Istalia

[Aquinas]

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The Empire has been declared

Michele the First acclaimed Emperor of the Istalians!

                                                                                   The new flag of the newly founded Istalian Empire


1 September 4571

ROMULA - The People expressed themselves, the national referendum on the constitutional reform was held: the Istalians took their decision and with a plebiscitary majority literally acclaimed Michele Appiano De Borromei as their Emperor, decreeing therefore the approval of the constitutional reform founding of the Istalian Empire.

Shortly after the official announcement of the Ministry of the Interior on the outcome of the referendum, a speech to the nation by the Head of State was announced by Quattroregni Palace, by the newly confirmed first Emperor of the Istalians, officially "His Most Excellent Imperial Majesty, Michele I, by the Will of the Nation and Unanimous Acclamation of the People, Costitutional Emperor of the Istalians, Perpetual Defender of Istalia, Protector and Guarantor of the Constitution and the Democratic Values, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Armed Forces of Istalia, Pater Patriae".

In just a few hours the square in front of the Palace was filled with a crowd that waited until 11 am for the Emperor to appear at the central window of the Palace with his wife, a rare event for all previous Heads of State but that was judged as a duty right now.
These are his words:

My fellow Istalians,
it is with difficulty that I sought words that I already knew would not be enough to express my state of mind to you all, to express my gratitude for your trust as well, I must admit, the fear of carrying such a burden on my shoulders.
But fear not, because what happened this night, having observed the result coming out of the referendum, gave me confidence and reassured me, confirmed to me that with your support and your trust I will be able to face what fate wanted for me and for all of us with strength and determination.
I accepted this assignment, this role for the Nation, for you, because so many, I have seen, believe in me and have been able to believe in me, all of you who have given me strength day after day during all the long years of my estate as Head of the State.
But the only way I will be able to repay you, the whole nation, of such great trust and this solemn honor, will be to dedicate myself totally to the Nation and zealously respect the duties imposed on me by this new role created for the great Istalian Nation.
Today, I can assure you, I am more resolute and determined than ever to defend this new Empire of ours, an Empire of the Istalian Civilization, an Empire of the Most Noble Values ​​and the Most Noble Conquests of Humanity, an Empire of Tolerance, an Empire devoted to respect for the Innate Freedoms of every Man, a Glorious, Radiant and Shining Empire of Democracy, an Empire ready to defend with a power much higher than the worldly diatribes and political interests, dedicated only to the defense of Istalia, of Istalian People and of its Democratic Principles and Values, ready to lead this Empire towards 1000 years of Glory and Prosperity.
But always remember, the strength of this new Empire is first and foremost its People, each of you my dear citizens, together with devotion, honor, respect and initiative we will succeed in generating the necessary lifeblood for this new Istalia. My devotion, I swear to you, will be absolute.
And to confirm this, I believe that there is no better way, if not to swear in front of all of Istalia before even before the National Assembly of the Empire:
I swear to the people of Istalia that I shall constantly preserve and uphold the Constitutions of the Istalian Empire and that I shall defend the Democratic Institutional Order of the Empire as its Supreme Protector and Guardian.
I swear that I shall defend and preserve the independence and the territory of the Empire to the best of my ability, that I shall protect the Freedom and Rights of all Istalian Citizens and Residents, and that I shall employ all means placed at my disposal by the law to preserve and promote Democracy and Prosperity in the Empire, as a good Emperor should do.
This I promise!
Long live Istalia, Long live the Empire!

Within two weeks the Emperor will pronounce that same oath before the National Assembly of the Empire, where all the powers of the State, Government, Legislature, Constitutional Court and Supreme Court will be gathered, then the representatives of the Regions, Provinces and Cities of Istalia, as well as the representatives of the major socio-economic and academic institutions and groups in the country.
After the Ceremony in Parliament, which will include a buffet in the close Honor Transept, the festivities will pass to Quattroregni Palace, where a great banquet will be held for the highest authorities of the State and of the Nation.
There will be a week of celebrations throughout Istalia, with events of all kinds that will fill squares and streets of many centers, large and small, throughout the peninsula and island. Almost certainly, at the head of most of the celebrations there will be those of Guard of Democracy, who from the first hours after the announcement of the referendum results exploded in triumphant celebrations.

Also the closest members of the Emperor's family will participate in the ceremony, elevated to the new rank of Imperial Princes and Grand Princes, which for completeness of information and satisfaction of the readers' curiosity will be: Empress Consort Margherita, Imperial Grand Princesses Paola, Elisa and Ginevra, daughters of the Emperor; the Imperial Grand Prince Mattia, elder brother of the Emperor, with his wife, Princess Nadia, nee Carolani, and his two sons, the Imperial Princes Alessandro and Carlotta; Imperial Prince Thomas, younger brother of the Emperor, with his wife, Princess Laura, nee Marchetti Pamphilj, and their three sons, Imperial Princess Chiara and the Imperial Princes, twins, Giulio and Adriano.
The new Imperial Family, now at the center of the debates and the inevitable gossip of the whole nation, seems to boast of ancient noble origins, having been the Appianius' one of the ancient Romulan Princely Families, born after the Church's blessing and elevated to defenders of the Church during the distant centuries after the fall of the Augustan Empire. The De Borromei's, on the other hand, seem to have been an ancient patrician family from Trivendito, wealthy merchants and bankers from Vinesia. The union of the two families happens, however, quite recently, only in 4086, when Francesco Appiano married Letizia De Borromei, with a common agreement by the families to keep both names. An uncle of Letizia De Borromei, as it is said in the family, seems to have been a political collaborator of Alessandro Senna, also undersecretary during one of the governments of the beloved Father of the "New Fourth Republic".
The three brothers bear the names of three well-known Apostles, or Pious, Mattia, Michele and Tommaso, a tradition of the Appiano family, long abandoned but taken over by their father, Giulio, strongly religious, a devotion almost fused with that for the Homeland and that had driven him to sacrifice himself and to make a decision that made him fall into the hands of thallerist repression.
Tommaso is an art teacher and art critic, as well as an artist himself, active at the Academy of Fine Arts of Eristano, while Mattia is a Pediatric Doctor at the Romula's Deodato II Polyclinic. Regarding their wives, Nadia Carolani is a professor in the same academy as her husband, while Laura Marchetti Pamphilj, from another ancient Romulan Princely Family, devotes herself above all to the management of family foundations.
About the sons of the Emperor and his brothers, for the Grand Princesses, Paola, Elisa and Ginevra, the oldest is a lawyer, in the National Register of Lawyer for a year, the second is at university studying letters while the third is about to start university, it looks like architecture; of the children of Prince Mattia, Alessandro followed in his uncle's footsteps and is today Colonel of the Air Force, already known for have being the youngest member of the first two governments led by Glory and Rebirth, under the Prime Minister Filippo Sartori and then in the first cabinet led by Michele Appiano De Borromei; Carlotta is a graduate in languages ​​but does not work for the moment, married to Luca Florenti, a financier at the Romula International Stock Exchange; finally, about Tommaso's sons, Chiara studies biology at university while the twins are still in high school.

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Michele the First officialy swears as first Emperor of the Istalians!

Despite the mounting criticism, the opposition's demonstrations and the many falsehoods spreads by it, the Government reassures the closer friends and welcomes the first international recognition to the new Empire

His Majesty the Emperor swears in front the National Assembly, next to him Her Majesty the Empress Consort Margherita

1 September 4573

ROMULA - Great celebrations in the capital and in the whole Nation: His Majesty Michele I swore this morning in front of the Nation as first Emperor of the Istalians and Sovereign of the Istalian Empire.
Starting from Quattroregni Palace around 10 am, the procession of vehicles on which the Emperor, the High Dignities of the Crown, the members of his staff and obviously the Imperial Family were traveling, crossed the city to reach the Palace of the Republic acclaimed by at least one million people crowded along the route of the procession and throughout the rest of the city. Hanging from slender flagpoles, along the entire route and on both sides, the new Imperial Flag of Istalia alternated with the new Imperial Banner while other istalian flags were waved by the cheering crowd.


People along the procession route (Left); mounted Imperial Guards (Right)

To ensure the safety of the whole event, at least 10,000 law enforcement officers and emergencies specialists have been deployed between the State Police, National Gendarmerie and the medical personal of the city and rest of the province. Also deployed 500 men of the army to manage civil protection and providing water distribution points, additional medical assistance, along with the city operators, and the installation of the necessary public services.
To shine around the Imperial Procession the newly reformed Corps of the Imperial Guard, successor to the previous Presidential Guard, who accompanied the cars by mounting fifteen horses and four motorcycles in their new and sparkling uniforms, armor and ceremonial vestments.


The Emperor reaches Palace of the Republic

The Emperor arrived at the main entrance of the Palace of the Republic round 11, being hailed by the crowd that filled the square and the surrounding streets and thus giving way to the Investiture Ceremony, which was held in the Hall of the National Assembly, where in addition to the members of the Assembly, there were the Prime Minister and Government Ministers, the Judges of the Supreme Court, the President of the Supreme Tribunal of Cassation, the President of the Council of State, the Chief of Defense Staff, the Imperial Chancellor and the Archchancellor of the Empire (two of the three so-called High Dignities of the Empire, ceremonial figures created by the new Imperial Constitution). The Archchancellor was the one in charge of conducting the ceremony and essentially he made the Emperor swear before the Constitutions of Istalia and the Representatives of the Nation. Along the Rear Gallery, where the Senate members once sat when in common session with the Chamber of Deputies, there were the Presidents of the Regions and Provinces, Representatives of the various regional and provincial Councils, the other Judges of the Supreme Tribunal, members of the High Council of the Judiciary, the exponents of the National Association of Istalian Mayors, representatives of the institutional, cultural, economic and social world, and finally a large number of members of the Armed Forces, senior hierarchy and staff in tow. The Media were instead hosted along the Balcony, between the Hall and the Rear Gallery. The member of the Imperial Family seated on the right of the Emperor, at the last end of the Rear Gallery after the seats of the Armed Forces, welcomed into a highly ornated Honor Balconet presidied by the Imperial Guard. All the Assembly, indeed, for the occasion has been adorned with the colors of the Empire while around the Chair of State were disposed serveral shining golden adornments and garnishments.


The Emperor giving his speech

The Grand Chamberlain of the Empire, the monarch's master of ceremonies (and the third of the cerimonial High Dignities of the Empire), announced the arrival of the Emperor, who marched on the note of a solemn hymn along the central escalade of the hemicicle of the National Assembly until his seat on a Chair of State opposite to the members of the Assembly and observed behind by the highest officials of the State.
The Emperor gave an address before taking the oath to uphold the Constitutions and protect the Democratic Institution, Principles and Values of the Empire.
His Majesty, in his speech, thanked once again the Istalian People for its Confidence, reassuring the Nation about his resolutness in respecting his role as no-partisan, superior guardian of the Istalian Democracy, but once again his also reaffirmed his invitation to all the People to stand together and work together peacefully and with cooperative spirit, to face together the challenges of the future which, however, the Emperor described as bright, forged by decades of difficulties and unstability but from which Istalia rised once again, so to forge a new fate and a new future, where "everyone must make their voices heard, bring their own contribution, their own talent. Everyone must collaborate with creativity, spirit of enterprise, and openness".
Finally, towards the Archchancellor of the Empire, who held in the hand a book containing the Istalian Constitutions and Foundamental Laws, the Emperor proceeded with his solemn oath in front of the Nation:

I swear to the People of Istalia that I shall constantly preserve and uphold the Constitutions of the Istalian Empire and that I shall defend the Democratic Institutional Order of the Empire as its Supreme Protector and Guardian.
I swear that I shall defend and preserve the independence and the territory of the Empire to the best of my ability, that I shall protect the Freedom and Rights of all Istalian Citizens and Residents, and that I shall employ all means placed at my disposal by the law to preserve and promote Democracy and Prosperity in the Empire, as a good Emperor should do.
This I promise!
Long live Istalia, Long live the Empire!

Following the Emperor's Oath, celebrated by flourishing trumpets, an another brief hymn and acclaimed by thunderous applause, the monarch was paid homage to by the assemblage of people. The President of the National Assembly made a declaration on behalf of those assembled, a declaration which focused on why the Nation took the decision to embody in perpetuity the Guide of the Nation to the Emperor, celebrating the qualities and the great achievement by Michele the First for him and the whole Nation. Then he swore on this declaration:

We receive and invest, in the name of the People of the Nation and in accordance with the Constitutions of the Istalian Empire, you, Michele, First of Your Name, as Emperor of the Istalians and Sovereign of the Istalian Empire.
We swear that we will maintain your inviolability and the rights of your Crown.
This we promise!

"Long live the Emperor!" for Michele I

Following this, the names of the Members of the National Assembly were called out, who then swore or affirmed his declaration in turn. After every member have sworn, the Grand Chamberlain of the Empire declared the ceremony to have been completed. This was followed by the Archchancellor of the Empire exclaiming that the monarch has been inaugurated and the President of the National Assembly crying "Long live the Emperor!" responded by the public which shouted also three hurrahs.
The cerimony continued into the Transet of Honors of the Palace, the large monumental corridor between the two hemicicle of the building, where was held an homage cerimony for the Emperor with the partecipating to the Oath.
After the homage ceremony, the monarch and his retinue then proceeded outside the Palace where the Emperor and the Empress found a large choir of children singing a joyful hymn to His Majesty. The Imperial Couple remained to heard the choir untill the end of the hymn to greet the children before getting into the car and returning with the rest of the procession to the Palace where was held an official reception.


The "Tricolor Comets" of the Imperial Air Force passing above Quattroregni Palace

Despite the joyful day, the opposition to the Imperial Reform made heard their voices, organized four demonstartions only in Romula, which, however, for security reason, were contained and separated by the Cerimony and the areas interested. The demonstrations, led by the Istalian Nationalist Party, never fall in violence and indeed the demonstrators doesn't excede in dangerous behavior, a part a single episode when a group of 35 tried to pass a checkpoint not far from Palace of the Republic, causing a little retard to the Emperor exiting the Palace, as reported by the Romula's Head of State Police in the afternoon.

Just about the PNI, the political propagandistic machine of the party was able to cause not little trouble for the Govenrment, commented the First Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister Damiano Valenti, who talked about the serious crisis which the Government is trying to solve with Solentia and seems that similar diplomatic incidents are interesting also the relations with Selucia.
The "Istalian Government", continued the First Secretary, "is very busy in reassuring several friend governments about the goodness of the Institutional reform undertaken by Istalia and of the fact that the principles of Democracy, Law of the Rules and Respect of the Rights of the Citizens are never been in danger or undermined and that the Istalian Empire is and will always remain a Democratic Nation".
In the next days the Emperor himself will be involved in a first State visit organized after the diplomatic troubles with Solentia with its President and other members of the Government ready to meet the Emperor and the Prime Minister in Romula.
Copies of the new Imperial Constitution adopted by Istalia has been sent to many foreign governments together with official invitations to the diplomatic departments of the reached countries by part of His Majesty the Emperor to meet their diplomatic representatives in Quattroregni Palace.

But from abroad not only concerns and misurestanding: in fact, recently (November 4574), a warmly welcomed diplomatic message came from Hulstria, a letter adressed directly to His Majesty the Emperor from the Hulstrian Kaiser.
The Spokeperson of the Imperial Palace made known that the Kaiser congratulated His Majesty the Emperor for his enthronement and for the constitutional reform undertaken in Istalia, inviting also the Emperor to visit Kien and both the Kaiser Hans Friedrick Albert lll and the Kaiserine Annemarie l, a letter which followed the friendly messages already sent in the past years by the Hulstrian Government to the Istalian one.
The Emperor, said the Spokeperson of the Palace, expressed to the Kaiser his thanks and that he would be very pleased to visit Kien and Imperial Hulstrian Court, ready to promote more dialogue and increase the relations between the two nation.
The letter has been indicated by the most fanatic supporters of the Imperial reform as a sign of the new prestige that the Istalian Emperor can bring to the Country.