Imperial Diet IV

[GeneralHankerchief]

Conrad Salier:

It is my greatest regret to inform the Diet that we in Outremer have failed.

If you have not yet viewed the Chancellor's Report, let me inform you of what has transpired: The remainder of the Egyptian forces outside Jerusalem besieged and assaulted the city. They were not expected to prevail but did just that, taking the city and killing the Pope. The Holiest City is now once again in infidel hands.

I admit that the Horse Lord threat is partially to blame for this. We were all focused on destroying them while the Egyptians were allowed to so threaten the Papacy without a peep from us. I feel responsible - I ordered the nearest army north. Perhaps they could have assisted in time.

I know that the Diet Session has yet to begin but once it does I will introduce legislation to take back Jerusalem and return it to the Papacy. I refuse to be known as the man who abandoned the Pope and Jerusalem to the infidel. If you disagree, then we might as well pack up and return home, for Outremer has no purpose if there is no Pope to protect.

[Northnovas]

I concur with King Salier. I have committed by family and time in the Outremer and it's mission was to protect the Holy City. We must refocus on our purpose, no God's purpose for the Reich. To portect Jerusalem.

[Privateerkev]

Jan von Hamburg comes through the Diet doors with his new Teutonic Knight, Maximillian. He walks over to his table, is caught up on what has been said, and turns to speak.

My fellow electors!

King Salier is right! We need to move on Jerusalem at once! As soon as such legislation is put forward, I would be honored to second it!

God wills it!

[FactionHeir]

I applaud my Duke for this most worthy proposal which I will be sure to support.
I would also like to remind that until said examination and voting concludes, swearing fealty to young Siegfried might be well unwise. There should be no more insults thrown in these chambers for proposing worthy legislation, which is the civil way of resolving this matter.

Now that this is said, I believe although Conrad and Wolfgang may have exaggerated slightly with an armed rebellion, they should be free to speak their mind...civilly.

And finally, I would like to know when the Diet Speaker would like to open the session in earnest, seeing how we do not have a fully accepted Emperor at this point in time.

[Stig]

But you have seen the will of Kaiser Jobst Hans, it says that Siegfried is his heir, there's nothing you can do.

[econ21]

Diet Speaker: I apologise for the delay in opening this Diet session. There will be now three days for the proposal of Edicts and Charter Amendments, followed by a 24 hour period of voting. Candidates for the post of Chancellor should present their manifestoes. The deadline for candidates to declare, and laws to be proposed and seconded, is Saturday 11am (UK time).

[OverKnight]

Matthias stands and speaks:

Kaiser Siegfried, Prinz Elberhard and my fellow Electors, I stand before you to announce my candidacy for the Chancellorship.

The last twenty years have been a challenge for the Reich. We faltered, we endured set backs and losses, but due to the efforts of Chancellor von Hamburg we are well on our way back to dominance. The last term has shown the harm a disinterested or secretive Chancellor can do to the Reich, but it has also shown that an invested and competent Chancellor can bring quick recovery and triumph. I wish to continue the skilled administration shown by Count Fredericus the Crusader.

The first priority of my Chancellorship would be to secure the borders of the Reich. We are on our way to doing this, but there is work left to be done. No foreign army should be able to enter the Reich unchallenged or unnoticed. To accomplish this, the Household armies will be brought up to strength, and watchtowers will be added on our frontiers where there are currently none. The Army of the Interior, or European Imperial Army as Kaiser Jobst called it, would be used to reinforce the areas of the Reich under threat. If that is not enough, extra forces will be dispatched to the Houses as needed. The goal is to push our enemies back so that Citadels like Thorn are a source of reinforcement, not the first line of defense.

As for the Russian Crusade, I support it in its current form, and if Thorn is relatively secure, I would have it commence. I am confident the Crusade would draw the attention of the Russians and Poles away from Franconia and to their own territories.

Second, Jerusalem must be retaken and returned to the Papal States. If elected I would immediately contact the Pope and ask for a Third Crusade on the Holy City. It must not stay in the hands of the heathens! We have sacrificed too much, and benefited too greatly from our role as Protector of the Church to turn back now. I have heard rumors the plague infects the city, if this is true, I would only ask for volunteers to participate in the Crusade. Outremer has the resources to man the Crusade, so unless any nobles in the homeland wish to take the Cross, there will be no need for armies shipping across the Mediterranean or epic marches across Asia Minor.

Due to the greed of our Ally, Byzantium, we have lost our land link to Outremer. I would like this restored, but I will leave this to the Electors to decide.

Third, we must return some of our focus to the financial health of the Reich. The trials of the past years have caused us, understandably, to focus on the immediate military interests of the Empire, but now that we have some breathing room we should take stock of our resources and seek to enrich our coffers. If elected I will conduct a thorough review of the Reich's finances, trade and taxation levels. No towns will riot because of the tax man during my term. Merchants will be recruited and sent out to trade, and efficiencies will be sought in garrisons. The Reich needs money to modernize our forces, continue and increase our building program and for diplomacy. Financial management is not as glorious as battle, but it is often the key to a nation's success.

Fourth, we must have a honest and responsive Chancellor. If elected I will conduct my term in the open. I will not buy territories behind the backs of the Electors, or fiddle while Rome riots around us. If Electors have questions I will answer them. I can't guarantee they'll like the responses, but at least they'll have them. I will deal with all the Houses equally, for I wish the entire Reich to be strengthened, not just one man or one House. I hope this open and fair handed approach will alleviate some of the acrimony and factionalism that has become prevalent in the Diet. The greatest threat to the Reich, as I have said before, is internal not external. Together, as one Empire, we can accomplish great things, divided, we will fall.

Electors, I hope you will find me worthy to serve the Reich. I will answer any questions you might have of me.

[Cecil XIX]

Sigismund rises to address the Diet.

My lords, these past ten years has been the most tumultuous in living memory. We are fortunate in that things are mostly back on track, but we cannot assume that we will be so fortunate in the future. Future Chancellors may be more subtle in their machinations and more secure in their political support even as border defenses are weakened and discontent rises. To act as both a deterent and a warning against future Chancellors who may not have the best interests of the Reich at heart, I propose Charter Amendment 11.5, which reads as follows:

2.7 All cities must have their maximum amount of free upkeep militia within their walls at all times.

The beauty of this amendment is that it is simple to execute, while far-reaching in its consequences and revealing of the character of its Chancellor should it not be upheld. It will require only a minimum extra work to be completed, allow more leeway in taxation, act as a deterrant to small-scale invasion, and should any future Chancellors fail to keep the proper troop levels it will serve as an early warning that something is afoot. This a simple piece of no-nonsense legislation that can be implemented almost immediately, after which it costs the Reich nothing except the vigilance that is already required of us. Thank you.

Sigismund resumes his seat.

[OverKnight]

Matthias reviews the updated list of legislation and speaks:

I will second CA 11.3.

CA 11.5 is a good idea, but I believe the language to be too restrictive. What if part of the garrison needs to be sent outside the walls to chase down a small force of brigands? That action would violate the CA as currently written.

[FactionHeir]

I applaud Siegfried von Kastilien for his edict 11.10, but I feel that an unanimous vote is impossible to reach. I shall support the eduict if it is amended to a simple majority vote. I am certain then we can bring an end to this dispute. Also, your edict only considers whether your ascension was rightful, but not whether in case it is not, you may remain on the throne or not. This also needs fixing,.

I will present evidence to the Council of Five once an appropriate edict/CA is passed to allow the Dukes to determine the outcome.

I also second CA 11.4 and would like to propose following motion:

CA 11.5: The position of King of Outremer is appointed by the emperor. This appointment lasts for the duration of the emperors reign or the Kings lifetime, whichever is shorter. The King of Outremer is permitted to resign, if the emperor is willing to accept the resignation, upon which a new King is appointed by the emperor.
If the King of Outremer is deemed incapable of the assignment, he may be impeached by the emperor and 2 Dukes.

My lords, I feel that appointing the King of Outremer each diet session may be tedious and there usually would be no reason for the emperor to change this position mid term. This also ensures that this position is not given out lightly and only rests in capable hands.

OOC: Might not be the best explanation, but the best I can come up with considering I need to hurry out now.