Join the new world

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who participated in yesterday's election. A record number of votes were cast, which is a very encouraging sign for our nation. More are active, interested, and involved in the process now then have ever been before. The transition process has been a smooth one, and the cabinet has already met to discuss issues facing Austria. There has also been one change to the cabinet - these issues will be discussed below.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Due to personal reasons, Alfred Ball withdrew his nomination to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs to pursue other goals. In his stead, I have selected Eisenhorn - an experienced diplomat, former President of Mexico, and long time friend. I first met him during his time as Secretary General of PEACE GC where we sometimes butted heads, but ultimately worked together to try and push the alliance in a defensive direction. I feel his experience can be of a great service to Austria, and I am glad to have him on board in this very important area of the government.

Organizations

Due to the rapid government changes, people leaving the game, and other issues, some official organizations have been lost over time. As such, there is a need to create new ones for a number of ministries, or to re-purpose previously made organizations. The "Education" organization, used for guides for new players, will now also serve as the official org of the Austrian Mentor Program. The Austria Press Agentur has been assigned as the official organization for the Ministry of Translation. A new organization will similarly be made for the Ministry of Health. A new organization for the Ministry of Immigration has also already been made. While a simple step, I believe that this can help the government run smoother - and a clear roster of official government organizations can help in the next task: creation of a new Constitution.

Constitution

There has long been a desire for the constitution to be updated. This has been most supported (though not exclusively) by those who also desire the creation of a position of "Kaiser" - a sort of neutral, apolitical mediator around whom Austria can unite. This is a controversial idea, and raises many issues - how is a Kaiser selected? How long does a Kaiser serve? There are also criticisms, such as the fact it could lead to divisions rather than unity. These issues have delayed any updates to the Constitution, to this point.

As such, rather than attempt to address both of these issues - updating the Constitution, and the addition of a Kaiser - the Ministry of Justice is separating these issues and addressing the need for an update first. Some ideals associated with the Kaiser proposal - such as fairness, and respect - will be included into the document as traits encouraged in everyone, not merely a Kaiser. I believe this will be a practical compromise, while allowing for further debate on the merits of a Kaiser figure at a later date.

Ministry of Culture, Translation

The Ministry of Culture, led by Minister of Culture Oraizan, has already begun work to update our wiki articles with new information that can be useful to readers. They are currently looking for anyone interested in writing about Austria's history for this purpose. To join the effort, either contact Oraizan or myself. Similarly, the Ministry of Translation, led by Minister of Translation Towenaar, is looking for people interested in translating government press releases as well as wiki articles between English and German. If you would like to help in this effort, either contact Towenaar or myself.

War in South Korea

This election would not have been possible - or would have been carried out under dramatically different terms - if not for those who fought for Austria. Foreign nations fought side by side with Austrians, against Croatian invaders. In our greatest time of need, the nation of South Korea proudly answered the call, deploying their mobile forces and aiding in our defense. Though they are half way across the world, they have dealt with similar experiences, faced similar problems, and consistently worked towards securing their independence. Today, their mission has found its latest challenge.

Eager to expand territorially, and break from a long standing "righteous nation" policy which declared "Japan is not a conqueror," the nation of Japan seeks to invade South Korea. Given our common bond and struggle, it is therefore with no hesitation that I commit the Austrian Armed Forces to the cause of South Korean independence.

Our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eisenhorn, has been in communication with the South Korean government, stating to them that as they stood with us in their time of need, we will stand with South Korea against aggression. And our Minister of Defense, PrinceOfAustria, has been tasked with leading the early effort to organize our mobile forces for deployment. Our soldiers are being welcomed, and are preparing for the storm to come. If you have not enlisted in the armed forces, I encourage anyone who is interested and willing to do so to help this worthy effort.

On the Agenda

In addition to work on organizations, the Constitution, and the war in South Korea, there are several other ongoing tasks. The Ministry of Finance will begin to focus on restoring stability in the monetary market after several months of fluctuations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will focus on re-establishing relations with nations, and touching base with the neighborhood to ensure a level of understanding and communication exists. I will personally take part in this in contacting other Presidents, along with Minister of Foreign Affairs Eisenhorn. We have a lot on our plate, and I hope to keep everyone up to date as we get to work on these tasks.