new session of the Storting, discussion is ongoing concerning Lawspeaker Fake's proposal for a 'Regional Identity Act'. The purpose of this bill is to create a single statute regulating all markers and symbols of Balder regional identity. In particular, the bill codifies the latest version of the flag of Balder and clarifies that "The Realm of Balder" shall be preferred to "The Grand Nordic Order of Balder" as the region's official designation. So far, some concern has been expressed that the bill as written might prevent the Executive from conferring official status on other symbols of regional identity and that the codification of core cultural items should not require the Executive to obtain primary legislation for the purpose of creating other official markers as needed. Debate on the merits of the Regional Identity Act continues within the Storting.

[big][big]#DraftBalder Campaign Launched[/big][/big]

Under the direct oversight of Statsminister Tomb, the Ministry of Integration and the Ministry of War have rolled out a joint initiative to encourage all citizens to join the Jomsvikings. Following high levels of activity in early 2016, the Jomsvikings have conducted relatively few operations in recent times, but the administration is determined to re-establish Balder's military capability as a valuable instrument of our foreign policy. Apart from an effort to persuade existing members of the forum to sign up for the Jomsvikings, all World Assembly nations in Balder have been contacted and encouraged to participate. The scheme has already resulted in several military applications.

In order to develop their experience of reinforcement occupations, new members of the Jomvikings have been specifically assigned to support the occupation of The Union of Red Nations and deter any hostile 'liberation' efforts. The operation in The Union of Red Nations is jointly commanded by The Land of Kings and Emperors and United Kingdom, which are both allies of Balder and fellow Independent powers. Balder is delighted to deploy the Jomsvikings as reinforcements for the Imperial Army and the British Armed Forces. With our renewed emphasis on military development, we look forward to further collaboration with the militaries of our allies in support of mutual security and political objectives.

Thanks for the update! It's cool how we both have Stortings.

Congratulations on becoming Statsminister, by the way. I'm sure you'll do great.

The Realm of Balder
Foreign Update, 11th July 2017

Balder Forum

Population - 4,411 nations ~ Delegate Endorsements - 188 ~ Endorsement Cap - 15 ~ Forum Posts - 119,385

Monarchy

Queen - Rach Eriksen
Crown Prince - North East Somerset

Statsraadet (Executive)

Statsminister - OnderKelkia
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Zander Cerebella
Minister of WA Affairs - Fake
Minister of Integration - Fuzzy
Minister of War - Akillian Talleyrand
Minister of Culture - Cinder

Storting (Legislature)

Lawspeaker - Theoden Sebastian
MP - Linkin Talleyrand
MP - OnderKelkia
MP - Plembobria
MP - Rain

Election News

June saw the beginning of a new election season in Balder. Among members of the outgoing Storting, OnderKelkia, Plembobria and Linkin Talleyrand stood for re-election, while Lord_docomo, Theoden Sebastian and Rain announced their candidacies to join the Storting. A Formand was not elected this term and nominations began on the 1st of June, with campaigning and voting beginning on the 6th.

OnderKelkia put forward a strong campaign as he not only sought a position on the Storting, but also that of Statsminister. OnderKelkia noted that during his previous tenure as Statsminister activity improved dramatically month on month before stabilising at a relatively high level. OnderKelkia talked about tackling both internal and external issues which could benefit the region. "When it comes to foreign policy, we have consolidated relationships with key Independent regions and our partners in the GCR Sovereignty Accords, but further developments in military and cultural cooperation are contingent on improved domestic performance. Diplomacy on its own can only take us so far if we do not have the requisite internal strength". OnderKelkia also promised to continue to focus on legislative scrutiny and political reform where appropriate and when it can improve the current system.

On the 6th of June the outgoing Speaker Fake opened voting, with people selecting their preferred 5 candidates out of the field of 6. After 2 days of voting the polls were closed. OnderKelkia, Linkin Talleyrand, Theoden Sebastian and Plembobria took the first 4 seats while there was a close battle for the final Storting seat with Rain edging out Lord_docomo by a single.

Result:
1) OnderKelkia - 28.6%
2=) Linkin Talleyrand - 25.7%
2=) Theoden Sebastian - 25.7%
4) Plembobria - 11.4%
5) Rain - 5.7%
-------------------
6) Lord_docomo - 2.9%

Upon the conclusion of the results, the new Storting wasted no time in beginning the process of electing a new Statsminister. OnderKelkia was the only candidate for the position and was duly elected with overwhelming support.

Formation of a New Government

Statsminister OnderKelkia immediately set about appointing members of the Statsraadet (the Cabinet of Balder). The Statsraadet initially consisted of Zander Cerebella (Foreign Affairs), Fake (WA Affairs), Plembobria (Integration), Akillian Talleyrand (War) and Ervald (Culture), with Ervald continuing on an interim basis until a replacement could be found. The cabinet has since changed with Cinder replacing Ervald as Minister of Culture and Fuzzy replacing Plembobria as Minister of Integration due to Plembobria's extended leave of absence.

Each minister has been given a number of tasks to complete over the coming term including updating the foreign ministries database of active ambassadors and embassies, a ranking system for the Jomsvikings, working closely with new citizens in order to help them get involved in the region and to continue to ensure that both on-site and off-site voices are hear on WA matters.

Legislative News

Alongside the Statsminister election, an election was also held for Lawspeaker. And just like the Statsminister vote, there was also just a single candidate for Lawspeaker in the form of Theoden Sebastian, who was approved unanimously.

Our first bit of legislative news comes from the defeat of the Regional Identity Act, mentioned in our previous press release. After extended discussion the bill was brought to vote and was defeated. This is one of only a few bills in Balder's history to have been defeated at vote. One concern pointed out was Balder's Demonym Act 2016 would not be replaced as a result of this bill, but rather it "may" be removed. While MP's were happy with a number of changes it looks like there are still amendments to be made before this bill passes.

Something which had an easier path was the amendments to the Criminal Code of Balder. Introduced by Fake, the amendments were met with positive support. The amendments sought to expand the definition of harrassment to include all members and not just citizens and expanding the reach of the code to both the RMB and Balder's Discord channel, along with small amendments to number. The amendments were approved with overwhelming support.

The final piece of news comes in the form of the Regional Security Act which was introduced by OnderKelkia. The bill aims to promote accountability and professionalism and to fill a legislative hole in the Citizenship Act where no specific authority is responsible. Balder has largely relied on the Monarchy, specifically the Crown Prince NES to conduct these checks. As part of this new bill ,a new position of Head of Sikkerhet is to be create and appointed by the Monarch to conduct these security checks, and should one not be appointed then the responsibility falls on the Crown Prince. The bill was received positively by MPs and on the 6th of July was passed through the Storting.

Military News

Balder was delighted to honour a request from our ally The North Pacific for support with their Delegacy transition in May 2017. The Jomsvikings deployed to endorse the incoming Delegate of TNP, Pallaith, on 20th May and the mission concluded once Pallaith assumed the in-game Delegacy.

At the start of July 2017, the Jomsvikings deployed to the region of Ankh Mauta to provide reinforcements for an occupation led by The Black Hawks. Ankh Mauta was a region linked to the United Defenders League, an organisation which historically sought to interfere in Balder's internal affairs before opposing our external interests after their attempts at internal subversion failed. Deeming the mission a success, our involvement in the operation concluded immediately following the minor update of 3rd July, after supporting the reclamation of the region at the previous major update and assisting the defeat of a defender 'liberation' at that minor update.

Thank you for the update from Balder, Zander.

Balder Forum Balder Region Balder Discord

Regional Government

Monarchy
Queen of Balder: Rach
Crown Prince: North East Somerset

Statsraadet
Statsminister: Linkin Talleyrand
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Theoden Sebastian
Minister of Community: Fuzzy
Minister of WA Affairs: Akillian Talleyrand
Minister of War: Bran Triune

Storting

Lawspeaker:

Theoden Sebastian

Members of the Storting:

OnderKelkia
Linkin Talleyrand
Akillian Talleyrand

February Elections & Future Plans

The Elections for the Storting term February to April 2018 concluded with incumbents OnderKelkia, Theoden Sebastian, Linkin Talleyrand and Akillian Talleyrand retaining their seats to serve in the regional legislature. OnderKelkia, after having occupied the office of Statsminister for seven terms announced his retirement prior to the election. In his concluding remarks, Kelkia noted the dramatic expansion in activity which the region experienced during his tenure. In the 17 months from September 2016 to January 2018 the forums accumulated over 75% more forum posts than in the 17 months from April 2015 to August 2016. He also mentioned the foreign agenda gains of his administration, such as the signing of treaties with The North Pacific, The West Pacific and Lazarus.

Linkin Talleyrand, WA Minister in the previous state council and multiple-term Storting member, then announced his bid to become the next Statsminister. He was selected by a unanimous vote of the Storting and was immediately invited by the Queen to form a government.

Meanwhile, Theoden Sebastian was also unanimously backed to serve another term as Lawspeaker.

Statsminister Talleyrand said that he will look to continue the record of the previous government and and promised tackle the issue of forum activity by researching new programs to encourage participation within the government and cultural activities. The ministries of Culture and Integration were merged into the Ministry of Community to serve as the core department for domestic affairs.

The new Statsraadet is composed of the following:
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Theoden Sebastian
Minister of Community: Fuzzy
Minister of World Assembly Affairs: Akillian Talleyrand
Minister of War: Bran Triune

Legislative Reforms

Following the State Opening of the Storting, Lawspeaker Theoden Sebastian unveiled a proposal to amend the Representation of the Realm Act. The amendment seeks to address the need for special elections when seats become vacant. At present, the basic law only allows for the holding of special elections for inactivity of members. As of this update, the measure is expected to pass unanimously in the Storting and will become the 5th amendment to the Representation of the Realm Act. This follows the run-off amendment earlier passed by the Storting, which added a provision for how ties should be handled.

Jomsvikings support operation in Yorkshire

The Jomvikings, Balder's military, successfully concluded its mission in Yorkshire. The region was captured by the combined forces of the Europeian Republican Navy, The North Pacific Army and The Land of Kings and Emperors Imperial Army. Balder earlier deployed to provide support. The regional government is pleased to participate in the mission in support of its allies and has promised to increase participation in joint operations them.