Deltaria

[Tayes]

NACIONALNI

Ministry of Defence to Invest in new Cyber Systems



Following a recent adjustment in government spending, with an extra Thirty Billion DTE being invested into Deltarian defence by the coalition, the Ministry of Defence has announced publicly that a majority of the extra funding will be invested into cyber warfare and defence systems. This decision was taken by the Ministry of Defence in coordination with those in charge of each military branch, and the intelligence services.

The responsibility for national cyber defence will remain ultimately with the intelligence services in Deltaria, the input and access to operations for all branches of the armed forces will be expanded, with intelligence officials working alongside the armed forces more frequently. The money itself is thought to be being spent in the development of more advanced software, data and systems, with the aim of being able to protect against and retaliate successfully to cyber attacks and cyber warfare.

Whilst of course the Ministry of Defence was reluctant to speak openly about the investments, many assume that the public announcement of such developments serves three purposes:

1. To appear transparent about an increase in defence spending.
2. As an attempted show of strength of the Deltarian Armed Forces.
3. To act as a public deterrent to future threat from foreign powers.

The Ministry of Defence has commented neither one way or the other on such speculation, and is unlikely to in the future.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said:

This investment shows just how seriously the government is taking the defence of Deltaria and the safety of her peoples. The government is committed to maintaining a strong and capable military system to ensure the stability of our country. Such an investment plays a large part in this strategy.

A year out from the election, PBO press officers have been briefing that that initiative to invest in cyber defences has come directly from the higher-ups of the PBO National Council, the party’s governing body. The Prime Minister, Vladislav Horvat, was photographed just a few days ago visiting a military base, a photo-op now viewed as directly linked to this announcement. The issue of defence is clearly being prepared as a key issue of the next election, with the PBO trying to frame Deltaria as strong enough to stand up for itself on the world stage.

[Rogue]

Čahtica: Renato Brozović has been reinstated as the nations Prime Minister following the electoral succes of the new Deltarian Democratic Union in the election. The DDU, a merger of the DNS and KDU, won 266 out of 520 seats, thus securing a (narrow) majority government. Brozović had been Prime Minister for nearly 6 years before the PBO-KPD government took office, leading subsequent unity governments and being celebrated for his pragmatic style of governance. Now, at the head of the new DDU, Brozović has secured yet another term as Prime Minister. His new government will consists of hosian democrats, largely originating from the former KDU, conservatives from both KDU and DNS and a variety of known former DNS members that will now take seat in his government. Brozović also announced that his government will keep in place the previous governments policies on the death penalty and environmental policies as well as the national service and population growth. This likely compromise is meant to secure PBO and KPD support for a treaty with Lourenne set to be ratified fairly soon.

Brozović is expected to continue his previous governments stances on foreign policy, with continued criticism from both PBO-KPD and Brozović governments on Beiteynu and a more active role on the global stage. Under the electoral program of the DDU, the party also seeks to reform the housing market and invest into the economy. The development of governmental institutions is also high on the agenda. If Brozović his new government sits out its entire term, he will have serves as Prime Minister for a combined 11 years.

[Rogue]

PRIME TO EXPAND INTO ELECTRONICS, CREATES PRIME "ELECTRIC"
January 29th 5459

A electronics worker

Sângeorz: Autodesigner and manufacturer PRIME has announced that it will venture into the electronics market with a new subsidiary to be called PRIME Electric. The new subsidiary will be operated independently from PRIME and will focus on the electronics market. PRIME Electric is set to be primarily focussed on high-end home appliances, air conditioning, electric motors and semiconductors at first, with plans to expand operations further if the company proves to be succesfull. In the realm of electric motors, PE is set to work with its mother company PRIME in the development of new hybrid and electric vehicles. In all other product branches the company is to develop, produce and release its products independently from PRIME. PRIME CEO Vladimir Martinescu stated during the press conference revealing PRIME Electric its creation that the company will be a "valuable and professional addition to the realm of electronics" and that the company "seeks to provide low-cost, quality products to its customers."

PRIME itself has seen a decline in car sales for the past five years, largely sparked due to the government its isolationist and protectionist policies. While sales are expected to pick up again, due to the new centrist government, the company has seen these last years as a opportunity to venture into the unknown and expand. With this subsidiary, PRIME hopes to increase its odds at remaining one of the largest multinationals in Majatra. Currently the company remains the largest in Deltaria, having been the largest car producer on the continent and largest company in Deltaria for the last 100 years after a period of significant decline. The history, experience and funds of PRIME are expected to allow this new subsidiary a headstart. Whether this strategy will work for PRIME itself is to be shown in the next few months.


The logo of the new PRIME Electric

[Rogue]

Čahtica: The government has proposed a federal housing reform that seeks to make housing fairer and better affordable. The reform will ditch the current system where the government works together with private developers in providing housing. This current system, long criticized, led to developers inflating costs and taking advantage of government guarentees in order to increase their profit margins. It also did little for low-income citizens, who were trapped in between high rents and so called "crooked housing" which was technically not illegal but where landlords did not work with the government in developing their projects, often leading to lower quality housing with little to no oversight. Under the newly proposed system, the federal government will personally provide social housing through so called "housing corporations". These corporations, officially privately owned non-profits, will be tasked with building, maintaining and providing social housing. The corporations will be mandated by law to undergo these projects and the federal government pledges to support these corporations with subsidies and active legal support. While anyone will be allowed to create a housing corporation, they must all be vetted and approved by the federal government. Local government, in the form of the provinces and municipalities, will be allowed to impose additional rules on these corporations if they wish to do so. As the proposal suggests, the Housing Corporations will be prohibited from making a profit, instead being bound by law to invest its profits into new housing projects or improving its current housing.

Private developers will still be allowed to develop new housing, but will not being doing so under a government mandate and will be subjected to stricter regulations and oversight. The reforms, lastly, allow the provinces to set local rent regulations for private landlords, moving that responsibility from the federal to the local government. The Housing Corporations will be legally bound to a maximum allowed rent they can ask their tenants, based partially on the quality of a house but going no further then a set maximum. All these reforms, proposed by the ruling DDU, are meant to make housing fairer and more affordable, especially for low-income citizens that were previously trapped in a vicious cycle of government and company misconduct. For middle to high income earners private housing remains an option, especially on the home owners market where private housing is expected to remain the norm, but there will likely be less choice on the rent market as Housing Corporations will provide the majority of housing in the country if the reforms are to pass.

[Rogue]

DELTARIA TO STEP UP PRODUCTION OF MUNITIONS
February 15th 5459

A ordnance factory in Balgrad

Čahtica: The Grand Empire is to significantly step up the production of munitions in the wake of every growing defense concerns. The decision was made by the Federal Cabinet early today and was communicated to the Congress of Deputies shortly after. The decision was inspired by a ever growing fear of armed conflict across the globe and a recent report by the Federal Defense Association that Deltarian munition stockpiles could last "a maximum of a week" in any real conflict. While Deltaria continues to be one of the largest military spenders in Majatra and globally, it has a deficit when it comes to munitions production. Most of its defense budget goes to new equipment, from guns to armoured vehicles and jets. But while the equipment is important, the logistics behind it are even more crucial. The report by the FDA shook the defense community and the federal government as a whole, forcing a new direction for Deltaria if it seeks to maintain a fight-ready military force. Under the new directive the Ministry of Defense will order more munition from both state owned and private manufacturers. The Deltarian Defense Federation is set to receive larger orders in order to meet demand, with the goal of producing at least two million more small arms munitions in the coming five years (on top of its current production rate) as well as thousands more in rocket propelled grenades, infantry grenades and other small explosives.

One company set to particularly benefit from a increase in orders is the semi-state owned State Corporation for Ordnance and Weapons Production or DUSO (Državna korporacija za proizvodnju ubojnih sredstava i oružja). The company, created just 10 years ago, was till now a small player but is set to receive thousands more in orders from MOD, largely orders to produce artillery arounds, non-guided bombs, tank and armoured vehicle rounds and anti air guided missiles. The company is set to receive a additional 4 billion in orders over the next few years, doubling its current revenue. PRIME Limited is set to receive new orders for the HEAT defense system, which will also be stocked up on missiles in order to make it battle ready. Other companies where MOD is likely to purchase additional munitions from are VALRKY Munitions and SATURN Aerospace who will likely be receiving additional orders for guided missiles and "smart" bombs largely used by the airforce and navy.

The new directive has already sturred immense activity within the defense community. With both state owned and private manufacturers scrambling to expand their facilities in order to meet increased demand for their munitions. The increase in purchases is expected to boost the Deltarian defense industry, allowing it to also step up arms exports to other nations primarily handled by the DOIO (State Committee for Weapon Exports) which has already announced that it will be doing a new inventory check later this year to get a better picture on what munitions and equipment Deltaria has to offer to the outside world. Besides these benefits, the decision ultimately enhances Deltarian defense capabilities, with the directive stating that Deltaria should be capable of fighting "a modern war" (read: smart weapons and munitions) for a period of one month, with the capability to wage a "traditional war" (read non guided munitions) for another 6 months with its current stock. In order to reach these goals, it is expected that the Ministry of Defense and weapons industry needs a estimated 10 years to reach a adequate level of munitions production, with billions in investments now being prepared and invested to achieve these ambitions.

[Tayes]

NACIONALNI

Horvat Under Fire from Party Members



Following the recent, narrow defeat in the latest Deltarian General Election, leader of the PBO, and former Prime Minister, Vladislav Horvat, has come under increasing criticism from critics within his own party. Many have blamed Horvat personally for the defeat, though party members are split over why the failure occurred.

Through the debate, something which Horvat is keen to keep a lid on, three major factions have emerged. Firstly - the Horvat loyalists, including many senior members of the National Council. Secondly - those who believe that Horvat was not forceful enough whilst in government, believing that full scale revolution should have been pursued, suspected to be being led internally by Mirko Novak, traditionally a forceful enforcer of Horvat’s will within the party. Thirdly, an emerging faction within the party who believe that the party has to become more mainstream to survive, with Borislav and Dimitrije Bilic, two brothers, thought to be the leading thinkers within this camp.

To understand the threat that Horvat is under, the internal workings of the PBO first need to be understood. Whilst the party membership is responsible for proposing policy at the annual National Conference in Tepesovo, all decisions must be approved by the National Council. The leader may overrule such decisions, but cannot unilaterally propose them, only veto them. This makes the National Council influential in keeping the leader in power, as if the two disagree often the party will grind to a halt. Though the leader is responsible for appointing all National Council members, they serve for life. Therefore whilst there is no formal process for removing a leader of the PBO, should the National Council lose its support in the leader it would be difficult to continue in the position.

It is therefore fundamental for Horvat to keep the National Council on his side in this debate. Externally this appears to be the case, though the rumoured involvement in dissenting factions of Mirko Novak, and the Bilic Brothers, all three of whom are influential National Councillors, will worry Horvat. The involvement of Novak in particular could create a bitter war if Horvat cannot find enough support, with the two individuals having in the past been considered as close friends.

In such a situation the PBO will be making an effort not to look weak on the outside. Still wishing to appear as a party that could feasibly govern Deltaria, they will be doing their best not to crumble in the public eye. The movement has not before in its 11-year history faced such challenges however, and dealing with them will not be easy.

[Tayes]

NACIONALNI

Fears Grow Over National Conference Rebellion


National Conference 5458

Nacionalni understands that the leader of the PBO, Vladislav Horvat, has been briefed that a large section of the PBO National Conference are planning a rebellion against his leadership at the PBO National Conference in February. Two separate factions are apparently working apart, both planning to vote down all of Horvat’s favoured policy proposals at the conference.

The 12th National Conference of the PBO will be held in Tepesovo in February, as is party tradition. As is party process, new party policies will be decided through a complex process at the conference, in which members first propose policy for a vote amongst the entire National Conference. Successful policies must then be approved by the National Council in a debate and vote held behind closed doors. Policies passed by the National Council must then by approved or rejected by the leader. Usually, policies which the leader, Horvat, wishes to pass will be proposed by an ally or supporter and then passed through the National Council, with all 106 Councillors having been appointed personally by Horvat. It is reported that two separate factions are planning to intentionally vote down all policy supported by Horvat at the National Council stage, in a sense unofficially working together to achieve this aim. This would bring party operations effectively to a standstill, as the leader may not create any policy unilaterally without the approval of his National Council. The thought is that this will make the leader’s position untenable.

The first faction thought to be engaging in such plotting is thought to be led by Mirko Novak, an influential National Council member and friend of Vladislav Horvat. He is one of the founders of the party and a former police officer. His faction believes that Horvat has not been forceful enough in enforcing the party values. The group are seen as hardliners of the PBO nationalist ideology, and many held official posts in Horvat’s cabinet whilst he was Prime Minister. Other influential members likely include Dragan Bolic and Sid Kamanev.

The second faction, one which is seemingly growing in popularity appears to be led by the Bilic Brothers, Borislav and Dimitrije. This faction is pushing for a closer integration into mainstream politics, with many focusing on becoming a mainstream nationalist movement. Nacionalni understands that a growing minority within this faction are in favour of applying to merge with the DDU however, and whilst this remains a minority view it is supposedly growing within this faction. Other influential members likely include Timotei Winter, the former Foreign Minister, and Dusan Silva.

Horvat does keep a close group of loyalists together however who are hoping to quell any rebellion. Whether they are successful or not however, the next National Conference of the PBO, it’s 12th is certainly likely to be the most eventful in the party’s history.

[Rogue]

"PACKAGE UNION" EXPANDS OPERATIONS TO DISUVA
January 10th 5460


A supermarket in Darali

Čahtica: The fast moving consumer goods company Unija Paketa (Package Union) has expanded its operations to the Province of Disuva following commercial succes in Darali and Alazinder. The company, having been created a decade ago, specializes in the production and distribution of fast moving consumer goods, primarily packaged goods that are easily transported and sold. In Darali the company started by producing soaps in plastic packaging under a variety of own made brands. When this proved to be a succes, the company expanded into canned food under both its own and third party brands. With consumers experiencing a "shopping basket boom" the company lifted on this increase in spending, culminating in their expansion into Alazinder four years ago. Over the course of the last 8 years the company has gradually expanded its business, going from a soap distributor to a producer and distributor of a wide variety of different products. From soap to canned beans, from chips to cake, the company is quickly growing to be the most important player on the consumer goods market.

With its announced expansion into Disuva the company seeks to further increase its profit margins and area of operations. In order to gain a decent foothold in the province, UP has aquired the small frozen pizza producer Čvrsto operating in the province, gaining UP several distribution and production facilities in the province to launch its expansion in. UP CEO Florijan Ružić also revealed the company its annual report, suggesting that it had grown from 5000 employees to around 7000 in the last year and that the company its revenue had grown to a estimated 5 billion. Package Union still runs on a net loss of 5 million, but has also indicated that it expects to run on a profit by next year. This would, if realized, be the first year that UP runs a profit as in previous years it invested millions into expanding and consolidating its market share.

[Rogue]

PRIME MINISTER VISITS LOURENNE TO STRIKE GROUNDBREAKING TRADE AND DIPLOMATIC DEAL
January 20th 5460


Prime Minister Brozović

Čahtica: Prime Minister Brozović personally visited the Lourennaise capital of Eroncourt in what was the first Deltarian state visit to the country in decades. The visit was centered around a proposed trade and diplomatic deal between the two countries which would signal a significant increase in committment between the two. Brozović was welcomed by Lourennaise High Chancellor Laura Arnault, with the two visiting the Deltarian embassy as well as the office of the high chancellor, in which the two discussed mutual cooperation and understanding between Deltaria and Lourenne. The day after the Prime Minister arrived the two woudl visit the Royal Museum of Eroncourt, where they admired the historical prowess of Lourenne. THey continued their diplomatic overtures, visiting the office of the High Chancellor once more to discuss the details on the Lourenne-Deltarian Treaty on Trade and Friendship (LDTTF), a treaty drawn beforehand by the foreign ministries of both nations. According to insiders, only a few minor points were ammended before the Office of the Prime Minister and the Office of the High Chancellor jointly published the new treaty, to be ratified by our respective parliaments.

Under the treaty Deltaria and Lourenne will pledge to "reduce or eliminate of tariffs on goods imported by one another, maintaining the right to impose tarrifs on goods deemed of cultural or religious importance." This is expected to significantly increase the volume of trade between the two countries and make it easier for exports to reach their respective markets. Another important part of the treaty is the pledge to protect eachother intellectual property and apply common product standards and regulations wherever possible, further connecting the two economies. Diplomatically, the two agree to recognize eachothers sovereignty and territorial intergrity and have at least one embassy and three consulates of eachother opened within each respective country at any time. When the announcement on the succesfull negotiations was made, Prime Minister Brozović and High Chancellor Arnault responded to questions in a joint press conference, before both attending a opera in Eroncourt at night.

The day after, Prime Minister Brozović returned to his government plane, flying back to our imperial capital. The visit to Eroncourt is seen as a significant milestone in relations between Eroncourt and Čahtica, cementing a new relationship between the two countries. The LDTTF treaty is set to be ratified by both the Congress of Deputies and the Royal Assembly fairly soon.

[Tayes]

NACIONALNI

Horvat Overthrown as PBO Leader, Dimitrije Bilic Seizes Power


Dimitrije Bilic (left), and his brother, Borislav (right).

They say a week is a long time in politics. For the PBO, that week feels like a lifetime. On Monday 6th February, Vladislav Horvat gave the opening address to the 12th National Conference of the PBO in Tepesovo, by Sunday 12th February, Dimitrije Bilic stood alongside his brother, Borislav, to give the leader’s closing remarks, the party having moved towards a new electoral philosophy and reportedly in talks to merge with the governing DDU.

The chaos started on Monday morning. Horvat gave his opening address to mark the formal beginning to the 12th National Conference, following which a section of the audience jeered their leader off the stage, something never seen before at a PBO event and met with an angry response from the Horvat loyalists, with ugly scenes of physical confrontation being captured by the invited press.

On Tuesday however, the first signs of active rebellion were seen. Tuesday, often referred to as ‘Policy Day’ by the PBO membership, saw the majority of policy debates and votes amongst the membership, passing policies are then moved for proposal in the Congress by the party in the coming year. Horvat saw some initial defeats amongst the membership on his publicly favoured policies, unusual, but not unheard of. The volume of defeats was unusual though.

It was when it came to the National Council to approve the policies that had made it past the membership that it became obvious Horvat had lost the confidence of his party. Every single policy was voted down and defeated in an effort to bring party proceedings to a halt. Two separate factions within the National Council had worked together to arrange such a feat. Horvat responded with an emergency address to the National Conference on Tuesday evening, accusing his opponents of “stabbing (him) in the back”, and mentioning Mirko Novak, the de facto leader of the hardline faction, by name. This was to be his last rallying cry, and was met in the main hall with silence.

By Wednesday lunchtime, Horvat had been met individually by over fifty members of the National Council, each of them informing him that he had lost their support. In the main conference hall, a member had submitted a policy proposal - for Horvat to step down. By 2pm, he had decided that it was all over, and publicly called time on his leadership an hour later.

In his resignation announcement, Horvat announced that the conference was to be transformed into a leadership contest, with the winner to be announced on Sunday afternoon. The membership would elect the leader in a secret ballot on Saturday, with the National Council voting to confirm the result on Sunday morning.

Two candidates announced their bids an hour later. Mirko Novak was the first, staking his claim on behalf of the hardliners. He was followed by the announcement of Dimitrije Bilic, who had not only the weight of his well-respected brother, Borislav, behind him, but the weight of the entire democratic faction, which by this point consisted publicly of at least forty members of the National Council.

Novak was at first the front runner, a well respected fundamentalist popular with the base, he was expected to ultimately emerge the winner. However, his campaign began with controversy, with him saying in an interview on Thursday morning that he now “hated the police”, his former employer. His campaign was ultimately destroyed however by the surprise announcement of Dragan Bolic, one of his allies, of his own bid for the leadership. Running an efficient campaign from there on in, Bilic emerged the winner, winning 54.5% of the membership vote, and being confirmed by 73 of the 106 National Councillors.

Bilic had run his campaign as essentially a joint-ticket with his brother, Borislav, who is expected to wield significant influence over his brother. Following the closing remarks of the conference on Sunday evening, delivered by Dimitrije, he announced the appointment of forty-five of his allies to the National Council, bringing the total number of Councillors on the party’s executive body up to 151.

It is now rumoured that Bilic is in talks with the governing DDU to merge with the party, which would effectively make Deltaria a one-party state. This idea is becoming increasingly popular within the party, and it is thought that Bilic allies are briefing in favour of the possibility, a major step in increasing the likelihood of such an act.