Hamptonshire
19-12-2008, 03:30
Senate Complex, Obsidia, Hamptonshire
Ulrik Christiansen stood before the great brass doors of the Senate's chamber head bowed in reverence and anticipation. In a few minutes he would be publicly sworn in as Chancellor and, quite literally, a new age would begin for the entire country. The forty-eight year old Chancellor-to-be closed his eyes and heard all the motion movement around him - officers checking security passes, pages running letters to and from Senators, and dozens of photographers taking pictures. In all the noise and hustle, Ulrik closed his eyes and reflected upon the past two years and how he and the country got to where they are now...
----
The great movement that would end the monarchy and herald a new republic in Eastern Haven began innocently enough. Chancellor Wolfgang Hayek and his Liberal-Progressive coalition introduced a proposal to give Hamptonshire Proper a position as a Dominion within the United Realms. That would allow the home islands to have their own unified local government headed by their own Prime Minister. No longer would the people of Hamptonshire risk being held hostage by the political machinations of legislators from other Dominions. For many, including the leader of the conservative New Federalists Ulrik Christiansen, the reform made sense. Others, though, viewed it as a fundamental attack upon tradition and the unity of the United Realms. During the campaign reform opponents personally attacked Hayek and reopened the topics of nationalism and xenophobia still fresh from the Regency Period.
The Chancellor himself became possibly the first victim, albeit voluntarily, of the bloodless revolution. During the six month fight for the proposal package the widower Hayek struck up a romance with an opposition congresswoman fifteen years his junior. The nationalist opposition labeled the relationship with the social democratic Rachel Lewis as lewd and part of a corrupt bargain between the center and left. When the two announced that they would marry by the end of the year, Hayek also gave notice of his intent to resign. Fed up the nationalists and the political system in general Hayek gave what would become his most famous television interview.
The interview asked her question, "The nationalists and traditional conservatives who opposed the Hamptonian Dominion Bill strongly argued that it would undermine the monarchy. What did you do behind the scenes to try to allay their fears?" Without taking time to filter his thoughts Hayek answered, "I did nothing. If preserving the monarchy and implementing good public policy conflict, then good policy must win. Make no mistake, I am not a monarchist." The stunned interview meekly asked a follow-up asking if he would support the abolition of the monarchy. "That was never an important enough issue under my Chancellery. If Mister Arikan believes it to be an important issue, then I would naturally voice support."
The interview itself was not enough to end the monarchy overnight, but it did allow for the long simmering conservations to come into the public sphere. For the first time in more than a decade, politicians began to openly identify themselves as republicans. Centrists, liberals and moderate conservatives all began to debate the merits and implications of republicanism again. For nationalists, traditional conservatives, and most of the others that formed the opposition to the Hamptonian reform proposal the Hayek interview and republican debates gave them a reason to unite under the banner of a new party. The National Conservatives would harness the inherent conservative and xenophobic tendencies of a large segment of the population to become a new force in imperial politics. Led by a former Prime Minister under the Grand Ducal government, Chester Olendorf, the National Conservatives bitterly attacked all those advocating republicanism. When Cristiano Arikan became Chancellor, government reform did become a priority and once again the Liberal-Progressives found a willing partner in Christiansen’s New Federalists.
Civic debate would not have been enough but as happens all too often in politics, sex, lies, and scandal would provide the necessary force to begin unstoppable change. In Empress Anne I, the republicans and reformists hand an unlikely and (sometimes unwilling) partner. Anne was by nature a politician. She was the first member of the Royal Family to be elected to office in history. While encouraging debate about republicanism, however, she was careful to not publicly push the movement to the point where it could bring the millennium-long reign of the House of Per-Hampton to an end. However, private action completely unrelated to the republican debate, though, would ultimately bring an end to the Royal House.
Unlike the other royal families in Haven, the Per-Hamptons were an incredibly small family. Aside from Her Majesty, the Royal House consisted of her two male cousins Princes Valdemar and Harald. Valdemar was a highly respected air force officer and businessman. The younger Harald, on the other hand, had a reputation as a playboy and bon vivant utterly reliant upon royal stipends for financial support. When Harald came to Anne asking for help to cover up what he said were "allegations of minor tax evasion", she reluctantly directed some close assistants to stifle the investigation. A few months later he came back asking for help with what he told his cousin were traffic tickets, more tax problems, and several properly deals "gone bad." A year later, in the midst of the republican debate, an investigate in the Justice Department rummaging through old storage disks found bits and pieces of the illicit Royal puzzle. Harald's supposed minor problems with the law included hundreds of thousands of kroner in back taxes, five hit and run accidents, the illegal sale of royal parkland, and the embezzlement of more than two million kroner from the Royal Treasury.
When the public learned of what happened they did not care that Anne did not know of the true extent of Harald's crimes or her intentions. All they saw were abuses of power and office. The subversion of justice brought back the worst memories of the Regency period. While the Empress accepted full responsibility and the criminal investigations for Harald restarted, the damage was done. For the first time in history a solid majority of Hamptonians clearly supported an end to the monarchy and the establishment of a republic. Chancellor Arikan asked the Royal Senate to establish a committee for the purpose of drafting a republican constitution for the United Realms. After four months of work the Constitution of the Federation of Hamptonian Republics was completed and despite strong opposition from the National Conservatives, passed with an over three-fourths majority of the Royal Congress.
The timing of the vote was such that it coincided with the next Chancellery election and, under the terms of the existing constitution, would require a dissolution and subsequent election of the full Senate. The Liberal-Progressives nominated the pro-republic Kobus Alderliesten, New Federalists gave their nod to the republican Ulrik Christiansen, and the sole monarchist in the race, Chester Olendorf, took up the National Conservative banner. The Senate results increased the representation of the National Conservatives but they still captured only 25 of the chamber's 300 seats. The Liberal-Progressive and New Federalists republican Senators still commanded more than two-thirds of the seats. The Chancellery race was the most spirited and intense election in Hamptonshire's history. Olendorf pulled enough votes to force Alderliesten and Christiansen into a one-on-one runoff. Ulrik won the second round by less than one percent, narrowly carrying a majority of votes in the Dominions (soon to be Federal Republics) by promising a steady expansion of meaningful federalism and a more active foreign policy.
In the month between the election and the swearing in of the new Chancellor and Senate necessary to ratify the republican constitution, Hamptonshire began the transition process. From things as mundane as office stationary to as gravely important as nuclear weapons protocols had to be changed and updated to reflect the new imminent reality. Christiansen was presented with his first opportunity to lead just days after the official results were certified. Once the monarch ceased to function as the Head of State, the Consul of the Senate would become the ceremonial national figurehead. The Liberal-Progressives lost their majority in the Senate, but still represented the largest party block in the chamber. Instead of fighting for his own New Federalist consul-candidate or gathering together enough votes to block any LP nominee, Christiansen worked behind the scenes to place outgoing-Chancellor Arikan in the Consulship.
The morning of inauguration day the newly assembled Senate voted to affirm, without amendment, the new Constitution. In a bit of cosmic irony, in order for the Constitution of the Federation of Hamptonian Republics to come into force the Empress had to sign it. The leadership presented the bill along with the official copy of the constitution to Anne for her signature. Without hesitation or ill-feeling she signed the document; all that was required to complete the process was the counter-signature of the new Chancellor...
----
A gentle touch on the shoulder brought Ulrik back to the present. "Consul Arikan has just gaveled the Senate to order," the new Chancellor's chief advisor James Walker whispered, "the Sergeant-at-Arms should open the doors at any moment." A few second later the brass doors swung open and the black clad figure of the Sergeant-at-Arms faced Christiansen. In a deep and bellowing voice he roared, "Mister Consul, the Chancellor-elect wishes to enter the chamber." Over the Senate's speaker system Arikan invited him up to the central podium where the Chief Justice was waiting to administer the oath of office. The Chief Justice extended a bible out. "Mister Christiansen, please raise your right hand and place your left on the bible and recite the oath of office."
"I, Ulrik Severt Christiansen, elected by the Hamptonian people as the Federal Chancellor, hereby swear that in my duties I shall sincerely uphold and defend the Constitution and the laws of the Nation, to the best of my ability promote the wellbeing of the people, protect them from harm, perform my duties conscientiously, and do justice to all. So help me God."
The new Chancellor immediately turned to the podium and the document on it. The Senate chamber was silent as Christiansen took a black fountain pen out of his jacket pocket and provided the counter-signature necessary to validate the new constitution. After dotting the i's and crossing the t, the Chancellor lifted his head and looked and the Senate chamber filled with legislators, cameras, and reporters. With a smile the room erupted into applause. After a few moments the clapping began to die down and Christiansen was able to speak his first words to the new nation, "Long live the Federation. Long live our Republic!"
Ulrik Christiansen stood before the great brass doors of the Senate's chamber head bowed in reverence and anticipation. In a few minutes he would be publicly sworn in as Chancellor and, quite literally, a new age would begin for the entire country. The forty-eight year old Chancellor-to-be closed his eyes and heard all the motion movement around him - officers checking security passes, pages running letters to and from Senators, and dozens of photographers taking pictures. In all the noise and hustle, Ulrik closed his eyes and reflected upon the past two years and how he and the country got to where they are now...
----
The great movement that would end the monarchy and herald a new republic in Eastern Haven began innocently enough. Chancellor Wolfgang Hayek and his Liberal-Progressive coalition introduced a proposal to give Hamptonshire Proper a position as a Dominion within the United Realms. That would allow the home islands to have their own unified local government headed by their own Prime Minister. No longer would the people of Hamptonshire risk being held hostage by the political machinations of legislators from other Dominions. For many, including the leader of the conservative New Federalists Ulrik Christiansen, the reform made sense. Others, though, viewed it as a fundamental attack upon tradition and the unity of the United Realms. During the campaign reform opponents personally attacked Hayek and reopened the topics of nationalism and xenophobia still fresh from the Regency Period.
The Chancellor himself became possibly the first victim, albeit voluntarily, of the bloodless revolution. During the six month fight for the proposal package the widower Hayek struck up a romance with an opposition congresswoman fifteen years his junior. The nationalist opposition labeled the relationship with the social democratic Rachel Lewis as lewd and part of a corrupt bargain between the center and left. When the two announced that they would marry by the end of the year, Hayek also gave notice of his intent to resign. Fed up the nationalists and the political system in general Hayek gave what would become his most famous television interview.
The interview asked her question, "The nationalists and traditional conservatives who opposed the Hamptonian Dominion Bill strongly argued that it would undermine the monarchy. What did you do behind the scenes to try to allay their fears?" Without taking time to filter his thoughts Hayek answered, "I did nothing. If preserving the monarchy and implementing good public policy conflict, then good policy must win. Make no mistake, I am not a monarchist." The stunned interview meekly asked a follow-up asking if he would support the abolition of the monarchy. "That was never an important enough issue under my Chancellery. If Mister Arikan believes it to be an important issue, then I would naturally voice support."
The interview itself was not enough to end the monarchy overnight, but it did allow for the long simmering conservations to come into the public sphere. For the first time in more than a decade, politicians began to openly identify themselves as republicans. Centrists, liberals and moderate conservatives all began to debate the merits and implications of republicanism again. For nationalists, traditional conservatives, and most of the others that formed the opposition to the Hamptonian reform proposal the Hayek interview and republican debates gave them a reason to unite under the banner of a new party. The National Conservatives would harness the inherent conservative and xenophobic tendencies of a large segment of the population to become a new force in imperial politics. Led by a former Prime Minister under the Grand Ducal government, Chester Olendorf, the National Conservatives bitterly attacked all those advocating republicanism. When Cristiano Arikan became Chancellor, government reform did become a priority and once again the Liberal-Progressives found a willing partner in Christiansen’s New Federalists.
Civic debate would not have been enough but as happens all too often in politics, sex, lies, and scandal would provide the necessary force to begin unstoppable change. In Empress Anne I, the republicans and reformists hand an unlikely and (sometimes unwilling) partner. Anne was by nature a politician. She was the first member of the Royal Family to be elected to office in history. While encouraging debate about republicanism, however, she was careful to not publicly push the movement to the point where it could bring the millennium-long reign of the House of Per-Hampton to an end. However, private action completely unrelated to the republican debate, though, would ultimately bring an end to the Royal House.
Unlike the other royal families in Haven, the Per-Hamptons were an incredibly small family. Aside from Her Majesty, the Royal House consisted of her two male cousins Princes Valdemar and Harald. Valdemar was a highly respected air force officer and businessman. The younger Harald, on the other hand, had a reputation as a playboy and bon vivant utterly reliant upon royal stipends for financial support. When Harald came to Anne asking for help to cover up what he said were "allegations of minor tax evasion", she reluctantly directed some close assistants to stifle the investigation. A few months later he came back asking for help with what he told his cousin were traffic tickets, more tax problems, and several properly deals "gone bad." A year later, in the midst of the republican debate, an investigate in the Justice Department rummaging through old storage disks found bits and pieces of the illicit Royal puzzle. Harald's supposed minor problems with the law included hundreds of thousands of kroner in back taxes, five hit and run accidents, the illegal sale of royal parkland, and the embezzlement of more than two million kroner from the Royal Treasury.
When the public learned of what happened they did not care that Anne did not know of the true extent of Harald's crimes or her intentions. All they saw were abuses of power and office. The subversion of justice brought back the worst memories of the Regency period. While the Empress accepted full responsibility and the criminal investigations for Harald restarted, the damage was done. For the first time in history a solid majority of Hamptonians clearly supported an end to the monarchy and the establishment of a republic. Chancellor Arikan asked the Royal Senate to establish a committee for the purpose of drafting a republican constitution for the United Realms. After four months of work the Constitution of the Federation of Hamptonian Republics was completed and despite strong opposition from the National Conservatives, passed with an over three-fourths majority of the Royal Congress.
The timing of the vote was such that it coincided with the next Chancellery election and, under the terms of the existing constitution, would require a dissolution and subsequent election of the full Senate. The Liberal-Progressives nominated the pro-republic Kobus Alderliesten, New Federalists gave their nod to the republican Ulrik Christiansen, and the sole monarchist in the race, Chester Olendorf, took up the National Conservative banner. The Senate results increased the representation of the National Conservatives but they still captured only 25 of the chamber's 300 seats. The Liberal-Progressive and New Federalists republican Senators still commanded more than two-thirds of the seats. The Chancellery race was the most spirited and intense election in Hamptonshire's history. Olendorf pulled enough votes to force Alderliesten and Christiansen into a one-on-one runoff. Ulrik won the second round by less than one percent, narrowly carrying a majority of votes in the Dominions (soon to be Federal Republics) by promising a steady expansion of meaningful federalism and a more active foreign policy.
In the month between the election and the swearing in of the new Chancellor and Senate necessary to ratify the republican constitution, Hamptonshire began the transition process. From things as mundane as office stationary to as gravely important as nuclear weapons protocols had to be changed and updated to reflect the new imminent reality. Christiansen was presented with his first opportunity to lead just days after the official results were certified. Once the monarch ceased to function as the Head of State, the Consul of the Senate would become the ceremonial national figurehead. The Liberal-Progressives lost their majority in the Senate, but still represented the largest party block in the chamber. Instead of fighting for his own New Federalist consul-candidate or gathering together enough votes to block any LP nominee, Christiansen worked behind the scenes to place outgoing-Chancellor Arikan in the Consulship.
The morning of inauguration day the newly assembled Senate voted to affirm, without amendment, the new Constitution. In a bit of cosmic irony, in order for the Constitution of the Federation of Hamptonian Republics to come into force the Empress had to sign it. The leadership presented the bill along with the official copy of the constitution to Anne for her signature. Without hesitation or ill-feeling she signed the document; all that was required to complete the process was the counter-signature of the new Chancellor...
----
A gentle touch on the shoulder brought Ulrik back to the present. "Consul Arikan has just gaveled the Senate to order," the new Chancellor's chief advisor James Walker whispered, "the Sergeant-at-Arms should open the doors at any moment." A few second later the brass doors swung open and the black clad figure of the Sergeant-at-Arms faced Christiansen. In a deep and bellowing voice he roared, "Mister Consul, the Chancellor-elect wishes to enter the chamber." Over the Senate's speaker system Arikan invited him up to the central podium where the Chief Justice was waiting to administer the oath of office. The Chief Justice extended a bible out. "Mister Christiansen, please raise your right hand and place your left on the bible and recite the oath of office."
"I, Ulrik Severt Christiansen, elected by the Hamptonian people as the Federal Chancellor, hereby swear that in my duties I shall sincerely uphold and defend the Constitution and the laws of the Nation, to the best of my ability promote the wellbeing of the people, protect them from harm, perform my duties conscientiously, and do justice to all. So help me God."
The new Chancellor immediately turned to the podium and the document on it. The Senate chamber was silent as Christiansen took a black fountain pen out of his jacket pocket and provided the counter-signature necessary to validate the new constitution. After dotting the i's and crossing the t, the Chancellor lifted his head and looked and the Senate chamber filled with legislators, cameras, and reporters. With a smile the room erupted into applause. After a few moments the clapping began to die down and Christiansen was able to speak his first words to the new nation, "Long live the Federation. Long live our Republic!"