Holy Imperial Government Rolls Out Cruciastada-Proofing Initiative

Holy Imperial Government Rolls Out Cruciastada-Proofing Initiative

Aroman Actions Mirror Moves Made by other Nations

October is when it starts to snow in Europatorion, the ancient heart of the Aroman Empire. The capital, founded by St Methodianos, begins to have flurries of snow at that time of year, although northern Aromania, especially Tzankheia, will have seen snow much earlier. This year may well be harsher than many of the others in recent years, although not in terms of weather. It is certainly unlikely to reach the record lows of the winter of EK7528 (AD2020). This time the reason for the harsh winter will be the significant increase in fuel prices that have hit the glube since the invasion of the Republic of Manamana by the @Cruciastada People’s Republic. Although it is to be noted that Aromania gets little oil from the Aurelian nation, its illegal invasion of Manamana has caused the price of oil to rise across the whole of the Eurth. This will ultimately mean that as temperatures drop across northern Europa, the average Aroman will be paying higher heating bills.

In an attempt to counteract the increase in prices, the Holy Imperial Government has announced subsidies for the installation of heat pumps, insulation and more. As it stands, many residential and commercial properties in northern Aromania are well-insulated due to the climate, so it is unknown how much of an impact the subsidisation of more insulation will actually have. Anything that could improve it for both homes and businesses will be no bad thing but it may be too late in the year for many Aromans to truly benefit from these. Nonetheless, anything that helps with rising energy costs will be useful.

The government has also stated that it will eliminate sales tax on electric vehicles completely. Previously, they had been reduced significantly but not removed entirely. This also comes on top of the reduced rate of road tax that owners of electric vehicles pay. That is not to be adjusted within these so-called “ Cruciastada-Proofing” measures. The Holy Imperial Government likely sees the increase in the cost of petrol and diesel as an opportunity to encourage more Aromans to purchase electric vehicles. The rise in costs seem to have been having that effect on their own – towards the end of last year, in July and August, electric vehicles made up around 55% of total new vehicles bought in Aromania, according to the Aroman Motoring Association. However, over the course of August and September, this has risen sharply to around 68% of total new vehicle sales. This is predicted by industry bodies to plateau once fuel prices go down but it could also be the final nail in the coffin for diesel and petrol vehicles in Aromania.

The Holy Imperial Government has also announced that it has given the go-ahead to several new wind farms off of the western coasts of the islands of Efmoseia and Kouttasios in the Hexanesa. Both of these measure some 70 km2, making them some of the largest in Europa. Construction on these is unlikely to begin before February due to the winter weather. Preliminary work may start but it will be several years before these new wind farms begin to generate any power. The Holy Imperial Government was very likely to give these new sites the go-ahead but the conflict in Manamana spurred the government into action. The construction will be the latest in the considerable amount of infrastructure investment that the Aroman government has put into the Hexanesa, which was part of the agreement that saw the islands relinquish their claims to being an independent state.

Unlike other nations, such as the Republic of @Ionio, Aromania has not stated that it will neither increase fossil fuel extraction nor attempt any more exploration. The reserves that the Greater Holy Empire possesses are nowhere near those of other nations and its ban on other Europan nations attempting extraction and exploration in its exclusive economic zone remains in place. This same ban – although an expulsion aimed at the Supreme Despotate of Eidolmanta – drove a wedge between Aromania and the Sceptred Confederation of @Gaellicia when it was put into place.

It is imagined that the Holy Imperial Government knows what it is doing and the actions it is taking will help alleviate the rise in energy costs for the Aroman population. Faith in both God and Holy Emperor Filippos as the representative of God on Eurth will be the main reason why Aromania gets through this current crisis but the actions taken by the Holy Imperial Government will also play a large role.

Imperial Army Brigade to be Deployed to Bastaria

Chaos Reigns in the Stedorian Puppets

After few signs of action on the state of central Argis for several months, the Ministry for War has announced that it will be dispatching the 109^th Katafraktos Allagion (109^th Heavy Armoured Brigade Combat Team) to Bastaria, to join the units from the Republic of @Pentium and the Confederacy of @Poja. These forces make up the ATLAS force in Bastaria and protect the city and its hinterland from the looming threat of absorption into the possessions of Stedorian People’s Republic. The allagion consists of over 4,700 men and women of the Palatinoi and over 300 armoured vehicles, including 87 Tauros main battle tanks. The allagion itself is a veteran formation, having fought in both the Sentist War and the invasion of Suverina during the Anglian War. If the forces of the @Stedoria attempted to invade, the 109^th would defend Bastaria as only a veteran Aroman formation could.

The strengthening of the ATLAS forces in Bastaria will prevent any schemes that the Stedorians have of invading and taking the city from happening. Stedoria appears to intent on reducing its people to a state worse than when it was part of the corrupt, oppressive state of Velaheria. The Stedorians and their puppets covet the city itself, as it would show to the wurld that they are the successors to what little legitimacy that Velaheria had.

And this legitimacy does appear to be fraying. One of the Stedorian puppet states, Veldoria, appears to be undergoing a civil war. This is undoubtedly because the Stedorians, in a bizarre move, put one of the Starinburg brood in charge of the country. And that poisoned apple does not fall far from the rotten tree. Viktor Starinburg has managed to drag another country – albeit one cobbled together from the ruins of a shattered Velaheria – down into the mire with them. The poor Velaherians will only be freed when God wipes all of their former leadership from the wurld and puts the Stedorians back in their place.

The more the Stedorians tighten their grip, the more their possessions slip through their fingers. Their political naivete was recently demonstrated by their protest against the sanctions put against the Greater Holy Empire when they withdrew their Ambassador to the White Throne Room. The complaint put forward to the Holy Imperial Government was that the sanctions against the Cruciastad heretics would hurt the citizens of that God forsaken nation – precisely the reason why sanctions are put in place in the first place.

The Holy Imperial Government was keen to distance itself from the idea that the deployment of the brigade was in any way due to diplomatic break between Aromania and Stedoria.

“The deployment of the 109^th Katafraktos Allagion to Bastaria is part of a previous agreement with the other members of ATLAS,” said a spokesperson from the Ministry for War. “This has been discussed at the highest level of ATLAS since May, prior to the Cruciastad invasion of Manamana, the Stedorian puppet nations falling into civil war and the withdrawal of the Stedorian ambassador to Aromania.”

Although it is unknown as yet as to how the Stedorian government will react to the reinforcement of the ATLAS forces in Bastaria. The deployment of a squadron of Gryps strategic bombers to the Noble Republic of Secryae in June appeared to go unmentioned by Stedoria or any other Argic nation. The Holy Imperial Government was concerned that the bombers would cause tensions in the region to rise, especially since many Argic nations, such as Dolchland, have perceived Aroman activity to be either a threat, imperialism or a threat of imperialism. Tensions in central Argis are running at an all time high, especially after the deployment of roughly forty thousand Cruciastad soldiers to reinforce the Socialist Commonwealth of Welkija. This could well suggest that the actions of the heretic, socialist dictatorship are due to a concerted plan to damage the rest of the wurld.

With the arrival of the 109^th Katafraktos Allagion, the position of the forces of freedom in Argis have been significantly strengthened. Both Bastaria and Secryae remain as bastions as the hordes of godless socialism begin to wash over the continent again. Still, it is unlikely that those same hordes will try anything, as they will certainly lose if they attempt anything.