1999
Hostage situation in Königsberg – February 16
The Prussian capital was shaken up by unexpected acts of violence when Kurdish rebels infiltrated the Iraqi embassy and took several people hostage, including Prussian clerks and the Iraqi ambassador. The Kurdish rebels demanded action from the Prussian government against the Iraqi occupation of their homeland. It was known that some within the SDP were sympathetic to the Kurdish cause. Donald Trump of the EP, however, was not willing to give in to terrorist demands and ordered the storming of the building, which resulted in panic among the Kurdish rebels. Several embassy employees were shot, including the Iraqi ambassador. The rebels were arrested or killed, but the damage had already been done. As a result of the hostage situation, anti-migrant opinions in the capital increased and Donald Trump became increasingly at odds with his own party, which wished to keep a politically correct narrative.
Managed Exchange Rates – February 23
On February 23, the government decided to enter an agreement with the Visegrad Group about managed exchange rates for their respective currencies. A conference was held in Posen, Prussia, where the leaders of Poland-Lithuania, Prussia, Bohemia, Slovakia and Hungary discussed the prospect of European integration. The leaders agreed that the first step towards integration was the establishment of a stable economic and monetary environment. Not only did they discuss entry into the EU, but also into the Eurozone. The idea of a common currency was not liked by everyone however, particularly Donald Trump and the EP disliked the idea of giving up control over the Prussian currency. As a compromise, they agreed to managed exchange rates between the five Visegrad countries. Implementation of the agreement would roughly take a year. At the same time, the Prussian government worked further to obtaining the standards for entry into the EU, albeit to keep the possibility open should the EP change their opinion on membership.
Landtag session on NATO membership – March 12
On March 12, Hungary, Poland-Lithuania and Bohemia joined NATO. In Russia, that news was not taken lightly. The state press spoke of an encroaching NATO which threatened the borders of Russia and its allies. In Prussia, the government had chosen to refrain from following the Visegrad Group in their membership of NATO. Mainly because of opposition from the EP, but also because there was a general opposition to NATO membership in the Landtag. The EP was joined by the Junkerpartei in their relatively pro-Russian stance, while the SAP was against any kind of alliance with Western capitalists. Nevertheless, Prussia still held on to its alliance with Germany, giving the country a special status among the NATO allies.
[Albrecht Schwartzmann (SAP)]:
“How is it that this government is not a puppet of one but of two imperialist regimes? While on the one hand the SDP ensures that we follow the capitalist doctrines of Berlin and Brussels, the EP ensures that we do not anger Moscow too much when it comes to European integration. It appears that they do not value Prussian self-determination and are more than willing to bend their knee to foreign whims. The Prussian people do not deserve to become subject of some Belgian or Russian bureaucrats, the Prussian people are destined to be the vanguard of a third, Syndicalist movement which one day will unite all of Europe.”
[Hinrich Lehmann-Grube, Minister of Defence (SDP)]:
“The Syndicalists are nothing more than the shadow of the totalitarian regimes which plunged Europe into war in the 1940s. They will not stop at Prussia’s borders to spread their violent ideology of non-property and non-identity. Before we know it, they will plunge our country in a war over some outdated political ideology which has no place in the globalized era which is dawning on us. What the people of Prussia need is a stable place among the European constellations. The current government recognizes that NATO membership is not preferable at this moment in time, but we will remain loyal to our military agreement with Germany. Think of it what you want, but at least we are neither being invaded by NATO nor being attacked by Russia over ethnic divisions or natural resources.”
[Johann Korwin-Mikke (JP)]:
“What Russia is doing to rebels in its Caucasus provinces has nothing to do with this! We see straight through the lies of this government. Some might call it ‘threading a narrow path between East and West’, but let’s just call this by its real name, hypocrisy! The only reason why Prussia would take such a ‘neutral’ stance is so that people like Donald Trump can make profit out of it! Trump profits from a political thaw between Moscow and Washington. He can do business with both without angering either of them too much. Instead to committing to one good neighbour, this government relies on the thawing relations between two great powers. But once that thaw is over, we will be the first victims! We must decide which side we are loyal to if we want to survive as an independent nation in Europe. And while this government is slowly integrating itself into Germany, the Junkerpartei refuses to surrender to Berlin. We might as well sign our own capitulation if we ever join NATO!”
In the aftermath of the debate, the Syndicalist Action announced their ambition for a Syndicalist Union of Europe, an alternative to the EU based on the principles of Marxism and Gandhism. On March 24 a first congress was held in Danzig with representatives from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Slovakia, Latvia and Estonia. No concrete steps were taken, but it certainly stirred some feelings in pro-EU circles.
Parody flag of the EU adopted during the First Congress of the Syndicalist Union of Europe in Posen in 1999.
Plan for renovations of the Landtag – June 16
In June, the government announced their intention to renovate the old Landtag building. Currently, the Königsberg Castle was in a rather decrepit state and in dire need of some renovations. Signs of the Second Weltkrieg were still visible on the walls and in May, part of the ceiling in the parliament hall actually collapsed. As a result, the CD.P came up with the idea of holding a national architectural competition to rethink the old Landtag site. Eventually, a young aspiring architect from Königsberg won the competition with her vision to add several wooden wings to the old Castle, including a brand new parliament hall. In addition, the courtyard would become a green space and allow for a park environment to be created surrounding the Landtag site.
The repaying of foreign debt – December 31
December 31 of 1999 marked the last step in the government’s plan to repay its foreign debt. With a reserve of 57 240k Prussian marks in the Treasury, the total amount of 43 790,2k marks in debt could easily paid off to the Bank of the United States and the Bank of Germany. This marked the very first real achievement of the government coalition. Even though they were surfing on the success of the global economy in the late 1990s, their effective economic planning made sure that Prussia’s finances were kept healthy while at the same time austerity measures were avoided and social programs were funded without interruption. With two more years to go (2000 and 2001) before the next elections, the question was what Prussia’s government would prioritize with their hard-earned money. While the SDP and the GfP preferred extra funding for social welfare, the CD.P preferred to focus on education and the EP wanted to use the extra money to invest in and expand Prussia’s economy. Then there was also the question of renewable energy sources. Since the end of the Volkspartei-era, a new surge of industrialisation had swept through Prussia, requiring more electricity plants to provide the country with energy. The GfP opted for renewable energy sources like wind farms, but those were expensive and still required technological finetuning before they would be as effective as a standard coal plant. In addition, wind turbines were still widely unpopular among the people in the countryside. Whatever the government would do in the next two years, it was certain to show some of the internal divides between the parties. The question was which party would be able to push their agenda the hardest.
International news:
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And with this I finally upload another chapter! Sorry it took me so long, but university caught up to me. I'll try to be more consistent with updates again, so don't worry, this AAR is not dead!
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