Champania

Socialist Republic of Champania 6 other official names Amathian: Republica Socialistă Şampanească Aurengian: República soçialista champanèsa Gaullican: République socialiste champanois Lemovician: Errepublika Sozialista Xampaniar Miersan: Socjalistyczna Republika Szampańska Selórzan: Republika Soczaliska Szampany
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: "La libertat non est vendá pas por tou l'aur de lo mound'" "Liberty is not sold for all the gold in the world"
Anthem: "Song of the Sovereign People"
National Cockade
Capital and largest city	Brigançon
Ethnic groups	88% Aurengian 4.4% Kasavrine 2% Amathian 2% Gaullican 1% Miersan 0.4% Lemovician 1.2% Other
Demonym(s)	Champanian/Champanois
Government	Unitary socialist directorial republic
• Premier	Ponç Guinovaerd
• Chief of State	Gwiduń Terenik
Legislature	National Congress
Independence
• Recognized	1935
• Council republic	1937
• Equalist constitution	31 August, 1960
• Current constitution	16 May, 1981
Area
•	139,991 km2 (54,051 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	14,928,090
• 2020 census	12,294,952
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Total	€433.885 billion
• Per capita	€29,065
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	€237.506 billion
• Per capita	€15,910
Gini (2020)	20.1 low
HDI (2020)	0.900 very high
Currency	Champanian llivra (CHL/₤)
Date format	yyyy-dd-mm (CE)
Driving side	left
Internet TLD	.ch

Champania (/t͡ʃam.pan.ia/; (Aurengian: Champenha, pronounced [t͡ʃəmˈpa.ɲə]; Gaullican: Champanie, pronounced [ʃɑ̃.pa.ni]), officially the Socialist Republic of Champania (Aurengian: República soçialista champanèsa; Gaullican: République socialiste champanois), is a sovereign, devolved unitary socialist directorial republic located in central Euclea. The landlocked nation borders, from clockwise, East Miersa, Gaullica, Amathia, West Miersa, and the breakaway state of Lemovicia.

The area currently comprising modern day Champania was first inhabited by Tenic tribes as early as the 3rd century BCE. As the Solarian Empire expanded, the geographic area of Champania fell under the control of the Solarians over the course of the 1st century BCE. While under Solarian control, the Tenic peoples living there gradually became Solarianized, giving way to a broader Gallo-Solarian culture that evolved into the contemporary cultures of Champania and Gaullica. The collapse of the Solarian Empire in 426 resulted in the partition of the former province by the emerging Arcilucan and Verliquoian empires. Gaullo-Solarian culture would continue to develop over the proceeding centuries and a nascent Orangene culture began to emerge in the 8th century CE. The first independent Champanian polity was formed in the aftermath of the collapse of the Arcilucan Empire in the west. Adolphine Champania existed from 1011 until 1475 and comprised roughly 75% of the modern area of Champania. Following an unfortunate series of events, the Daufinate ceased to exist in 1475, with the western half being conquered through a series of wars by Amathia and the Daufin himself swearing fealty to the newly emerged Gaullica.

The area would remain under Amathian and Gaullican rule through the conclusion of the Great War. An independent Champanian nation was created in 1935 following the signing of the Treaty of s'Holle. The nation was governed under the Popular Front, a broad coalition of center right-to-far left parties, with Frédéric Montagn serving as the inaugural president. Montagn's presidency was cut short as the SCIO and other left-wing groups successfully appealed to both the newly socialist state of Amathia and Kirenia to support a socialist-led coup. The coup was launched in 1936, and following a brief civil war, a socialist republic was proclaimed on 29 March, 1937. Like in both Amathia proper and East Miersa, the nascent socialist government effectively became a single-party state, and following the Thistle Uprising, the SCIO conducted its own purge of rival factions within the Champanian government, and firmly aligned itself with the Amathian Equalist Republic. This lasted until the latter's collapse in 1979, whereupon Champania undertook a series of political and social reforms aimed at restoring the political and social status quo to their pre-1959 status in order to realign with Kirenia and the rest of the contemporary socialist world.

Politically, Champania is officially a devolved unitary socialist directorial republic. The nation's legislature, the National Congress, enjoys legislative supremacy and is the highest organ of the Champanian government. The nine-member Generalitat serves as both the collective head of state and the cabinet. The consulate is elected to four-year terms by the National Convention. The premier is elected by the consulate acts as both the head of consulate itself and as the head of government for the full-term that the consulate is elected for. The chief of state is a purely technocratic position that serves as a liaison between the consulate and the National Convention. Like the consulate, the chief of state is elected by the National Convention to a 2-year term. The nation operates under a weak multi-party system with the current government being a coalition made up of the Champanois Socialist Workers' Party, Socialist Renewal, and the Party of the New Left.

Champania operates a self-managed economy that makes heavy use of syndicalist and collective ownership principles. Private ownership of businesses is completely absent, and is replaced by syndicalist, collective, communal, and public ownership. The nation is considered to be post-industrial with a very high standard of living. It consistently ranks high in economic equality, worker's right, and women's rights. Internationally, Champania is considered to be a small power and maintains ties with Kirenia and East Miersa. Champania is a member of the Community of Nations, the International Trade Organization, the Mutual Assistance Organisation, the Association for International Socialism, and the Association of Solarian Nations. It is an observer of Le Gaullophonie.

Etymology

The Estmerish name "Champania" (pronounced /t͡ʃam.pan.ia/) is a direct borrowing of the Old Aurengian Champania. Champania first appeared in 1188 during the existence of the Adolphine Champania in official correspondence between Daufin Sanç II and Verliquoian Emperor Louis III which stated "the lands of Champania" (las terras de Champanha).

The Old Aurengian Champanha is believed to derive from the Solarian campus meaning "open, flat space" itself evolved from the Proto-Satro-Euclean *kh₂emp- meaning "to bend, curve." The Solarian name is a direct reference to the terrain of Champania, which is overall generally flat, with the exception being the Vau d'Alba that bisects the historical Gaullican Champania region.

The native Gaullo-Solarian people that emerged in Champania are known as Aurengians (Aurengian: aurangesca; Gaullican: orangais). It is believed to derive from the Gaulish ar-aus(i)o- meaning "temple" or "cheek," itself evolved from the Common Tenic *far-aws(y)o- meaning "in front of the ear." The name entered the standard lexicon through the Solarian Empire, who collectively called the pre-Solarian Tenic tribes living in Champania the Arausici due to their extensive use of facial tattoos within their culture.

History

Medieval period

Main article: Adolphine Champania

• Champania had been an integral part of the Arcilucan and Verliquoian Empires since their reconquest of Champania in the 6th century
• Through succession and agreed partitions, the majority of Orange ended up under Verliquoian control
• By the 8thth century, the old "Kings of Champania" had been reduced to dukes within Gaullican peerage
• Duchy of Orange inherited by Verliquoian Emperor Charles III, granted to his younger brother, Adolphe
• Collapse of the Arcilucan Empire in 1000 and instability in the Verliquoian Empire allowed local rulers greater autonomy
• A quasi-independent Orange duchy emerged in the aftermath under the Adolphine dynasty
• Effectively turns into the Duchy of Burgundy
• Champanian Wars fought between the Daufins of Champania and the Kingdom of Soria
• Death of Daufin Charles V at the Battle of X saw the title revert back to the Gaullican Crown
• Subsequent War of the Champanian Succession fought between Gaullica, Amathia, and Miersan Commonwealth
• War saw majority of Adolphine Champania absorbed by Gaullica

Gaullican rule

• Gaullica's victory in the War of the Champanian Succession saw it gain the majority of the territory of Adolphine Champania
• Local rulers retained a significant degree of autonomy, in part due to the location of Champania relative to the Miersan Commonwealth and the Union of Three Nations
• Conclusion of the War of the Miersan Succession gradually led to an erosion of local autonomy as the Gaullican Empire gradually centralized
• Important cultural changes occurred during this centralization process: emergence of a definitive Aurengian culture and language in large part as means to resist repeated attempts at Gaullicization between the Crown and local administrators, firm adoption of Catholicism by local nobility; previously had "waffled" between Orthodoxy and Catholicism
• Very brief Brigançonnais Republic established during the Etrurian Revolutionary Wars and greater Euclean Spring. Put down by Gaullican forces after they retook Rayenne
• Major social changes emerged in the post-Etrurian Revolutionary Wars period: a class of independent landowners following the dissolution of feudalism, growing urban proletariat, small influential Gaullo-Aurengian bourgeoisie
• "National Awakening spearheaded by the Adolphine League laid the groundwork for Champanian nationalism; rise in use of the Aurengian language in literature and society
• Increased Gaullicization following the failed September Revolt in the closing months of the War of the Triple Alliance
• Adolphine League eclipsed by the Novèu corrent as the dominant force for Champanian nationalism
• Great War stuff; maybe some kind of !Czechoslovak legion

Independence

• Independence granted as part of the Treaty of s'Holle
• Broad popular front set up as the inaugural government under the leadership of Frédéric Montagn, a prominent advocate for Champanian independence before and during the Great War
• SCIO successfully appeals to both Amathia and Kirenia for support to take over the government
• Leftist-led coup in 1936 leads to a brief civil war. Direct military intervention by Amathia and Kirenia (via East Miersa) sees a quick leftist victory
• Council republic established in 1937.
• Largely mirrors East Miersa and Amathia in acting as a de facto single-party state

Equalist government

• Inspired by the Equalist takeover in Amathia in 1959, Champanian Premier Bastitou Courderç instituted his own set of purges within the SCIO
• Courderç aligned Champania with Amathia in the ensuing Amathian-Kirenian Split: "Every Socialist Nation has a sovereign right...to elaborate, choose or change the forms and methods of socialist construction."
• Champania, while adopting many of the authoritarian measures enacted in Amathia, maintained its own authoritarian socialism ideology in a bid to be viewed as an independent entity rather than as an Amathian satellite state, which had been one of the drivers for siding with Amathia in the split
• Symbolically requested to join the Euclean Community in 1972
• Diplomatically and materially supported East Miersa's invasion of West Miersa in a rare occurrence of cooperation with the Kirenian sphere and later directly supported Lemovicia in the Lemovician War

Modern Champania

Main article: Champanian Thaw

• Death of Courderç in 1976 led to minor power struggle within Champania that resulted in the reform faction of SCIO emerged victorious
• Collapse of Equalist Amathia in 1979 exacerbated the need for sweeping political and social reforms within Champania in order to maintain socialist power
• Reformer Jeremies Dior, elected Premier in 1980, began a policy of rapprochement with the Kirenian bloc while enacting sociopolitical reforms aimed liberalizing the nation
• SCIO formally dissolved in 1981 after Dior's election, replaced with modern multi-party system. Dior's reform faction is formed into the modern Socialist Workers' Party.
• Devolution of the unitary system as consociationalist policies see the creation of various ethnolingual communities who have the power to pass legislation that's on parity with legislation passed by the National Congress
• Joined the AIS in 1986, special friendship treaty signed with Gaullica in 1987 acknowledging the special "cultural ties shared between Gaullica and Champania"
• Further cooperation with Kirenia and East Miersa led to the creation of the Mutual Assistance Organization in 1999.
• Contemporary largely supports Kirenian stances on issues, however the nation's foreign policy remains largely independent of MASSOR's. Champania deviates from the greater Socialist world's opinions when deemed appropriate, most recently condemning Chistovodian militarism in the Arucian Straits

Politics

Premier Ponç Guinovaerd

Chief of State Gwiduń Terenik

Champania is officially a devolved unitary socialist republic operating under a directorial system of government where there is a collective head of state in the form of the Generalitat of Champania. The nation combines traditional parliamentary representative democracy with socialist and syndicalist direct democracy. Its subject of being a traditional council republic has been the subject of debate within both the contemporary socialist world and the broader capitalist liberal world. Although Champania itself officially declares to be a council republic under both the New Social Contract and the 1982 amendment to the New Social Contract, it is best described as a "fusion republic" hybridizing systems seen in both traditional liberal democracies and councilism.

The national executive is headed by the nine-member Generalitat, which serves as the collective head of state and the cabinet for the premier. The Premier of Champania is the national head of government. The position is elected by members of consulate and holds the position for the entire four-year term of the consulate. Unlike other directorial or councilist states, the premier holds the position of head of government unilaterally rather than being the primus inter pares . The generalitat is elected by secret ballot through two rounds of voting between members of the governing political party or coalition parties (when applicable). In the case of coalition governments, the seats of the consulate are divided proportionally to the number of seats earned by the coalition partners. There are no term limits to being on the consulate, although it is not uncommon for members to be resign or to be replaced. The current consulate is currently split 5-3-1 between the Socialist Workers' Party, Socialist Renewal, and Party of the New Left. The current Premier of Champania is Ponç Guinovaerd, who was elected in the 2018 general elections.

The National Congress is, as implied by the name, the national legislature. The National Congress holds legislative supremacy and is the basis from which all government institutions derive their power. This is because of the nation's usage of council democracy and the belief that sovereign power is derived from the citizenry, which it is is the primary representative of. It is unicameral and is composed of 400 seats. These seats are elected through D'Hondt apportionment party-list proportional representation voting to a term of four years, with the ability to be re-elected ad infinitum. Voter districts can choose to remove their elected representatives through the process of a recall election which can occur at any point during the election cycle. This combined with the notion of parliamentary sovereignty creates and proliferates an imperative mandate, wherein the elected delegates of an electoral district effectively represent their constituents. Additionally, the National Congress functions as the nation's constitutional supreme court, and the constitutionality of laws is verified by a vote. A special Constitutional Law Directorate exists, however, and in practice functions as the constitutional supreme court.

Champania is unique amongst other extant socialist states for abandoning nonpartisanship and effectively utilizing a multiparty system. Since the dissolution of the Champanois Section of the Workers' International in 1981, limitations regarding the formation of political parties were repealed. Currently, seven major parties and numerous special interest groups that represent ethnic minority interests exist at the national level. The largest of these parties are the Champanois Socialist Workers' Party, Socialist Renewal, National People's Front, National Labor Confederation, Party of the New Left, and the Movement of the Party of the Proletariat. The current government is a coalition made up of the Champanois Socialist Workers' Party, Socialist Renewal, and Party of the New Left.

Government

Main article: Generalitat of Champania

The Generalitat constitutes the national government, directs the national administration of the state, and serves as the collective head of state. The Generalitat is a collegial body comprising nine members appointed by the National Congress to four year terms. Members to the Generalitat can be re-appointed ad infinitum so long as they continue to hold a seat in the National Congress and as long as the party they're a member of holds the majority or is in the governing coalition. The Premier of Champania is elected by the members of the Generalitat. Because of the nature of the Generalitat, the premier and often membership of the Generalitat itself is often decided before the National Congress convenes and votes. The members of the Generalitat act as the cabinet with the elected premier acting as the singular head of government. Despite the presence of the premier, the Generalitat primarily operates through consensus decision-making.

Each sitting secretary on the Generalitat heads a government department, called offices (departements), much like the ministers in the governments of other countries. Colloquially, secretaries of the Generalitat are referred to by the department they head, i.e the head of the Foreign Office being referred to as the "Responsible Secretary of Foreign Affairs" or simply "Foreign Secretary." The nine offices of the Generalitat are: the Office of the Premier, Office of Foreign Affairs, Office of Internal Affairs, Office of Finance and Economic Affairs, Office of Education, Office of Women and Minority Rights, Office of Defence and Civil Protection, Office of Justice, and Office of Arts, Sport, and Culture.

The Generalitat operates through biweekly meetings typically held on Monday and Friday in the national capital Brigançon. In addition to the premier and eight cabinet members, the chief of state and the vice chief of state also attends the meetings. The chief of state is allowed to participate in any discussions, but is not allowed to vote on issues. The vice chief of state, who conducts press briefings after the conclusion of each Generalitat meeting, is there merely to observe and record the topics of discussion so that they may respond to questions from the media.

Decisions taken to vote before the committee are the responsibility of the department that it relates to. For example, the ability to issue sanctions or similar diplomatic protests against a country would be proposed by the head of the Office of Foreign Affairs. Prior to votes, however, written proposals are distributed to all members of the Generalitat. These are written by the senior professional official of their departments, most of the time the professional heads of the various offices that make up each departments. These proposals are circulated to the other Generalitat secretaries, who then task their own senior officials to prepare written responses to the proposal, offering criticism and improvements to the original proposal as appropriate. Despite the premier being the de jure head of government, the Generalitat is often considered to be a collective head of government itself with the premier acting as the primus inter pares. The premier has the final word on the outcome for proposals, but the Generalitat often makes heavy use of consensus decision-making in its day-to-day voting and operation.

The plenary chamber of the National Congress.

Legislature

Main article: National Congress of Champania

The National Congress is the unicameral legisalative body for Champania. It is composed of 400 seats that are elected every four years through direct voting. Seats are allocated using the D'Hondt apportionment and representatives can be elected ad infinitum. Because of a cultivated imperative mandate, voters may choose to remove their elected representatives through the process of a recall election which can occur at any point during the election cycle.

The primary function of the National Congress is to change the country's laws and to amend the constitution (which requires a majority of two-thirds). In addition to these key powers, the constitution grants the National Congress extensive legislative powers and substantial control over the budget, the right to authorize the government to raise taxes and grant loans, the power to ratify treaties and other kinds of international agreements, and the duty to approve or reject decisions taken by the premier and the Generalitat.

400 seats are up for election every four years, barring the dissolution of the National Congress before the next election. Seats that underwent a recall election where the incumbent lost are exempt from general elections and are elected four years from the date of the recall election. Candidates are appointed by the local party organization and seats for the voting districts are determined using D'Hondt apportionment. The premier has the ability to dissolve the National Congress unilaterally, however, this is rarely done and is instead a consensus decision by the Generalitat. General elections are held on the second Monday of February.

Every citizen who is or will be at least 16-years-old on the date of the election is allowed to vote in general elections. There is no requirement to register to vote and citizens must only show a valid form of I.D to vote in general elections. Additionally, any Champanois citizen at least 18-years-old, and is not an active-serving member of the military, may stand as a candidate for the National Congress. These candidates must be endorsed by a sufficient number of voters through support cards in order to be placed on the ballot and stand for election.

Foreign relations

Champania is considered by most foreign analysts to be a small power. As a constitutionally socialist state, the nation enjoys warm relations with the rest of Socialist Euclea and the broader socialist world as a whole. Despite being a founding member of MASSOR alongside fellow socialist states East Miersa and Kirenia, Champania follows a largely independent foreign policy that, while ostensibly follows the established Kirenian narrative, diverges significantly in matters that impact Champanian national security and trade. Likewise, Champania officially abandoned internationalism and the notion of global socialism, and continues the pre-Thaw policy of so-called "national socialism." In spite of this, Champania is, alongside East Miersa, a key backer and supporter of Lemovician independence.

The country frequently pursues an independent foreign policy outside of the scope MASSOR, which has been criticized domestically as being a Kirenocentric organization and an extension of the Kirenian state apparatus. Champania, on several occasions, dissents from the so-called "Socialist Camp" in regards to Community of Nations voting, the most recent being the sole socialist state to abstain in the February CN resolution condemning Chistovodia's militarization of the Arucian Straits. This extends to MASSOR as a whole. Despite being a founding member of the organization, Champania does not allow Kirenia nor East Miersa to station troops in the country and does not allow Kirenia to establish any military installations in the nation. Additionally, while Champania participates in joint MASSOR military exercises, Champania does not permit such exercises to occur on Champanian soil. This, for all intents and purposes, makes Champania MASSOR-aligned, but functionally independent.

Since the early 1980s, Champania has enjoyed amicable relations with the majority of eastern Euclea, particularly with members of the Euclean Community. Gaullica, in particular, is one of Champania's closest allies and since the signing of the Gaullican-Champanois Bilateral Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in 1981. Since the treaty's signing, Champania and Gaullica have enjoyed a special relationship. Additionally, through the treaty, Champania has served as an important intermediary between the Euclean Community and Socialist Euclea. Contrarily, Champania has poor relations with Soravia and other Samorspi members. Relations with West Miersa have historically been cool and have never entirely recovered from Champania's support of East Miersa in the Miersan War and Lemovicia during the Lemovician War. In the contemporary period, relations between the two nations remain cold despite the general detente between the two Miersas and Kirenia.

Champania is an active member the Community of Nations since its founding, International Council for Democracy in 1982, and the International trade Organization. In addition to these global organizations, Champania is a member state of the Association of Solarian Nations and Le Gaullophonie.