Normudria

The Kingdom of Normudria Ríocht Normudra
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: In memoriam, in spem
Capital and largest city	Dáildrummoth
Official languages	High Normudric
Recognised national languages	Vulgar Normudric
Demonym(s)	Normudric
Government	Unitary constitutional monarchy
• King	Sean IV
• Prime Minister	Cáel Ó Gábháin
Legislature	Parliament
• Upper house	Council of Peers
• Lower house	Council of Deputies
Population
• 2019 estimate	14,946,834
• 2015 census	14,937,984
Currency	Punt
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy

Normudria, officially the Kingdom of Normudria, is a sovereign state in Anteria's Northern Hemisphere. A constitutional monarchy for nearly half a millennium, the nation's modern history has been marred by many conflicts both internal and external. Normudria's position upon a wealth of natural resources helped speed the industrialization of the country during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but has acted in recent decades as a sort of resource curse that has a destabilizing effect on the already politically weakened Normudria.

History

Daildrummoth during the Civil War, 1923.

Politics and Government

Normudria's government is derived from the 1878 Constitution, which grants the monarch extreme influence in the nation's policy. Prior to 1878, the Kingdom was governed as an absolute monarchy that claimed divine right to rule. Even after the Constitution was promulgated, though, it was seen as a gift from the Normudric nobility that could revoked at any time, and it was only after decades of pressure from liberals in the new Council of Deputies that the Constitution was eventually seen as the supreme law of the land.

Legislative Branch

While the lower house of Parliament (The Council of Deputies) is elected via a direct vote from the people, the Council of Peers' membership is appointed; members only come from those who have achieved the status of peerage from a Royal Decree. Any new laws must pass both Councils and be approved by the King or Queen, thus removing much of the power from the people in actual governance. This lack of direct input has often led to tension and conflict, and is cited as a frequent sticking point in recent Normudric history.

Executive Branch

The Prime Minister of Normudria is elected from within the Council of Deputies, but can only take office after personal approval from the King/Queen. After this accession, the Prime Minister may then appoint a new Government (or Cabinet) in consultation with the King/Queen to head the nation's Ministries:

• Civil Affairs
• Foreign Affairs
• Finance
• Justice
• Public Works
• Education
• Armed Forces

In addition, the three subordinate Department heads (Army, Navy and Air Service) are appointed by the Prime Minister in consultation with both the King or Queen and the advice of the Armed Forces Ministry. The Prime Minister, in addition to their duties as head of the Cabinet, also has several powers within Parliament such as the ability to end sessions of the Council of Deputies and call for snap elections. Confusingly, the monarch also has this power, though typically refrains from using it due to custom and potential political backlash. The ruling monarch in general has historically been prevented from direct interference in government affairs for fear of sparking popular unrest.