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ÞEKSIAN CONGRESS FAILS TO PASS JARNHOLL REBUILDING BILL AGAIN AMID POLITICAL DEADLOCK
By Adrien Lentz​

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Ástinn, Þeksmark, 02 Aug 2024 (IAP) – A congressional motion to fund the reconstruction of Jarnholl, once the industrial core and former capital of Þeksmark, failed again this week after opposition lawmakers from the so-called “Ranch Belt” blocked the bill, deepening the ongoing national divide and raising new concerns over the future of the confederation.

Jarnholl, now a symbol of postwar neglect, has languished in urban decay since the fall of the Syndicalist regime during the Pan-Scalvian Coalition. The city, once home to over 1 million residents, the only other city in Þeksmark to have a million people living in it, was a hub for steel, rail, and heavy machinery. It was devastated during the multi-front invasion by Scalvia, the South Ethian Empire, and Eigyland nearly two decades ago.

Though humanitarian and reconstruction aid from several nations such as Suavidici, Sutherland, Waltalriche, and the Stadt—including former enemies such as Scalvia and South Ethia—has flowed into Þeksmark’s national budget over the years, Jarnholl’s recovery has stalled amid political gridlock. According to the Þekskarl Census Bureau, the city’s population has plummeted by over 65% since the war’s end, with projections suggesting full abandonment by 2045 if no major intervention occurs.

"Revival of Syndicalism"

The latest proposal to fund a comprehensive urban renewal package was introduced by Federalist lawmakers, mostly representing the northern industrial states, including New Harrowgate and Norswickglen. The bill would have allocated 68 billion Þekskmarks to rebuild critical infrastructure and restore housing in Jarnholl, with an emphasis on public sector employment and municipal revitalization programs.

However, the bill was defeated after lawmakers from the Great Plains states—informally referred to as the “Ranch Belt”—voted as a bloc against the measure. Many representatives from the agrarian interior argued that the plan would disproportionately benefit the north and potentially reintroduce centralist economic controls reminiscent of the Syndicalist era.

“This isn’t just about rebuilding bricks and steel,” said Rep. Harland Reeve (R–Westholdt). “It’s about stopping the creeping return of the same centralized state planning that brought this nation to the brink before.”

The Ranch Belt coalition, which has grown more assertive in recent years, views the Federalist agenda with suspicion, accusing the party of using reconstruction as a political vehicle to re-entrench bureaucratic influence and funnel resources to historically Federalist strongholds.

Urban Collapse and Political Fallout​

In Jarnholl itself, the consequences of legislative inaction are increasingly visible. Abandoned tenements, collapsing factories, and a gutted rail yard stretch for kilometers through what was once a thriving industrial capital. Many of the city’s remaining residents have relocated to satellite suburbs or have left the state entirely. Job loss and depopulation have driven down property values, and basic services are intermittent at best.

“The people here have been left behind by every government since the war,” said Liene Mørdal, a community organizer in the city’s southern quarter. “The aid money came. But it never came here.”

As frustrations mount, protests in the de facto capital of Ástinn have turned violent in recent days, with demonstrators clashing with security forces outside the Þeksmark State Capital. While officially centered on labor disputes and fuel pricing, analysts say the protests reflect deeper disillusionment with the Federalist-led government’s failure to unite the country’s divided regions.

Secession Talk Surfaces​

More alarming for national unity are emerging signs of dissatisfaction within the northern Federalist bloc itself. Lawmakers from New Harrowgate, Vinladr, Norswickglen, and Kressholt—states with historical ties to the former Eiygerland colonial administration and latecomers to the Þeksmark declaration of independence—have reportedly begun to discuss secession in closed-door meetings.

Multiple sources inside the State Capital confirmed that quiet conversations about the viability of continued union are taking place “with increasing frequency,” though no formal motions have been introduced.

“The union made sense when we believed in shared progress,” said one northern delegate who requested anonymity. “But when the rest of the country sees our collapse and refuses to help—we have to ask why we’re still here.”

The central government has not commented on these reports, though internal security agencies have increased monitoring of regional party caucuses and communication networks within Congress.

With no new rebuilding bill scheduled for debate and nationwide elections looming next spring, analysts warn that the political fracture lines exposed by Jarnholl’s fate could harden into permanent division.