Henry Clémens

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Henry Clémens
SEO et al.
Duke of Mercia-Lurk, Count of Siñbaša
Depiction of Clémens
(not actual image)
Member of Parliament
Assumed office
7 June 2021
Kaiser Newton
Prime Minister Vacant
Lord of the Confederation of Esse
In office
30 April 2020 - 1 January 2021[1]
Diarchs Himself
Newton
Lord-regent Patrick
Gonfaloniere
See list
Successor Patrick (as regent)
Lord of the Essian Commonwealth
In office
5 June 2015 - 16 March 2018
Heir apparent Andrew, Count of Wingsington
Heaminister
See list
Coronation 24 June 2015
26th Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational
In office
25 June - 25 December 2017
Vice Chair Newton von Uberquie
Tarik Kârjasary
Predecessor Adam I of Überstadt
Successor Adam I of Überstadt
Acting Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational
In office
28 March - 25 June 2017
(Acting)
Vice Chair Newton von Uberquie
Predecessor Adam I of Überstadt
Successor Himself
1st President of the Federated States
In office
3 August 2014 - 5 May 2016
Vice President Brandon Wu
John Churchill
Personal information
Born 6 October
United States
Citizenship United States
Ethnicity Essian
Political party Independent
Occupation Politician, journalist
Religion Christian

Henry Clémens SEO OIS SAV MOG KOS (in Essian: Enzo Clémens; in Sabian: Henrí Krementas) is a Würtige micronationalist and journalist, well-known as as the founder of the now-defunct Essian Commonwealth, as well as the Uber-Essian Union, a union between the Commonwealth's successor and the Confederation of Uberquiesenberg.

The founder of six micronations within its geographic region, Clémens is regarded as the creator and historian of the Houston sector. Following the 2015 dissolution of the Federated States, Clémens—the aforementioned micronation's first and only president—went on to establish the Essian Commonwealth that June. Following stints in a variety of different micronational projects, Clémens eventually rose to the Chairmanship of the Grand Unified Micronational.The Commonwealth was dismantled in 2018, after which Clémens took an extensive hiatus from micronationalism.

Upon returning to micronationalism amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Clémens became a Diarch of the Uber-Essian Union alongside Newton von Uberquie. Patrick Renwick has executed his duties as the Essian Lord Regent since December 2020.

In recent times, Henry has become an elusive figure, rarely issuing public statements and stepping back from the day-to-day politics of the Union.

Federated States & early Esse

Early career

Henry first encountered micronationalism through the Principality of Sealand. Initially laughing at the concept of micronationalism, Henry eventually became interested, and started his first micronation - the Republic of Concord - on 3 August 2014. He told several close friends about his micronation, and they in turn formed their own micronations soon after. The three formed an organization that standardized currency and sought to establish agreed-upon borders between the claims their three micronations.

Despite close cooperation, Henry and his friends collectively lost interest in their states by mid-September. Henry then introduced his friends Brandon Wu and John Churchill to micronationalism, and together they merged into a new micronation, the Federated States of America. The Federated States immediately held its "First Convention," where Henry was appointed as President.

During the Federated States' Second Convention, Henry lobbied for major changes referred to as the "Progressive Reformations" which intended to transform the Federated States into a new, authoritarian state. Despite the reforms being successfully passed, the reformations were forgotten upon the adjournment of the convention.

By April 2015, Henry's activity in the MicroWiki community was responsible for the Federated States finally opening diplomatic relations with other micronations. During the Constitutional Convention that month, Henry moved for similar reforms to those of the Second Convention, launching what he dubbed the "Royalist Reformation." The proposals were highly criticized by Congress and he was scorned. He eventually disavowed the movement entirely.

Henry announced that he would be resigning as President of the Federated States on 1 June 2015, after several weeks of growing tensions within the government. Two days later, on 3 June, the remaining members of Congress resigned and Henry renounced his Federated States citizenship, essentially marking the end of the micronation.

Commonwealth of Esse

The end of the Federated States created a divide between the "Big Four" of the Federated States. Brandon Wu went on to establish the Republic of Galveston, John Churchill became a citizen of Mercia after a brief hiatus, and the fourth Congressman retired from micronationalism entirely. In the days following the end of the Federated States, Henry formed the Commonwealth of Esse, where he served as Lord Protector.

After falling into inactivity after several months leading Esse, Henry proposed reviving the Federated States in December 2015. The new convention - referred to as the "Sixth Congress" - set out to reform the Federated States under a new name. The reformed Federated States thus became known as the Atlantic Commonwealth.

The Atlantic Commonwealth was officially established in January 2016, and quickly several political parties appeared. The first was Henry's own United Atlantic. At its height United Atlantic fielded three candidates. The January elections were fairly unanimous, with Henry being elected to a second term as President (the first term being considered his tenure as President of the Federated States), despite his initial wishes to retire from the position. United Atlantic won 2 council seats.

Success was short-lived for the Atlantic Commonwealth, as most every citizen of the Commonwealth left out of disinterest within the following two months. Henry continued leading the Commonwealth as its only active citizen for several months more, serving as the President of a now-vacant Executive Council.

Leadership and mid-career

Economics

With a growing interest in economics starting the year before, Henry's idea of creating a micronational stock exchange began to take form. Talks with Anthony Clark - then the architect behind the Micronational Dollar - were underway to establish the trading currency for the exchange, dubbed the "Quetico Microinternational Stock Exchange." The stock exchange was established formally on 15 May.

Henry became a full citizen of Mercia and joined the People's Democratic Party in May 2016, following an opinion article he wrote on its most recent general election.

Henry's rising involvement in the State of Koss and his growing partnership with Lucas Campos led to him launching a self-coup in the Grand Duchy of St.Clemens, his most recent attempt at sustaining a micronation. Henry ceded authority over the former land of St.Clemens (and the Valdslandic realm of Vespucciland) to Campos, the Anax of Koss. He also renounced citizenship in Abelden and Nedland.

Henry and Campos began a project that intended to build on the concepts of both the Micronational Dollar and the Quetico Micronational Stock Exchange, which had both fallen into a state of inactivity. The result was the Micronational Economic Group, the product of a collaboration between five individuals assembled by Henry and Campos. The Group's Foundation Treaty - written primarily by Henry - was ratified on 27 July 2016.

In Mercia, Henry turned coat to the PDP's primary opponent, the National Liberal Party during the August by-elections. After only about two weeks in the National Liberal Party, he was elected Deputy Leader. Only weeks after that, a vote of no-confidence was launched against First Minister and PDP leader Alejandro Whyatt. The PDP dismantled shortly thereafter.

On 22 August 2016, Henry was elected as the inaugural Chair of the Micronational Economic Group. In September, Henry returned from his hiatus in the Abeldane Empire and founded the Independence Party of Abelden. After arranging for elections for his successor in the Micronational Economic Group, Henry then abruptly left the community on hiatus.

During Henry's hiatus, the Micronational Economic Group effectively dissolved and the Principality of Valites was ceded by the State of Koss.

Intermicronational politics

Pamphlet produced by Henry's GUM Chair Campaign, June 2017.

Henry returned from hiatus quietly on 20 November 2016 with the establishment of the United States of Wings, where he assumed the new pseudonym Emerson Rief. Eventually, it became widely known that Henry and Emerson Rief were the same person. In late January 2017, Henry publicly returned under his previous name, reviving the Essian Commonwealth and installing himself as its absolute monarch. Esse was recognized as the successor of the United States of Wings by the Grand Unified Micronational, enabling Henry to maintain his delegation in the organization.

Henry, on behalf of the Independence Party of Abelden, was elected 16th Vorsitzender of the Abeldane Empire and the Commonwealth on 27 February in a shock victory. Henry arranged a government composed of all major parties, a positively-received bipartisan arrangement that continued on as a tradition for several administrations following his own. Shortly after the election, the Independence Party saw a large boost in membership migrating from the collapsing Conservative Party.

On 11 March, Henry was nominated and elected Vice Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational following the resignation of his predecessor, Shiro Mephistopheles. Shortly after his election to the post, Henry began to roll back much of his then-growing micronational activity elsewhere, resigning from all posts in the Democratic Union of British States, Republic of Mcarthia, Desi Empire, and Mercia.

Henry ascended to the post of Acting Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational shortly on 28 March following the resignation of Adam I of Überstadt, who was urged to resign due to inactivity concerns. Hours following his ascent to the GUM Chairmanship, Henry resigned as Vorsitzender of Abelden and relinquished his citizenship altogether.

Henry's Acting Chairmanship in the Grand Unified Micronational was highly active, defined largely by the second 24 Hour Quorum, a charity event which raised over $200 for various charities. Largely due to the success of his term, he was elected unopposed as Chairman that June, becoming only the second Chairman to be elected as such immediately after holding the position of Acting Chair.

Retirement

In late August 2017, Henry relinquished citizenship from all micronations but two: Esse and the Empire of Paravia. On 4 September, Jonathan I of Austenasia, MicroWiki site owner, appointed Henry a MicroWiki admin. After quickly pushing through two Charter amendments in the final two weeks of his term, Henry left his post as Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational in December after serving a full six-month term (the first Chairman under the 2016 Charter to serve a full-term).

The Quorum of the Grand Unified Micronational confirmed Henry as an Associate Justice on 17 January 2018, though he resigned shortly afterward when he abruptly announced his intention to dismantle the Essian Commonwealth and depart from the MicroWiki community by the end of March. The Essian Commonwealth was formally disestablished in 16 March 2018, and Henry had left the MicroWiki community entirely by May 2018.

2020 return & recent activities

COVID-19 era

Henry returned to the MicroWiki community in March 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon the March 2020 revival of Mercia, Henry stood as a candidate on the party-list of the National Liberal Party ahead of the April general election. The National Liberal Party garnered five seats - enough to constitute a parliamentary majority - and in its first session, the new Parliament House elected Henry as the new Mercian First Minister.

Henry became Lord of the Confederation of Esse in April 2020. The Confederation was founded with the intent to form a confederal union with the Palatinate of Uberquiesenberg, a longtime ally of the defunct Essian Commonwealth. Upon the creation of the Rema Treaty of Union, Henry became a diarch of the new Uber-Essian Union alongside Newton von Uberquie in June 2020.

On 30 May 2020, Henry once again became a member of the Reichsversammlung, this time representing the Kingdom of Tusmore. Serving only to fill a vacancy and a member of the Abeldane National Union, Henry served until the June federal election, when he declined to seek reelection. He proceeded to run a campaign to return to the Vorsitzendership in the July 2020 Abeldane executive election despite being ineligible for the office, seeking to gain publicity for a variety of reforms in the Empire; said platform included a fully-executive Vorsitzendership and increased centralization. This campaign came to a swift end with the Concordiagate controversy, when Henry relinquished his Abeldane citizenship once again.

In June 2020, Henry once again became an Associate Justice in the Grand Unified Micronational. He served until January 2021.

Henry was named the 19th most influential member of the MicroWiki community in the first edition of MicroWiki's 25 Most Influential.

At the end of 2020, Henry announced that he would be indefinitely instituting Patrick Renwick as Lord Regent of the Confederation of Esse. Having delegated his day-to-day powers to Renwick, Henry went on yet another indefinite hiatus beginning on 1 January 2021.

Regency

Since Patrick assumed the position of Lord Regent, Henry became increasingly elusive. In September 2022, Henry made his first decree in nearly two years when he ceded Reme and replaced it with the Territory of New Clemensland. Despite the decree, Patrick remained Lord Regent indefinitely.

In late November 2022, Henry announced a campaign for Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational. The campaign concluded the following month in a historically narrow defeat, with 100% turnout in the organization resulting in defeat by just a single vote for the Clémens campaign.

Political views

Micronationally, Henry Clémens has been known for his small executive administrations, known for dissolving "unneeded" ministries and departments; in particular, his dissolution of the SCRIL, and removal of the office of Speaker pro tempore as Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational serve as examples. This - in addition to his advocacy for stronger central governments and reduced constitutional powers of political subdivisions, particularly in Abelden - has led to him being described as a centralist, unionist (in Uber-Esse and Abelden), and reformist. In what has been coined "political minimalism," Henry has also been known to reject more complex political and judicial government structures. Henry has voiced his distaste for large, bureaucratic court systems. This rejection of complex political structures was particularly evident within Henry's own Essian Commonwealth, which operated under an absolutist government with powers delegated to a small legislative branch as deemed suitable by the monarch.

Henry has been known as one of the most staunch supporters of the Grand Unified Micronational since he became the organization's Vice Chair in 2017. In a 2020 editorial entitled "A comprehensive defense of the Grand Unified Micronational," Henry defended the organization from its critics while admitting that the organization had much work to do in order to "cash in on [its] potential." [2]

Aside from micronational politics, Clémens is a supporter of the U.S. Democratic Party and endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Discography

as Pinball

EPs

  • Flood (2017)
  • Quarantine Beats (2021)

Singles

  • "West Woodberry" / "Conquest" (2017)
  • "Indigo" (2022)
  • "Violet" (2022)

with Diarchy

Albums

EPs

  • Sojourn (2020)

Singles

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Main article: List of titles and offices of Henry Clémens

Titles and styles

Royal Styles of
Henry, Lord of the Essians
Reference style His Majesty
Spoken style Your Majesty
Alternative style Sir

Because of his activity throughout a wide variety of community micronations, Henry's title has frequently changed despite increasing stability in the latter period of his career. The most frequent changes in his adopted style came throughout the summer of 2016. After the reformation of the Essian Commonwealth, however, titles became more firmly established, with the final style being established through the 2018 Essian Constitution. Henry's style changed once again following the Rema Treaty of Union and the creation of the Uber-Essian diarchy.

  • 3 August 2014 – 1 June 2015: President Henry Twain
  • 1 June 2015 – 6 January 2016: Lord Protector Henry Twain
  • 6 January 2016 – 5 May 2016: President-Councillor Henry Twain
  • 5 May 2016 – 1 June 2016: First Secretary Gareth Henry Twain, Jr.
  • 1 June 2016 – 27 July 2016: Grand Duke Harry of Saint Clemens
  • 27 July 2016 – 27 January 2017: Prince Henry I, OSC, OSR, MOG, ORL
  • 27 January 2017 – 28 February 2017: HG Lord Henry
  • 28 February 2017 – 1 June 2020: HIllM Lord Henry
  • 1 June 2020 – present: The Diarch Henry, Lord of the Essians

Offices and honours

Present offices

Uber-Essian honours

Foreign titles

Foreign honours

Former titles

Former honours

References

  1. ↑ On indefinite leave since 1 January 2021; Powers relinquished to Lord-regent Patrick.
  2. ↑ https://essianmessenger.wordpress.com/2020/05/10/a-comprehensive-defense-of-the-grand-unified-micronational/

See also

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