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Balder Bugle Issue IX
A publication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Realm of Balder.
Statsminster and Talman Elections
The nomination process for the May Statsminster election saw two candidates put themselves forward for the position. Fuzzy was the first to put himself forward, announcing his candidacy in Balder's upper house, the Lagting. Shortly thereafter, Fuzzy was nominated and seconded to the position by two members of the Odelsting. The incumbent Statsminster, Bowzin, put himself forward for re-election in the Odelsting and also received the support of two other members. Fuzzy went on to receive the unanimous backing of the Lagting. The Odelsting vote saw 7 votes for Fuzzy, 3 for Bowzin and 2 abstentions. With the backing of both houses, Fuzzy was put forward by the Storting as the presumptive Statsminster for the new term, awaiting his appointment by the King.
The elections for Talman (Speaker of the Odelsting) also took place in May, with the incumbent Talman, Zander Cerebella, putting himself forward for re-election. Zander was nominated and seconded to the position by other members of the Odelsting and was returned to the office with the unanimous support of those that voted.
State Opening of Parliament
With the Statsminster election concluded, King North East Somerset formally opened parliament. Speaking of Fuzzy's longstanding experience, the King said "His dedicated service to Balder over the past 7 years are an example to us all, and he has all the skills to help drive Balder forwards. Indeed, it was Fuzzy who served inaugurally in the Office of Statsminister when it was first created during my first term as Monarch in 2014."
Looking back at the previous term, the King noted that "The past term has seen some notable successes in the deployment of our military, the Jomsvikings, which in some respects represents the Constitutional reforms in late 2019 bearing fruit." The King also paid tribute to the outgoing Statsminster, Bowzin, for his service, stating that "His rapid and successful rise to the position of Head of Government of this Realm, is an example to all of the wealth of opportunities that Balder presents." The King awarded Bowzin the Chivalric Order of the Knight of Odin as a thanks for his service.
Statsminster's speech and announcement of Statsraadet
Once appointed, Fuzzy took the time to set out his plans for the term. Seeking to increase activity in the region and move ahead with a number of cultural projects, Fuzzy stated that "Our highest priorities will be the engagement, retention and development of new members." He also noted that the establishment of Balder's university and the creation of city level charters and governments are priorities for this term, stating that "With the passing of the Princely Cities Act, we now have a fantastic opportunity to expand our region and create more ways for people to get involved."
Fuzzy also announced his cabinet, made up of the following ministers:
Linkin Maximus as Deputy Statsminster and Minister of Culture
Zander Cerebella as Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minethefirst as Minister of Integration
Charax as Minister of World Assembly Affairs
Vamperiall as Minister of War
Bowzin as Minister of Discord Affairs
Aexnidaral as Attorney General
Civil Service
As part of his drive to increase activity, Statsminster Fuzzy has continued his predecessor's drive to get people involved in the Civil Service, and has worked to make it more accesible to newcomers by integrating it into Balder's citizenship application process. All new applicants are now encouraged to join the Civil Service and get involved in Balder's Government. The Statsminster has also requested the creation of a number of Deputy Minister roles, to further increase the opportunities for newer members to get involved.
City Reform
The Princely Cities Act (March 2020) was signed into law on 13 April 2020, allowing for the creation of city charters and the appointment of mayors. The city of Jomsborg was quick to capitalise on this opportunity, with OnderKelkia, the Prince of Jomsborg, appointing Linkin Maximus as Marshal (Mayor) of the city. Linkin was quick to create a City Charter outlining the operation of the city government. The city of Ribe followed shortly afterwards, with its Prince, Fuzzy, creating his own charter and appointing Charax as Mayor. Mayor Charax has already been busy, and two citizens of Ribe have already been appointed to the City Council. A charter for Aarhus will hopefully be in place by the end of the term. All three cities have a different character, and this is already being displayed in the differences in their charters and operational structures. With so much more to now get involved in, it is hoped that the cities will drive another increase in regional activity as people join their governments and get involved in city level activites.
University nears opening
Balder's university project is another priority for the region, with Deputy Statsminster Linkin working on his proposal for a new and improved bill to found the university, which will be introduced this term. Once established, the university will become a centre for learning and scholarship, and will provide another hub for regional life. Amongst other things, the university will provide a home for Balder's history as well as providing a place to publish and store writings on a number of topics. The university may also play host to courses on various subjects.
Military Operations
Last term saw the Jomsvikings complete a number of successful operations, including a very successful deployment to Boston led by The Black Hawks and LWU. This operation saw the Jomsvikings assist in securing the region and defending it against an attempted liberation. The Jomsvikings also participated in successful operations in Xedas and Asia.
The Jomsvikings are looking to expand on their operations and build on these successes, with Minister Vamperiall looking to increase training and help encourage more members to join the ranks, alongside planning future operations.
Contact Fuzzy, Statsminster of Balder, with comments regarding the Bugle.
