Emergency Transitional Administration
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The Emergency Transitional Administration is the current ruling government of the country of United Kingdom of Ottonia and its sole constituent dominion, Draakur. Following the collapse of the previous Royal government during the South Ottonian Revolution, government loyalists fled to the Draakur Archipelago, which had been successfully held by military and civil authorities. Rather than relinquish power in the emergency, negotiations were held between the UKO government officials in Draakurr and the mainlanders arriving in the islands, leading to the creation of the Draakurrae-led Emergency Transitional Administration to oversee both final evacuations from the mainland as well as critical structural reforms to the UKO to ensure its ability to persist on Draakurr.
Nominally, the ETA serves at the pleasure of the Storkeneg, Vitus I. However, many observers, especially those members of the previous UKO administration critical of the ETA, have called the government a military junta due to its hard departures from previous UKO policies, including dramatically-increasing taxes on the wealthy (particularly the aristocracy), abolishing the formal legal separation between aristocrats and commoners, terminating discriminatory measures against non-Fabrians, instituting numerous social safety-nets (including measures previously unknown or extremely neglected in South Ottonia such as public healthcare, widespread public housing, public pensions, secular public schools, and robust food assistance), additional attempts at rapprochement with the Federation of Ottonian Republics, and providing for the establishment of an elected, proportionally-representative legislature.
In addition, the administration, headed up by former military governor Stevan Grimmeburger, has been accused of Draakurrae nationalist sympathies and "crypto-Wernerism", although these accusations have been deflected by Grimmeburger, claiming "If [the UKO] is to survive, it must begin behaving like a modern nation, with all that that entails. We have seen first-hand what awaits us if we fail to do so."
Formation
The origins of the Emergency Transitional Administration lays in the prior Royal Authority on Draakur, a component of the Royal Civil Service Bureau charged with administering the royal government on Draakur on behalf of the Storkeneg. At the time of the 2022 South Ottonian Revolution, the RAD was led by Governor Ardem Wyatt, who charged his deputies, notably Deputy Governor Stevan Grimmeburger, to negotiate with protestors and insurgents aligned with the mainland Popular Front. The compromises made with the demonstrators, along with the collapsing royal government on the mainland, prompted Wyatt to empower Grimmeburger and others to administer Draakur as necessary during the crisis period, prompting the creation of the Emergency Transitional Authority.
When the royal government of the United Kingdom of Ottonia arrived in Draakur, they found themselves confronted by a united and very much in-control administration managing the peaceful governance of Draakur and prepared to help organize the evacuation of loyalists on the mainland, with a channel of negotiation and communication already opened with the Ottonian mainland government. While Storkeneg Rodrik I was, by all accounts, livid at the manner in which the RAD had disobeyed direct Royal and Senatorial orders on how to handle the demonstrations, due to the nature of the situation he was forced to acquiesce to ETA leadership of the evacuation and end of the Revolution.
Following the successful evacuation of Wyllemspurt in April 2022, a number of meetings were held between the ETA and the rump of the mainland Royal government (and, allegedly, with representatives of the Federal government of the now-united mainland), during which it was decided that Storkeneg Rodrik I would abdicate in favor of his son, Vitus. Although the exact reason for this was not made public, it was widely speculated that Vitus was more amenable to the reforms that the ETA had promised to demonstrators in March. Moreover, it was decided that the ETA would remain in charge of the administration of the Draakur archipelago for a period no greater than 50 months, effective from 1 May 2022; a new constitutional government would be required to be established and prepared to assume power no later than 1 July 2027.
Composition
The ETA proper is largely consisted of officials from the pre-Revolution Royal Authority on Draakur (RAD). It consists of:
- Director of Oversight & Compliance Stevan Grimmeburger
- Chief of Staff Maria Castrnuev
- Economic Administration
- Director of Commerce Warrik Redmunn
- Director of Communication Clotilda Garsia
- Director of Labor Leogildu Viyanuev
- Director of Transportation Arturu D'Boske
- Director of the Treasury Gerhart Essen
- Public Service Administration
- Director of Education Andrus Filius
- Director of Health D'Arke Aretsa
- Director of Environmental Affairs Erika Serranu
- Director of Public Works Elena Garsia
- Director of Social Security Estanislao Lentz
- Public Safety Administration
- Director of the Home Guard Tyran Grahulm
- Director of the Home Fleet Soren Klaussunn
- Director of the Interior Ardem Wyatt
- Director of Justice Rebekah Eriksunn
- Director of Foreign Affairs Leonyna Carduthu
There are a total of 16 directors, divided into three "Domains" - Public Safety (Home Guard, Home Fleet, Justice, Interior, State), Economic Administration (Commerce, Transportation, Communication, Treasury, Labor), Public Services (Social Security, Public Works, Education, Health, Environment), plus the Director of Oversight.
In addition, there are two other bodies: the first is the "Advisory Council of Municipalities", an organ in which the elected mayors of the various municipalities of Draakur (or their appointed proxies) are able to provide recommendations and feedback to the ETA. The current President of the Council is Fredrikspurt Mayor Honorius Waalturs. In addition, there is a directly-elected Popular Assembly. Although at-present the Popular Assembly serves only in an advisory capacity (its acts are non-binding on the ETA), the ETA has pledged to take resolutions that pass the Popular Assembly under consideration for enactment as legislation. Moreover, the ETA's "Roadmap to Good Government", published in January 2023, as laid out a timeline in which, over the years leading up to the planned handover of power in 2027, the Popular Assembly will be delegated increasing amounts of power and authority, and will be a permanent fixture in the eventual post-ETA government.
Reforms
Many of the reforms undertaken by the ETA were officially declared swiftly within a month of the dissolution of the Senate and the assumption of the crown by Storkeneg Vitus, although a goodly number, while officially on the books, will as a practical matter require months or years of work to actually implement.
Legal Reforms
Abolishment of the Nobility
The first and arguably most-significant legal reform made by the ETA was the formal abolishment of the aristocracy. Where prior the UKO had maintained a firm legal distinction between the nobility and commoners, with separate justice systems and bills of rights for each, the ETA's first legal action was to establish a single-track justice and legal system under which all persons were equal before the law. The lone exception to this is the Monarch, who is by statute the country's head of state and thus has special rights and prerogatives.
Liberalization of Free Speech and Assembly
Notably in the wake of the South Ottonian Revolution, the ETA also removed most restrictions on public assembly, free association, and political speech, only maintaining restrictions on incitement of hatred towards persons 'based on intrinsic characteristics'.
Social Services
Arguably the most desperately-sought reforms by Popular Fronters were reforms to taxation and social services. As such, these have been an area of priority for the ETA within its first year.
Healthcare
Drawing from models abroad and on mainland Ottonia, one of the first orders of business was the creation of a national public health system, including social medical insurance and a patient's bill of rights. Where previously payment for healthcare was the responsibility of each individual patient (usually managed through private health insurance), henceforth Draakuri citizens would have their medical care paid for via taxation in a single-payer system.
Social Insurance
This was combined with dramatic expansions in the public insurance mechanisms for unemployment, disability, and retirement, dramatically strengthening systems that had either atrophied or been deliberately dismantled over the previous 40 years in South Ottonia.
Childcare
As the need for large numbers of people to work became apparent, it was also clear that free childcare for those with children at home was of crucial importance. In December 2022, the ETA passed measures putting into place a publicly-funded daycare system for working families.
Education
In January 2023 efforts began to reform Draakur's public education system using the (North) Ottonian Standard Education system as a model.
Economic Reforms
Currency Reform
The events of the South Ottonian Revolution had left the South Ottonian Krona essentially worthless. This led to, in the short term, the issuance of ration books for the immediate month or two following the fall of the mainland, but it was clear that a more lasting solution was needed. While the Krona remained the nominal currency of the national UKO government, the ETA announced in May 2022 that it would purchase up all South Ottonian Kronas on the islands to facilitate the issuance of a new currency,
Tax Reform
Where South Ottonia had previously utilized a flat tax rate, one of the first orders of business for the ETA was a shift to progressive taxation to make the tax burden more equitable relative to persons' means.
The ETA also instituted land use taxes meant to encourage dense development as well as help pay for infrastructural improvements.
Ownership and Profit Reforms
Strict regulations were implemented governing the proportion of corporate profits that could be discharged to private shareholders, as well as mandating a certain proportion of profits be reserved for employees of enterprises.
Stock buybacks were made illegal.
Nationalization of Utilities and Services
Most utilities and many public services, including transit and postal services, had been privatized in the 1980s and 1990s in South Ottonia. The ETA nationalized Draakur's electrical infrastructure, mass transit system, remnants of the Ottonian Royal Parcel Service, water and sewage, and telecom infrastructure in September 2023.
Postal Banking
With the postal service newly re-nationalized as the Postal & Parcel Service of Draakur (PaPSD), measures for postal banking were built into the expanded service to both help collect revenue to fund the service as well as provide safe, simple community banking.
Administrative and Governmental Reforms
Dissolution of the Royal Army
During the evacuation of Wyllemspurt, approximately 32,000 Royal Army personnel were brought to Draakur, in addition to the approximately 10,000 total personnel of the 6th Brigade already on the islands and the approximately 20,000 personnel of the paramilitary Draakuri Home Guard. Amid initial fears of invasion, those Royal Army forces were incorporated into the forces on Draakur, although because many had fled in disarray this represented surprisingly-few complete units, meaning many of these personnel were instead incorporated directly into the Home Guard. As the months rolled by and it became increasingly-clear that an invasion from the mainland was highly unlikely, as was any likely attempt to retake the mainland, it was decided that many of these personnel could be demobilized.
Due to the nature of the DHG's purpose (to specifically defend Draakur against attack), it was determined that the most sensible option was to incorporate the new arrivals properly into the DHG and to effectively dissolve the Royal Army. The entire apparatus was placed under the command of former Royal Army officer Tyran Grahulm, who was charged with reorganizing it into an effective army and gendarmerie for the security of Draakur.
Abolishment of the Senate
Reports from ETA task forces concluded that much of the institutional rot that had afflicted the UKO leading up to the revolution and calcified its institutions to the point where it could not adapt to changing conditions was due to the aristocratic nature of the Senate and its nature as a rubber-stamp for the monarchy. The conclusion was that the Senate had provided no democratic outlet for input on the government and had largely prevented necessary feedback from reaching those in power. Accordingly, the Senate was officially abolished on 17 May, 2022, to be replaced under the new constitution by a more democratic legislative body.
Public Works
Draakur Bay Metropolitan Transit System
The transit systems of the cities surrounding the Great Draakur Bay had largely consisted of light rail and a few interurban railways previously. In anticipation of significant growth, plans were drawn up for an extensive rail transit network connecting areas within the cities of Sant Mikel, Haefeld, Fredrikspurt, and Wesburk.
Inter-Island Highspeed Rail System
As part of both commercial and defensive infrastructure, the rail lines and tunnels connecting the municipalities of the westernmost of the Major Home Islands (Fentyera) to the easternmost (Grenolm) were planned to be upgraded to high speed standard.
Public Housing Projects
Due to both an influx of refugees from the South Ottonian mainland and planned growth, an ambitious public housing project was initiated with a goal of making approximately 2 million dwellings available over the next two decades.
Sewage & Water System Upgrades
The influx of new people and construction had also rended the sewage, wastewater, water treatment, and potable water systems on the islands inadequate in several places, requiring allocations of funding to upgrade, expand, and refurbish that infrastructure.
Harbor Expansions
Plans were made to expand and improve the port facilities at multiple Draakuri cities, most notably Fredrikspurt and Bronnsburg.
Mainland Tunnel Project
Long considered a fantasy project, plans began to be discussed with the mainland government to dig a railway tunnel under the Tyrrslynd Channel to link the city of Ponver with Wyllemspurt. The tunnel, if completed, would be a contender for the longest such tunnel in the world.
Power Generation Capacity
In addition to attempts to improve the number and coverage of offshore wind turbines on the windy Draakurae islands, overtures were made to multiple prospective partners, both elsewhere in Belisaria, Norumbia, and Oxidentale, as well as on the Ottonian mainland.
Replacement
Although as of March 2023 a replacement constitution for Draakur is still in its very early stages, tentative plans are for the ETA to be replaced, at the time of its 30 June 2027 dissolution, with a bicameral parliament, coupled with an executive monarch who would have their powers limited significantly by the constitution without being left powerless. Extensive bills of rights are at present under draft, and it is expected that the eventual replacement government's structure will become more clear over the next year or two.