Sigurd Jörgensen to retire from politics
28 January 2012 - This morning, foreign affairs minister and vice prime minister Sigurd Jörgensen has announced his retirement from active politics, due to health reasons. According to Jörgensen, the prime minister, mr. Dankert, as well as the ROOS! party leadership has been informed of his decision already two weeks ago, so that a successor has already been found: Mathias Schydtz, who has served as the deputy director of the emerging economy department of the state secretariate of Foreign Economical and Cultural Cooperation since 2008. Jörgensen will step down on 3 February after the Promulgation ceremony (the annual opening of the Kronenburg parliamentary year); Schydtz will take the oath shortly thereafter. As vice prime minister, he will be succeeded by Hein Swabedissen, the minister of regional planning.

Sigurd Jörgensen (62) has had an active career: among other jobs, he served as the mayor of Oud-kronenburg (1999 - 2003) and as director of the Ylieen-Centre, the cultural institute of the AGL (2006 - 2009). He had to step down from the latter job before the end of his term due to health problems and in the Summer of 2009 he spent some time in the hospital after a difficult operation. He recovered however quickly, and in 2010 he contributed a lot to the new party combination ROOS!, for which party he was appointed foreign affairs minister and vice prime minister only last year.

End Of World believers gather in Alexanderstad
26 January 2012 - With the Occupy demonstrators removed from city squares in Kronenburg, a new group has settled on the central square near the city hall and the parliament buildings consisting of people who believe that the world will end on 21 December this year, as predicted by the Mayan calender. The Dead End Walkers or in Dutch Wandelaars van het Doodlopend Pad, as they call themselves, put some tents on the square and drew a circle between them around which they perform mysterious dances, dressed in red woollen robes. Bystanders seem to find the whole thing rather amusing until now, and the city council told the press that it sees no reason yet to remove the Walkers from the square.

Khusqaikama angered by Kronenburg economist's remarks
14 January 2012 - Henk Eminga, a professor of economic history at the University of Denestad, has shocked the society of the country of Khusqaikama a week ago by suggesting in an interview that they should stimulate sex tourism and the export of porn in order to make their larger neighbouring countries such as Russia invest in the Khusqaian economy. He claimed that a similar situation applies for our country as well: Kronenburg offers a lucrative gambling scene in the northeastern part of North America that attracts United States Americans from neighbouring states as well as some Canadians. Eminga claimed that Asian women are forming an attractive aspect of the Khusqaian economy and he advised the country to boost this industry.

Although considered a brilliant economist, Henk Eminga is known for his peculiar and sometimes controversial way of formulating his opinions. Colleagues called Eminga's remarks 'typical' and 'clumsy' but admitted that the Khusqaians, who do not have had much first hand experience with Eminga's personality yet, were right to be annoyed by them.

Several municipalities will choose new mayors in early 2012
13 January 2012 - Four municipalities will get new mayors early this year. Already on 21 December last year, business woman Lena Ewen was elected to succeed Oud-Kronenburg mayor Alfred Dopper on 1 February, but today the mayors of Dietzland, Alexanderstad and Zuiderland also announced that they will be stepping down soon.

The announcement of the mayor of Alexanderstad, Bert-Jan Sibranda, came as a surprise. He has been mayor of the capital since 2005, but he was widely expected to remain in office for several more years (mayors in Kronenburg are elected only once, and then evaluated every four or five years; they can step down themselves or be sent away if such an evaluation has a negative result). He said however that he has received some money from an inheritance and he and his wife decided to buy a house on the Kronenburg Virgin Islands.

Dietzland has called for elections on Saturday 3 March. The other two municipalities haven't decided on dates yet.

Prime minister announces changes in the diplomatic service
1 January 2012 - Our country's diplomatic service will be drastically reformed as of 1 January 2013. This was mentioned yesterday evenening in the New Year's Speech by the prime minister. The reforms are part of austerity measures that should make the Kronenburg budget more healthy. The most drastic change will be the halving of the number of embassies, but more details will be announced in February.

Government announces possible redivision of local governments
20 December 2011 - The ministry of domestic affairs announced today that it will conduct an investigation next year whether or not a redivision of local governments is useful and, if so, how it can be implemented the best way. Several political parties had already mentioned the possibility of a redivision and recently, the autonomous overseas provinces of the White Islands and the Kronenburg Virgin Islands have requested a change of status: both entities wish to expand their autonomy.

In addition, the municipality of West-Cod has said that the possibility should be investigated that it will get an autonomous status similar to that of the overseas municipality of New-Stavoren. The West-Cod people fear problems when the Kronenburgish language is made an official language of Kronenburg; the inhabitants of West-Cod only speak Dutch and English as mother tongues.

Meanwhile, the larger municipalities of Oud-Kronenburg, Friescheburg and Alexanderstad, people are discussing the possibility of splitting in multiple smaller population clusters, although a majority of the inhabitants are said to be opposed to such a change.

Prince Willem Lodewijk engaged to Karstonian princess Lovisa
15 December 2011 - Prince Willem Lodewijk, the younger brother of king Ernst Frederik, will marry the Karstonian princess Lovisa on a still undecided moment in the future. Although the royal houses of both countries have yet to make it official, several Karstonian and Kronenburg newspapers put the news on their front covers today (the Karstonians were first because of the time difference). The princess, a daughter of the Karstonian king Henrik-Otkar II, first wants to finish her studies before she will marry.

The 28 year old prince was seen in company of the 22 year old princess on several occasions in the last months. Although according to some the couple became romantically involved during the Karstonian state visit to Kronenburg in 2009, others claim that they were seeing each other already before that. Until September last year, prince Willem Lodewijk still had an official relationship with a Kronenburg woman, miss Cecilia Reijtemaker.

The fact that the news has spread today before any official announcement is made, has caused some commotion. Some suspect members of the royal household to have leaked the news to the media, but others are convinced that it was the couple themselves that spilled the beans: especially the prince is known for making very lucrative but often controversial deals. Earlier this year, he signed a contract with broadcasting organisation O3 for a reality soap around his person, but the royal house and the government prevented this from happening.

"Stear Wirdbook" most popular St. Nicolas gift of 2011
8 December 2011 - The "Stear Wirdbook fan de Kroneborgske Sprake" (Large Dictionary of the Kronenburg Language) has proven a popular gift for the St. Nicolas festivities this year; the dictionary, which came out half way November, was the second best sold book at the end of the month, after "De Luwte" (The Shelter), the newest novel by Kronenburg writer Saskia van Harlingen.

The Stear Wirdbook is not the first dictionary in the Kronenburg language, but earlier versions were mainly Dutch to Kronenburg pocket dictionaries that introduced mainly special and funny words; the Stear Wirdbook is a work of more than 2000 pages and more than 100,000 entries, and it could be purchased with a discount in the weeks around St. Nicolas (5 and 6 December).

The dictionary was finished a year before the Kronenburg language will be introduced as an official language in the country. At the moment only Dutch is the official language; it won't be replaced entirely by Kronenburgish as of 1 January 2013 as some issues still have to be resolved, such as whether or not to introduce Kronenburgish in the municipality of West-Cod, where people don't speak the language, but use Dutch and English instead.

Kronenburg professor co-founds ISCOSELN
8 December 2011 - The Kronenburg economist Harold Wijnsma (from the Technical University of Waterburg) has founded the International Society for the study of the Challenges and Opportunities of Small Economies with Large Neighbours (ISCOSELN) today, together with his Khusqaian colleague Siimeŋ Ŭeixiitär, who became the society's first president. ISCOSELN is an international scientific society that aims to further the scientific study of the economic problems of countries with small economies that are overshadowed by much larger and better known neighbours, and how to overcome these problems. The organisation pursues its aims by means of organising scientific conferences, and will in the future possibly publish a journal. Despite the scientific focus, ISCOSELN also welcomes government officials as members and as attendees to the organisation's conferences.

Harold Wijnsma (*1957) is known in Kronenburg for his research and articles about the power and the lack of it of the Kronenburg economy in the shadow of the much larger economy of the United States.

LKP wants Kronenburg to remain out of FICT and has serious doubts with continuing the AGL membership
The liberal opposition party LKP doesn't want Kronenburg to join the international organisation FICT, not even in a more remote future, according to a party spokesman. In addition, the party has 'serious doubts' whether our country should continue the AGL membership. The reason for this is the increasing number of what the LKP calls 'dubious countries' that are members of FICT and the AGL. These countries don't value democracy as much as it should be, the party claims. Among the founding member states of FICT are such countries, such as Dhram Phá and Harrawi, but the LKP has also great doubts about the proper functioning of Adzhatia. Within the AGL there are Chimor, Île de Romanhe and Insulantis as well as the associated member state Palana; the LKP would have preferred them outside of the AGL instead of in it. Recently, Chimor applied for the membership of FICT.

The LKP will revise its party programme next year in order to remake the party appealing to the Kronenburg voters. The above stance is to be included in it.

Former PM of Île de Romanhe makes a bid for the public broadcasting channels
22 November 2011 - RagnaRrökk, a company from the Indian Ocean island nation of Île de Romanhe lead by a former prime minister of that country, Pascal Rrokk, has made a bid for the Kronenburg public broadcasting channels RTK1 and RTK3. RagnaRrökk is hoping to use these channels to better broadcast its own programmes, some of which will be produced at the Kronenburg Virgin Islands. Although the communication minister Marianne Fraeijlema has said to seriously take the bid into consideration, an action committee aiming to preserve the quality of Kronenburg television has reacted to the news with concern: they fear that RagnaRrökk will cause the catagenesis of programme variety on these channels.

King will visit Yukland in 2012
21 November 2011 - King Ernst Frederik and his wife queen Isabel will visit the republic of Yukland early next year. They will be received by president Ylf Haukssön. The aim of the visit is to improve the ties with a country from where many emigrants reached Kronenburg in the past. Apart from that, the Northern European country is economically attractive and could be more of a partner to our country. During the visit, the king will be accompanied by prime minister Hans Dankert, foreign affairs minister Sigurd Jörgensen and economical affairs minister Thomas Bouma.

Pirate Party chairman arrested for violence
15 November 2011 - During the continuing removal of the Occupy camp in Alexanderstad, the police arrested 26 people this morning. Among them the chairman of the recently founded Pirate Party, Sven Haisma. Bystanders filmed with their phones how Haisma knocked a police officer to the ground and kicked him in the face. Haisma and many of his party members participated in the Occupy protests from the first hour and they were extremely upset when the minister gave the order last week to remove the protesters. Depending on the injuries Haisma has inflicted upon the policeman, he can get a maximum of nine years imprisonment.

Occupy-Kronenburg protesters to be removed from square
11 November 2011 - The police in Alexanderstad have begun to remove all Occupy-Kronenburg protesters from the square near the stock exchange building, where the largest variant of the Occupy Wall Street movement in our country has been camping since September in order to protest against the continuing greed in the financial sector. Domestic affairs minister Wojciech Jędrzejewicz had given the protesters an ultimatum last week, after a small group of protesters had begun to throw bricks and other objects towards the stock exchange building, although the protest had been generally peaceful until then. The police made some arrests. The minister, who said to agree with many of the protesters' points of vue (he is a member of the left wing party ROOS!), argued that there are other ways of protesting without harming innocent people; in the last month and a half, crime figures in the areas around the three Occupy locations in our country have risen. The protesters have announced that they intend to stay where they are, despite the police and the government.

State secretary to Chimor to talk about extradition request
8 November 2011 - Mrs. Barbara Taffijn-Åsby, the state secretary for American Affairs, has travelled to the Chimorese capital of Lindavista to talk about the extradition request made by the Chimorese government last summer. The Chimorese drug dealer Nestor Garda, who was arrested in the Kronenburg village of Treurgat and who is now awaiting a trial for involvement in drugs dealing and for being in Kronenburg illegally, is wanted by Chimor as well. There are however no extradition agreements between our countries, as Kronenburg has a very hesitant policy of concluding such treaties with any country, in order to protect its own citizens. The fact that mr. Garda doesn't have the Kronenburg nationality could however make things easier, but if he is extradited to Chimor, this will only occur after his trial, the first hearing of which will take place no sooner than January 2012.

The public broadcasting channels are for sale
2 November 2011 - The government is to sell all public broadcasting channels in 2012 and 2013. This was announced today by traffic and communication minister Marianne Fraeijlema. The public broadcasters have been unprofitable for years, especially after a media schandal in 2006 in which all three public channels, RTK1, RTK3 and RTK-Kunst (the art channel) were involved. The selling of the public channels means the effective end to government subsidised media in our country. Among the parties interessed in buying one or more channels is the Kronenburg media tycoon Oscar A. Ottendorf Okrilla, who already has his own television channels. Many fear that he will disband the public channels if he buys them and the labour unions have already announced protests against the government's decision.

Kronenburg gets its own Pirate Party
19 October 2011 - As of today, Kronenburg too has its own Pirate Party. The Kronenburgse Piratenpartij (KPP) was officially  founded today by a group of sympathisers of Pirate Parties in other countries and plans to fight in our country too for the so called 'digital rights' of the people: most importantly freedom of information and privacy protection, among other issues. According to the party's first leader, Sven Haisma, Kronenburg is falling behind in this digital era. 'Many of the old rules can't be applied on internet environments, and in the last ten years, our government has done too little to adapt itself and our society to the increasing problems, dangers but also benefits of the internet. The world is changing, but the political establishment doesn't seem to notice', mr. Haisma said.

A spokeswoman of the liberal opposition party LKP has called the founding of the KPP an outrage and says her party thinks the pirate party should be forbidden. According to the LKP, the mere existence of the KPP in its current form is a violation of several existing laws. Other parties have not given any reaction yet.

Insulantian proposed media law leads to anger and a discussion at AGL level about press freedom
8 September 2011 - A proposed media law discussed in the parliament of the Indian Ocean nation of Insulantis has triggered some angry reactions from press organisations in several AGL countries. The first severe criticism originated in an Île de Romanhe newspaper, claiming that the Insulantian law would mean the end of press freedom in Insulantis. In a surprise move, the Insulantian government reacted by recalling all its diplomats from Île de Romanhe, a move that was criticised by many other AGL countries. The conflict was commented by the AGL secretary general, mrs. Karen Damgaard, who stated that she hoped that both countries managed to solve the conflict by themselves, but that AGL mediation would be given if asked for. Although some political parties and individual members of parliament as well as officials of media organisations in our country issued official reactions mostly condemning the Insulantian diplomatical behaviour, the Kronenburg ministry of foreign affairs has yet to give an official reaction.

The conflict has created a discussion between the AGL member states whether press freedom is just a western liberal democratic pet topic or that it is a more profound human freedom. In the European and American member states as well as in most of the member states formerly colonised by western European countries, there is astonishment that this discussion is even brought up in the first place, but some of the other member states claim that their cultures differ too much from the leading western civilisations for some of the human rights to apply in the same manner.

Among others, Joost Wubs, the editor-in-chief of the Kronenburger Bode, one of our country's leading newspapers, has called upon the AGL Supreme Court to check whether the proposed media law of Insulantis meet the requirements of the Treaty of Jarjana, the AGL human rights treaty, which Insulantis has signed.

Foreign minister starts Asia trip
7 September 2011 - The Kronenburg foreign affairs minister Sigurd Jörgensen has started his Asia tour today. Among other countries, he will visit China, Japan, the AGL associated member state, the people's republic of Palana, as well as the kingdom of Kaupelan and the republic of Khusqaikama. Diplomatic relations with the two latter countries will probably be expanded during the trip; it is understood that Kronenburg will establish consulates or perhaps even embassies in both countries. The tour will be concluded in Indonesia on 22 September.

Insulantis plans to legalise soft drugs; astonishment in Kronenburg parliament
1 September 2011 - The Kronenburg foreign affairs minister Sigurd Jörgensen has asked the Insulantian ambassador, mr. Saromiglus, for an explanation regarding plans of the Insulantian government to legalise soft drugs. These plans could have big consequences for the drug trade to fellow AGL countries. Although only people of Insulantian nationality would be able to buy drugs, the foreign affairs ministry has called it 'naive' to think that Insulantians can't get involved in the illegal trade of drugs. In the mean time the Noordkamer has responed with astonishment to the Insulantian plans. Some parties believe the AGL free trade Treaty of Corille is misused by illegal organisations to facilitate smuggling, e.g. of drugs, between AGL countries and they believe it would be better for Kronenburg if it would revoke the treaty. The foreign ministry didn't want to comment on these suggestions. Insulantis is a country in the Indian Ocean, which joined the AGL in 2009.

Irene causes around 85% power loss throughout the country
28 August 2011 - As the tropical storm Irene travels further to the north east, it becomes clear that not much has been damaged by it, apart from some flooding, especially in the western part of Kronenburg. Some streets in Alexanderstad but particularly in Friescheburg and Marianne, were flooded; in Friescheburg the Arena square, the city's central hub between all different kinds of public transport to almost each corner of Kronenburg, will be closed for several days, as the water is standing at a high level in several subway stations. Two people in the village of Iefte were reportedly killed by waves, as they tried to watch the storm from the coast but couldn't get away in time.

Throughout the country, people suffered from major power losses. Some 85% of the Kronenburg homes are hit by what is now called the most severe power outage in the recent history of our country. Public facilities such as hospitals rely on emergency power units until main power will be restored; this could however take more than a week. Although Kronenburg is seldomly hit by a hurricane of this size, the energy minister, ms. Albeda-Hann, has already promised an investigation as to how the power outage could have reached such large proportions.

Kronenburg prepares for Irene
26 August 2011 - As it is becoming more likely every hour that Kronenburg will be hit by the tropical storm or even hurricane Irene during the following weekend, the government has declared a state of emergency  and adviced all citizens to secure their houses and search for shelter. As Kronenburg is too small a country to organise large scale evacuations, the government has advised people living in houses that may be considered 'unstable' to temporarily move to friends or family who live in houses that are more likely to withstand the severe weather conditions. Some citizens have however chosen to leave the country and visit relatives in Canada or the United States; for the last two days, the international airport of Alexanderstad has been crowded with twice the amount of passengers as normally would be the case in this time of year.

Ministry of foreign affairs investigating membership of new organisation FICT
29 June 2011 - Last Saturday a new international organisation was created in Purikali, the capital of the kingdom of Kaupelan: the Forum of International Cooperation and Trade is said to be a more serious successor of the organisation FICTS, which has existed since 2004, but which will be terminated once FICT is fully operational. Apparently Kronenburg was represented during the events in Purikali, although no decision about a FICT membership of our country was made at that moment.

'Although certain countries that have become members of FICT, have tried to persuade Kronenburg to join as well, we won't make such a decision very hastily,' says a foreign ministry spokeswoman. 'Although the government certainly is interested in FICT, it is not its objective to make our country a full member at this time. In the following months, we will closely monitor the development of the organisation and at a moment in the future, a more official stand may be taken.'

If Kronenburg would join FICT now, it would be the most populated country in the organisation and probably have the highest GDP rate, and opponents of Kronenburg becoming a FICT member say that we have to make our own economy as healthy as it used to be before the crisis, before we put money in an unknown organisation that has been existing for four days now. Mr. Sigurd Jörgensen, the minister of foreign affairs, is however said to be changing his original Asia tour that is scheduled for September to include Kaupelan and possibly the republic of Khusqaikama.

Currency reform plans could lead to 2000 and 5000 Guilders banknotes
23 May 2011 - The government is considering a currency reform. According to spokesmen of the finance ministry, the devaluation of the Kronenburg Guilder in the last three years has created the need for 2000 Guilder and perhaps even 5000 Guilder banknotes, whereas the 5 and 10 cents coins could be easily abolished. The ministry sais that the worst part of the financial crisis is over and that the Guilder has been more or less stable around € 0.10 / $ 0.13 for more than a year now. Although critics say new banknotes are far from necessary in these times, as people don't pay large sums of money in cash anymore, the news has led on the other hand to feminists proposing famous Kronenburgish women to be put on the new notes; on the current banknotes, which were issued between 1994 and 2002, only men appear.

Hans Dankert prime minister in new government
4 May 2011 - Exactly one month after Hans Dankert was appointed Advisor General by the king, the newly elected Noordkamer installed him as prime minister and leader of a coalition of the progressive liberal PvG and the leftist/green party ROOS!. Vice prime minister will be ROOS!-leader Sigurd Jörgensen; he will also be minister of foreign affairs. Etto Reer (PvG/independant) remains finance minister. Evelien Popma-de Burch (PvG) will be the new defense minister. Domestic affairs will be led by Wojciech Jędrzejewicz (ROOS!) and Arnout Carstens (PvG) will be the new state secretary of domestic security. A complete list of the new government can be found under government.

The members of the Noordkamer elected Pia Godeken-Möländer as their chairwoman.

Prince Willem Lodewijk in reality series
20 April 2011 - Prince Willem Lodewijk, the youngest brother of king Ernst I Frederik, has made a deal with broadcasting company O3 about a reality series about the prince. How much the company of billionaire Oscar A. Ottendorf Okrilla has payed the prince for his participation, is not clear. The prince's initiative has been met with surprise and outrage. An investigation will be conducted after possible political, institutional and diplomatic consequences that may ensue if both parties go through with their plan. Although not officially confirmed, the prince is in a relationship with the Karstonian princess Lovisa; if she will be part of the series as well, this might have consequences even outside Kronenburg.

In March the society magazine Public was forced by court to hand over pictures that were secretly made of the couple during their holiday in Elysion. What prompted the prince's present actions, remains a mystery.

Hans Dankert appointed Advisor General
4 April 2011 - In a surprise move, the economist Hans Dankert has been appointed Advisor General by the king. In the next few weeks, he will be responsible for finding parties that are able to form a suitable coalition government with each other, after the parliamentary elections of 23 March. Dankert, a member of the liberal Party for Equality (PvG), was chosen by the king instead of the political leader of that party, Ewald de Haan de Cronenburg. De Haan de Cronenburg made himself impossible as a candidate for the function of Advisor General, after expressing severe criticism at two countries Kronenburg has friendly relations with: Chimor and Palana. He implied that that those countries could not fit in the AGL because of their leftist forms of government.

Being appointed Advisor General, mr. Dankert is almost certain to succeed the current prime minister, Ernst-Piter Strikwerda, whose social-democratic party PSV lost half of its seats in the last election.

Nucleair facility construction paused
28 March 2011 - Today, the government has decided to put the construction of a new nucleair facility, south west of Friescheburg, on hold, after ongoing protests against the facility. Reason for these protests is the situation in Japan, where an earthquake and a tsunami dangerously damaged a nuclear facility in Fukushima. Reassuring words by energy minister Erwin Ruwaard or by Harma van der Aa, the director of the AGL energy institution EnerGeo, weren't enough to convince the general public that the facility in Kronenburg is built with modern techniques and safety measures in order to protect it against natural violence.

Most political parties were disappointed by the government's decision. They fear that the construction pause will make the facility more expensive. The PvG (liberals) and ROOS! (communists, greens, republicans), the two largest parties since last week's elections have opposite opinions on how to proceed: ROOS! wishes to completely cease building the powerplant, but the PvG likes to continue construction as soon as possible.