In a press conference that rocked the political community yesterday evening, Chancellor Stendē and Minister of the Caxcanan Union Renata Kalina unveiled a groundbreaking new treaty outlining various new institutions for the Union of Caxcanan States. Titled the “Dassault Treaty,” the institutions that it would create would drastically expand the policy purview of the Union, beginning a new age of international integration and changing the basis of the alliance from fully intergovernmental to largely supranational.
Among the institutions founded by the Dassault Treaty are:
- A 300 seat legislative body called the Caxcanan Assembly that is charged with amending and approving most joint UCS policy measures. After an initial special election, Members of the CA will be elected alongside their national legislative representatives according to their own national tradition. Auria will have 25 seats in the CA, Eiria will have 168, Huenya will have 97, and Manabí Rive will have 10. The Assembly shall be housed in the port metropolis of New Riga, Eiria.
- A Caxcanan Policy Council that will be responsible for UCS policy creation and implementation (except on some defense members). It will be chaired by a First Minister, and both the First Minister and any other senior leaders must be nominated by the national governments and approved by the CA. Additionally, Ministers on the CPC (including the First Minister) must be appointed in batches of four, with one coming from each UCS member state. The CPC will alternate locations between member states.
- A Caxcanan High Court with 12 justices, three nominated by the respective governments of each member state and approved by the CA. Its Chief Justice shall be elected by an anonymous vote of their fellow justices. The CHC will be hosted by Manabí Rive.
- A Caxcanan Defence Council charged with creating UCS defense policy. Its senior members will be appointed by their national governments in equal numbers, with support staff having no such parity restriction. Member states will chair the CDC for rotating six month terms, with the actual location of the council rotating likewise.
Outside of these institutions, various other policy areas (including education, border security, and specific economic policies) are added to the competencies of the UCS, providing a basis for new zones of integrated policy. The Eirian Chancellor has clarified that these policy areas and institutions are the result of extensive negotiations between her administration, the Lapointe government in Auria, the administration of the Huenyan President Xiadani, and Sapa Tanqui of Manabí Rive. “We have spent a fair amount of time collaborating with our allies on the establishment of these institutions, and we are all confident that our citizens will benefit the most from these measures.”
Despite the large scope of this treaty, it is expected that it will pass the Eirian Senate with little trouble, as the Chancellor reportedly brought key coalition members up to speed on negotiations before the announcement. There has been some discontent voiced by members of the opposition, especially from the Formido Party. “This treaty would be a blatant violation of our sovereignty and right to govern ourselves. We should not overreact to leftists throwing a fit by giving our rights away to a potentially tyrannical body,” remarked Formido Deputy Leader Ansel Duval.
Still, many in the academic and public service sectors have praised the treaty, with public servant unions being among the first to voice their support after the announcement. “I am overjoyed at the news of these new institutions. As long as Eiria is fairly represented among its leaders, the UCS has the ability to bring a new era of peace and prosperity to the region,” Mira Matiz, leader of the largest union representing domestic Ministry of Diplomacy workers, told ENN this morning. It is expected that, between the new policy jobs and legislative seats created by the Dassault Treaty, that many in the public service sector will attempt to migrate to these new UCS institutions
It is unclear if this treaty will be ratified by all member states, but for the moment, the Union of Caxcanan States appears to be projecting strength, despite the recent departure of Milintica on the orders of President Neina Arana. If this projection will last, however, remains to be seen.