Looking Ahead

Day 1,549, 21:06 • Published in Austria Austria • by Rangeley


With the PTO president being successfully impeached by a wide margin of 32-5, and the PP elections seeing him decisively lose even the party presidency, Austria has had two large successes in quick order. While he continues to call himself “emperor,” the results speak for themselves, and he now holds no elected position in our nation; clinging only to the imagined.

Nonetheless, we should not mistake these successes for the end of this struggle. Just as with the Croatian PTO attempt before this one, it is certain to continue for some time. Emmerich spent months deceiving Austrians, and those abroad, about his intentions - plotting and planning before going public. The difference now is that the mask is off, and we can therefore be better prepared. We should not lose this awareness, and must continue to safeguard our nation.

Rolling Back Damages

While in control of the presidency, Emmerich opened several battles against our ally, Czechoslovakia. With EDEN's support, both Moravia and Styria were RW’d. In addition, he continually opened NE proposals against the Czech Republic, strategically tying up our options and ability to help ONE in important fronts, such as in Hungary. It also led us (by virtue of the open war,) to conquer Moravia, blocking Czechoslovakia from quickly retaking it and regaining their bonus. This foul play all occurred while Romania launched its invasion of Hungary; drawing damage from both Austria and Czechoslovakia away from Hungary, helping Romania.

The new government, under the lead of President Vreath, is working to roll back these damages. Significantly, before a Kuruc congress member was able to re-open the NE with the Czech Republic and tie us up again, we were able to open an NE with Hungary. This was in coordination with them, to aid in a strategic landswap. And as we will not be fighting the Czech Republic, it will enable our ally Czechoslovakia to reclaim Moravia after this is RW’d from us. This will restore the bonus to them.



Strategy

Kuruc supporters of the PTO effort are naturally upset with these developments, and are claiming our actions to help our allies do not help Austria. Specifically they have pointed to the loss of region bonuses in some of their comments and articles. It is certainly true that some bonuses will be lost (the new ones), but these bonuses were taken from our allies. Of course we will return them, because we, unlike the Kuruc leadership, want to help our allies out. Disrespecting allies and purposely taking their bonuses, and blocking them from reclaiming them, obviously is not in their interests, or ours.

Further, while other bonuses will be temporarily lost to Hungary due to the swap, there is a strategic advantage in helping our ally. They have been losing their bonuses too - not due to swaps, but due to an invasion from EDEN. Rather than “playing a fiddle,” and focusing on accumulating our own bonuses while metaphorical Rome burns, we are taking proactive steps to help our friend while we have this opportunity. This is an essential aspect of international relations: nations who put no effort into a friendship or alliance often find no effort put into them in return. It is not that bonuses are not good to have - it is that they must be considered as a part of a larger strategic framework.

Communication

Of course, these arguments will fall on deaf ears amongst the supporters of A.Emmerich. Their actions make it clear, they couldn’t care less about our allies or Austria, and openly cooperate with EDEN to further their agenda, against ours. But it's nonetheless important for the government to be willing to make these arguments: to be open about what we are doing and why, and be willing to explain it to the Austrian people. I was honored to be selected by President Vreath to be Minister of Foreign Affairs once again, and as always, I take this position and its responsibilities seriously.

It was a beautiful thing to see the community rise up against the PTO, and deal it decisive blows. Now a new government has been installed. Just as it would be a mistake to become complacent against the PTO, it would be a mistake to take the communities support - Austria’s support - for granted.

It was very easy to demonstrate why the PTO was harmful. A new task before us now, is to demonstrate why the new government is doing a job worthy of the support of the Austrian people. We - and future governments - have to maintain trust, for this too is an essential weapon against those who seek us harm.

This is, after all, our job to do.