Union of Piedmont
 | This Disclaimer: The Union of Piedmont is a model government / simulated micronation. All claims to territory, or the people within said territory, are a fiction. The events described on this page are accurate, but greatly exaggerated in the service of creating a good story. Many people involved with the Union are real, though this page may not truthfully describe their actions; others are fictional characters, inserted for dramatic effect, or even just to fill out a role that no real person was available for. See: Simulationism and Interactive geofiction contains information pertaining to a simulationist micronation, micronationalist or other element of micronational society or culture. |
The Union of Piedmont | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Great Seal
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| Motto: "Nemo Servus Viri" (Latin) "No Man a Slave" | |
| Anthem: "Solidarity Forever" | |
 | |
| Capital | New Albertville (Primary) New Regent City (Secondary) |
| Largest city | New Greensboro |
| Official language and national language | None Official |
| Demonym(s) | Piedmonti |
| Government | Federal Constitutional Semi-Direct Democratic Republic |
• Consul | Kira Sol |
• General Secretary | Madeline Leung |
• Presidium of the Senate | Malcolm McClaine |
• Delegatus Primus | Layelle Omar |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
| Gained Independence | |
• Proclamation of Ascension | 9 October 2017 |
• Second Constitution ratified | 13 August 2019 |
| Area | |
• Total | 13.12 km2 (5.07 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Estimate | 11,874 |
| Currency | Piedmonti Farina United States Dollar |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC -5/-4 |
| Date format | mm/dd/yyyy |
The Union of Piedmont (also known as 'The Union') is a micronation located east of the Appalachian Mountains, north of the Catawba River, in the Fort Mill and Charlotte area. The nation is located entirely within a humid sub-tropical environment, enjoying a 4-season climate with summers averaging 90 °F, and winters averaging 50 °F. The Union is a federal republic with aspects of direct democracy, comprised of 14 provinces - which are further divided into self-governing townships. The Union Government presides over the provinces and townships as the central governing body and consists of 4 branches: the legislative, executive, judicial, and popular. Piedmonti culture emphasizes individual rights and communal cooperation, with extensive anti-discrimination protections and a mixed-market economy that had been trending towards popular ownership of businesses and resources.
The Union of Piedmont was founded on 9 October 2017 by 3 colonies of Mount Henadas when they issued the 'Proclamation of Ascension' and formed their own government. The Union's first Consul, Presley Bartlett, was the former Lord-Governor of Mount Henadas, and led the years long colonization effort of the east. After several failed colonies, the Henatan Council began to abandon the region, this on top of administrative neglect pushed colonial officials into governing themselves, eventually leading to a peaceful independence. Since Ascension, the Union has gradually expanded, through largely diplomatic means; and undergone several political reforms, today settling on a revised version of their 2nd constitution.
Etymology
The Union of Piedmont was named for the geographic region of North America from which it's comprised- the Piedmont, which stretched from northern Alabama to New Jersey. Piedmont in North America was named after the region of Piedmont (modern-day north-western Italy) in western Europe, a land of rolling small hills at the base of the Alps, hence the name Pied (foot) mont (hills).
History
The Kingdom of Japoninca
On October 4, 2005, a man named Austin Ford was declared the first King of AP City, a small hamlet atop Farmcrest Hill. King Austin's first order as monarch was to found the Kingdom of Japoninca, modifying his new title to the King of Japoninca, and formalizing the kingdom's borders on a paper map. His new realm would stretch from Blankmanship River in the north, to the Palletian Forests in the south. King Austin is remembered for his sponsorship of many of AP City's earliest and most famous constructions, all of which were built by the Japonincan Carpenters Guild - led by Austin's closest political ally Howard Surface. Surface was the original surveyor and founder of AP City in 1997, and controlled not only his Carpenters Guild, but the AP City Militia (later the Japonincan Royal Legion) as well. Due to his role as the Kingdoms main power broker, and his unwavering political support, King Austin would appoint Surface to the office of Prime Minister in 2008 and tasked him with most operational duties of the state.
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On May 17, 2010, King Austin chose to abdicate the throne, and bestowed the crown to Prime Minister Surface. Though he accepted the position, Surface refused to be addressed as king, preferring to keep his previous title of Prime Minister. Surface would also immediately create a Parliament and delegate most legal powers of the monarch to them, holding Japoninca's first election only 10 days after his "coronation." Despite this democratization of Japonincan politics, Surface was still officially the King, and institution of the Monarchy was still very much alive. When once asked by a member of Parliament if the monarchy had been abolished, Surface famously responded: "Don't worry about who the King is, your ass is mine either way."
In June 2011, Japoninca was invaded from the north by Fair Oaks, a rising power on the northeast bank of the Blankmanship River. The invaders were rapidly repelled by the Royal Legion, but hostilities would continue throughout the rest of that summer. This conflict would be known as the First Fair Oaks Border War and would see several small skirmishes fought on both sides of the river. The conflict was eventually resolved by the Tradilion Verbal Ceasefire which reverted the borders to their original positions, though Surface would refuse to withdrawal from the occupied Mallum territory north of the river - leading to continued tensions. As a result of the Border War, Surface oversaw the construction of the now iconic Treeton Post and Fort Pallet to strengthen the Kingdom's defenses in the face of a future conflict with the Oakens.
The Harris-York Commonwealth
About 5 miles south of Japoninca were the warring communities of Harris and Yorktowne. The early history of these communities is mysterious at best, but what is known is that in 2011, the two groups began peace talks, wanting to bring about an end to hostilities. Pivotal to this effort was the L Family. The Ls were (and still are) one of the most influential and powerful clans in the region. It was the L's immense sway that was vital in the Harris / Yorktowne Peace Agreement, as the family convinced the two communities to unite under their banner. Peace and unity were a long process, but by May 2012 an agreement was signed, and the Harris-York Commonwealth was founded. The Commonwealth elected KL to serve as Archon of Yorktowne, and her father TL as Archon of Harris. The two Archons would administer their respective communities, while they reported to a unified Commonwealth Council. After unification, a small conflict began with the neighboring community of Myers. Though the fighting was short and little more than a few skirmishes, it had a profound impact on the Commonwealth. The settlement of the conflict turned Myers into an ally, who had been promised they'd benefit from any future Harris-York expansion in the area. And expansion was the goal of the Ls, as they sought to match their familial influence with a powerful state that could enforce it. Expeditions were launched against Dye City, Creekside, even Forest Ridge, all with limited Success.
Henatan Colonial Period
During an era of great crisis in the Imperial Republic of Mount Henadas, their Lord-Governor Presley Bartlett (then Preston Lyerly) would retire and move to the kingdom founded by her older brother. But when she came to Japoninca in May 2012, she found a nation on the edge of political implosion. In the time since the end of the First Fair Oaks Border war, Surface's administration had grown primarily focused on defense and war preparation, leaving all other governance to the Parliament. However, the Parliament had become corrupted by the powerful and wealthy guilds of AP City, many of whom had been granted royal monopolies by Surface. This corruption brought all non-military government work to a holt, and the guilds grew more and more influential over domestic policy.
Though Surface's libertarian politics had led him to largely stay out of the growing situation, he feared the public resentment might lead to a coup or revolution to dethrone him. When Bartlett arrived, she was immediately summoned to and audience with Surface who urged the former head-of-state to take up a position in the Japonincan government and repair the crumbling state. After over a month of negotiations, an agreement was reached and Japoninca was incorporated into Mount Henadas as an autonomous Dominion, and Bartlett was declared its new Lord-Protector. Surface remained Prime Minister, but the role was reformed to be the chief advisor to the Lord-Protector, and the Lord-Protector would be the official inheritor of the Japonincan crown. Parliament was dissolved and replaced with a Local Assembly of yearly elected members forbidden from serving consecutive terms, and the rights and laws of the Henatan constitution was established as the law of the land.
That Summer, the Oakens invaded once again, kicking off the Second Fair Oaks Border War. This time the Japonincan response was even more swift than before, and the Royal Legion was joined on the battlefield by the newly formed Henatan Colonial Rangers. Surface's defensive preparations came to pay off, as the vantage point gained by Treeton Post allowed incursions to be spotted from AP City, and Fort Pallet held strong against many assaults. The conflict was ended with the Treaty of the Rope Swing in August 2012, which officially ceded Mallum and Estas Dracus to the Dominion of Japoninca. Thanks to such a strong victory and Henatan assistance during the war, the Japonincan populace hailed Bartlett as a hero, and the Henatans saviors of their Kingdom.
The news of Mount Henadas' arrival east of the Mississippi spread fast, and in June 2013 the Ls of Harris-York were reaching out to Bartlett for a similar Dominionship arrangement in the hope it would assist their expansion plans. The proposition was quickly adopted, and a new organization called the Henatan Commonwealth was formed to administrate Mount Henadas' now multiple far-flung colonies. The Henatan Commonwealth was formed with several specific directives in mind: promote unity with the Republic, cooperation between the colonies, and furthering Henatan influence and colonial efforts in the new eastern realms. Harris-York and Japoninca would go on to found the Eastern Cooperative, an organization within the Henatan Commonwealth, to act as a unifying forum for the dominions to discuss issues that effected the east as a whole. The creation of the Henatan Commonwealth marked the beginning of Mount Henadas' many successful and failed attempts at colonization of the east.
The Dominion of Forest Ridge was founded on 24 May 2014 by Presley Bartlett and the Henatan Rangers - whose purpose was now to defend the Eastern Henatan holdings. The effort was initially successful, but within a year the populace had grown weary of the expanding Henatan military presence. After the Henatan Rangers announced their intention to construct a permanent outpost in the New Middlesex woods just north of Forest Ridge, the citizens of the Dominion organized an ad-hoc referendum regarding separation from Mount Henadas. Forest Ridge voted 64% to 36% in favor of leaving the Commonwealth. Though mildly humiliating, Bartlett would accept the results and urged the Henatan Council to honor the people's wishes - which the council promptly did.
Not wanting to lose momentum after the loss of Forest Ridge, Bartlett began talks with local militia leader Hayden Renner to establish a new colony. On October 13, 2014, The Dominion of Springfield was founded after successful talks with the people of a settlement called The Paddocks. While the settlement and Henatan administration performed exceptionally for over half a year, the Rangers were simultaneously bogged down in a constant conflict with the bordering people of Shedzi in the woods to the south. The Henatan Rangers kept the Shedzi at bay for months, repeatedly repelling raids and attempted invasions until the betrayal of a colonial official named Robbie Kegel. Kegel was promised a large payment and the protection of the Shedzi if he turned on the Henatans and revealed their defensive structures around the Paddocks. In a nighttime surprise attack, the Shedzi descended upon the settlement and drove Bartlett and the Henatans out of Springfield - this catalyzed the mass exodus known as the Lake Norman Expulsion.
Immediately after the Shedzi Offensive, fear and speculation filled the retreating Rangers. After being betrayed by a trusted official, the Rangers no longer felt safe; the ranks were filled with rumors of Shedzi collaboration with Fair Oaks to invade Japoninca, as well as baseless accusations that the Ls had turned on Mount Henadas. Though Bartlett would later say "[The Lake Norman Expulsion] was a poor decision...an unfortunate time when we acted out of fear rather than reason," she would concede to her subordinates' concerns and lead the Rangers 40 miles to the North to establish a camp on the shore of Lake Norman. Throughout the Summer of 2015, Bartlett and the Henatan Rangers attempted to establish a colonial administration within the local settlements; unfortunately, the locals were less than enthusiastic with the propositions and Mount Henadas was only successful in occupying a small community on the West Moores Peninsula and a few outlying islands in the lake. Come autumn, word of stability in Japoninca and Harris-York spread to the Rangers, and Bartlett roused her forces to return South.
When Bartlett and the Rangers arrived back to Japoninca, Prime Minister Surface informed the Lord Protector that he had been in talks with the people of Bromley Village, a large settlement very close to Japonica. Bromley Village had been interested in the protection of the Henatan Rangers, but were disenthused by the Rangers' retreat North. Now that Bartlett was back in the area and the Rangers were almost back to fighting strength, Bromley became much more receptive to diplomatic outreach and became a Henatan Dominion on September 16, 2015. Much like the Henatan Administration in Springfield, the civic operation of the Dominion of Bromley was excellent, but the Rangers were caught up in a nasty border conflict with the neighboring Kingdom of Westerfalls. The Bromley Border War was fought over a disagreement over Bromley's western border, as Westerfalls claimed the border was delineated by a natural stream called Sampson Branch, and Mount Henadas claimed the border to be demarcated by the immense retaining walls the people of Westerfalls had constructed along their property lines. The war slogged on for 8 months, with a thin strip of woods in the disputed zone becoming the site of most conflict. The war came to an end when Westerfalls committed to an unorthodox attack: their forces gathered hundreds of bags of garbage and deposited them and their contents all over the disputed forest floor in an attempt to render the area useless and undesirable. This massive littering campaign horrified the environmentally conscious Henatans, and triggered their immediate and massive invasion over the border. The Rangers, combined with a local volunteer force, overwhelmed Westerfall's retaining walls and occupied the eastern portion of the Kingdom which forced the King to sue for peace on May 18, 2016. The border was officially established along the retaining walls, and Bromley settled down for a stability that ultimately would not last.
Lead up to Independence
Mere weeks after the end of the Bromley Border War, political instability came to the Commonwealth. The war had both cost a great deal, and greatly weakened Henatan leadership's enthusiasm for the eastern colonial efforts. The Henatan Council brought immediate reforms to the Henatan Commonwealth, most notably deeming themselves the parent authority to the Eastern Cooperative, removing the autonomy it provided to its members. This shift in the balance of power caused anti-Henatan opposition to arise in the colonies, and tensions only heightened when the Dominion of Japoninca decided to leave the Eastern Cooperative in July, 2016. Things quickly became tenuous as more and more colonial officials began to oppose Henatan administrative efforts and became strong leaders of the separatist movement. Prime Minister Howard Surface, Minister of the State Jan Surface, and Prime Minister KL would all hinder Mount Henadas' control of the region in some form or another; however Lord Protector and concurrent High Duke of Mount Henadas Presley Bartlett remained mute on the issue.
Despite many in the colonies suspecting Bartlett was sympathetic to the separatist cause, she publicly promoted unity and the continuation of Henatan expansion. This would change when the Henatan Council voted to revoke their claim to Bromley Village in January 2017, citing it as a "burdensome possession of the Republic." This outraged Bartlett, who saw it as an offense to those who fought to protect the Dominion. Thusly, she challenged the decision by attempting to veto the bill, but Lord-Governor Cole Tidwell refused to veto and allowed the resolution to pass (the Henatan Constitution requires both heads-of-state to agree for a successful veto). In the end Bartlett was only able to organize a coalition to remove the garbage still littering the western forest before being forced to leave Bromley Village.
Bromley Village would become the last of Mount Henadas' colonial attempts, bringing Bartlett's vision of a Henatan East to a disappointing end. After relinquishing Bromley, Bartlett became increasingly open to the greater autonomy of the eastern colonies, though she fell short of advocating full independence. With Bartlett's support, the anti-Henatan faction quickly became the majority in the East. Political discourse soon became dominated by the separatist question, with talks ranging from redefining the Dominions' relationship with Mount Henadas to whispers of civil war. In April 2017, Bartlett would accompany local leaders Cory Weed and Gabriel Williams in the expedition to found Homeland Beach on the shore of Sugar Creek. While some mistakenly refer to Homeland Beach as the last Henatan Colony, Weed and Williams were in reality never associated with Mount Henadas; and Bartlett herself was operating independently of her function as a Henatan official. During the initial and subsequent expeditions, the 3 discussed the potential and nature of a possible union between the new settlement, Japoninca, and Harris-York.
On 30 August 2017, the Henatan Council announced their intention to dissolve the Henatan Commonwealth and incorporate Japoninca and Harris-York as full States within the Republic. The Henatan Council believed this incorporation would strengthen ties with the colonies by giving them direct government representation, but this was a gross miscalculation of the eastern political climate. Throughout September, a flurry of meetings and discussions were held amongst the officials of the colonies, ultimately culminating in the Conference for the Status of the Eastern Henatan Holdings on October 1. This conference was attended by the leadership of the Dominions of Japoninca and Harris-York and the leadership of Homeland Beach. The proceedings were led by an Executive Committee consisting of 2 delegates from each of the 3 regions: Japoninca was represented by Presley Bartlett and Howard Surface, Harris-York by KL and TL, and Homeland Beach by Cory Weed and Gabriel Williams.
On 9 October 2017, after eight days of intense debate and deliberation, the Conference produced the Proclamation of Ascension and founded the Union of Piedmont. The Proclamation of Ascension was a deliberately non-confrontational document intended to accomplish independence for the colonies and avoid conflict with Mount Henadas. The most deliberate example of this was the choice of the word 'ascension' rather than separation or independence - reason being that the colonies saw themselves as 'ascending to the status of independence' rather than violently seceding from Mount Henadas. When the proclamation was received by Mount Henadas, Lord-Governor Tidwell addressed the Council stating: "...So grant them the independence - the ascension - they request. For how long have we regarded them as needy dependents? How long have they regarded us as strict, yet useless? They are in good hands, and with the foundation the Imperial Republic has laid down for them, they shall shine as an even brighter beacon of our values in the east than we could have ever provided. But only if we let them go in peace!”
The First Bartlett Consulship
After signing the Proclamation of Ascension, the Conference for the Status of the Eastern Henatan Holdings established themselves as the Provisional Union Assembly and named Presley Bartlett the Provisional President. The primary concern of the Provisional Government was the drafting of a constitution, which was completed with the ratification of the Constitutional Order of the Union of Piedmont on October 27, 2017. Japoninca, Harris-York, and Homeland became the 3 founding Provinces of the Union; and this federalist system became an important part of how the early Union functioned.
The Constitutional Order, known more commonly today as the first constitution, established the basics of the Union's unique form of government; establishing the Consulship, the National Assembly, the General Secretary, and the Provinces/Departments/Compact Territories system. Elections were scheduled for 2 weeks after ratification, and almost immediately a party system began to form loosely along old Henatan party lines. Bartlett founded the left-wing Green Party, several Provisional Government members who were former members of the Henatan Tunnist Party formed a Piedmonti chapter of the party, and the followers of former Prime Minister Surface formed the right-wing Mercantilist Party. Bartlett would win the Consulship, defeating Tunnist candidate Delegate Gabriel Lara and Mercantilist candidate Howard Surface; and the Green party would sweep the rest of the election. Though the first constitution introduced a great number of offices and traditions that continue to this day, there were important differences that created a very dissimilar union than exists today. Most impactful of which was the semi-parliamentary structure; though the Consul was independently elected, the office was restricted to members of the National Assembly and the Consul would continue to serve as a voting member of the Assembly in their elected post. This is why, in her first term, Bartlett simultaneously served as the Senator from Japoninca. The rules for running for Consul would change slightly before the 2018 General Election, allowing nonmembers of the National Assembly to run, so long as they are elected to the National Assembly at the same time.
With her party in power, and serving as the First Consul of the Union of Piedmont, Bartlett set forth on an ambitious administration, stabilizing the newly formed nation, ironing out the kinks of a new government, and ensuring that this new Union wouldn't collapse without the backing of Mount Henadas. The most notable work from Bartlett's first term was the Effective Order Act passed in December 2017, establishing the basics of the Piedmonti bureaucracy. At this time the relations between the Greens and the Tunnists were exceptionally warm, allowing the Green Party's majority to feel even more secure.
The Causey Consulship
After Piedmonti independence and Presley Bartlett's resignation as High Duke, Mount Henadas had been plunged into a year of constitutional crisis. At the time the eastern colonies broke away, Mount Henadas had been governed under the Edict of February; a document created after the collapse of the Second Constitutional Government in 2015. The Edict put full powers of the government into the hands of the two heads of state - the High Duke and the Lord-Governor - and was scheduled to expire on October 27, 2018. After Bartlett's resignation in October 2017, Lord-Governor Cole Tidwell was proclaimed Regent of Mount Henadas, and he was given the powers of both heads of state until a suitable replacement for High Duke could be found. By June 2018, a new High Duke had yet to be selected, and with the deadline for a new constitution rapidly approaching, Tidwell would reach out to Bartlett for advice on the matter. At that time, Bartlett was wrapping up her first term as Consul and was contemplating not serving a second term in order to set a precedent and demonstrate that the Union could survive a democratic transfer of power. When Tidwell expressed his concern for the future of the nation she had once helped found, Bartlett saw an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Bartlett decided to return to Mount Henadas at the conclusion of her term, helping draft the new Henatan constitution in the meantime.
Bartlett backed her Secretary of Science, Ryder Causey, as the Green Party candidate for the 2018 elections, who went on to win with a 56% majority in a relatively competitive race against Tunnist Party co-founder Rigoberto Mercado and Mercantilist delegate TL. In a move that reflected the Causey Administration's overall strategy, he kept on almost all of Bartlett's appointees, including Isaac Hoyle as General Secretary - the second in line, and top advisor to the Consul. Causey sought to preserve the policies of his predecessor and not disturb the balance of power that had arisen in the Union. But that balance of power could not be upheld, as Causey lacked the influence of Bartlett, and it would become the Senate that stepped into that power vacuum. Under the first constitution, the Consul was a relatively weak office, with the National Assembly being the dominant branch of government by design. While this had worked just fine with Bartlett in office, who had the political capital to stand up against the National Assembly when needed, but without such a figure, the consulship was rendered powerless. A powerful National Assembly wasn't necessarily a threat to the Union, but it was the dominance of the senate within the National Assembly that caused great concern. Under the first constitution, both houses of the legislature were led by a single figure, the Person of Assembly, who was chosen by a joint vote in both houses. The Person of Assembly determined the schedule for both houses and presided over the chambers when they met; this gave the Person of Assembly immense power over the Union's legislature - and from 2017 to 2019 the Person of Assembly was Senator KL.
With a Senator as the Person of Assembly, the Senate could determine the entire trajectory of the National Assembly, and in turn controlled the entirety of the Union Government. On top of this far-reaching power, under the first constitution, Senators also served as Chief Executive of their respective province simultaneously, allowing them to control all levels of governance within the Union of Piedmont. This tense political atmosphere is referred to presently as the 'Senate Crisis,' as Consul Causey and the lower house of the National Assembly - the Hall of Delegates - struggled against the rule of the Senate. The Senate would shut down Causey's attempts at military reform, electoral reform, and establishing an independent judiciary; meanwhile they overrode Causey's veto on a bill that capped the number of members of the Hall of Delegates. One of the few matters the Consul and the Senate could agree upon was the admission of Solaria and New Greensboro into the Union, though the senate feared Causey would attempt to appoint interim Senators and Delegates for the new provinces, so they included an amendment to the Act of Admission preventing the seating of any new members to the National Assembly until after the 2019 elections. Causey vetoed the amendment, but his veto was once again overridden. The continuous hoarding of power by the Senate greatly worried Causey, who was open about his fears of the Union "descending into oligarchy." Causey would repeatedly reach out to Bartlett throughout his term, both seeking her input, and pleading for her to return to the east - and Causey wasn't the only one. The call for Bartlett's return among the populace verged on a political movement, as fears of corruption and tyranny entered the Piedmonti public in response to the actions of the Senate.
The Second Bartlett Consulship
Presley Bartlett decided to return to the Union after receiving countless requests from Piedmonti officials and civilians alike all requesting she return to reform the constitution and provide strong leadership for the nation once again. The political situation in Mount Henadas had reached a renewed age and Bartlett felt comfortable once again leaving her post to a democratically elected successor. Bartlett began work immediately once she arrived in the Union of Piedmont on August 5, 2019, convening the Somerton Convention to draft a new Constitution for the Union of Piedmont. This convention was attended by Consul Ryder Causey, the entire national assembly, representatives from the Riverview Settlement, and the Sol family of Solaria, and would be granted authority by a unanimous vote in a joint meeting of the National Assembly.
The new Constitutional Charter of the Union of Piedmont, also known as the second constitution, was ratified on August 13, 2019 drastically reforming the government. Bartlett worked carefully to turn the Consulship into a position that was effective in its executive role, but still restrained by the other institutions of the government. An additional concern was empowering the Hall of Delegates that represented the people more directly than the Senate. The executive branch would become entrusted to a Union Commission, composed of leaders from all branches of government; and the Consul was given more defined powers and the cabinet and bureaucracy were given constitutional authority. The Hall of Delegates would become the Popular Assembly granted with the authority to override administrative orders and approve appointees instead of the Senate, additionally the Departments that represented their geographic constituency were reformed. The role of Person of the Assembly was split between a Presidium of the Senate and a Tribune of the People as head of the Popular Assembly. A delegation from the Riverview Settlement, led by their founder Kristalin Yerty, advocated for admission to the Union simultaneously to the ratification of the Constitution; Bartlett identified this as an excellent opportunity to assign a more centralized capital for the Union - and so the Capital of the Union was changed from AP City to the newly founded city of New Albertville. There were no elections in 2019, the incoming new constitutional government would be completely appointed by either the Somerton Convention, or by Consul Bartlett. The ratification of the second constitution kicked off a golden age which the Union of Piedmont enjoyed until the beginning of the Civil War in 2022.
Bartlett aggressively tackled multiple reforms throughout her second term: she passed legislation establishing Nature Preservations and National Parks, centralized the Union armed services from a disorganized militia into the Armed Legion, codified Piedmonti drug laws, and reforming importation taxes and tariffs. Of her legislative accomplishments in her 2nd term, the most important was the first of her many 'Social State' legislative agendas - the Social Act. This law reinforced the Consul and General Secretary's regulatory power, and established many government offices and services that assist in the operation of the Union. Bartlett would also oversee the passage of 2 amendments to the constitution in her second term: the first amendment created the College of Praetors, the Union's constitutional court; and the second amendment detailed the manner and form of land distribution within the Union of Piedmont. Bartlett also championed the regular use of referendums to address major issues facing the people. The Coronavirus pandemic played a huge role in shaping Bartlett's second and third terms, with the Consul instituting a national mask mandate, establishing the Subdepartment of Emergency Response, and providing aid to those affected by the pandemic.
This era also saw rapid expansion of the Union's territory (as depicted in the chart below) with numerous neighboring communities reaching out for admission or association with the Union. During Bartlett's second term, the Provinces of Kingston, Vandora, Elijah, and Myers were admitted to the Union; as well as the Regions of Flint Hill, Meadow Wood, Caldwell, Peach Tree, and Nova Tyre. This expansion, while overwhelmingly peaceful, brought some conflict. A separatist movement arose in the Municipality of Realand, and conducted a series of raids against Camp Gorge in New Middlesex - adjacent to the capital, New Albertville. This revolt lasted from January 2020 until March, when the outbreak of COVID-19 brought both sides to quick peace talks that ended the insurrection and formed municipalities within the Union, with directly-elected Mayors.
The Third Bartlett Consulship
The 2020 Piedmonti General Election (held on September 5) is regarded as the most impactful election in the Union's history thus far, often called 'the confirmation of the constitution,' or the 'real ratification of the constitution.' Many believed the results of the election would be the ultimate confirmation on how Bartlett had done as Consul. Bartlett ran against Tunnist Delegate Madeline Leung, and Mercantilist Senator from Japoninca Howard Surface, and won with 68% of the vote - with a sweeping victory for the Green Party in the National Assembly. Despite polling during the campaign predicting this landslide victory, the campaigning was fierce. Bartlett used the election as a platform to promote her planned economic over-hauls to the Union, and attacked Surface for supporting American President Donald Trump and opposing (and in some cases violating) COVID-19 restrictions. Surface's campaign revolved almost entirely around attacking Bartlett for her socialist views and policies, and promoting Trump style domestic politics; primarily deregulated commerce, and Coronavirus denial. Leung tried her best to avoid the heated debate in order to promote the Tunnist Party to as large a voter base as possible, but still drew controversy for siding with Surface over Bartlett's first 8 month mask mandate. The protests in the summer of 2020 in response to the death of George Floyd also dramatically impacted the election; Bartlett and Leung openly sided with the protesters - Bartlett attending several protests herself - while Surface adamantly opposed the movement and would counter-protest in support of law enforcement. This was the first election that a General Secretary nominee was announced by the candidates before the election as a running mate, in the style of American Presidents and Vice Presidents, or Henatan Lord-Governors and High Dukes. Bartlett Selected Jocelyn Ferguson, Delegate to the Popular Assembly and attendee of both constitutional conventions, to be the second General Secretary of the Union.
A week before Bartlett's October 9 inauguration , the Union of Piedmont was attacked by a right-wing extremist organization that had formed nearby called the Civic Authority (CA). They invaded the mainland from the north and almost made it to Somerton, while launching a simultaneous attack on Vandora in what would become known as the Battles of Metenora & Issa. The attack caught the Union by surprise, but was ultimately repulsed. For the month of October, the Piedmonti Motor Vehicle Fleet engaged the CA in vehicular combat throughout the streets of Fort Mill, before a final assault was launched against their bases along Pleasant Road and in Kingsley Village. the Kingsley-Knoll War, though brief, had a big impact on Piedmonti politics, being one of the main catalysts of the great party shift.
In November 2020, the political structure of the Union would go through an upheaval, as the nation responded to a major election, a war, and the aftermath of the 2020 US Presidential Election all within a few months. This caused the priorities of Piedmontis and politicians to rapidly shift. Bartlett's overtly socialist vision for the future of the Union caused a rift in the Green Party, causing it to split along ideological lines into the Maquis Socialist Coalition (MSC) and the Liberal Union Party (LUP). The MSC, Bartlett's wing of the Party, retained control of the National Assembly; and the LUP became a cooperative member of the MSC's caucus. The Mercantilists, who had been demoralized by their less-than-stellar performance in the 2020 election and the loss of Donald Trump in the American election, dissolved itself - reforming eventually into the Civil Order Party.
Once the political scene was restabilized, Bartlett got to work on her agenda for her term. She Focused primarily on solidifying Piedmonti land distribution laws, and furthering her Social State Plan - which has now been cemented as a 3-year plan for the Union. Bartlett also aided in the passage of the third amendment, which separated Senators from their role as Provincial executive and replaced them with elected Premiers and Magistrates for each Province. However, the largest political issue Bartlett addressed during her third term was the structure of the Popular Assembly; being set on finding a way to make the Popular Assembly more proportionally representative of the population. Bartlett would get 3 laws through the National Assembly from October to April attempting to solve the problem, each one progressively more drastic; culminating in the Departmental Partitioning and Revising Enabling Act (the DPREA) which empowered the Cartographer General to draw the Department's borders in any way they see fit (with the approval of the Consul and the National Assembly) to allow each Department to represent roughly the same number of people. The DPREA led to a reform of many Departments across the Union, but the solution, which had been a political compromise between the MSC and the Liberal Union Party, continued to prove dissatisfactory to Bartlett; who was beginning to believe that the Departments were not the only problem, that the manner in which Delegates were elected needed to be changed.
This ongoing mission to reform the Popular Assembly eventually led to the drafting of a 4th amendment to the Constitutional Charter which would have established a ranked-choice voting method for electing Delegates. However this proposed amendment was scrapped as Bartlett and her allies within the Maquis decided that this moment of reform desire must be fully seized, so she enacted Article 4, Section 4 of the Constitutional Charter which permitted for the calling of a Constitutional Convention to make major revisions to the Constitution. Though it took a great deal of political effort for Bartlett to pass the call-for-Convention through the National Assembly and the Civil Congregation, the Fieldstone Convention was eventually gaveled into session on June 14, 2021. By the conclusion of the Convention, much more than the Popular Assembly had been reformed as the primarily Maquis attendees sought to fix a multitude of perceived issues with the constitution. Most consequential was the creation of Townships, and the subsequent power redistribution from the provinces. Townships (which replaced Departments and Municipalities) were given the authority of local law and local governance, while the provinces were made into more of a judicial district. Laws passed by the Townships now supplanted the laws of the Province, and the role of the provincial government became the enforcement of local law, and the prosecution of violators. Additionally the Proletariat Tribunate was abolished and reformed into the People's Tribunate; a new branch of the Union government responsible for referendums and checking the power of the Consul and National Assembly.
Bartlett's third term also saw more expansion, with 2 major treaties altering the Union's borders. The first treaty was the Civic Authority Peace Accords, which enlarged Vandora and annexed the Regions of Sedgewick and Manilla Bay. The second treaty was the Treaty of Gold Hill, which had been in negotiations for over 6 months; it doubled the size of Japoninca, and incorporated the Province of Altura and the Regions of Ohnika and Gold Hill. The acquisition of Gold Hill integrated Bromley Village into the Union after being forced to abandon the area over 3 years prior meant a great deal to the Piedmonti people and was proclaimed a day of celebration when the treaty was ratified on December 29. On June 2, 2021, the Union Commission approved the Terramore Treaty, admitting the Region of Terramore to the Union.
The Fourth Bartlett Consulship & the Piedmonti Civil War
The Fieldstone convention, and the constitutional reform that came with it, created a new political divide in the Union that would immediately become the center piece of the 2021 Off-Year Election, and subsequent polarization of the Piedmonti Populace. The empowering of the new Townships at the expense of the Provincial governments, though very popular among most average citizens, caused an undercurrent of resentment among certain Piedmonti government elites, who saw their power being threatened. A week before the election, Chairwoman of the Liberal Union Party Sen. KL would have an undisclosed disagreement with LUP Consular Candidate Elizabeth Swann; this disagreement prompted KL to found a new party dubbed the Federal Provincialist Party (FPP). This new party promoted a 'Provincialist' ideology that touted provincial rights, and opposed the new revised constitution and the Bartlett administration. Bartlett went on to win a fourth term as Consul, and the Maquis retained power in the National Assembly, but only by the narrowest margin, and it became immediately apparent that the delegates and senators that had flipped to the FPP - and now held the balance of power in both chambers - had no interest in governance. It was their stated goal to halt the implementation of the constitutional revisions at any cost.
Throughout the end of 2021 and early 2022, the FPP would organize constant protests, and form groups of FPP paramilitants to engage in sabotage campaigns. Though Bartlett wished to accommodate the protester's right to organize as much as possible, their activities brought the functions of the state to a halt. In February, Bartlett ordered that all protest activity was restricted to designated areas and ordered the roads be cleared. This caused a chain reaction of unrest, as Provincialist protesters were enraged and refused to obey, and Maquis counter-protesters began clashing with them in an attempt to enforce the rule.
On 25 February 2022, the College of Praetors issued Bartlett a special waver of the Rights of the Commons in order to disperse the Provincialists from Harris Street Park, their main hub of activity. The Riverview and Solaria Legions were mobilized and surrounded the park but ordered not to engage by Bartlett herself. This show of power did very little to thin the crowd, and only further encouraged the unlawful behavior of the protesters. That same day Zach Badr, the Princept of the College of Praetors, announced that Union officials had intercepted several SMS text conversations between KL and her father TL detailing a coup planned for early March. That weekend was tense, as the Provincialists, now camping out in Harris Street Park full time, grew more and more rowdy, and occasionally picked fights with Legionaries. Monday the 28th, the College of Praetors ruled that the FPP was a treasonous organization, and ordered the party be immediately disbanded (against the advice of Consul Bartlett). In response, TL delivered the infamous 'Crossed the Last Line' speech, which was the go-signal for the Provincialists to begin their coup.
Immediately Provincialists engaged with the legionaries, who had now been moved to protect the capital, and attempted to push their way into New Albertville. Simultaneously, Senator Joel Kophazi betrayed the Union and led his own militia group against the Consular Residence in Copperstone - forcing Consul Bartlett to flee to AP City, where she would be granted the emergency powers and title of Consul Princept. Despite Kophazi's success, the assault on New Albertville became a prolonged slog and the protesters were unable to occupy the capital in KL's original time frame. In order to compensate, KL occupied Myers and launched incursions into Solaria and Elijah, which subsequently also became protracted stalemates. To make things harder for the Provincialists, by the second week of the coup Bartlett had relocated to the Union's new provisional capital New Regent City, taking her far out of KL's reach, making deposing her as Consul a near impossibility. It was apparent KL's original plan had failed, and that the entire conflict was rapidly devolving into a full-blown civil war. Wanting to keep a grasp on the situation, KL adjusted her plans and had the provinces of Harris-York, Myers, and the Region of Meadow Wood formally secede from the Union on 10 March. The following day, KL convened the Yorktowne Convention to draft a constitution for her new break-away state; this convention was attended by FPP party leaders, leaders from the seceded regions, and most consequentially, the leadership of the Civic Authority. That day marked the foundation of the Federal Provincialist Commonwealth (FPC), which included the CA as members, and was a turning point for the Provincialists in the war. With the added manpower and enlarged combat theater, the freshly formed New Federal Guard led a renewed push on all fronts, taking New Albertville by the end of the week.
On March 21, New Federal Guard forces won the battle of Metanora and occupied Fort Mill High School. This strategic position allowed the rebels to drive Union forces out of much of the Piedmonti mainland, pushing the front line south to Terramore. Beyond the Union's borders a combined Provincialist / Civic Authority force fought and won the week-long Battle of the Greenway driving a huge wedge between the main Union holdings to the south in Terramore and to the north in New Greensboro. This rapid expansion would eventually be halted in mid-April, as the Union's Legions regrouped and dug into their positions, while Maquis and Tunnist aligned partisan began to rise across Fort Mill and fought back against the rebels. Thanks to the cooperation of these partisan groups, the Union's alliance managed to surround Provincialists by May and began a steady campaign of chipping away at their holdings. As the tide turned on the Provincialists, and their forces were driven out of most of the Mainland, confidence in their cause ran thin; and desertion became the New Federal Guard's biggest problem. This collapse in the command structure caused the most anxiety among the ranks of the CA, who's primary purpose in joining the FPC was to strike a fatal blow against the Union. After Piedmonti forces captured the CA's home territory in the Battle of Gold Hill on June 2, the Civic Authority High Command voted unanimously to leave the Federal Provincialist Commonwealth. CA Battalions abandoned their posts along Springfield Parkway and make a break-neck run at Pleasant Road in a desperate attempt to form a counter-offensive, leading the Second Battle of the Greenway and the Battle of Knoll Bridge. These battles were resounding victories in for the Union and secured their hold on western and northern Fort Mill and severely weakened the remnants of the Civic Authority.
As the war seemingly drew closer to an end, Consul Bartlett would renounce her emergency powers and reseat the Union Government on June 5. She stated that the war was "entering a phase where we must focus on peace and reunification," and she believed that negotiating such a peace agreement should be done by "a whole and complete Union Government." Bartlett would publicly call for a ceasefire on June 11, however this would be met with silence from the Ls. On June 18, Joel Kophazi and his legion would also leave the FPC and offer shelter to the displaced Civic Authority Kophazi had been pushed back to the Borders of Vandora and Sedgewick, but with the manpower of the CA at his disposal, his troops got hard at work erecting fortifications around the province and dug in for an inevitable siege. Union forces and Marquis militants would surround their encampment, but held off on a total assault as the Union Government began negotiating a separate peace with the CA. This separate peace culminated in the Sedgwick Ceasefire on July 2, which brought Kophazi and the Civic Authority out of the war but allowed Kophazi to continue his occupation of Vandora. With most of the Mainland back in Union hands, the Provincialists focused on converting Harris Street Park into a fortress, with defensive lines extending from the park all around the Commonwealth's capital Yorktowne. By this point in the conflict, Yorktowne was reliant on their holdings in Doby's Bridge to the southeast to obtain supplies, however their connection to the area was severed when the Union and its Maquis Militia allies won the Battle of Steele Creek and occupied the intersection of Tom Hall Street and Springfield Parkway on June 30. Union Legions broke through the defenses at Harris Street Park on August 6, and Bartlett would begin to demand the unconditional surrender of the Provincialist government. However, the rebels continued to refuse, with KL repeatedly iterating that, "there will be no peace until after the election."
The 2022 Piedmonti General Election was held on September 3, an hour after the results were certified on the 4th, Bartlett would set an ultimatum for the Provincialists: surrender yourselves and your remaining forces by the September 15 or prepare for a total assault on Yorktowne. Bartlett would receive no response. On September 15, 4 Union Legions would storm Yorktowne from 3 sides. Other than minor exchanges at the city's main entrance, the defense collapsed without opposition, and most of the FPC's government officials were arrested. The Treaty of AP City was signed on September 24, officially bringing the Civil War to an end. The treaty outlined the nature of the Provincialist's unconditional surrender, and stipulated that all member of the FPC government, and officers in the New Federal Guard stand trial on charges of treason against the Union - the sentence for witch being permanent exile. The treaty also reincorporated the portions of Yorktowne and Myers that had remained under rebel control and transformed them into the reborn Province of Harris-York. Additionally, as compensation to the various militia groups that arose during the war to assist in the preservation of the Union, many of the groups have had their occupied territory recognized as sovereign nations. This gave rise to Piedmonti-aligned micronations all over Fort Mill, all of which would join the new regional alliance established by the treaty - the Eastern North American Cooperative (later renamed the Metrolina Cooperation Pact).
Government & Politics
Provinces, Townships, and Compact Territories
The Union of Piedmont is divided into 15 Provinces, 8 Regions, and 5 Union Colonies. Provinces are fully integrated portions of the Union and are permitted to organize a provincial government as outlined outlined in Article 1 of the constitution; these provincial governments are relatively weak, primarily responsible for enforcing Union (read federal) law and overseeing the local justice system. Provinces are led by 2 officials elected every 2 years, a Premier and a Magistrate: The Premier being empowered with the authority to deputize locals to enforce Union laws and provincial regulations; and the Magistrate being the chief judicial officer of their province, presiding over the province's Magistrate Court. Provinces also elect a 15-person Provincial Council who may enact regulations and veto the action of the 2 provincial officers with a supermajority. Areas the size of provinces that are not fully incorporated into the Union are made into Regions, which are governed by a Secretariat and their selected staff appointed by the Union Commission, with the purpose of preparing the region to be made a Province by an act of the National Assembly.
Most local governance is done within the Townships, consolidated municipalities given most powers of local law in the 2021 Fieldstone revisions to the constitution. Townships are run by Communal Assemblies, gatherings of all interested citizens over the age of 15, who can enact local laws that are superior to the laws and regulations of their home province, making them the most important national subdivision of the Union. The legislation voted on by the Communal Assembly is written and proposed by a Communal Tribunate, a body of 10 people (5 elected, 5 randomly selected). The Administration and enforcement of local laws is carried out by a Communal Polity, 7 people selected by a Township's Communal Assembly for 1-year terms to lead the town's 6 municipal departments. One of the 7 selected individuals shall be chosen to serve as Polit Mayor, the Ceremonial leader of the Township, and the primary representative of the Township's interests to the Union Government. Compact Territories are large areas of a Province that are undeveloped and unpopulated, these areas are set aside and receive special constitutional protection in order to preserve their natural state and reduce ecological destruction. Though these territories are governed directly by their respective Province, a Tribune of the Compact is chosen every year by the Consul to serve on the Union Commission, with the duty to protect and defend the rights and environments of Compact Territories. Union Colonies are very similar to Compact Territories except they are not a part of a Province, they are administered by the Union Government directly, and the Union Government withholds special authority to develop them at a future time as seen fit.
The Union Commission, the Consul, and the Cabinet
The executive branch of the Union Government is defined in Article II of the Constitutional Charter, which establishes the Union Commission - empowered with the authority to ratify treaties, admissions to the Union, foreign agreements, declarations of war, amendments to the constitution, revenue bills, and any deployment of Piedmonti troops beyond the Union's borders. The Union Commission was deliberately designed to provide a check on the power of the executive branch, and the main way this is achieved is with the Commission's composition- being composed of leaders from all branches of government. The members of the Commission are the Consul, the General Secretary, the Presidium of the Senate, the Delegatus Primus of the Popular Assembly, Princept of the College of Praetors, the Tribune of the Compact, the Tribune of the Citizen, and the Polit Prefect.
The Consul is the head-of-state of the Union, and its top executive office. Article II, section II gives the Consul the ability to: "...veto acts of the National Assembly, call the National Assembly or the Union Commission to order, pardon the acts of those convicted of a crime or misdemeanor (with the exception of themselves or former Consuls), issue administrative orders to execute the laws of the Union of Piedmont, appoint judges and government officials delegated for their Appointment, and to operate the forces of land, air, and sea as Commander-in-Chief." The Consul's primary power comes from their leadership of the Cabinet, to which they may issue Administrative Orders to execute the laws of the Union. This regulatory power has been the main tool used by Consuls Bartlett and Causey to exercise their duty; though the Popular assembly may veto an Administrative Order with a 3/4 majority vote. Bartlett, in her third term, emphasized the Consul and Cabinet's role as the long-term planners of the Union - leading by example by implementing the 'Social State: a 3 Year Plan for the Union of Piedmont.' The Consul may also be bestowed emergency powers by a supermajority of the National Assembly and the unanimous consent of the Union Commission. This transforms the Consul into the Consul Princept, an individual immune from prosecution while engaged in addressing an imminent danger to the Union. A Consul may only serve as Consul Princept for a maximum of 6 months, and their term may be terminated at any point within said 6 months bay a majority vote in the National Assembly. After their term as Consul Princept, all extralegal actions will be reviewed by the College of Praetors and the Consul must defend and justify their actions in a formal hearing before the conclusion of their term.
Article II, section III, subsection A instructs the Consul to appoint one member of the cabinet - traditionally the Secretary of the Citizenry - to serve as General Secretary. The General Secretary acts as Consul-Pro-Tempore over the Cabinet, and is second in line to the Consulship in the case of death, resignation, or removal. As part of their power as Consul-Pro-Tempore is the right to issue legally binding memorandum to the members of the cabinet and/or bureaucracy on behalf of the Consul. The inaugural holder of the office, Isaac Hoyle, also carved out a potent role as one of the Consul's top advisors and 'go-to-guy.' The Cabinet is appointed by the Consul, and represents the heads of the Administrative Departments of the Union Bureaucracy. The members of the Cabinet are: The Secretary of the Citizenry, The Secretary of State, The Secretary of Science, The Secretary of Finance, the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the General Commission, the Legate of the Armed Legion, The Commandant of the Piedmonti Motor Vehicle Fleet, and the Commandant of the Air & Naval Corps. In January 2021, Consul Presley Bartlett established a Subcabinet, comprised of the various Undersecretaries that had been appointed over the years, and a collection of other top priority agency heads.
The Consul serves a term of 1 year, which is renewable 5 times - but only consecutively. Should a sitting Consul lose reelection, resign, chose not to run, or reach their term limit, there is a 5 year waiting period; after the waiting period the terms are reset and said person is free to serve as Consul for up to 5 years once again. Consular elections are held in 3 rounds: the first held in late June is the Qualifying Round including everyone running for Consul, the second is held on General Election Day in early September between the top 4 competitors from the Qualifying Round. Should no person receive a majority of the popular vote in the Second Round, a runoff is held by the top 2 candidates on the last Saturday of September.
| Office | Consul | Secretary General | Presidium of the
Senate |
Delegatus Primus
of the Popular Assembly |
Princept of the
College of Praetors |
Tribune of the
Compact |
Tribune of the
Citizen |
Polit Prefect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| image |  |
 |
 |
 |
 | |||
| name | Kira Sol | Madeline Leung | Malcolm McClaine | Layelle Omar | Kristalin Yerty | Matthew Finch | Rodrick Cobbler | Mary Bosik |
| party | MSC | MSC | MSC | MSC | MSC | PTP | MSC | MSC |
| serving
since |
9 October 2023 | 9 october 2023 | 10 October 2022 | 12 December 2020 | 2 December 2022 | 9 October 2023 | 9 October 2023 | 9 October 2023 |
| Home
Township, Province |
Somerton,
Solaria |
AP City,
Japoninca |
New Greensboro,
New Greensboro |
New Greensboro,
New Greensboro |
New Albertville,
Riverview |
Fair Oaks,
Altura |
Dye City,
West Harris |
Fort Singleterry,
Riverview |
| Predecessor | Presley Bartlett | Jocelyn Ferguson | Alexander Sol | Liesl Juell | Zachary Badr | Michael Badshore | Corbyn Nicoles | Margaret Lindh |
The National Assembly
Article III of the constitution established the National Assembly as the legislature of the Union, and is comprised of 2 houses: the Popular Assembly and the Senate. There are currently 75 Delegates to the Popular Assembly, 69 of which represent each of the various Townships of the Union, and 6 who represent the Regions; while the Senate is composed of 14 members, one from each Province. Though the Senate was the dominant house under the first constitution, the Popular Assembly is now widely regarded as the most powerful governmental institution in the Union; for they were given the power to overturn Administrative Orders and have become seen culturally as the 'House of the People'. Furthermore, almost all legislation originates in the Popular Assembly in accordance with Article III, section IV: "Any citizen of the Union shall be entitled to submit legislation to the Popular Assembly in formal written form, with the Popular Assembly Scheduling Committee determining what shall be put to vote. All legislation before the Senate must originate either within the Senate, or the Popular Assembly." Before the 2021 Fieldstone Constitutional Revisions the Popular Assembly was composed of one Delegate from each constituency known as a Department, this was the driving factor behind the reform effort that led to the revisions. Currently, Delegates are distributed proportionally among the the Townships based upon their population, with one delegate for every 93 citizens (rounded to the nearest whole number, with one delegate per township minimum). There are certain actions such as declaring war, appointing a Consul Princept, and making amendments to the Constitution that require the 2 houses to vote as one body, being simply referred to as a National Assembly Conference.
Sections II & III of Article III outline the basic leadership structure of both houses; with the Popular Assembly selecting a Delegatus Primus, and the Senate a Presidium, from within their ranks to act as the presiding officer over their respective houses and to serve on the Union Commission. These presiding officers are also entrusted with forming respective Scheduling Committee to determine what goes before each of the houses for debate and vote. In addition to this constitutional structure, further party-based leadership positions have been recently created in both houses. The Senate established the office of Presidium Emeritus representing the opposition, and party chairs for each of the factions in the Senate. The Popular Assembly established the roles of Majority and Minority Speaker to represent the majority and opposition respectively - as well as party chairs.
The College of Praetors
The first amendment to the Constitutional Charter established the College of Praetors, the Union's highest court and its constitutional court. The amendment empowers the College to: "...review law and resolution of the National Assembly, directives of the Union Commission or Consul, or any such matter of Governance in their concordance with the Constitution. This College shall enforce the rights of all Citizens of the Union through judicial means and ensure that the Constitution is being observed by institutions public and private." The College has also derived the power to add permanent notes to the Constitution, to act as judicial commentary to establish constitutional precedent and aid future justices in interpreting the Constitution. As the court system began growing rapidly in 2020 and 2021, the College took the leadership role of administrating the Union's lower and provincial courts. The College is led by an internally selected Princept, who serves as its chief justice and sits on the Union Commission.
In November 2022, first Princept of the College of Praetors, Zachary Badr, would implement significant reforms to the judicial branch that effected both Union and Provincial courts. The Union was divided into 4 circuits (North, South, East, and West) each of which is attended-to by a member of the College - excluding the Princept. Alongside adjudicating infractions of Union law, the Circuit Courts act as the Union's appeals courts; hearing cases elevated beyond the rulings of Provincial Magistrates. These Provincial Magistrates also had their authority solidified by the Badr Reforms. Their position as a Province's chief judicial officer was thrown into constitutional question with the passage of the Fieldstone Revisions to the Constitution. Now that most laws were being passed by municipal Townships, many questioned Provincial Magistrates' jurisdiction. The Badr Reforms created a distinction between minor (misdemeanors and nonviolent crimes) and major (felonies and violent crimes) infractions; minor infractions are handled by Communal Juries formed of fellow Township residences and presided over by an elected judge, major infractions are handled by the Magistrate's Court and a jury selected from the whole Province.
The People's Tribunate
The People's Tribunate is a body of 9 elected, 9 randomly selected citizens selected every year. This tribunate has 2 main responsibilities: the first is their power to veto legislation or override a Consular veto with a 3/4 majority, the second and more important is their role in the referendum process. In the Union of Piedmont, unlike other countries, referendums are so legally binding they are an alternative method of constitutionally passing laws. If a petition receives the authenticated signatures of at least 500 Union citizens (number dependent on the Union's total population) then the matter will be voted on by the People's Tribunate. If said petition should pass the tribunate with a simple majority, it's then drafted into a written law and put on the annual ballot to be voted on in the General Election. If the bill receives a majority of the popular vote, and isn't vetoed by the Consul, then it officially becomes law at the inauguration of the following year's Union Government.
Political Parties
The Union is currently in the midst of the 'Second Party System;' after the dissolution of the Green and Merchantilist parties in December 2021 - an event called the Great Party Shift - politics became dominated by 4 parties. The Maquis Socialist Coalition (MSC), the successor to the Green Party, retains its predecessor's undisputed majority in all branches of the Union Government. The MSC's main opposition is the Liberal Union Party (LUP), a splinter group of the Greens, and the Piedmonti Tunnist Party (PTP), a successor to the Henatan Tunnist Party from the colonial era. The wild card party is the far-right Civil Order Party (COP), the rump organization of the former Merchantilist Party, whose hardline politics prevents them from cooperating with either side.
The MSC touts a brand of socialism that emphasizes individual rights and political freedom in addition to communal organizing and centralized economic planning. Maquisism is often compared to Council Communism for its focus on creating small, autonomous, and democratic political units among the populace. The coalition is also adamantly opposed to one-party systems, championing pluralism as a keystone of democracy - their ideology being summarized by one of their campaign mottos: "socialism through democracy, pure democracy is socialism!" The Liberal Union Party formed in opposition to Consul Bartlett's socialist economic policies. They describe themselves as socially progressive, and fiscally neoliberal, advocating for free markets and deregulation. The Tunnist Party can be broadly described as libertarian, with a philosophy of personal responsibility; however, the Tunnists are unique in their focus on meritocracy, often denouncing those who obtain their wealth through inheritance or without 'working for it.' This ideology pushes them to often err on side of policies that reward workers at the expense of 'lazy executives.' The Civil Order Party officially stands by an agenda of increased law enforcement, Christian traditional values, and free-market capitalism. However, the members of the COP more often speak of what they perceive to be moral decay and degeneracy (commonly described as the 'culture war'), in addition to endorsing the Great Replacement conspiracy theory.
The Treaty of AP City ended the Piedmonti Civil War on September 24, 2022. A stipulation of this treaty regarding the reincorporation of the rebellious provinces was that a special election shall be held on November 5 of that year in the readmitted province of Harris-York. The nature of Harris-York politics was up-in-the-air, as the demographics of the province had greatly shifted from the new borders, the arrest of rebel officers, and the many enlisted Provincialists who had received a pardon from Consul Bartlett and were returning home with new worldviews. The largest shift, however, was the exile of the L family, who had dominated politics in the region before the war. Into this power vacuum stepped Rachael Fulton, a former member of the COP who defected to the Tunnist Party during the war. As a Tunnist, Fulton led a faction of conservative-leaning members that worked tirelessly to drive the party to the right. This effort was met with great resistance from the mainstream party members, who saw the Tunnist ideology as above the left/right political divide. When the 2022 Harris-York Special Election was announced, Fulton saw an opportunity, she presumed none of the existing Piedmonti political parties would be very attractive options to the recently rebellious province. So, on October 2, Fulton Founded the right-wing National Party and quickly produced a Candidacy List for the special election, and a candidate for Senator. Though the National Party lacks a comprehensive stance on many issues due to their nascence, the party has positioned itself as a mainstream conservative party that cares more about fiscal responsibility and "family values" than the Tunnists, but lacks the conspiratorial twist of the Civil Order Party.
Despite the power and influence of political parties, Piedmonti politics are often determined by an individual's notoriety and history. It's not uncommon to encounter a case such at the Province of Peachtree, which overwhelmingly votes Maquis, but continues to elect the Tunnist Robert Crenshaw their Senator for his prior service as Secretariat when Peachtree was a Region, and his reputation as a hero of the Kingsley-Knoll war. Though the importance of this name recognition has been declining as the Union expands and policy become a more pressing matter for the average voter, the small and close-knit communities of the Union require that elected officials maintain individual relationships with their constituents - or else be replaced with someone more personable.
| Logo | Name | Ideology | Spectrum | Chairperson | Popular Assembly | Senate | Township Polit Mayors | Premiers & Magistrates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Maquis Socialist Coalition | MSC | Democratic Socialism | Left-Wing | Cole Brooks | 44 / 80
|
8 / 15
|
22 / 39
|
Premiers: 8 / 15 Magistrates: 9 / 15
| |
 |
Liberal Union Party | LUP | Liberalism | Centre-Left | Elizabeth Swann | 3 / 80
|
2 / 15
|
2 / 39
|
Premiers: 1 / 15 Magistrates: 0 / 15
| |
 |
Piedmonti Tunnist Party | PTP | Tunnism | Centre | Rigoberto Mercado | 23 / 80
|
3 / 15
|
8 / 39
|
Premiers: 2 / 15 Magistrates: 4 / 15
| |
 |
Civil Order Party | COP | Conservatism
Anti-Communism Cristian Nationalism Identity Politics |
Right-wing | Gary Fellows | 1 / 80
|
0 / 15
|
0 / 39
|
Premiers: 1 / 15 Magistrates: 0 / 15
| |
 |
National Party | NP | Conservatism | Right-wing | Rachael Fulton | 9 / 80
|
1 / 15
|
6 / 39
|
Premiers: 2 / 15 Magistrates: 1 / 15
| |
Foreign Affairs
The Union of Piedmont has historically only focused on its relationship with 2 nations: Mount Henadas, and the United States. This was a result of the position the Union found itself for most of its early years, coming from a Henatan Heritage, yet separated by nearly 2,000 miles of America; the UOP could only dedicate the expense to maintaining these relationships while the internal state of the Union stabilized. However, the Union would slowly begin to reach out to the international community staring in 2021, when Consul Bartlett attempted to join the Grand unified Micronational, though this proposal was shot down in the Senate. The Piedmonti Civil war brought the Union's foreign relations to its modern state, as the war spilled over the Union's borders and spread across the Fort Mill area. This pushed many who had previously been uninvolved in the conflict to choose a side and become more aware of the region's micronational scene. Additionally, many civilian partisan and militia groups arose throughout the civil war to oppose the rebels; and these groups would come to occupy large portions of previously neutral territory. As a part of the Treaty of AP City, which ended the Piedmonti Civil War, many of these militia groups would be recognized as independent micronations, and become the core of the Union's growing regional alliance network - the Eastern North American Cooperative.
In terms of macronations, the Union of Piedmont recognizes the following:
- All members of the United Nations excluding Vatican City and Israel.
- The Republic of Åland
- The Basque Country
- The Republic of Catalonia
- The Republic of Kosovo
- The Republic of Kurdistan
- The State of Palestine
- The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
- The Republic of Scotland
- Tamil Eelam
- The Republic of Zanzibar
In Terms of micronations, the Union of Piedmont formally recognizes the following (though the Union commonly practices a blanket recognition policy when it comes to micronations, unless otherwise stated):
- Foster Island Republic
- The Republic of Molossia
- The Imperial Republic of Mount Henadas
- The Free Nation of New Athens
- The Kingdom of Westerfalls
The Union of Piedmont also recognizes all members of the Eastern North American Cooperative:
- The People's Republic of the Paddocks
- The Free Community of Whitley
- The Republic of Knightsfield
- The Sugar Creek Assembly
Geography
The Union of Piedmont consists of 4 major and 5 minor exclaves entirely located within the Union's namesake: the geographic region of the Piedmont. The Piedmont is a raised plateau region running along the eastern base of the Appalachian Mountains, characterized by small, forested rolling hills. The largest of the Union's territorial possessions is referred to as the "Mainland" and consists of the Provinces of Elijah, Riverview, Harpers Ferry, East Harris, West Harris, Solaria, and Peachtree. The Majority of the Union's exclaves are within a 10 mile radius of each other north of the Catawba River, south of the North Carolina/South Carolina border. However, the Union does have 2 "far-flung" exclaves in North Carolina: Brookshire (consisting of the Province of Oakdale and the Region of Brookwood) and the Union Colony of Green Mountain, 19 and 67 miles respectively from the Capital.
Political Geography
For administrative purposes, the major exclaves of the Union that contain multiple provinces or regions are assigned names to refer to them as a whole. Though these divisions have no legal bearing, it is the most common colloquial manner to refer to the different portions of the Union. For a clear description of the Union's political divisions, refer to the 'Provinces, Townships, and Compact Territories' subsection of the 'Government' portions of this page.
The Mainland
The Mainland is the core of the Union, though at its foundation it was only the Province of Harris-York, it became the epicenter of Piedmonti expansion. The area became known as 'the Mainland' after the admission of Riverview, making it the largest portion of the Union, and also the location of its capital, which it remains to this day.
| Province / Region /
Union Colony Name |
Flag | Population | Status | Admitted | Premier & Magistrate /
Secretariate / Overseer |
Senator | Capital | Other Townships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Harris |  |
251 | Province | 2022 | Linda Stamper
Rodney Timms |
Abdul Al-Ramid | Millstone Hill | Bend-on-Harris, New Nazareth |
| Elijah |  |
528 | Province | 2020 | Phyllis Carswell
Jereme Hines |
Alexis King | Walter Park | Debbs, Morganshire |
| Harper's Ferry |  |
225 | Province | 2022 | Chuck Dourman
Joe Amery |
Armen Mera | Harper's Ferry | Brownsville |
| Harris-York |  |
320 | Province | 2017
(readmitted 2022) |
Juston Baker
Richard Reynolds |
Matthew Patterson | Yorktowne | Apairae, Myers City |
| Peachtree |  |
778 | Province | 2021 | Samuel Yacovetta
Haley Ginder |
Robert Crenshaw | Springbrite | Avunculus, Binlow Village |
| Riverview |  |
699 | Province | 2019 | Cole Brooks
Sandra Blanc |
Griffin Brown | New Albertville | Fort Singleterry, Isaacton,
Realand, Veteran's Bridge |
| Solaria |  |
384 | Province | 2018 | Marcus Kroese
Jasper Sol |
Alexander Sol | Somerton | Dewey, Mason |
| West Harris |  |
817 | Province | 2022 | Cody Markow
Makinly Rogers |
Elizabeth Swann | Dye City | Creekside, Wilkes Brook |
| Mulligan | 599 | Region | 2022 | Yancy Simmons | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Terramore | 924 | Region | 2021 | Amy King | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| New Tuscany | 0 | Union Colony | 2019 | David Santo | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Nova Tyre | 0 | Union Colony | 2019 | Isa Farris | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Greater Japoninca
The Greater Japoninca region is the second most populated and second largest exclave of the Union, and has been the site of some of the Union's oldest historical events. This area started as the small 2 acer Kingdom of Japoninca, and would go on to be the center of Henatan colonial administration and host the Union's first capital.
| Province / Region /
Union Colony Name |
Flag | 2022
Population |
Status | Admitted | Premier & Magistrate /
Secretariate / Overseer |
Senator | Capital | Other Townships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altura |  |
775 | Province | 2021 | Kory Bellar
Frances Cunningham |
Jameson Hugo | Fair Oaks | Laurel, New Quailfield |
| Japoninca |  |
1,047 | Province | 2017 | Gary Fellows
Travis LaFleur |
James Anderson | AP City | Quicksilver, Reservon,
Secret Round |
| Gold Hill | 885 | Region | 2021 | Lauren Ream | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Ohnika | 673 | Region | 2021 | Thomas Wyvern | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Blankmanship | 0 | Union Colony | 2021 | Walter Timbers | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Regent Park
The area of Regent Park is often simply referred to as 'New Greensboro' as it is the largest and most relevant city in the region.
| Province / Region /
Union Colony Name |
Flag | Population | Status | Admitted | Premier & Magistrate /
Secretariate / Overseer |
Senator | Capital | Other Townships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flint Hill |  |
767 | Province | 2020 | Rigoberto Mercado
Jason Ratajczak |
Venessa Mercado | New Salvador | Duportsmouth, Ivy Town |
| New Greensboro |  |
581 | Province | 2018 | Susan Wells
Mary Almond |
Malcolm McClaine | New Greensboro | N/A |
Brookshire
Brookshire is the newest addition to the Union, with its province and region being added just before the outbreak of the Piedmonti Civil War.
| Province / Region /
Union Colony Name |
Flag | Population | Status | Admitted | Premier & Magistrate /
Secretariate / Overseer |
Senator | Capital | Other Townships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakdale |  |
271 | Province | 2022 | Stacey Bozeman
Emily Hinderbrand |
Dominic Galliccio | New Regent city | Old Plank town
Twin Lakes |
| Brookwood | 145 | Region | 2022 | Lauren Gastner | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Centurions Hold | 64 | Region | 2022 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Outlying Territories
The remaining portions of the Union exist physically separated from the rest of the Union, and represents the largest diversity in Piedmonti holdings.
| Province / Region /
Union Colony Name |
Flag | Population | Status | Admitted | Premier & Magistrate /
Secretariate / Overseer |
Senator | Capital | Other Townships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homeland |  |
50 | Province | 2017 | Adam Holt
Benjamin Liebart |
Pierre Langevin | Homeland Beach | N/A |
| Kingston |  |
47 | Province | 2019 | Iris Talkington
Jane Medlin-Smith |
Katie King | Mount Pleasant | N/A |
| Dobysshire | 487 | Region | 2022 | Corey Weed | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Manilla Bay | 557 | Region | 2021 | Jalen Bridges | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Green Mountain | 0 | Union Colony | 2020 | Lionel Presser | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Johnson Island | 0 | Union Colony | 2019 | Hans Tenngrade | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Capital Cities
The Capital cities Act of 2022 formalized the system of capital cities in the Union. The law instructed the various provincial governments to select a capital Township from which to govern. The law also established the Union's primary and secondary capitals. When the Union was founded in 2017, its capital was AP City, the former seat of government for the Kingdom of Japoninca. This selection was controversial, however, as the other two founding provinces saw it as favoritism; so when the second constitution was ratified in 2019, the opportunity was taken to move the capital. By the time of the second constitution's ratification, the center of power and population had moved south towards Harris-York, and when the adjacent solaria was admitted into the Union, the area became known as "the Mainland." The Mainland became the obvious choice for the new capital, and with the Province of Riverview being admitted at the same time as the second constitution's ratification, the Somerton Conference decided on the city of New Albertville to host the Union Government. New Albertville has been the Union's capital, and the seat of its government since then, however complications have arose thanks to the nature of the Consulship. While the National Assembly, the College of Praetors, and the People's Tribunate can meet in New Albertville whenever they need to conduct their business, the day-to-day administration the Consul is responsible for necessitated their office to follow them. when Consul Presley Bartlett moved to the Province of Vandora in 2021, the National Assembly ad-hoc declared the Township of Copperstone the "host of the consular Residence" so Bartlett could operate in an official basis while living there. When the civil War erupted, and the rebels captured Vandora, Bartlett relocated to the new province of Oakdale - triggering the National Assembly to issue another resolution moving the official Consular residence again. this second move made it apparent that this might be a problem that occurs regularly in the future. The Consul only serves one year terms, far too short to expect a newly elected Consul to uproot themselves and move to New Albertville. Even if they end up serving the maximum five years in-a-row, it was believed that it was unreasonable to expect a Consul to permanently relocate. To solve this, the Capital cities Act stated that the Union has two capitals: New Albertville remained the Union's primary capital - host to the three of the four branches of the Union Government, and whatever Township the Consul lives in at the time becomes the Union's secondary capital (at the current moment being New Regent City, Oakdale).
Area & Population
The Union is 13.12 Km2, or 3,243.1 acres; its largest Province is Japoninca at 265 acres, and its smallest is Kingston at 11.6 acres. The Census and Population Research Agency estimates that 11,874 people currently reside within the Union, with 8,645 in the Provinces, and 3,229 in the Regions. The largest Province by population is Japoninca with1,047 inhabitants. The Largest city is New Greensboro, with a population of 581; with Fair Oaks, Altura coming in at second at 389. The population density of the Union is 3.66 people per acre, with the most densely populated province being New Greensboro at 11.62 people/acre, and the least densely populated being Homeland at 1.0 people/acre
Non-Hispanic Whites make up 68.2% of Union's population, African-Americans make up 22.1%, 4.1% Hispanic/Latinx, 3.7% mixed, and 1.9% Asian/South Asian.
Physical Geography & Climate
The Union of Piedmont is heavily forested, and consistent of rolling hills between 500 and 700 feet above sea level. The highest point in the Union is Eugene Crest in Green Mountain, an exclave of the Union much closer to the Appalachian Mountains, at 1152 feet above sea level. The Union has access to the Catawba River and Lake Wylie to the south, and contains 4 majors streams legally classified as rivers: Dye River, Blankmanship River, Johnson River, and Sugar River. New Greensboro and Flint Hill share access to Rock Lake, an abandoned quarry that is the largest lake in the nation.
The Union is located within a humid subtropical climate, with 4 distinct seasons in terms of temperature and weather. Summers are hot and humid, with and average daily high of 90oF (32oC). In the winter, the air dries out, and the daytime temperature reaches an average high of 50oF, and an average low of 30oF. November to February also represents the rainy season, though the region only sees .5 to 4 inches of snow a year. The Union experiences little to no natural disasters, being located too far inland to regularly be in the path of hurricanes; but does experience the occasional thunderstorms/flooding, and weak tornadoes.
Culture
The people of the Union are driven by a common cause towards civil liberties, civil rights, and a prosperous life for all. Being located in the American South, the Union continues on many of the South's traditions, though has fought against the institutional racism and bigotry often associated with the region. The Union also brings many over traditions from their Henatan forebearers due to the many years of colonial influence such as the popularity of Tunnism, a Henatan originated political philosophy. Another carry-over from the colonial era is the popularity of Henatan imagery and symbolism in Union Government emblems, seals, and logos. Policies that promote state-owned and local businesses and seek to disrupt or drive off large corporations has led to a flourishing of innovation and production. The primary benefactors of the Union's cultural and economic climate have been the younger generations who have received opportunities in governance and the economy that had not been open to them in the United States. Civic involvement is a pillar of Piedmonti culture, with the saying "a good citizen is an involved citizen" being popular, as large aspects of union governance relies on direct democracy and community consensus.
Civic Participation and Political Culture
It is often said that there are so many elected offices available for a Piedmonti citizen to seek, that anyone interested in public office will eventually win one of them. As a result, the Union is a society much more receptive to change and the individual voices of its citizens. The purposely small sizes of constituencies and the amount of important legislation that is decided through popular referendum means that even if all one did was vote, they would still make a disproportionate impact on their government. Several legislative bodies in the Union are comprised simply of those voting-age citizens who decide to show up, such as the Communal Assemblies that govern the many Townships, or even when a Constitutional Convention is called. This has created a culture that greatly values civic participation, political apathy is looked down upon, and voting in Union Government elections is compulsory, punishable by small fines that grow larger that more elections you miss. The annual nature of Piedmonti elections has created a cycle of political activity and involvement. The Consular elections usually pick up first, with most major candidates beginning their campaigns in earnest a little before the first debate traditionally held in May. After the Consular Qualifying Election in late June, things really kick-off as the candidates for Consul get cut down to 4 serious contenders, and the many races for National Assembly and other local and Union Government offices rev up in anticipation of the General Election in early September. After the elections there is a transitionary period before the newly elected officials are inaugurated on October 9 where coalitions and the cabinet are typically formed. After inauguration, the new governments across the Union set off on a flurry of legislative activity, often establishing their entire agenda by New Years.
Personal Freedoms
The Constitutional Crater establishes 15 guaranteed rights given to the Piedmonti people, covering everything from freedom of expression to the right to unionize. The constitution also, rather importantly so, states that any rights not mentioned by the constitution - and not regulated by existing legislation - to be intrinsic to all citizens. The Constitution, as well as the Union Government, is also vigilant to prevent and criminalize discrimination against any person based on sex, age, race, religion, political beliefs, national origin, or sexual/gender identification. Citizens are also protected from being impressed into joining or serving in any military or law enforcement authority.
Thanks to the constitution, and various subsequent legislation, Citizens enjoy a wide range of personal freedoms. Freedom of speech is universally observed, with even private institutions restricted from prohibiting self-expression. Drug usage is decriminalized, with hard drugs like heroin or methamphetamine requiring mandatory rehabilitation, and less societally harmful drugs like nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, and psilocybin being legal for recreational use. LGBTQIA+ rights are protected on all levels, with full marriage recognition, anti-discrimination laws, and the 'right to identify' - meaning that a citizen's legal gender identity is dictated by their personal identification and can be updated at any time through official channels.
Religion
The Union is located in what is considered North America's "Bible Belt," a region defined by evangelical Protestant Christianity (particularly Southern Babtist, in the Union's case). While this region has historically been dominated by these Protestants, the late 20th and early 21st century saw an explosion of religious diversity in the Piedmont, particularly in the Charlotte metro area, caused by a huge up-tick in migration from other areas of the United States and international immigration. Exact statistics are unknown as the Union does not inquire upon its citizen's religious beliefs in its censuses, however data collected by entities in the United States paint a clear picture. Despite Charlotte and Fort Mill's history of anti-Catholic prejudice, the area's catholic population has nearly quintupled since the 1980s from ~1.5% to ~6.2%. The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints has also seen expansion in Fort Mill, attributed to pacific islander missionaries and migrants to the town, going from nonexistent to 1+% of the population. Other major religious groups that have cemented themselves in the area include rapidly growing Hindu and Muslim communities, formed largely of South Indian and Levantine immigrants respectively. Despite the Piedmont's rise in religious diversity, the fastest growing group are the non-religious composing ~48% of the region's population. This category covers a wide variety of belief, from those who are religiously apathetic to those who identify as atheist.
Article 4, section 2, title 3 of the Constitutional Charter, also known as the 3rd Guaranteed Right, defines the relationship between the Union Government and religion. The title establishes 5 points:
- Freedom of religious identity.
- Freedom to peacefully practice religion.
- Forbidding the Union, Provinces, Townships, or any other governmental entity from establishing a state or official religion.
- Forbidding the Union, Provinces, Townships, or any other governmental entity from enforcing religious belief or customs upon citizens.
- Forbidding the Union, Provinces, Townships, or any other governmental entity from obligating religious participation.
There are several active churches located within the Union's borders including: Fort Mill Church of the Nazarene, Bible Babtist Church, Sisk Memorial Babtist Church, Cavalry Chapel Fort Mill, Piney Grove Church, Life Builders Church, and Grace Community United Methodist Church. Catholic Piedmontis find themselves within the Ecclesiastical Province of Atlanta under the leadership of Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer. Within said Ecclesiastical Province the Union is split between the Dioceses of Charlotte and the Diocese of Charleston lead by Bishop Peter Joseph Jugis and Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune respectively.
Holidays
The Union developed a unique mix of informal holidays during its colonial period as Henatan influence popularized Henatan holidays such as Sitting Day and John Riley Day in the east. Meanwhile Piedmontis continued celebrating their own days of significance such as the founding days of the Kingdom of Japoninca and the Harris-York Commonwealth. Of course, on top of these micronational-specific holidays, the people of the Union would also continue to celebrate existing American and religious holidays i.e., Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc. On 13 October 2022, the National Assembly passed the National Holidays Act as part of Consul Bartlett's fifth term labor reforms. This law established over a dozen official Piedmonti national holidays as well as defining how national holidays were to be observed. The law mandates all non-vital workers and students receive a paid day off on any official holiday, while vital workers receive double their daily pay. Though the National Holidays Act only outlines holidays officially recognized and celebrated by the Union Government, it extends these requirements to any holiday with significant cultural and/or religious importance to an individual. Additionally, the law states that for the duration of a recognized national holiday:
- No person shall be compelled to forfeit a debt (with exception of same-day retail purchase of goods or service) or rent payment.
- No person shall be sentenced of a crime, nor shall any judicial rulings be issued.
- No person shall be evicted from their place of residence.
- No person shall be terminated from their employment.
- Interest on private debts shall not accumulate.
- Residential usage of utilities shall not be measured or billed.
- Value Added Tax shall not be collected.
| Date(s) Celebrated | Holiday | Origin | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year's Day | American holiday, ancient Rome | While most New Year's celebrations occur during the night of New Year's Eve, the first of January is often observed in the Union by attending lunch (or brunch) with friends and family - as well as setting off left-over fireworks. |
| Second Saturday of February | Neurodivergent Celebration Day | National Holidays Act | This holiday was created to give neurodivergent Piedmontis a day to share their stories and point-of-view, and for all Piedmontis to be understanding and appreciative of the diversity of human thought. |
| 17 March | John Riley Day | Henatan holiday | Seen by its creators, the Henatans, as their second biggest holiday of the year - conceding only to Henatan Independence Day. The holiday celebrates the actions of Captain John Riley and the Saint Patrick's Battalion he helped form during the Mexican-American War. Its observance became a favored alternative to Saint Patrick's Day in the Piedmont during the colonial era and has not waned in popularity since. The day typically involves singing songs and telling stories about the Saint Patrick's Battalion and a traditional meal of "Mexican food and Irish Beer" (or non-alcoholic Irish cider). |
| 20 April | Freedoms Day | Piedmonti holiday | Probably the most flexible Piedmonti holiday, the observance of Freedoms Day is meant to invoke the wide range of personal freedoms intrinsic to, and entitled to, Citizens of the Union. Fittingly, this can mean practically anything, from not wearing a shirt (or bra) in public, to organizing protests and political rallies. It's association with the holiday '4/20' is not coincidental, as the holiday was started and popularized by the Union's sizable legal drug subculture. |
| 1 May | May Day (alternatively: International Day of Labor) | international holiday, ties to ancient Germanic equinox festivals. | The Union has long prized the efforts of its workers and laborers, and its citizens have been celebrating the Internation Day of Labor and Solidarity since its founding. Piedmonti traditions include leaving one's house as little as possible, hosting backyard or block parties, and eating heartily. May Day is not only a day meant for the celebration and recognition of the worker that make society function, but it is also the first day of the Union's larges national festival. |
| 1 May - 8 May | Labor Week | National Holidays Act | Labor Week is a guaranteed, eight-day, paid vacation for practically all Piedmonti citizens. This time is often used to go in trips, hold local festivals and conventions, or simply spend time around loved ones. |
| 8 May | Antifascist Action Day (alaternativly: Death to Fascists Day) | National Holidays Act | This holiday was created to celebrate the demise of Nazi Germany and the fall of the fascist order in Europe. It is a day to remind Piedmontis of the evils of fascist ideology, and the unforgivable crimes committed by its peddlers; as well as a day to reflect on the manifestations of fascism encountered in the modern day - and how they must be eliminated. |
| Last Saturday of June | Qualifying Round of the Consular Elections | Piedmonti holiday | Since voting is compulsory in the Union, all election days are considered national holidays in order to give citizens ample opportunity to cast their ballot. As politics are typically on people's mind on election days, it is often a time of much political discussion and debate. |
| 27 June | Japoninca Day | Japonincan holiday | Commemorating the day King Austin was crowned the first King of Japoninca, founding the nation. Though the holiday was primarily celebrated in the Province of Japoninca originally, it slowly caught on throughout the Union after ascension. In Japoninca, the holiday is observed by putting up pictures of King Autstin, displaying Japonincan flags and symbols, cook-outs, and fireworks. Outside of Japoninca, the holiday is seen as a day celebrating the pre-colonial micronational history of the Piedmont. |
| First Saturday of July | Piedmonti Pride | National Holidays Act | A day to celebrate the diversity of sexuality, gender expression and preference, and identity in the Union, and to denounce the hatred of people for such reasons. The Union has been host to several privately organized Pride events in the past, but the National Holidays Act established a set day (weekend in practice) for its annual observance. Much like Pride events around the world, the core event to attend are the Pride parades organized across the Union. |
| First Saturday of August | Cultural Appreciation Day | National Holidays Act | A day to appreciate the rich tapestry of cultures that make up the Union. Citizens are encouraged to indulge in and show case their unique cultural background, and for all people of all backgrounds to interact and share their unique identities. Food festivals very popular on this day, with vendors coming together to share food from around the world. |
| 13 August | Constitution Day | Piedmonti holiday | The day the Constitutional Charter of the Union of Piedmont (commonly known as the Second Constitution) was ratified is typically celebrated by the reading from, handing out copies of, or attending lectures on the Piedmonti constitution. |
| 2 September | Peace Day | National Holidays Act, pre-existing "V-Day" holiday | Peace Day commemorates not only the surrender of the Empire of Japan and the end of the Second World War, but also the anniversary of the Tradillion Verbal Ceasefire Agreement which ended the First Fair Oaks Border War. It is a day to remember those who struggled to achieve peace in our past and in our present. Common practices on the day include attending memorials for fallen soldiers and figures of peace, and holding rallies calling for an end to hostilities across the globe. |
| First Saturday of September | General Election Day | Piedmonti holiday | Since voting is compulsory in the Union, all election days are considered national holidays in order to give citizens ample opportunity to cast their ballot. As politics are typically on people's mind on election days, it is often a time of much political discussion and debate. |
| Last Saturday of September (if applicable) | Run-Off Round of the Consular Elections | Piedmonti holiday | If none of the four candidates receives a majority of the popular vote in the Second Round of the Consular Elections, a run-off is held on this day, thus adding an extra holiday to the year. |
| 9 October | Ascension Day (alternatively: Piedmonti Independence Day) | Piedmonti holiday | The day the members of the Conference on the Status of Eastern Henatan Holdings signed the Proclamation of Ascension and founded the Union of Piedmont in 2017 has been celebrated annually since 2018. As the ninth is also the day individuals elected to public office in that year's elections are inaugurated, much of the festivities include the pomp and ceremony involved with ushering in a new government. Celebrations involve watching the Consular inauguration and inaugural speech, watching the National Assembly opening ceremony, and watching/participating in parades. This time is a very popular time for newly elected officials to mingle and interact with their constituents. After ceremonies in the morning, communities or whole Townships will organize large block parties with traditional Piedmonti food and patriotic music. |
| 3 November | Sitting Day | Henatan holiday | This Henatan children's holiday caught on very quickly during the colonial period and has been completely coopted into Piedmonti culture. On top of the holiday's original purpose of being a day to celebrate the achievements and imaginations of the Union's youth; it has also become a celebration of the Union's Henatan heritage. The typical Sitting Day celebration is a house party for the kids, usually decorated with a Henatan theme (triangle banners, red and yellow colored everything, setting out cacti or other desert plants, etc.). |
| Second Saturday of November | First Americans Day | National Holidays Act | A day established to promote the culture of the many native peoples who inhabited North America before the invasion of Europeans, and to provide a platform for Native Piedmontis to share their culture and the struggles they face in the modern day. It is also a day for specifically the Union Government to renew its acknowledgment that the Union occupies stolen land, and hear and act upon the voices of indigenous people. |
| 6 December | Emancipation Day | National Holidays Act | Established to celebrate the passage of the Thirteenth Ammendment to the United States Constitution which legally ended slavery in that country and liberated the ancestors of most Afro-Piedmontis. It is a day to appreciate the vast contribution and achievement of black people across the continent even in the face of chattel slavery, oppressive segregation, and institutional racism. Most importantly the holiday is for Afro-Piedmontis to share and celebrate the unique culture, society, and new homeland they have built for themselves. |
| 24 December - 27 December | Family Festival | National Holidays Act | Another guaranteed paid vacation for Piedmonti citizens where they are encouraged to spend time with friends, family, and all loved ones. |
| 31 December | New Year's Eve | American holiday | Piedmontis tend to celebrate the closing of one year and beginning of another in the classic American fashion: parties, confetti, collard greens, and champagne. Delegate Laura Cedeil has spearheaded an effort to construct a "big torch" in New Greensboro that can be lit to usher in the new year, as a replacement for watching a ball dropping ceremony in the United States - though this has yet to come to fruition. |
The Arts
Artistic talent is highly prized in Piedmonti culture, accomplished artists receive much fame and recognition from the populace, and the Union Government devotes many assets and resources to Piedmonti artists to enrich the lives of citizens. The Piedmonti Civil Service (PCS) is a volunteer organization operated by the Department of the Citizenry created to organize community improvement projects, a large aspect of which beautification. The PCS has sponsored and/or directly organized several paint and chalk murals, landscaping and gardening instillations, and public monuments across the Union. The Subdepartment for Education runs a similar program called Tomorrow's Union that organizes child and student volunteers to do artistic and community projects. Some of the most famous government sponsored projects in the Union include the AP City Sculpture Garden, the Fort Pallet Ampitheatre, and National Chalk Day - an annual tradition stared by the PCS in 2019 that involves citizens creating elaborate chalk murals and drawings on the pavement outside their homes or in public spaces on the 10th of June.
The Union is home to artists accomplished in all forms of art and expression. Among the most famous in the visual arts is Liesl Juell who - on top of a thriving political career in the Union Government - is the one of the most prolific and best-selling illustrator, painter, and tattoo artists in the country. Dominic Gallicchio, a well-known pixel artist, also known by their online handle Pixelhimbo, joins illustrator Kristalin Yerty as the Union's most popular Graphic artists. Even first Consul of the Union Presley Bartlett, on top of her literary work as a historian and journalist, is the Union's most prolific cartographer, producing many maps used by the Union Government in an official capacity. The most popular musical acts from the Union are hip-hop artist and producer Cole Brooks (known professionally as YourFavoriteUncle) and beat-box artist Corey Weed. In the literary world, Elizabeth Swann reigns as the Union's most famous author, actively publishing award-winning collections of poetry and short stories since the 2000s, as well as being the largest newspaper publisher in the country. The sister duo Madeline and Meagan Leung are former members of the Academy of Dance and Fine arts Performance Troupe, known for their annual performance of The Nutcracker.
Economics
In an effort to preserve stability and productivity, the first Union Government in 2017 largely avoided interfering with pre-existing Henatan and American economic institutions. This meant the Union was born into a capitalist free market, with a few Henatan state-owned companies in the logistics and agriculture sectors transferring to Piedmonti ownership. Consul Presley Bartlett did establish several financial oversight offices as part of the Effective Order Act in 2018, and her successor - Ryder Causey - would also tighten regulatory control over the economy. The most important economic change of the early Union was the Union Economics Act passed early in Consul Causey's administration (2018). This law created the Piedmonti Franc, a co-official currency for the Union alongside the US Dollar; however, the Franc was no to be publicly circulated, it was exclusively used for transactions between Piedmonti governmental entities. Other than these minor adjustments, the Piedmonti economy was mostly indistinguishable from America's.
This state of affairs would radically change with the ratification of the second constitution in August 2019. The Union's bureaucracy was given constitutional authority to regulate corporate finance and compliance. Additionally, the National Assembly was given the express power to levy taxes, tariffs, and other revenue generators - this power was simply implied under the first constitution. When Presley Bartlett returned for her second term that same year, she became very open about her socialist views, and underwent a 4-year-long effort to reform the Piedmonti economy. The initial phase of these reforms were the Social State Acts of 2020. The first Social state Act created a multitude of government offices ranging from the Subdepartment of Emergency Response to the Legal Aid Agency, largely in reaction to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This Act provided more basic government services, as well as expanding employment opportunities in the Union Government. The second Social State Act established the basics of the Piedmonti welfare state, as well as other offices meant to provide benefit to Piedmonti citizens, and/or improve their communities. The biggest change to the Piedmonti Economy would come in late 2022 when the Union Central Planning Authority Charter Act was passed. This law was the culmination of all of Bartlett's economic reforms; it established the Union Central Planning Authority (UCPA), a body of union representatives, nonmanagement workers, community leaders, professionals, data analysts, and the like responsible for the creation of 3-year-plans for the Union's economy. These 3-year-plans outline the general goals of the Union Government for the upcoming 3 years, this includes: wage increases, governmental budgets, import/export ratios, currency value, interest rates, and much more. The UCPA was created to turn the Piedmont's economy into 'overdrive,' by allowing for the Union's limited resources to be put to maximal use; and to ensure continual prosperity and fair conditions for Piedmonti workers.
Employment and Trade
Most Piedmontis (~83%) are employed in some form of service occupation, primarily in healthcare, insurance, retail, and education. The Bartlett administration has pushed heavily to expand manufacturing presence and employment in the Union to stimulate Piedmonti exports and provide well-paying, unionized jobs for citizens. The Union also boasts a small, but rapidly growing, agricultural sector. Tomatoes, potatoes, watermelons, and squash are grown for almost exclusively domestic consumption; however, the Office of Special Cultivation has been experimenting with more export-focused crops and products like rice, honey, peaches, and pears.
The Union of Piedmont is heavily reliant on the United States for imports; however, it does have a small export market. AP City - the capital of Japoninca - is famous for their locally produced honey, the First Noodle Company was acquired by the Union Government in 2022 and manufactures egg noodles sold across the eastern seaboard, and Diversity Incorporated - which is partially state-owned - exports cleaning and sanitizing products to the United States. In addition to these traditional forms of exports, the Union is also host to the Patterson Flea Market in New Greensboro, a place where Piedmontis and non-Piedmontis alike sell their wares to a primarily American consumer base.
Organized Labor
The Sixteenth Guaranteed Right establishes the right for all people employed in the Piedmont to organize unions, guilds, and/or worker's associations. Worker and labor rights are extremely important to Piedmonti culture and its economy. Creating a safe space for organized labor within the fervently anti-union American South was one of the nation's founding principles. It is estimated that 75% of Piedmonti workers are unionized, as a result Piedmonti workers enjoy higher wages and better working conditions then their non-Piedmonti counterparts. Consul Presley Bartlett has indicated several times that she wishes for all Piedmonti workers to be unionized, as well as encouraging the creation of worker co-ops and other non-hierarchical business organizations. In addition to their constitutional protections, unions also have the 'power of democracy' affirmed by the College of Praetors in the landmark case United Gas Service Workers v. Gerald Damion. The precedent set allows worker's organizations to abolish their management if decided by a supermajority of a company's unionized workers without the consent of a business' owners.
Government Revenue
The Union does not currently level any form of taxation on its citizens' income or possessions; instead, the Union of Government is funded through the sale of bonds to foreign and domestic buyers, tariffs on certain imports, and land usage fees. The most important of these are the land usage fees, as they stem directly from the second amendment to the Constitutional Charter. The amendment states that all land in the Union is intrinsically owned by the Piedmonti people via the Union Government. Said land is leased in perpetuity to the provinces and/or townships to allocate in accordance with Union laws. This land is considered to be common to all citizens unless prescribed for a specific use - those uses being residential or commercial. Residential plots are officially classified as a 'personal possession' and are treated like private property in all cases excluding eminent domain - there is no fee for residential land use. Commercial plots are leased from the province or township they reside in (or the Union Government directly if not in either) and must pay an annual fee for the continued use of the land.
Currency
The Union officially recognizes two equal forms of currency: the US Dollar, and the Piedmonti Farina - a freely circulating representative currency with a value pegged to that of Maruchan ramen noodle packets. The Farina was adopted in May 2021, replacing the former uncirculated Piedmonti Franc. The Coinage Act introduced the Farina's fractional unit - Decs. Decs are based on the Henatan Part, the subdivision of the Token, with one Decs equal to 1/10th of a Farina. Dec coinage was scheduled to be introduced into circulation in January 2022; however, it was deprioritized during the lead up to the Civil War. A second series of Farina notes were released in April 2022, that updated the designs with some minor adjustments also as a response to the Civil War. While every note had to be updated in some way due to no longer being minted at the Vandora Mint, the most notable changes were the 10 and 50 Farina notes whose portraits had changed. The 10 Farina note had originally depicted founding figure turned rebel against the Union K L. As a result of her treachery, her image was replaced with that of Alexander Sol - the first Senator from Solaria and a leading figure in the drafting of the Second Constitution. The 50 Farina note, depicting founding father and former Japonincan Senator Howard Surface, was replaced at the request of Surface himself - as stated in his formal letter to the Consul when he had first learned of the planned design changes: "... I am sick of looking at myself every time I get change." His likeness was replaced with that of Rhiannon Newton, another major figure in the drafting of the Second Constitution.