The Second Elector of Franconia takes the floor.

Although much has been discussed in this session of the Diet so far, I fear we lack direction. So far, little has been proposed other than expansion in many directions, and there has been much squabbling over settlement allocations and legal issues. It is true that we need to bring some of the surrounding independent states under Imperial influence before our rivals do, but we must begin to plan beyond that.

We are in a bit of a tricky position. We are surrounded by rivals on all sides. When we expand, we will come into contact with more of them, and our armies will be spread thin after conquest. I urge the Kaiser to leave no border with a major power undefended, lest they take the opportunity to grab some land. I would like to take a moment to discuss our potential rivals.

In the west we have France. Currently, Burgundy (Metz, Dijon) forms a buffer between us and France, but it is a very weak buffer. I believe that France could overrun them without great difficulty, unless they are engaged elsewhere. If we were to capture Metz instead, we would be abandoning the Rhine as a defensive frontier, and we would come into contact, and potentially conflict, with France. However, we would also move the border away from our capital at Frankfurt, and also Staufen, which would put those settlements in a safer position. This has to be considered very carefully. The best thing that could happen is that the French get into a conflict with the Normans, who have become a significant power after taking England. We should develop good relations, possibly even an alliance, with England, as a balance against France.

In Italy, the current peace seems very unstable. We have the potential to come into conflict with both Milan and Venice. It is imperative that we get into a conflict with only one of them, when the times comes. Venice may look to expand to the east, and may come into conflict with Hungary or even the Greeks. Conflict with Milan seems more likely, especially since it is supposed to be our land anyway. We should therefore look to establish good relations with Venice.

In the east we have Hungary and Poland. We already border Hungary. In fact, their capital is very close to Vienna. Vienna must remain well defended. I believe the Hungarians will take advantage of any perceived weakness. Poland is further away, and there are buffers between us, such as Bohemia and others. These should be brought under Imperial control, but that is not urgent. An important thing about Poland is that it is a potential enemy of Hungary, which is why we should develop good relations with them.

In the north, there is Denmark. If we capture Hamburg, we will have a perfectly positioned castle to keep them confined to the Jutland peninsula. For that reason, I do not see them as a great threat.

These are some things to consider. I will not propose any new edicts, as there are very many edicts already, and some of them already deal with the relevant issues. Edict 1.3 deals with the north, establishing a good defensive position against Denmark. Edict 1.4 establishes good relations with Venice, while Edict 1.17 forbids Milan as a friend. Edict 1.6 provides for surveillance against Hungary, while Edict 1.19 establishes good relations with Poland. Edict 1.25 mentions good relations with England and Poland, and other non-adversary countries. All of these Edicts are consistent with the arguments I made above.