Embassy of Europeia

Siphlygon

Hello Forest friends,

Did you know that April 23rd was UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day? Really! It’s a celebration of the joys of reading and literature. Each year since 1995, people of all races, ethnicities, and nationalities have come together to recognize the impact books have had on human culture. April 23rd was chosen for a very specific reason: It is the anniversary of the deaths of some of history’s most influential authors, the likes of William Shakespeare, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, and Miguel de Cervantes. Even in the internet age, it’s still important to commemorate the deaths of such titanic figures, promote literacy, stand up for equal access to knowledge, and revere creativity. That is what World Book and Copyright Day is about.

Now, what better way is there to celebrate such a holiday than with a classic short story competition? We certainly couldn’t think of anything, so we went ahead and made one! And guess what? You’re invited, no matter what region you call home. The victor and runners-up will be provided with unique Writer of the Year graphics (marked with placings ofc), and hold sole bragging rights (until next year 😉 ).

Now, we know what you’re thinking: “Why the heck are they celebrating a holiday a week late?” To which we’d ask you: is there anything more true to the writing experience than delays? In our personal experience, we’d say no. 😛

Rules:

Short stories should be centered around this topic: The power of storytelling. Feel free to interpret it as narrowly or broadly as you see fit, let your creativity show!
Submissions should be DM-ed to SiliconVGC#5439 on Discord, TG-ed to Gemeinschaftsland, or private messaged to Gem on the Europeian Forum.
Only one story may be submitted per individual.
All stories must be original work. If any participants are caught plagiarizing, they will be immediately disqualified.
Stories may not endorse hate speech of any kind that disparages others on the basis of their race, gender, sexuality, religion, country of origin or similar circumstances.
Stories should endeavor to stay away from excessive profanity.
Stories must not include erotica.
As this is a short story competition, submissions must be 1,500 words or less.

Dates/Times

April 30th, 2022, 12:00 AM CST: Submissions open!

May 10th, 2022, 12:00 AM CST: Submissions close & voting begins.

May 13th, 2022, 12:00 AM CST: Voting ends & results/rewards are announced!

If there are any further questions, please, contact Gem via a telegram to his primary nation, Gemeinschaftsland or via a DM to his Discord account, SiliconVGC#5439.

On behalf of the whole Europeian Ministry of Culture, I’d like to wish you all a happy World Book and Copyright Day, and we can’t wait to see the amazingly creative stories you all come up with!

P.S. If you want to lend a hand, please upvote the gameside dispatch so it can be visible to more people.

Air

Hello, Hello! It’s me, the Europeian Ambassador, here to give a quick update on where our region’s at right now:

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by Ellenburg, Sanjurika, Sincluda, and UPC

Senate Elections - April 2024

On April 20, a new slate of Senators was elected to the Europeian Senate. Nine candidates stood, and citizens voted to make the top seven be elected. Candidates Lloenflys, Prim, Ervald, Cordova I, Comfed, JayDee, and Rand were all elected. The first order of business was selecting a Speaker, of which Lloenflys was chosen to lead. However, Lloenflys surprisingly resigned soon after, and Cordova I was selected as his replacement.

Debate topics centered around the ongoing Constitutional Convention, the Peoples Assembly, Half-Terms, and Court Reform. Notably, Senator Ervald pledged to only serve half his term (following in the footsteps of former Senator UPC) to show his commitment to the Half-Term Senate proposal. The 94th Europeian Senate quickly got to work, and several proposals are working their way through the Senatia.

First Frontier Day

May 2nd marked the first anniversary of Europeia becoming a Frontier. The event was celebrated with a festival that included games, meme contests, and speeches. President UPC noted that, despite the challenges that the region faced during those early days, “our success this last year has been about as resounding an affirmation of the Europeian spirit as [he] can imagine.” In recognition of the community’s efforts this past year, President UPC and Senator Ervald introduced an amendment to the Awards and Honours Act (2021), which would create a new title, Praetor, which translates to “one who goes before,” to be awarded to every Europeian citizen at the time of the festival.

One additional honor was granted during the festival. Le Libertie (LL), one of Europeia’s all time greatest recruiters and the region’s first Frontier Delegate, was nominated for an Ovation of the Senate. The Senate unanimously confirmed this Ovation, with Senator Comfed saying that “Le Libertie has always been a considered voice of reason, providing a sober second thought in an environment where many rush to move fast and break things.” LL will be officially granted the Order of Republica during a festival held in his honor next term.

Senate By-Election

There will be a Senate by-election due to the recent resignation of Speaker Lloenflys, prompted by real-life conflicts. Consequently, there will be an election to fill his vacant seat and complete the remainder of the term.

So far, three candidates have emerged for the vacant seat, each presenting their ideas and plans for the short-term tenure in the Senate. The candidates currently in the race as of Thursday morning are former Senator and Presidential Candidate Olde Delaware, Former Senator Gem, and Prov, who has recently returned to the region.
The pressing issues for this campaign appear to be changes to the Bar Association, the Junior Senator option, the Pioneer Amendment, and the Diplomatic Affairs Act. We will find out on Friday who emerges victorious!
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Air

Hey Forest, me again here to bring you the Monthly Foreign Update from Europeia!

Government
Population: 1,376 | Delegate Endorsements: 247
President UPC | Speaker Cordova I | Chief Justice Primorye Oblast

Regional News

Presidential Election Won By UPC / Grea Kriopia Ticket, Run-Off Avoided

Facing down three competing tickets (Sincluda/Gem, JL/Prov, and Caldrasa/August) with a confident and proactive campaign, UPC/GK secured 68% of the votes on May 25th. The UPC/GK ticket ran on a themed platform, centering on Infrastructure, Visibility, and the ongoing Wars. Their main opponent, the Sincluda/Gem ticket which amassed 25% of the vote, ran a lively campaign with initiatives like the Livewire and a World Assembly counter-campaigning taskforce, while wanting to solve problems with the Navy and Foreign Affairs agreements they identified. There were 56 votes cast in total, a relatively low turnout compared to recent Presidential elections.

Europeia and Allies Party At Camp Anawanna

In the last weekend of May, Europeia was joined by allies from 10000 Islands, Balder, and The South Pacific at Camp Anawanna for some campfire songs, ghost stories, and training in advance of the Defender Olympics. The summer camp-themed event ran from May 23 to May 27 with popular events including a nation creation contest and the return of Amongus with other party games. Militaries from all regions also did joint training together in preparation for the upcoming Defender Olympics anticipated in July to brush up on their chasing and speediness in hopes of winning medals later on.

Two Senate By-Elections in May Prove Difficult For Senate Hopefuls

May was the month of Senate By-Elections after the unexpected resignation of Senate Speaker Lloenflys and planned resignation of Senator Southwestern Germany. Voters went to the polls twice; The first on May 11 as Gem, Prov, and Olde Delaware Jr vied for an open seat. Gem and OD locked into a run-off after defeating Prov handily and Gem emerged victorious after a late voting swing in their favor. The following election came May 29 in a more crowded field of Ambrella (Sopo), Industhan, PhDre, and Prov. Although Sopo entered the race last, he won victory handily with 62.8% of the votes to avoid a run-off. Congrats to the newly elected Senators!

Citizen Spotlight: Caldrasa

Returning Citizen Spotlights to the Office of the Vice Presidency once again, Vice President Grea Kriopia authored the first Citizen Spotlight of the term featuring one of Euro’s up-and-coming young citizens, Empire of Caldrasa. Caldrasa joined Euro in March 2024 and has been hard at work in the Ministries of Outreach and Gameside on top of their bouncy social presence in the Euro server. Serving now as Deputy Minister of Outreach, Caldrasa has impressed the region with their eager spirit and will likely to continue to thrive as they learn and grow in their political career!

Europeian Media Highlights

EBC Article: The Trail of Ashes - A Frontier Update Retrospective - A retrospective of impacts from the Frontier/Stronghold mechanic update published alongside Europeia’s first Frontier Day at the start of May that discusses the updates impacts (or lack thereof) on new frontiers, military gameplay, and and more.

EBC Article: Presidential Election Preference Polling - In the run-up to the Presidential election, the EBC did some polling in end of term satisfaction to feel out voters’ preferences before the race had begun

EBC Article: Presidential Election Live Blog - A live blog posted during the Presidential Election voting period tracking stats in voting over time and commentating on the race

EBC Article: [BREAKING NEWS] UPC Re-Elected President in Record-Low Turnout Election - The first article out after Presidential Elections ended, sharing final results and commenting on the low voter turnout

EBC Article: By-Election Senate Candidate Interviews - Interviews of Senate Candidates in the second Senate By-election in the month of May`

Ervald

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☆ Introductionby Minister of Foreign Affairs Istillian

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G’day folks! Welcome to Europeia’s September Foreign Update: Damnatio Memoriae. This month’s edition features some very exciting developments from Europeia, from the return of an Honoured Citizen to the Senate, to the loss of The Black Hawks’ long-standing Condemnation. We also highlight some of our latest cultural events, the University of Europeia’s Cultural Extravaganza and the Deadline Dodgers jumping into N-Day. Why not dive into the latest articles and listen in to EBC Radio while you’re here? Mostly, we hope you enjoy reading all about us and our friends in this latest update!

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Below are some short extracts from this month’s update. For the full see the dispatch version!

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Regional News by Istillian

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Population: 1,268 | Delegate Endorsements: 258

President UPC | Speaker Cordova_i | Chief Justice Primorye Oblast

HEM Wins People’s Assembly Chair Elections

On September 6, 2024, founder of Europeia, HEM, stood for the upcoming People’s Assembly Chair running on a platform titled “Who Am I? Why Am I Here?” His campaign focused on four key promises: making effective use of the Assembly’s oversight powers, expanding the role of resolutions in shaping regional discussions, reviewing membership structures and ordinances, and fostering pre-legislation efforts. HEM won the election on September 10 with 91.4% of the vote (32 votes in favour, 3 for Re-open Elections). In his opening speech as Chair, HEM said “Together we will do what is hard and achieve what is great. And perhaps, in 2035 I’ll be writing long twisty posts about all of you who were here in this moment and made it all possible.”

Sopo Returns to the Senate

Ambrella aka Sopo has won the last Senate by-election which followed the resignation of former Senator Prov. Sopo won ~60% of the vote against opponent Olde Delaware jr. Sopo is now occupying one of five seats in the 96th Senate. Following his victory, Senator Sopo posted in his campaign thread, saying: “Thanks to all who voted for me despite the last-minute campaign, and thanks to OD for stepping up to the plate. I look forward to continue earning your support through the rest of the term.”

TBH Lose a Badge

After having their first Condemnation repealed, The Black Hawks have now officially lost their second Condemnation as a result of the repeal by Westinor. This marks the end of a 13-year-long recognition of their activities, with the original Condemnation passing back in 2011. The proposal saw overwhelming support, passing with a significant margin of 7,435 votes in favour and 4,029 votes against. The effort to repeal both Condemnations in Europeia was sparked by President UPC’s speech, ‘Damnatio Memoriae’.

The Deadline Dodgers go Nuclear
September 29, 2024 marked one of two annual N-Day events and Europeia’s faction, the Deadline Dodgers, alongside friends from The League and Concord and Balder did quite well despite it’s low-key mantra and smaller size. The Deadline Dodgers ranked between 5th and 7th place on the leaderboard. up until getting eaten by the HotA mega faction.

Autocracies and Democracies in NationStates

The EBC hosted a debate on Autocracies and Democracies in NationStates. Xoriet and Quebecshire argued in favor of autocracy, while Peeps and Calvin Coolidge defended democracy. Hosted by current Minister of Communications Vorhollah, the show discusses regional leadership and represents two opposite sides in a nuanced debate on governance. Available on Browser.

… and much more!

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Culture Highlight: The University of Europeia’s Cultural Extravaganza

Europeia’s latest cultural event, the University of Europeia Cultural Extravaganza, recently ran from September 30 to October 5. Europeian citizens were invited to take part in an academic experience that transported them into the heart of a bustling university. Organised by Istillianand Turbiatop with assistance from the Ministry of Culture, they created a campus, complete with Europeian Houses, lectures, activities, and spam competitions.

The event began with Professor SkyGreen offering a thorough guide on crafting a solid Information for Voters (IFV) assessment in an EBC Radio interview, now transcribed and available in the EBC.

Throughout the week, attendees were also treated to a mix of practical and intellectual classes. Defending 101, led by current Grand Admiral, Professor Sincluda, and even a Chess Club session with Professor Lloenflys, a more casual yet competitive break from lectures.

Current Minister of Communications, Professor Vorhollah, treated us to reviewing the considerations for setting up an EBC interview in the University of Europeia Lecture Hall, whereas our Attorney General, Professor Azell, created a Find the Legal issues-Classroom quiz alongside current Senator Lloenflys.

An Inkarnate Map-Making Contest was held by Minister of Gameside Affairs, Professor Andy, and Minister of Culture, Professor Not to Fretheld trivia time. The End of Term Graduation and House Ceremony is to be presented by Vice Headmistress GK soon, closing the event out.

As a joint host of the event, Sturklisanreflected on the event saying “I really liked getting this festival up and running. It is always satisfying to see work you put effort and work in succeed well and watching everybody reaping the benefits of what you have done for Europeia and the fun of Europeians. That is why I like being part of The Ministry of Culture.”

If you want to get in on the fun and find out which Europeian House you would belong to, why not take our Buzzfeed quiz right here?

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Ervald

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☆ Introduction by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sincluda

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Hello world, and welcome to Europeia’s October Foreign Update! October was an exciting month for the region, beginning with a presidential election and ending with Halloween festivities. In this edition, we recap all of that and more, including highlights on the latest from the Europeian Broadcasting Corporation and the up-and-coming Europeian Paranormal and Supernatural Society. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into Europeia’s realm as you read through A Link Between Worlds.
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Below are some short extracts from this month’s update. For the full see the dispatch version!

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Regional News by various

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Population: 1,270 | Delegate Endorsements: 265

President UPC | Speaker Cordova_i | Chief Justice Primorye Oblast

Presidential Election Won By UPC / Grea Kriopia Ticket, Run-Off Avoided by Ervald
Facing down two competing tickets (Ellenburg/Cordova and Vor/Andusre) with a confident and proactive campaign, UPC/GK secured 52.5% of the votes on October 11th. The UPC/GK ticket ran on a Zelda-themed platform, centering on Passing the Baton, Tech, and the ongoing Wars. Their opponents, Ellenburg/Cordova and Vor/Andusre won 19.7% and 27.9% of the vote respectively. Ellenburg/Cordova’s platform focused on a frontier platform, a more aggressive Navy, and a combined media ministry. Vor/Andusre’s platform focused on Strengthening Independence, cultural events that are more inclusive, and media that help simplify discussions of complex issues. There were 61 votes cast in total, a slightly lower turnout compared to the last Presidential election where UPC/GK ran unopposed.

Election Reform Squeezes Past Referendum by Sincluda
After months of discussion in the Senate, and passing a narrow public referendum vote, a new Elections Act was made law Sunday, October 20th. The new Elections Act transforms the way elections are conducted in Europeia, most notably by shifting to an “approval voting” system for Senate elections, where voters have no restrictions on the number of candidates they may vote for, and all who receive majority support are elected. It also eliminates Senate size polling, and Senate size is instead determined by the number of candidates elected. The original bill proposing this concept, the Approval Voting Amendment Act, was vetoed by President UPCfollowing a lengthy legislative assessment by then-Attorney General Calvin Coolidge back in June. The concept remained popular enough to remain on the Senate floor, but not without significant debate; the Elections Act only passed by a vote of 3-2 on Tuesday, October 8, where it was then sent to the President’s desk. President UPC sent the bill to referendum “due to the scope of the changes present in [the] act and their focus on elections – one of our region’s key sources of activity.”

The bill remained in referendum debate for four days and was the source of lively activity, including an EBC Op-Ed and debate broadcast. The two most prominent debaters were The Ven. Senator Decacon (Rand), who was the bill’s primary author and heralded the simpler voter experience it would bring, and The Ven. PhDre, who argued it would lead to less competitive elections. The bill came to a vote on Saturday, October 19th, and polls closed the day after, in which it achieved a narrow victory of 19-17. The new Elections Act is already facing reform, as some issues brought up during the debate have led Senator Rand to begin drafting the Run-Off Improvement Act.

Halloween and Zombies Arrive in Europeia by Grea Kriopia
Europeia celebrated Halloween with a variety of events this year coinciding with the annual Z-Day event. From the Ministries of Culture and Gameside, citizens participated in a Halloween costume contest with their spookiest looks as well as a Gameside flag contest challenging Europeians to bring out their best Halloween vexillology. The costume contest saw submissions of cute pumpkin cats, murderous cult-building lambs, re-designed Euro flags, and a particularly scary French flag while the Gameside flag contest featured fun flag re-designs with spiders, bats, and more. Topping all of these celebrations off was a spooky movie night hosted by President upc on Halloween night watching Ghostbusters!

Celebrations were interrupted by a surprise arrival of the undead, causing President upc to issue an emergency radio broadcast to the region for Europeia’s Z-Day plans. This year, Euro pursued two government-backed groups exterminating zombies and pursuing a cure, although efforts were hampered by a dark cult of zombie followers led by Kuramia! The region fought valiantly before ultimately succumbing to the zombie horde. Event organizer Europeia aka SkyGreen created an achievement badge for all those who participated!

Joint ERN-SPSF Wargames Sharpen Sailors’ Skills by Grea Kriopia
Last week, the Europeian Republican Navy (ERN) completed a series of wargames with our friends from the South Pacific Special Forces (SPSF) focused on chasing and move + endorse training. ERN sailors and SPSF troops alike jumped from region to region with one another thanks to the diligent guidance of ERN and SPSF officers, testing their skills in hypothetical games to be put to use on the battlefield in the future. For the ERN, 8 sailors reported in total in a fantastic turnout and training opportunity for our Navy. Thanks to our SPSF for their help in organizing!

More Regions Adopt Asperta by UPC
Europeia recently entered into an agreement with the South Pacific to share the Asperta Recruitment Bot with them. The bot, written by Europeia’s Presidential Technology Commission, is now in use in The North Pacific, The League & Concord, 10000 Islands, The Region That Has No Big Banks, and the South Pacific. This comes after the announcement of the retirement of Dot’s recruitment features earlier this year, which posed a significant obstacle to recruitment in many regions across NationStates. Asperta was initially only designed to support recruitment in a single region, but a major overhaul of the bot’s internals over the summer allowed Europeia to share our technology with other regions. Regions seeking access to this recruitment tech should contact Europeia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sincluda.
… and much more!
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Culture Highlight: The Europeian Paranormal and Supernatural Society
The Europeian Paranormal and Supernatural Society began in late September 2024, founded by Cordova I,Azell (Ellenburg), and Empire of Caldrasa. The Society gained many new members throughout October–appropriate for the spooky season! When asked to describe the club, Founder & Society President Cordova I had the following to say:

The Europeian Paranormal and Supernatural Society is interested in all things supernatural and paranormal. This includes ghosts and hauntings, psychic phenomena, angel & demons. Cordova I, the Society Founder, was spiritually awakened when he saw a ghost for the first time in his life at the age of 36. If you’re interested in joining the club, please fill out the application: https://forums.europeians.com/index.php?threads/membership-application.10067305/

Specializing in spooky stories, the club is sponsoring a series published in the EBC by Ellenburg titled, “Sleepy Hollow Weekend Trip.” The true retelling of Ellenburg’s trip to Sleepy Hollow, New York features many pictures and recently expanded with a part 2! You can read both parts of the story below, and keep an eye out on the EBC subforum for part 3.

Part I
Part II

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