Join the new world

Forewarning: this is a fairly long article, likely to appeal only to those interested in international politics. If you're okay with that, then please, continue; if not... well, as they say on the intarwebz: tl;dr.

---

After having recently applied, I was accepted as an Ambassador, and was immediately assigned to Belgium, a country which is under a great deal of stress after the recent PTO attacks (and counter-attacks) by PHOENIX and EDEN, respectively; add to that the natural disorganization that confronted Belgium after it left UNL (United Netherlands), and you have a very volatile mixture. After my first few days of investigation, allow me to share my findings.

Politics

As I've explained, Belgium is knee-deep in political chaos at the moment. The recent congressional elections brought a plethora of candidates, and a maelstrom of PTOers from both alliances (though their goals were obviously different). In the end, EDEN won a majority of seats, securing Belgium from PHOENIX's grasp; however, this leaves a number of non-Belgian officials in office, something which leaves natives feeling very uneasy. Belgium, from what many of my fellow Americans tell me, has the reputation of being a playground for competing alliances (in this case, EDEN and PH😵; the recent elections seem to only contribute to this pejorative rep, but actually gives many Belgians hope that they will soon be able to run their country with a greater degree of autonomy, and eventually give foreign PTOers the boot. Desperate times called for desperate measures, but the circumstances have changed, and we must change with them. Belgium is doing its best to remain neutral, and developing extensive relationships with either alliance isn't, to my knowledge, something on the agenda.

Additionally, Belgians are attempting to impeach their current president, Grinch85, who is not only inactive, but lives in Ukraine - the last remnant of a past PTO. The lack of a legitimate political leader puts them in a bit of a bind, having no de facto authority to turn to in the meantime; instead, Belgians have turned to several town hall-style meetings as a means of getting things done. This is attributed to three things:

a. Many RL-Belgians still live in the Netherlands, which is currently in far better condition than recently-liberated Belgium, making it difficult to establish a public consensus, or correctly direct politicians.

b. Obviously, without a functional president, a large portion of national business is never attended to, forcing the residents of Belgium (many of whom are foreigners) to handle day-to-day administration.

c. Belgians are still struggling to set up most of their ministries, asking for volunteers to present their credentials for evaluation - this is prudent on the part of the interim administration, as Belgium needs the best, brightest, and most-qualified to deal with issues that the ministries of government would ordinarily deal with.

Political transition is never easy, but the Belgians are doing their best to weather the storm, and continue pushing forward. As I agreed with someone on their forums, perfect efficacy cannot be expected on Day 1. As time moves forward, I'm sure we'll see a great deal of progress, and I look forward to working with the Belgian people as these developments continue.

2. Military

There hasn't been too much going on lately as far as military affairs are concerned. Notably, Belgium has recently been considering opening up war games after the completion of a suitable Q5 hospital; however, it's important to note their commitment to true neutrality, reflected in their reluctance to involve themselves, even through MPPs, with EDEN or PHOENIX nations. We must simply sit back, observe, and be supportive of whatever decision the Belgians make.

3. Economy

Currently, Belgium isn't what I would call an economic powerhouse. Their treasury is fairly petite, containing 2.55 gold, and approximately 1600 BEF, meaning that Belgium doesn't really have a great deal of spending power. This suggests that Belgium may be facing a few financial obstacles in the near future. I'd like to point out, however, that none of these woes are Belgium's fault - gaining independence is no small matter, and no one ever made a promise that said it would be easy. Again, this is an area in which must be dedicated time, patience, and perhaps a bit of luck.

Additionally, inflation in Belgium sits at a staggering 52.27%. To put this number in perspective, consider the United States' current inflation rate: 8.32%. If you do the math, you'll see that Belgium's current rate of inflation is 6 times higher than our own - that's a pretty full plate, if you ask me. On the monetary market, it takes approximately 60 BEF to purchase 1g, reinforcing the depreciating value of Belgian currency; oddly enough, though, the monetary market shows the US😨BEF exchange rate to be 2-2.5:1. A very strange phenomenon indeed, one for which I cannot promptly conjure an explanation. I'm no eConomist, after all.

So, the Belgian economy may be a bit shaky, but the Belgians are taking each obstacle in stride, prudently prioritizing national issues, tackling them one at a time. I have a feeling that they'll do just fine.

Other Points of Interest

1. The Free Bread Campaign

Recently-elected Belgian congressman Manong Rizal has done a great deal for Belgium, including the "Free Bread Campaign", or FBC. Rizal elaborates on the purpose of his program:

Now, I would like to introduce the Free Bread Campaign to eBelgium. I will be giving 2 to 5 Q3 bread to players who are new, have poor wellness, and in need of money. The q3 breads can improve wellness, productivity, and will help new players save up their money for better investments in the future.

According to Rizal, the program has already been introduced in the Philippines. The program's continuation leads me to presume that it was quite a success where it has been instituted, and has been very helpful to new players, most of whom are near-broke at the beginning of their tenure in the game.

One interesting point to note: Rizal is doing this out of his own pocket - while he does accept donations (as any charity should), you will find his program free of federal subsidies, making his humanitarian successes all the more praiseworthy. If you find the time, send him a PM, and thank him for making an impact on new players. He deserves that much, at least.

2. "Belgian At Heart, Belgium in Motion"

This is another heartwarming project of Rizal's. As a non-RL-Belgian himself, he understood the difficulty of earning the trust of the natives; to cope with these hardships, he started the program, which relies on hard work, strong character, and a commitment to Belgian progress. As I earlier explained, many of the RL-Belgians remain in the Netherlands, making social cohesion in Belgium all the more critical.

Rizal maintains that through perseverance and dedication to the well-being of Belgium, foreigners (like himself) can earn the trust of the natives. Enjoying a snug spot in the Belgian community himself, I trust him at his word, and I think that everyone else ought to hear what he has to say.

Ultimately, my first few days in Belgium have taught me what a small group of dedicated people can do. Sure, efforts like that aren't always pretty, or organized, or streamlined - but they work. They work because the Belgian people are making them work, and foreign officials are doing everything they can to respect Belgium's autonomy during a period of political nebulosity. While I can't make any guarantees, even concerning the accuracy of the above information, I can tell you with near-certainty that Belgium will continue to fight for stability, overcoming every hurdle standing in its way. It will be my pleasure to watch them grow, develop, and prosper in the coming months, and my honor to represent our nation there - this, actually, I can guarantee.

You know how I like to end my articles, so let me just say this: I may not be 100% accurate in all of my claims, and I may not be completely precise with the figures I've presented; however, the struggles that Belgium is facing are very real - and, as Belgium's inexorable commitment to neutrality shows us, truth takes no sides.

Cody Franklin