The Third Entente

Xemtaivia wrote:

President Tomislav Nikolić's Address to the Government of Greece - October 18, 2008:

snip

“Government of the Hellenic Republic, the Government of Greece, and through you, the Greek state and the Greek people: today I address you not as a representative of one political party, nor merely as the President of the Yugoslav Federation, but as the elected head of a state whose citizens have been murdered on its university campuses by an organization that claims to fight for the separation of Macedonia from Yugoslavia. The investigation conducted by our federal and republican authorities has produced evidence which the Government of Yugoslavia considers sufficient to conclude that elements within the Greek state have provided material, financial, logistical, and political support to the Macedonian National Liberation Front, the organization responsible for the terrorist attack at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. Greece has therefore crossed a line that Yugoslavia cannot ignore.”

“Let me make the position of my government absolutely clear. Yugoslavia recognizes the distinction between the Greek people and the actions of the Greek state. We hold no hatred toward Greek citizens, Greek culture, or Greece's history. We have no quarrel with the ordinary Greek worker, student, farmer, merchant, or family. But a government that provides support to an organization responsible for murdering Yugoslav citizens cannot expect its economic relationship with Yugoslavia to continue as though nothing has happened. Diplomatic disagreement is one thing. Sponsorship of terrorism against the citizens of another sovereign state is something entirely different.”

“Therefore, effective immediately, the Government of the Yugoslav Federation is imposing extraordinary economic measures against the Hellenic Republic. All Greek imports entering the territory of Yugoslavia will be subject to substantial federal tariffs and additional customs charges. These measures will cover Greek agricultural products, manufactured goods, consumer products, industrial equipment, foodstuffs, and other commercial imports. At the same time, Yugoslav exporters will revise the prices of goods sold into the Greek market to reflect the extraordinary political and security circumstances created by the actions of the Greek state. These measures are not being taken because Yugoslavia has forgotten the value of commerce. They are being taken because commerce cannot be separated indefinitely from the security of the nation conducting it.”

“Furthermore, I have authorized the temporary freezing of Greek state-owned, corporate, institutional, and other qualifying Greek financial assets located within the jurisdiction of the Yugoslav Federation. No legitimate Yugoslav citizen should misunderstand this measure. This is not a declaration that Greek property has been permanently confiscated. It is a temporary federal freeze while our authorities establish the full extent of financial relationships between Greek entities and persons or organizations associated with the MNLF. Legitimate claims and lawful commercial obligations will be reviewed under federal law. But until that review is complete, Yugoslav institutions will not permit potentially connected capital to leave our country.”

“These measures are extraordinary because the accusation before us is extraordinary. The Federal Government will not pretend that an attack on a university is merely another episode in Balkan politics. Students were killed. Families received telephone calls that changed their lives forever. Professors watched their classrooms become scenes of devastation. The MNLF attempted to turn a university into a battlefield, and now our government has determined that its ability to operate did not exist in isolation from foreign assistance. If the Greek Government believes that this conclusion is false, then Greece has every opportunity to provide evidence to the contrary through diplomatic and judicial channels. Yugoslavia will examine credible evidence. We are prepared to listen. But we will not remain silent while waiting for explanations.”

“To the Government of Greece, I say this directly: Yugoslavia does not seek war with Greece. Yugoslavia does not seek the destruction of the Greek economy. Yugoslavia does not seek conflict between our peoples. What Yugoslavia seeks is an end to foreign support for organizations attempting to destroy the constitutional order of our Federation through terrorism. If Athens ends all assistance to the MNLF, cooperates fully with the investigation, provides information concerning financial and logistical networks connected to the organization, and guarantees that Greek territory will not be used as a platform for attacks against Yugoslav citizens, the path toward normalization remains open.”

“Until that happens, however, the Federation will defend itself through the instruments available to a sovereign state. Our customs authorities will enforce the new tariffs. Our financial institutions will enforce the asset freeze. Our exporters and importers will operate under the new federal regulations. Our security services will investigate every credible connection between foreign financing and terrorist organizations. And our diplomatic representatives will communicate to Athens that Yugoslavia considers the matter one of national security, not ordinary commercial disagreement.”

“I also instruct our government to avoid collective punishment. Greek citizens living legally within Yugoslavia are not enemies. Greek students studying in our universities are not enemies. Greek workers employed by Yugoslav companies are not enemies. Greek families who have built their lives here are not enemies. They will receive the protection of Yugoslav law. The measures announced today are directed against the Greek state, its institutions, and commercial interests falling within the scope of federal sanctions, not against an entire nationality.”

“Let no one interpret restraint as weakness. Yugoslavia has rebuilt its institutions, reunited its republics, rebuilt its industries, strengthened its economy, and created a Federation capable of defending its citizens. We have no intention of allowing foreign governments to believe that they can finance violence inside Yugoslavia while continuing to enjoy unrestricted access to the Yugoslav market. The era in which our country could be pressured through economic dependence is ending.”

“Greece is our neighbor. Geography cannot be changed by political disagreement. Our peoples will remain neighbors whether our governments cooperate or confront one another. That is precisely why I call upon the Greek Government to choose a different course. Withdraw support from the MNLF. Cooperate with the investigation. Respect the sovereignty of the Yugoslav Federation. Allow the economic relationship between our countries to return to normal through responsible diplomatic action.”

“Until then, Yugoslavia will protect its people, its institutions, and its economic sovereignty. We will not seek revenge. We will seek accountability. We will not target a people. We will confront a government whose actions, according to the evidence before us, have endangered our citizens. And we will not allow the blood spilled in Skopje to disappear beneath diplomatic language or commercial convenience.”

“Those students had names. They had families. They had futures. They were not soldiers. They were not combatants. They were students who went to university expecting to attend lectures, meet their friends, and return home. Their lives were taken because someone decided that political objectives were more important than human life. Yugoslavia will never accept that principle.”

“Therefore, to the Government of Greece, I say one final time: the door to diplomacy remains open, but the door to impunity is closed. Yugoslavia seeks peace with its neighbors, trade with its neighbors, and stability in the Balkans. But peace cannot be built upon the graves of Yugoslav citizens while those responsible receive foreign assistance. Until the truth is established and responsibility is addressed, the Federation will defend itself through lawful political, economic, and diplomatic measures.”

“Yugoslavia does not ask Greece to love Yugoslavia. We ask Greece to respect Yugoslavia. We ask Greece to respect Macedonia. We ask Greece to respect the lives of our citizens. And we ask Greece to choose diplomacy over sponsorship, cooperation over interference, and peace over terrorism.”

Russo-astria

The French government condemns the Greek government for their support of the terrorist organization responsible for the attacks on Yugoslavia. "This is unacceptable, this isn't a thing we will tolerate in the Europe of today, the Europe of democracy and freedom, the Europe of opportunity and tolerance. The Greek government has crossed the line with their terrible actions. Another condemnation I will make is one toward the terrorists in Macedonia, whose actions don't make them any better than the oriental Islamists in Afghanistan. France's prayers and support is with Yugoslavia" said the King during a press conference. France has imposed heavy tarrifs on Greece, a travel ban and it has also frozen the accounts of Greek corporations in France just like Yugoslavia did in their nation. Days after those actions a group of French artists made a memorial statue for the dead in the attack. The memorial statue is a grey stone pillar with the names of all the dead inscribed on it, on top of it there is a yellow cross with a dove on it. The monument was gifted to Yugoslavia

The Federation of Eurasian States (The Eurasian Federation)
The Union State Assembly declares, "Unity!"

On September 1st of 2008, the Union State Assembly would begin a final vote on the piece of legislation submitted from the Kazakh Delegation entitled "On the Issue of Forming the Eurasian Federation," and every delegate would shuffle toward the ballot box to cast their vote in what could potentially be the most consequential geopolitical shift in nearly two decades.

The piece of legislation laid out the founding of the Federation in a manner that would maintain (at least initially) the current setup of political autonomy enjoyed by each of the nations of the Union State presently, while vastly expanding and adopting a more cohesive look to the "Intragovernmental Authority." The proposal, championed by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, laid out the power structure of the Federation which will (at least initially) rely upon a rotating-capital system, with Moscow, Astana and Minsk each becoming the host city for the Federation Assembly, Foreign Ministry, and such, every four years. The governments of these respective nations will be expected to construct and maintain proper facilities to this effect.

In addition to this, the following actions would take place:

[-] The Joint-Diplomatic Mission of the Union State shall become the Ministry of External Affairs for the Eurasian Federation
[-] The Joint-Strategic Command of the Union State shall become the Defense Ministry of the Eurasian Federation
[-] The Joint-Development Bank of the Union State shall become the Central Development Bank of the Eurasian Federation
[-] The Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh and Ukrainian Armies shall merge into the Armed Forces of the Eurasian Federation
[-] The Intelligence Services of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine shall merge into the Committee of Federal Security
[-] The Union State Assembly shall be renamed as The Federation Legislative Assembly
[-] The Union State Ruble shall be renamed as The Eastern Ruble
[-] The Flag of the Federation of Eurasian States will be adopted by all member states, and displayed on the Right-Hand side of regional flags.

Alongside the following structural changes:

[-] The Ministry of External Affairs of the Eurasian Federation shall assume prominence, and immediately take control, of all ongoing foreign policy decisions or diplomatic relations currently happening independently of the Joint-Diplomatic Mission, ensuring Unity in Response.
[-] The Federation Legislative Assembly will, as the Union State Assembly has, assume prominence over regional governments in matters of Foreign Policy, Defense and Diplomacy.
[-] The Federation Internal Affairs Bureau will be founded as the executor and facilitator of the legislation provided by the Federation Legislative Assembly, and will immediately work toward phasing out National Passports, Licenses, and other Legal Documents for new, streamlined Federal Identification.

As well as a plethora of other, equally important changes.

After the final votes were cast in the Union State Assembly, and the ballot box was stuffed full of papers handed in by each state representative, citizens of the Union State gathered around televisions and radios to listen and watch as the ballots were counted. Old men and women, those that both miss and despise the Soviet Union, clasp their hands and say their prayers as the numbers rattle off on the screen, as seemingly bored ministers on the television perform a duty that would have any regular citizen faint in the center of the room. Russian President Prokhorov, Belarusian President Lukashenko, Ukrainian President Kuchma, and Kazakh President Nazarbayev stand in the center of the Assembly room floor on national television, chatting and acting as though the proceedings of the ballot have no bearing on them.

The final vote would be called at 13:07 ALMT, with nearly 83% of ballot slips cast In Favor of the proposal.
And with one swift action, the Federation of Eurasian States was recognized by all present, and its constitution ratified, beginning a new, or potentially harkening back to an old, era of World History.

Revolt at Odnogorodsk, Locals Say "Leave."
The Situation on Santorini Worsens

Russian soldiers present on Santorini would experience a truly grueling reality. The island, which had stood as a Mediterranean paradise for almost a century had become a hell previously unknown to those fortunate enough to have been spared from Grozny. The island's economy had died in the months passed, the resorts had emptied, people fled to mainland Greece and throughout the Aegean, assets were sold to the Russian Government and the island descended into chaos.

An estimated 4,500 Greeks fled Santorini since January of 2008, including the island's wealthiest resort owners who sold at or below cost to Moscow. Athinios, the undisputed capital of the island, was reduced to smoldering remains and tents by the soldiers of the Russian Army in the wake of the initial revolt. Towns such as Oia, Kamari, and Megalochori had been hit hard by precision bombing runs from aircraft launched out of the Monolithos Airfield. The Santorini Grecian Militia was the target of these bombings, and were the reason for the ongoing crisis unfolding across the former paradise, of which over a thousand members have been identified by the Russian Government and labeled as criminals.
Russian Soldiers now engage in conflict with these Guerilla fighters in the mountains and the cities, as the island's economy grinds to an absolute halt. Military convoys now protect transports between towns, and littoral defense ships from the Black Sea have been brought in to beef up shore defenses and to assist with search-and-destroy missions. While the Federation maintains control over all of the island's city centers and towns, the pervasive nature and continuously successful sabotage operations by the SGM has challenged their credibility as the island's overlord, alongside the obvious annoyance and hatred that business owners now harbor for the Russian Military Administration.

"We have never been Russian, and we never will be." Island Economic Representative Stavos Pelikoupos has stated. "The Russians have come here, set things on fire, and killed Greeks. They use our island to bomb Albanians, and they ruin our businesses to buy them at cheap prices. It is time for Russia to leave Santorini, you have no business here. President Prokhorov, take your men and go before more of them die."

Thus far, the Federation has deployed close to 12,000 soldiers to Odnogorodsk (Santorini), which is almost 95% of the pre-occupation population of the island. It is reported that at least five hundred tons of explosives are dropped in the mountains every day, and that well over 1,500 Russian Personnel have died or become seriously wounded as a result of the fighting.
The political situation in the Federation Legislative Assembly is growing ever-more tense over finding a solution to the conflict by the day.

THE REQUIRMENTS OF WHICH ALL STATE MEDIA MUST SHOW

1. Italy should be shown beautifully, but not garishly

2. Italy should feel hospitable, but never overtly welcoming

3. Italy should feel accommodating and sincere

4. Italy should feel comfortable, but discrete

5. Italy should feel plush in the way a chair in the window is, not by the fire

6. Italy should feel bright and colorful

7. Italy should feel bitter and honest

8. Italy should feel compoundingly glamorous

9. Italy should never feel as if it is putting on a show

10. Always assume audience intelligence

11. Italy should feel young and energetic

12. Italy should feel electrified

13. Italy should feel clean and tidy

14. Italy should feel geometric and organized

15. Italy should feel historical and ancient

16. Italy should feel as if it is wise and personable

17. Italy should feel human sized, yet monumental

18. Women should feel beautiful but not fragile

19. Women should be marketed as hard as porcelain and just as resilient as goof china

20. Men should always be shown as a father and husband and friend

21. Italy should be shown as everyday luxurious

22. Italy should be shown as powerful as it is on its best day and no more

23. Italy should feel increasingly monumental

24. Italy should never taste of artifice

25. Italy should feel Christian and profoundly Catholic

26. Italy should feel magnificent

27. Italy should feel hard working and industrial

28. Italy should feel as if the people care about it

29. Italy should always show its raw and rough points first, to address them with certainty

30. Italians should feel formidable

31. Italy should feel as if it processes a cultivated life

32. Italy should feel jewel like and yet acerbic

33. Italy should feel as if it is moving

34. Italy should feel as if it is firmly planted in time

35. Italy should show masculinity on full display

36. Italy should reject classical machismo

37. Italy should be believable

38. Italy should never feel cluttered or superfluous

39. Italy should always trust you

40. Italy should show that the State leaves you alone

Le Cataclysme

With the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the international credit market that had provided short-term funding for the Quebecois banking system faded. It was slow at first, truth be told—for most people in the Republic, the summer of 2008 was normal, boring even. Prices started dropping, and the average citizen saw the collapse of the American economy as a localized tragedy.

Then came the layoffs.

The youths were most affected—the specific demographic unemployment reached as high as 20% as those beneath the age of 25 found themselves unable to find employment. No one could get bridging loans as the banks tightened their regulations like a vice. Nortel's employees were also particularly vulnerable, as the telecommunications giant had been on its last leg since the dot-com bubble burst. It filled from protection againt its creditors near the year's end, robbing the republic of yet another of its giants. Things were manageable, if dire.

And then the Bank of Montreal failed.

It hit the country all of a sudden. No one had seen it coming, except those who had dug their heads into the sand and sang a song of denial. But the evidence had been there, quietly simmering for the perfect storm. And 2008 was such a storm.

Export towns failed overnight as the rates fell by 25%, a direct consequence of the collapsing American market.

The government promised to manage things better, but no one knew what that response would look like and thus pessimism rose.

The Marois government would not survive the incoming elections, this much was certain. But nobody knew what would replace it.