Sovereign State of Versmark

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Sovereign State of Versmark
Versmark Coat of Arms
Coat of arms
Versmark Seal
StatusActive
CapitalFederheim
Official languagesEnglish
Recognised national languagesGerman, Latin, Dutch
Demonym(s)Versmarkians
GovernmentElective Constitutional monarchy
• Sovereign
Wald I
• Premier
Vacant
A. Crowhurst
• Speaker of the House of Lords
M. Seifert
• Speaker of the House of Representatives
Q. Wingfield
• High Magistrate
M. Seifert
• 1st Magistrate
Vacant
LegislatureParliament
House of Lords
House of Representatives
Establishment
• Dissolution of Lehmark
20 April 2023
• Establishment
21 April 2023
• Independence Declared
1 May 2023
Population
• Estimate
25
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy

Versmark, officially the Sovereign State of Versmark, is a micronation and the spiritual successor state to the Empire of Lehmark, having been founded on 21 April 2023, following Lehmark's dissolution the day before.[1] The country is built upon the core principles of Newness and Progression, Fairness, Strength, Self determination and Royalty. Wald I was elected as the ruler of the new state after he was identified as the most "legitimate" claimant to the title.

History

Founding

Versmark was established on 21 April 2023, following the 20 April 2023 dissolution of the Empire of Lehmark, by former government officials and prominent citizens of Lehmark. William Lehman, the founder, Emperor, and Autocrat of the Empire of Lehmark has stated in a MicroWiki edit that he will not recognize Versmark as a legal successor state of Lehmark.[2]

However, when it was made clear to William that Versmark was not an attempt to be a “new Lehmark”, he became somewhat supportive of the project and asked President Josh Ford of the Penn Federal Republic to correct an article which falsely stated that Versmark was claiming to be the legal successor to Lehmark.

On the day of its founding, the former Lehmarkians decided to offer the title of Monarch to Lehmark's former Imperial Chancellor. However after refusing the position, Wald I was named Monarch, taking the title of Sovereign. For the next several days, the Council for National Planning and Implementation (CNPI) would work on developing a Constitution, System of Government and National Icons.

The CNPI decided that the country would properly declare independence and ratify its constitution on the 1 May 2023. The day would be named "Independence Day" and would serve as the first election of the House of Representatives.

The next day, the House of Representatives completed its first session and passed 5 proposals unanimously. Every proposal that went through the house of lords, and the supreme court was unanimously passed too.

Government

Versmark is a constitutional monarchy, with a Sovereign as the Head of State, the House of Lords and the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court and the Court of the First Instance.

Premier and Chief Minister

The Premier and the Chief Minister are two important figures in the governance of Versmark. While their roles may seem similar, they have distinct responsibilities and play unique roles in the functioning of the government.

Name Party Position
Vacant Vacant Premier
A. Crowhurst Independent Chief Minister
Premier

The Premier is a key figure in the governance of Versmark, serving as the moderator of all Parliament sessions. The Premier has the power to approve or veto any bill that has been approved by both the House of Lords and the House of Representatives. This gives the Premier significant influence over the legislative process and the ability to shape the laws of the country.

The Premier is appointed by the Monarch at the Monarch's pleasure, meaning they serve at the discretion of the Monarch. Additionally, the Premier has the authority to call an emergency session at any time. However, the Premier is not authorized to end a session early or delay it in any way. As a result, the Premier's role is critical in ensuring the smooth functioning of the parliamentary process in Versmark.

Chief Minister

The Chief Minister of Versmark is responsible for managing all the various Ministries of the country. Their primary duty is to manage and assign tasks, manage and assign projects, assist Ministers, and consult the Sovereign. The Chief Minister is also able to receive and give advice to and from the Sovereign, and the Sovereign can ask the Chief Minister to assign specific tasks or projects.

Like all other Ministers, the Chief Minister is appointed by Parliament, however the Sovereign can send a nomination as he wishes. Ministers must pass both chambers of Parliament and then pass a Veto stage by the Premier. As the head of the government, the Chief Minister plays a critical role in shaping the policies and direction of the country.

Legislation

Legislation in Versmark is controlled by Parliament, which is made up of the House of Representatives and the House of Lords. Laws passed by the House of Representatives must then be passed in the House of Lords, before finally reaching the Sovereign's desk and a Judicial review.

Logo Name Party Leader Position Ideologies House of Representatives House of Lords Members
Monarchist Council Party MoC-P Q. Wingfield Left-wing to centre-left Monarchism, Progressivism, Anti-Reactionaryism
2 / 5
1 / 3
4
None Independent None None Self-defined Self-defined
3 / 5
2 / 3
5~

House of Lords

The House of Lords is part of the parliamentary system of Versmark and consists of all landed nobility and peers of the country. The main task of the House of Lords is to vote on bills passed by the House of Representatives. If the House of Lords approves a bill, the Prime Minister may either approve or veto the bill. Constitutional amendments must be approved by a two-thirds majority.

Unlike the House of Representatives, the House of Lords does not have the right to propose its own bills, laws or acts, except for Honors. The House of Lords shall have a Speaker, appointed by the Sovereign, who will moderate all sessions.

Name Members Party Position Photo
M. Seifert Monarchist Council Party Speaker
C. Nowell independent Member
N. Teck Sen independent Member
John Bauer independent Reserved Seat
A. Crowhurst independent Reserved Seat
Q. Wingfield Monarchist Council Party Reserved Seat

House of Representatives

The House of Representatives in Versmark is composed of five members who are elected by the citizens of the country. Each representative serves a term of six months. If a representative holds a title that qualifies them as a member of the House of Lords, they will only serve in the House of Representatives, and their seat in the House of Lords will remain empty until the end of their term.

Representatives are selected from any province, with all provinces voting collectively. The House of Representatives has the power to propose any bill they choose, and a vote will be held after a necessary amount of time has passed. After a bill is passed, it will be moved on to the House of Lords for further consideration. Constitutional amendments must be approved by a two-thirds majority.

The House of Representatives shall elect a Speaker within four days of the new term. The Speaker will be chosen from among the serving Representatives and will moderate all sessions of the House of Representatives.

Name Members Party Position Photo
Q. Wingfield Monarchist Council Party Speaker
J. Bauer Independent Member
Josh Ford Independent Member
A. Crowhurst Independent Member
J. Cook Monarchist Council Party Member

Courts

In the legal system of Versmark, Magistrates are responsible for overseeing trials and court cases. The Magistrates are appointed by the High Magistrate and are responsible for maintaining law and order in the country.

There are two levels of courts in Versmark. The first is the Court of First Instance, where all cases begin. If the plaintiff disagrees with the judgment ruled by the Magistrate, the case may be raised to the Supreme Court. The High Magistrate is responsible for overseeing the Supreme Court, reviewing laws for their legality, and managing lower courts.

The Magistrates are responsible for administering justice and ensuring that trials are conducted fairly and impartially. They have the power to issue warrants, make arrests, and conduct investigations. In addition, they are responsible for interpreting and enforcing the law.

Court Name
Supreme Court M. Seifert

Culture

Versmarkian culture takes heavy inspiration from the culture of Lehmark, most parts of Lehmarkian culture went over to Versmark with the diaspora. Versmark's Minister for Culture and the Arts, Q. Wingfield, was the Minister for Culture in Lehmark at the time of the dissolution.

The Spring serves as an important part of Versmark culture. Versmark was founded in the spring time and it represents rebirth.

National Icons

The Coat of Arms of Versmark is made up of 2 main colors, purple and white. Purple represents the Monarchy and Nobility. White represents rebirth, a theme in the founding of Versmark.

The flower of Versmark represents the spring, which is considered to be important to Versmarkian culture.

Citations

  1. Haines, M. (2023, April 20). Updated – Empire of Lehmark dissolves day after independence celebrations. https://pennfr.org/2023/04/20/empire-of-lehmark-dissolves-day-after-independence-celebrations/
  2. Lehman, W. (2023, April 25). Empire of Lehmark. https://micronations.wiki/index.php?title=Empire_of_Lehmark&oldid=1500839