People's Republic of Edristan
People's Republic of Edristan Volksrepublik Edristan | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
| Motto: "Res publica in valle" "The Republic of the valley" | |
| Anthem: "Anthem of the People" | |
| Capital and largest city | Araka |
| Official languages | English, German |
| Religion | None |
| Demonym(s) | Edristani, Edristanian |
| Government | Republic |
• President | Nils Benedict Seuthe |
• Minister of defense | Felix Engelbert |
• Minister of intergalactic foreign affairs | Kai S. |
• Minister of environment and finances | Alex N. |
• Minister of gross mischief | Anja S. |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Establishment | 22 January 2021 |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.062 km2 (0.024 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2023 census | 59 |
| Currency | Edristanian ruble (E₽) |
| Time zone | GMT+1 |
The People's Republic of Edristan is a self declared sovereign nation, more commonly known as Edristan, is a micronation in South Western Germany. It was founded on 22 January 2021 by current president Nils Benedict Seuthe and multiple students of the nearby area for both satire reasons, but, according to the Edristani government also to make a positive impact on the nearby area by remembering local history and contributing to charity and local projects. Since the implementation of the provisional constitution, the nation is a socialist democracy.
As a nation founded by and mostly comprised of young people, with the average citizen being 22 years old, it aims to be a type of alternative state for young people, who often, even on a local scale, are ignored politically.
Politics
The People's Republic of Edristan is a socialist democracy. Certain groups or parties however, can not attend the elections, mainly fascism, or Nationalism focused parties. Whether or not a party is allowed to participate in the elections is determined by an independent court in case it is necessary. Elections are held every 6 Months, the next scheduled elections will be held in mid-october of 2023.
Political Parties within Edristan
As a parliamentary Republic, Edristan holds elections every six months. Listed below are the political parties currently or formerly participating in Elections.
| Name of Party | Active? | Representative | Ideology | Percentage of Votes in last election participated in | Best Election Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Socialist Party of Edristan | Yes | Nils Seuthe | Socialism, Luxemburgism | 35% | 87,5% (Sep. 2021) |
| Independent Left Party of Edristan | Yes | Markus R. | Democratic Socialism | 0% | 14,3% (Dec. 2021) |
| National Ramen Party | Yes | Simon S. | Satire, Equality, Economical Leftism | 15% | 20,0% (Oct/Nov 2022) |
| Edristani-Westvarian Party | Yes | Hudson Jacobs | Westvarian Socialism, Annexation | 0% | 6,7% (Oct/Nov 2022) |
| Edristani Liver Pirates | Yes | Leon "Stinkstiefel" | Satire, Alcoholism | 15% | 15% (Oct 2023) |
| Edristani Communist Workers Party (EKAP) | Yes | Abel K. | Socialism, Antifascism, Micronational Cooperation | 20% | 20% (Oct 2023) |
| Psychoactive Edristani Party (PEP) | Yes | Eisbär | Satire | 10% | 10% (Oct 2023) |
| Edristani Mandala Party (EMP) | Yes | Alex N. | Culturalism, History Remebrance, Art, Centrism | 5% | 5% (Oct 2023) |
| Serbian Royalist Party | No (Banned) | Kuzmanovic U. | Nationalism, Monarchism, Naziism | Banned from participating | - |
| United Purple Party | No (Dissolved) | - | Capitalism, Free Market Liberalism | 16,6% (2021) | 16,6% (Mar. 2021) |
With any Citizen being allowed to found their own party, and being allowed to manage said party in any way they please, Edristan has gained a quite colorful political landscape over time. As of September 2023, 7 political parties are active and up for election in the Republic.
Political History of Edristan (Foundation - Today)
The Very Beginning
In the Elections of March 2021, the Marxist Party of Edristan (Now: Democratic Socialist Party of Edristan) was opposed by the UPP (United Purple Party), however the UPP only 16,6 percent of the votes, with the MPE receiving 83,4 percent. The Elections of July were stopped by the central Government due to massive espionage and voters fraud caused by the Luzian Government. The Elections of September 2021 lead to a coalition government of the MPE/DSPE (87,5% of all Votes) and the Independent Left Party (12,5% of all Votes). From December 2021 to May 2022, the DSPE lead Edristan alone after gaining 87,5% of all votes. The Government of Edristan from May 2022 to late October 2022 consisted of a voluntary coalition between the DSPE and the NRPE, which together received 92,3% (76,9% DSPE, 15,4% NRPE) of all votes, with the IL receiving 7,7% of all votes. De facto however, the DSPE remained in charge of the country, the NRPE only had a minor influence on political decisions in this coalition. As of November 2022, the Government consists of the DSPE (66,7%) and the NRPE (20%), with the EWP and the IL being part of the opposition in parliament.
Troughout the first couple of elections, the MPE/DSPE has consistently been the strongest party in parliament, however, it started gradually losing votes ever since December 2021, going from 87,5% of all votes down to 66,7% by October 2022, a loss of 20,8%. However, with the rapid growth of citizenship, the actual number of voters likely remained the same over that time span. The elections of April 2023 went much more well for the DSPE however, with the DSPE gaining 13,3% more votes (80%). NRPE and IL gained 12% and 8% respectively.
Diversification of the DSPE
In autumn of 2023, Ministers Alex N, Eisbär and Sir Leon von Stinkstiefel have all started their own respective political parties, partly to distance themselves from the DSPE, partly to create a more broad political landscape. In the elections following shortly after, namely on October 9th, the DSPE lost the majority of votes for the first time in Edristani history, and therefore had to rely on a coalition with other parties. The DSPE, EKAP, PEP and ELP formed a coalition shortly after, which was swiftly dissolved and reformed in November due to personal differences between party leaders, causing the PEP to leave and the EMP to enter government.
Opposition within the Government Parties themselves
Even within the parties of the government, there are opposing groups. Rivalry within the DSPE lead to the Vice President of that time, Clover, being ousted in favor of Simon S, who later went on to found the NRPE. Simon S himself was later removed from all government offices in early February 2023 trough the dissolution of the NRPE-DSPE coalition by the DSPE. The position of the Vice President and of the Governor of East Edristan remains vacant and is to be determined trough an election within the DSPE. Sir Leon von Stinkstiefel is the minister of LGBTQ+ affairs and the Minister of Alcohol consumption.
Relations with other micronations
The People's Republic of Edristan has signed Contracts of Bilateral Recognition with more than ten Other Micronations. Many of those treaties had to be revoked or deemed invalid due to controversy in or about the other nation, such as the Islamisia Case or the Controversy with the Redshanks Republic. It was also formerly allied with the Micronation of Bedland and the Social Republic of San't Aldo, though these nations do not exist anymore.
Nations Edristan holds diplomatic ties with include, but aren't limited to the following:
- Republic of West Who
- Republic of Slowjamastan
- United Republic of Obscurium
- Parliamentary Monarchy of Duckionary
- United States of Kerban
- Pangerian Democratic Socialist Republic
- Republic of Hyeck
- Principality of Sancratosia
Edristan is also is a member of the United Micronations Elite Council.
Involvement in Micronational War
The People's Republic of Edristan considers itself a pacifist nation, never having been involved in any micronational wars directly. However, the P.R.O.E has been involved in micronational conflict indirectly, e.g. by supporting a micronation or organization at conflict with another financially or with goods. The most well known examples of that are the backing of a seperatist movement in the Redshanks Communist Union, and the war in North Einikhflegh (North Einikhfleghian Civil War) which resulted in the partition of the country. Though Edristan was offered a part of the former territory, State officials declined the offer, as any territory that far away from Edristanian mainland and sphere of influence was considered "Impossible to establish any form of control over" and "Not of any benefit to the nation".
The East-Arakan Incident
On the 21st of August 2021, at around 6:45PM MEST, a part of the Edristanian Territory of Araka declared itself independent, resulting in a shootout carried out with toy guns. The Republic of Nemoland, as the seperatists called themselves, were recognized by the Edristanian Government by the next day, a decision which was revoked later on due to the self declared region being inactive and benefiting off of being part of Edristan. By late November all parts of "Nemoland" were reincorporated into Edristan peacefully. Being aware of ownership over Nemoland being disputed however, the People's Republic of Edristan has assured the 2 inhabitants of the region a right to gain autonomy as a Territory within the Republic or even full autonomy, if the citizens of the country vote in favor in a nationwide referendum. The People of East Araka however have refrained from doing so up until today.
The Incidents in North Araka are neither recognized as a war or civil war of any kind by the Government of the P.R.O.E, nor by the 2 inhabitants of the Eastern part of Araka, due to there never being a formal declaration of war from any side of the conflict, and the conflict being resolved more or less peacefully, not to mention a lack of causalties.
To resolve this Issue, Edristan and Nemoland signed a treaty of biliteral recognition early into 2023.
Relations with macronations
The People's Republic of Edristan is not currently recognized by any UN recognized states. It does however uniliterally recognize the following nations and/or seperatist movements:
- All UN States and observer states (Exception: The Vatican State)
- The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (commonly referred to as "Transnistria")
-Abkhazia
-South Ossetia
-Tibet
Local influence and relevance of Edristan
The People's Republic of Edristan considers itself non-profit. As the Republic of course still sells souvenirs, as well as charges fees for the issuance of a physical passport (40 Rubles), all income exceeding the production cost of sold products is either reinvested into the state (e.g. investment in border signs, flags, consumables directly associated with the state, etc.) or donated. From these profits, Edristan regularly donates pet food to a local animal shelter, as well as occasionally donating to political parties and organizations. This project was started on January 10, 2023, to avoid state officials financially benefiting from working for Edristan, as well as to adhere to socialist ideas in the best way possible for micronations by showing solidarity. While there are plans at building a small scale local socialist economy, for financial reasons, the realization of these plans is not realistic yet.
Territory
The Territory of The People's Republic of Edristan consists of the Founders House, a small garden area nearby, as well as the properties of 2 local Edristanians he is also currently claiming. An Antarctic claim has also been made, but been deemed "Invalid by UN rules" due to the Nation claiming it after declaring independence. The opposite has to be the case for it to be an official land claim. In July 2023, a 4th official state was incorporated into Edristan, Kiffistan, with Eisbär being appointed governor until the next nationwide elections.
The People's Republic of Edristan consists of 4 States and 1 disputed area:
- Araka (The Capital)
- Dietzgen Territory
- East Edristan
- Kiffistan
- Anarchistic Revolutionary Front (Disputed)
Araka
Araka is the capital city and main province and is the only state of Edristan that has been a part of the Nation since the foundation of the Republic. Most of the Inhabitants of Edristan live in this part of the country. Since April 2023, this province is home to one of the largest gardens or Edristan, used for farming vegetables of all kind. It is also the place of the nations foundation, and displays the most signs of autonomy, with several flags and border signs visible all around Araka.
Dietzgen Territory
Dietzgen Territory is a small garden area located approximately 5 Kilometers from the main territory of Edristan, Araka. The Territory was incorporated into Edristan in mid April 2022. Dietzgen Territory is not inhabited by humans, and is mostly used for hosting guests and outdoor activities.
East Edristan
East Edristan is a territory of Edristan located approximately 15 Kilometers East of Araka. 2 Inhabitants of Edristan live here.
Kiffistan
Kiffistan is the most recently acquired territory of Edristan. With a population of 4, it simultaneously is the smallest inhabited state of Edristan. It is also host to the first foreign embassy of Edristan, having an embassy for the Federal Republic of Germany in its territory. It is currently governed by Eisbär, the founder of the territory.
Anarchistic Revolutionary Front
The Anarchistic Revolutionary Front is a disputed territory incorporated into Edristan in late March 2022. It is a semi-autonomous region within the Republic, that is organized as an Anarchistic Commune. The Commune is currently represented by former Vice President Clover aka "The Ferret Fun Fact Master" in the national assembly. The A.R.F has a special status within Edristan, given that it is the only non-socialist and somewhat autonomous region within Edristan. It is therefore, in addition to its small size, often not included as a territory.
Organizational forms and Issues
Being very loosely organized overall, there are occasional problems regarding the administration of parts of Edristan. With many citizens often autonomously declaring pieces of land or personal property parts of Edristan, keeping track of all provinces and small areas may be hard and inaccurate. Despite this, it seems to be the general consensus that this is too funny to simply stop doing it. As part of the anti-national aspect of Edristan, this is also a critique on the legitimacy of macronational land claims and disputes, following the logic of "This is ours now - What are you going to do about it?"
Economy
Imports and Dependency
Being enclaved within the Federal Republic of Germany, Edristan is heavily dependent on german imports of food, energy and products of everyday life. Despite plans to become less dependent on said imports, no significant accomplishments have been made since the foundation of the state. With the upcoming introduction of the Edristaner Büchsenbrecher, the national beer, part of that dependency, namely the dependency on the supply of alcohol, may cease to exist.
Exports and state income
The People's Republic of Edristan mostly finances itself from donations and the sale of collectors items. The sale of banknotes and stamps makes up the biggest part of the national income, with tourism generating only approximately a tenth of all income. In recent times, Edristan has also picked up the productions of other local products like patches and Edristans own Beer, the "Edristaner Büchsenbecher". However, most income comes from donations to the state
Role of Charity in the Economy of Edristan
Edristan is a self claimed non-profit nation. All profit made trough the sale of souvenirs or local produce by Edristani law either has to be reinvested into the state, or has to be donated. The People's Republic of Edristan donates pet food to nearby animal shelters on a regular basis, as well as donating to the Tafel [2], a german organization which hands out food to the needy. It is not possible for members of parliament to acquire state finances privately. Edristan does not currently pay and wages or pensions to state workers.
Trade with other Micronations
The main export to other micronations is security technology for banknote and stamp printing, as Edristan has high standards for the production of both of these things. In return for foreign micronational currencies, the P.R.O.E has produced banknotes or banknote designs for various countries, among them the currency of the Democratic Pangerian Socialist Republic (with the exception of the 1/2 and 25 Gulden bill), and the 1000$-Dollar-bill of the United States of Kerban. The Government of the P.R.O.E has also announced the will to start issuing metal coins for other micronations, as Edristan is planning to buy the necessary equipment by the end of 2023. As of lately, Edristan has also traded Silver with other nations, including Bran-Howl.
Currency
The current currency of Edristan is the Edristanian Ruble, which is tied to the Euro at a rate of 1 Euro to 10 Rubles. It was introduced on the 2nd of May 2022, and replaced the Edristanian Marks which had been the national currency for more than a year by then. The denominations of the Ruble Banknotes are 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Rubles, with a 50 kopeck steel coin being in circulation, but being rarely used due to its low value of around €0,04. The 50 kopeck coin however is an important collectors piece, as the Central Bank issues the coins to commemorate various occasions, like the 2023 Independence day. The Central Bank announced plans to introduce alumium coins in the summer of 2023, which however failed ultimately.
In early May 2022, the Government has announced the rapid introduction of a new currency, the Edristanian Ruble, while devalueing the Mark almost completely. The exchange rate between the Mark and the Ruble was set to 3,33 Rubles per Mark, setting the rate of the Ruble to 10 Rubles per Euro. The Edristanian Government was hoping to be able to pull money not backed by hard currency out of circulation that way, as huge amounts of Edristanian Marks were, and still are, in the state treasuries of nations allied to Edristan. State officials considered this too much of a risk not to devalue the Mark.
To minimize the effects of the high inflation rate in Germany, the Central Bank of Edristan made the decision to tie the ruble to the value of silver in August 2023. This caused a somewhat drastic devaluation, with the ruble being tied to silver at the price of 10 rubles per gram of silver. During this reform, the ruble lost roughly 25-30% of its purchasing power. It is however argued that the good performance of silver on global markets will make the currency rise in value over time again.
| Denomination | Size | Motive (Front) | Motive (Back) | Value in USD | Issued Number (First Issue (Security Paper) ) | Issued Number (Second Issue (Double Sided) ) | Image (Front) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Ruble | 13,6 cm x 6,1 cm | Fifi Kreutzer & Franz M. Jansen, Paintings | "Burgruine Herrenbröl", a local castle ruin | $0,08 | - | ≈ 2500 | .jpg) |
| 5 Rubles | 13,6 cm x 6,1 cm | Klara Zetkin, Castle | "Drachenfels", a local mountain | $0,39 | ≈ 6 | 352 | .jpg) |
| 10 Rubles | 13,6 cm x 6,1 cm | Karl Liebknecht, Wilhelm Liebknecht, Ferdinand Lasalle | The nearby "Panabora" park, the "Hitlermauer" | $0,77 | ≈ 8 | ≈ 450 | .jpg) |
| 20 Rubles | 13,6 cm x 6,1 cm | Rosa Luxemburg, local pub | Collage of local imagery, Local Church | $1,55 | ≈ 15 | ≈ 250 | .jpg) |
| 50 Rubles | 13,6 cm x 6,1 cm | Josef Dietzgen, local church | The Hennef Townhall, Activists, Flowers | $3,86 | ≈ 10 | 65 | .jpg) |
| 100 Rubles | 13,6 cm x 6,1 cm | Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels | Bonn University, Instruments | $7,73 | ≈ 20 | 100 | .jpg) |
The Government of the People's Republic of Edristan has implemented an exchange limit, causing any private individuals to not be able to exchange more than 49,95 Marks (150 Rubles) into the new currency. The new currency is however available for purchase at the exchange rate on various Government Social Media Accounts and via E-Mail.
Historical Currency
The first currency Edristan had was the Edristanian Mats, altough it was rarely used and and barely circulated at all.
Only 6 Mats are believed to have been in circulation before the currency was scrapped in favor of the Edristanian Shilling.
Changes and Variations in the Ruble
While the first notes of the Edristani ruble were printed on security paper made from cotton and linen and had embedded security threads made from thin strips of polymer or metal, the Central Bank of Edristan with the first issue of the 1-Ruble-Note decided to switch the material of the bills to a coated paper composite. This allowed the CBE to print double sided Banknotes properly for the first time, and to mass produce ruble notes. This also led to the new 1-, 5- and 10-ruble-notes being issued in way higher amounts. As of December 2022, over 1500 1-Ruble-Notes, 250 5-Ruble-Notes and 300 10-Ruble-Notes have been issued, in comparison to earlier Edristani currency issues which rarely exceeded a couple dozen notes. As of October 2022, the Central Bank is also planning on replacing all banknotes of the current series with banknotes made from the new material, with different numbering and double sided printing.
The Central Bank of Edristan has also made Design Revisions for the 20- and 50-ruble-notes. The newer variants of the notes now feature buildings and flowers in the background rather than just the coat of arms.
The Central Bank further announced the issue of aluminium or brass 50-kopeck coins for 2023, a project which ultimately failed for cost reasons.
After the decision was made in September to re-issue 100 ruble banknotes due to the decrease in purchasing power after the silver reform, new 100 ruble notes were issued in October featuring a slightly different color scheme.
Edristani Postal Service
The EPS and Postal Services
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The People's Republic of Edristan has a relatively active Postal Service. It regularly issues postage stamps, and Edristanian Stamps can actually be used to ship letters and parcels within Edristan, but also internationally. For the latter option however, the EPS adds german postage stamps to the letters, as Edristan is not a member of the Universal Postal Union
The Edristanian Postal Service offers all kinds of postage stamps, commemorating different occasions or simply depicting landmarks and animals.
Early Stamp Issues
Early stamp issues of the P.R.O.E were simply printed on paper and perforated to later be glued onto letters. They were only used as a substitute for proper stamps which were to be issued later. These stamps never gained much popularity and were not used much due to their poor quality of design and material. The last of these stamps were issued in October 2021.
Modern Stamp Issues
Due to the early paper stamps being quite unpopular, and the EPS getting in touch with YourStamps.com, a Musanian stamp printing company, it was able to issue higher quality stamps. The motives of these stamps include fisthe nation and the surrounh, and later on local art and famous figures of ding area. As a part of the stamp series featuring important national figures, for the first time ever, a stamp featuring an acting or former leader of Edristan was issued. This at the time was somewhat controversial, as the person depicted on the stamp, namely Nils Benedict, was still in office. Critics interpreted this an a totalitarian move, and accused the President of establishing a personality cult and influencing or flawing the nations democracy. In 2023, Edristan issued a series of 3 stamps featuring the art of Stefan Merkt, a Berlin based artist who creates art from postage stamps. For February–March 2023, the EPS has announced a new series of postage stamps featuring local animals, namely foxes, owls, ferrets and squirrels.
Role of the EPS in the Edristani economy
The EPS plays a quite small role in the Edristani economy. Being mostly used for shipping outside of Edristan, the sale of stamps makes up only a very small portion of the national income
Anthem & Flag
Anthem
The Anthem of the People's Republic of Edristan is a Version of the soviet Song "Red Army is the strongest" or "White Army, Black Baron" with an additional text, no sung version of this song currently exists. The Republic of Edristan has published a video of the Anthem and the text together.
Flag
The Flag of the People's Republic of Edristan has gone trough various small changes since the foundation of the Republic. The Colors of the flag however have not changed. Blue stands for both Determination and Liberation, as well as for the country being landlocked. White stands for Peace and Pacifism. The Red Star in the Middle represents the revolution.
In early 2022, there have been plans at replacing the star in the middle of it with the coat of arms, which also features a star, to avoid confusion with the flag of former Yugoslavia. The plans were executed by late January, and Edristan immediately replaced the former flag with the slightly different looking, new flag. Despite the governments knowledge of the use of 2 types of inofficial flags, there are no plans to change the flag, though the simplified version of the flag is even being used by the Edristani government.
Inofficial flags and symbols
Despite the replacement of the Edristani flag with just a red star with the newer version, the flag is still often depicted just this way in drawings and more. A simple blue-white-blue flag lacking any kind of socialist symbols is also used inofficially locally.
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