Rheinland Imperator: Imperial News Network

[Claussen]

....The price of Molydenium is set to climb unexpectedly today after concerns that the metals market may be starved by instabillity within the newly balkanised Gallic state. Despite various declarations from the international crown that the Pro-Invasion loyalists known as the 'Enclave' constitute an illigitemate goverment - there have been fears that the status quo of peace within the taus may only be temporary. RIN reached out to heads of Rheinlandic industry for comment....

Special announcement

By RI Action News

We interrupt our regularly scheduled broadcast to reach you live from the steps of the Planet Hamburg Chancellery building, Emlschorn Arcology. Following days of political deadlock within the planetary senate following the unexpected resignation of council speaker Conrad Walder, there has been considerable uncertainty as to the tenability of the ruling Hamburg federalist party to maintain their multiparty government with the Neo-Mercantilist Party and the Yellow Action League, after rising allegations of embezzlement Yellow Action League minority leader Chasten Bachmann by funnelling taxpayers funds into offshore Libertonian accounts. This comes on the back of increasingly declining poll numbers following increasing labour security concerns that have been inescapable ever since the horrifying Siege of Westphalia by terrorist forces. With politicians on the left accusing the New Federalists of making the Hamburg independent labour force increasingly dependent upon the Vierlande prison industrial complex in recent years, offering little in the way of job security to the thousands of contractors rendered unemployed by the prison’s seizure, and pundits on the right claiming that Vierlande was insufficiently defended, supported and funded by the local senate, centrist and pro-federalist parties have come under increasing scrutiny within recent months, seen as overly indebted to special interest groups by the majority of Hamburg citizens. Whilst the fall in the federalists unpopularity was stalled by Victory in Saigon Day (VSD) celebrations and Sirius-wide rise in prosperity following the Gallic armistice, the unified centrists seem to have done little to channel Sirius’s growing fortunes into rising prosperity for the average Hamburg citizen.

Unemployment has risen considerably following the loss of significant contractor jobs from the Vierlande occupation, largely seen as a challenging snub to the government of Kanzler Luisa Neumann, whose four years in office have garnered significant support from Rheinland’s expanding middle-class. Neumann’s regime has been contextualised by the circumstances of her election – a Bundestag appointee for the office, Neumann’s Kanzlership has seen the end of tensions with Liberty and a restoration of cross-border trade through the Hudson system. Whilst warfare waged in the foreign houses, Rheinland over the last four years has experienced increasing development and growth, with internal security and infrastructure strengthened, marred only by the final abandonment of Dresden to the Red Hessians and allegations of government malpractice concerning the evacuation of Nuremburg. However, Neumann has remained popular with the majority of urban citizens on Hamburg and Berlin, ensuring general political stability across the nation. Neumann’s crowning accomplishment is considered to be the authorisation of Gallic investment into Rheinland’s infrastructure, breaking the Ageira monopoly over Rheinlandic infrastructure for the first time in the history of our nation. With mixed support from both political wings, and with accomplishments both statist and anti-statist parties have approved of, Neumann had been expected to achieve a minor lead in the coming 827 Election cycle.

Yet Neumann’s support has wavered and declined dramatically within the last year within one of the core support bases of the Republican centrist; Hamburg. With increasing security concerns threatening the urbanites of Rheinland’s ‘sister system’, Neumann has felt a dramatic support drop from her traditional urban backers. Corresponding to stagnating wages and what some conservative theorists call a rise in pro-Unioner influence in Hamburg street culture, the syndicalist movements appear to have an increasing sway over the employee base of the Alster Shipyards; Hamburg’s traditional source of employment. Unifying leftwing and rightwing voices has been a concern that the restoration of trade with Liberty – nearly universally seen as beneficial by the Hamburg populaces – have had little benefit for the system itself, with most convoys bypassing the system entirely to sell their products directly to the extensive markets of the capital. Demands for increased import taxes, and to bestow local police forces greater autonomy to enforce border protections have equally met upon deaf ears. This apparent lack of concern has been made all the more sore by the recent corruption scandals, along with Walder’s resignation. It is believed that the running BDM Malpractice scandal may also be impacting New federalist polling.

In just a few moments, the Rheinland Imperial Party are expected to make a declaration from the steps of the Chancellery tower, introducing a candidate for the Speaker’s seat left vacant by the centrists. In an unexpected move, the candidate is not expected to be one of their traditional candidates - It is thought that controversial party favourite, Lorelei Cramer, has declined the position. Cramer, largely seen as responsible for promoting the Hamburg Wing of the Imperial Party's outreach with the Working Class Cyan-Labour movement, has been long thought to be the...

...And we have reports that the... Yes, on the steps of the Chancellery now, a figure appears to be heading to the podium. Snori, switch to drone three..."

-The views within this article do not reflect the official stance of the Imperial Party of Rheinland but the viewpoint of a single reporter.-