Henry Clémens

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Henry Clémens
OBW et al.
Duke of Mercia-Lurk, Count of Siñbaša
Depiction of Clémens
(not actual image)
1st President of the State of Esse
Assumed office
22 September 2024
Vice PresidentDuval Clémens
3rd Prime Minister of the Technocratic Capital of Würdigeland
Assumed office
21 August 2024
MonarchNewton I
ChancellorJames Reginald Frisch
Preceded byOtávio Mangini
Lord of the Confederation of Esse
In office
30 April 2020 – 22 September 2024
DiarchsHimself
Newton
Lord-regentPatrick
Gonfaloniere
See list
Lord of the Essian Commonwealth
In office
5 June 2015 – 16 March 2018
HeaministerJames Reginald Frisch
Tarik Kârjasary
Heir apparentAndrew, Count of Wingsington
26th and 41st Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational
Assumed office
20 September 2024
Vice ChairNewton von Uberquie
Preceded byAnthony Barauskis (Acting)
In office
25 June 2017 – 25 December 2017
Acting: 28 March 2017 – 25 June 2017
Vice ChairNewton von Uberquie
Tarik Kârjasary
Preceded byAdam I of Überstadt
Succeeded byAdam I of Überstadt
1st President of the Federated States
In office
3 August 2014 – 5 May 2016
Vice PresidentBrandon Wu
John Churchill
Personal details
Born
United States

6 October
CitizenshipEssian, Würtige, Northudanktonian, American
Political partyPeople's Alliance
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Socialists of America
ResidencesNashuanne, Esse
OccupationPolitician, journalist

Henry Clémens OBW SEO OIS SAV MOG KOS (in Essian: Enzo Clémens; in Sabian: Henrí Krementas) is an Essian-Würtige micronationalist and journalist currently serving as the 1st President of the State of Esse and 3rd Prime Minister of the Technocratic Capital of Würdigeland. He is well-known as the founder of the Essian Commonwealth and the co-founder of the Uber-Essian Union, the latter a union between the Commonwealth's successor state and 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 two years later, Clémens became a Diarch of the Uber-Essian Union alongside Newton von Uberquie. Patrick I executed his duties as the Essian Lord Regent from January 2021 until September 2024, during which time Clémens indefinitely stepped aside from the day-to-day activities of the Union.

In recent times, Henry has become an elusive figure, rarely issuing public statements. Despite his evasiveness, Clémens served as Supreme Justice of the Grand Unified Micronational in the time since declaring regency, and following his return to Union affairs was elected to a second term as Chair in September 2024.

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 & Würtige politics

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 the historic city of Reme and replaced it with the present-day Essian territories. Despite the decree, Patrick remained Lord Regent indefinitely.

In November 2022, Henry announced a campaign for Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational, aiming to take office over five years after his previous term. His campaign focused on issues of safeguarding, activity, and strengthening the authority of the organization. After a historically close election, the campaign concluded in defeat by just a single vote for the Clémens campaign with record 100% voter turnout. Shortly after the election, Henry was appointed Supreme Justice of the Grand Unified Micronational, making him one of only eight people to have served as Chair, Vice Chair, and Supreme Justice. Henry later resigned from the role in April 2023 and departed the GUM entirely, citing safeguarding concerns including those central to his earlier campaign for the Chairmanship. He later returned in July 2024, immediately thereafter being appointed an Associate Justice for the third time.

During his absence from the Essian government, Henry played an instrumental role in the 2021 revival of the Würtige Empire. Amidst his regency, Henry became a resident of the Technocratic Capital of Würdigeland, serving as its representative to the Imperial Council of the Empire beginning on 7 June 2021. Three years later, Henry would be elected the 3rd Prime Minister of the Technocratic Capital of Würdigeland.

Political views

Henry politically identifies as a democratic socialist, and is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He is formerly a member of the College Democrats of America. He is an advocate of critical race theory, in particular the concept of intersectionality, and is a supporter of racial equity, LGBTQ rights, and decolonization.

Micronationally, Henry is the leader of the People's Alliance.

Grand Unified Micronational

Since his first appointment as a delegate to the Grand Unified Micronational in 2016, Clémens has steadily risen to be regarded as one of the contemporary era's most staunch defenders of the organization alongside Adam I of Adammia. Particularly during his first Chairmanship, Clémens became arguably among its most well-known advocates, while upon his return to the organization in 2020 he wrote an editorial entitled "A comprehensive defense of the Grand Unified Micronational" once again defending the GUM from its critics while admitting that the organization had much work to improve.[1]. He has also separated himself from so-called "YAMOs" such as the Micronational Treaty Organisation, though he did support the Essian Commonwealth joining the International Agricultural Development Pact.

During his time as Acting Chair and his subsequent first term as Chair of the GUM, Clémens aimed to combat community-wide inactivity with focused projects encouraging wide participation. Namely, Clémens organized the second 24 Hour Quorum, began Quarterly Statistical Reports, and created the position of Speaker pro tempore - the latter a response to concerns over failures from the administration of his predecessor Adam I of Überstadt to convene Quorum as scheduled. He also pushed for the dissolution of inactive offices and secretariats, most notably the Secretariat for Conflict Resolution and Intermicronational Law. He was also known to crack down on the GUM's attendance requirements more so than previous administrations, regularly expelling members on grounds of inactivity.

Würdigeland

Clémens is individually one of the core members of the Würtige Bloc of micronationalists, and was a critical piece in the 2020-21 reformation of the Würtige Empire under Kaiser Newton I. Shortly after the reformation, Clémens departed micronationalism indefinitely, returning quietly in June 2021 and being appointed as a Member of the Parliament of Würdigeland, three years later being elected 3rd Prime Minister of the Technocratic Capital of Würdigeland.

As Prime Minister, Clémens has overseen a return to prosperity for Würdigeland. He led the push to return Würdigeland to the Grand Unified Micronational for the first time in nearly ten years. Clémens has advocated for expanded diplomacy led by the Technocratic Capital, while also successfully lobbying for Würdigeland to receive a voting seat on the Imperial Council of the Empire. He proposed Würdigeland recognize the State of Palestine and fought on behalf of Würdigeland to administer the colonies of Ottoburg and New Lacedaemonia.

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 – 22 September 2024: The Diarch Henry, Lord of the Essians

Offices and honours

Present offices

Würtige titles

Würtige honours

Foreign titles

Foreign honours

Former titles

  • Mercia: Baron, replaced with Patrician-Viceroy
  • Mercia: Patrician-Viceroy, replaced with Duke
  • Abelden: Earl of New Keutschen, replaced with Marquis
  • Abelden: Marquis of New Keutschen, relinquished in 2020

Former honours

Ribbon bars

References

  1. ↑ https://essianmessenger.wordpress.com/2020/05/10/a-comprehensive-defense-of-the-grand-unified-micronational/

See also

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