Ustin Fomichyov, Arcanstotska’s representative in the CEA, rose to speak.
“Esteemed friends, partners in Craviter. Democracy is a common ideal among the peoples of the world, sacred in the pages of many a national creed and constitution. Some nations achieve democracy through compromise and concession—such as when a sovereign surrenders some, most, or even all of his or her actionable, effectual authority to a civil institution. Other nations, my own included, achieved democracy through the often violent overthrow of those who seek to bring humanity to heel.
“Human beings are complex creatures. We have dreams, loves, fears, ideas, convictions, hopes for the future and so much more. Democracy, at its root core being governance by the people, is a complicated system of debate and concession, and compromise. This is often manifested as a frustrating process of passionate controversy. Democracy is, thereby, dare I say, the worst form of government that humanity has ever created—except for each and every other government system our species has tried. Democracy is a fickle, sometimes infuriating thing and, in a democracy, you can never be guaranteed everything you want. But, I believe, and this is a belief shared by my nation since the mid-19th century, that democracy is the only system of government that is capable of understanding people as people.
“According to the principles of democracy, a nation ought to be ruled, first and foremost, by those peoples who call it home. This is in polar contrast to that of dictatorship—in which the human being can never be anything above some mere lemming, needing direction and obedience to authority.
“I’m sure all of you, my respected fellow representatives, are familiar with a particular stereotype regarding the people of my country; that we Arcanstotskans, so arrogantly assured of the superiority of our system of government, can never keep quiet about the supposed inherent superiority of republican democracy over monarchy—even constitutional monarchy. Well, allow me to put that stereotype to rest.”
He took a sip from a glass of water before he continued.
“The Kingdom of Alemriche, from a historical perspective, is the Arcanstotskan Republic’s oldest friend. During the Revolution of 1848 and the war that spawned from it, Alemrichers and Arcanstotskans fought together against the Norsians and Mintorians and thus secured the very beginning of Arcanstotskan democracy. During the Fascist Wars, as Eras was engulfed in flames as tyrants sought to stomp the world beneath their jackboots, Alemrichers and Arcanstotskans fought side-by-side in defense of homeland, family, and democracy against the Mintorian Covenant regime. Arcanstotska, its liberties, its institutions, its democracy, and its republic, to a significant extent, owe their birth and continued existence to this friendship between the Arcanstotskan Republic and the Kingdom of Alemriche.
“In 2020, a mere two years ago, the democratic elections in Alemriche were shifted through the efforts of a force that ought to have no authority in the realm of Alemricher democracy: the Syrixian Empire.
“Syrixian efforts to alter the results of the Alemricher 2020 elections have been watched and documented. Intelligence efforts on behalf of the Syrixian imperial government to install a candidate leashed to the whims of Pataliputra are the very definition of infringement upon the sovereignty of nations and democratic institutions. But what was even more shocking in the end, at least to me, has been the Syrixian imperial government’s blatant attempts to destroy their own democracy.
“I could only ever describe it for what it is: the Syrixian imperial government was afraid of not getting everything it wanted—and so, rather than demonstrate maturity and respect democratic institutions, it instead elected to selfishly and rather childishly throw Syrixian democracy out of a window so it could have all that it wanted.
“In my country, we like to say that anyone can stand adversity; but if you really want to test a person’s character, then you give them power and watch what they do with it. The government of the Syrixian Empire has demonstrated, on the basis of its actions within its own country, that it is lacking in good character. A nation with such a lack of good character cannot and should not be trusted to act in good faith on the international stage. Democracy is a sacred institution the world over, and the Syrixian Empire has shown its selfish glee in disregarding it.
“Therefore, the Arcanstotskan Republic will support the measures proposed by the Republic of Callise. Thank you.”