All broadcasting across the nation was interrupted for a few minutes to bring the official Governmental statement on the approval of the Brussels Agreement in parliament. Chancellor Brandt could be heard through the radio and could be seen on every television screen in the country from his office in Corrintrin.
"Citizens of the Federation, today I bring you an important message, one about the value of our democracy. Today, the Imperial Office has officially ratified the Brussels Agreement into law, authorising referenda on the status of the states of Hastiga and Veldunium in our beloved Empire.
Detractors of our government, our administration of national unity across the political spectrum, would claim that we have harmed the country by granting the people of Hastiga and Veldunium a definitive chance to make their voices heard. That somehow we must uphold democracy, but not the democratic and human right of self-determination and the pursuit of happiness. To these groups, which shall remain unnamed, I say that there is no such thing as selective-democracy, that democracy is an absolute right of every free man and woman, that their rhetoric does not make them patriots, for a true patriot does not shun democracy and freedom, he embraces it. That their rhetoric does not serve the purpose they pretend to pursue, it doesn't unite people to tell them they're wrong for wanting something different, it pushes them away into the hands of the opposing side , it creates an us versus them scenario, it divides us.
It is therefor that our Government has made the Brussels Agreement, to send the clear message that liberty and democracy shall never be taken for granted by the people's representatives.
I speak to you not as a Socialist or even a Chancellor, I speak to you as a fellow Falleen citizen. Like you, I love my country with every fiber of my being. That's why I hold the firm believe that Falleentium is stronger, fairer and better for all if united. Decades of poor governance, austerity and indifference towards the needs of the people have demoralised this nation and have fueled those groups who wish to make change through separation from the nation. To all those who believe that they are better off leaving, I understand your disenchantment and yearning for change. However, it is my conviction that said change is more feasible and more efficient if we do it together. For this is a country of good people, a country of hardworking people who don't ask much else than a good job and a secure and dignified life for them and their children. It is through our collective potential alone that we can make a brighter future for every single person who is fortunate enough to call themselves Falleen.
In two years, some of our citizens could be living in a different country, with a different place in the world and a different future ahead of them. This shall be a decision that could forever change the make-up of our family of states. And we must be very clear:
There is no going back from this.
No re-run.
This is a once and for all decision.
When people vote on the 18th, they're not only voting for themselves, but for their children, their grandchildren and the generations beyond.
Our government has pledged not to interfere in the referenda campaigns, it must remain a transparent and fair vote of the Veld and Hastigan people for their own future either within our outside our federation.
However it is my responsability as Chancellor of all Falleens to stress what will be at stake in 2 years time.
I speak for hundreds of millions of people across the country, many of those in Hastiga and Veldunium, who would be utterly heartbroken by the separation of these two states from the rest of the Falleen Empire.
Utterly heart-broken to wake up on the morning of the 19th to the end of the country we love, to know that Hastigans and Velds would no longer join with other Falleens in our Army, Navy and Air Force, in our Falleen-wide celebrations and commemorations, in Falleen sporting teams, etc.
For them the Falleen Empire would be no more. No Falleen pensions, no Falleen passports, and possibly no Falleen currency.
The greatest example of democracy the world has ever known, of openness, of people of different nationalities and faiths coming together as one, would be no more.
It would be the end of a union that drove the industrial revolution, that defeated evil at every chance. The end of a union that people around the world respect and admire the end of a union that all of us call home.
And we built this home together.
Falleentium is only great because of the greatness of it's brotherly states.
Because of the thinkers, writers, artists, leaders, soldiers, inventors from these states who have made this country what it is.
We did all this together.
For the people of Hastiga and Veldunium to walk away now would be like painstakingly building a home – and then walking out the door and throwing away the keys.
So I would say to everyone voting on the 18th, please remember.
This isn’t just any old country. This is the Falleen Empire. This is our country.
And you know what makes us truly great?
It’s not our economic might or military prowess – it’s our values.
Falleen values. Fairness. Freedom. Justice. Solidarity.
The values that say wherever you are, whoever you are, your life has dignity and worth.
The values that say we don't walk people by when they're sick, that we don't walk on the other side when people are old and frail. That we dont turn a blind eye or a cold heart to people around the world who are crying out for help. Together we can make this country a better place for all, a country where anyone could walk into a hospital and not have to pay a dime for the basic human right of health.
This is what Falleentium is and what it could be. This is why Falleentium is the greatest country on earth.
And it's why hundreds of millions of us could not bear to see our union ended, for good -- forever.
I shall not tell anyone how to vote, for that is the personal decision of every Veld and Hastigan, however as Chancellor it is my responsability to tell you the harsh reality of either outcome.
Now I know that there are many people across Hastiga and Veldunium that are planning to vote to leave the Empire. I understand why this sounds appealing, it's the promise of something different.
Independence would not be a day in the park, it wouldn't be a trial separation, it would be a painful divorce of long negotiations for the future relationship of these states with the Empire.
It could mean that our armed forces which we have built up together after centuries would be broken up.
It could mean that the economic security of the elderly and their pensions could be sliced to cover the economic loss of the separation.
It could mean our shared borders, whether maritime on or land, would become international and more difficult to traverse, with all the implications this has on trade and the free movement of people and labour we all enjoy.
It could mean our collective position in the world diminished and our interests put at risk.
It could mean that we no longer pool resources from across the country for our collective services and institutions such as education, infrastructure, welfare and healthcare.
This could mean an end to the things we share together.
This is not scare-mongering, in no way do I dismiss the arguments of the opposing side as invalid or disingenuous, I'm not someone who believes either of these states would be doomed outside of the Empire. Theses are simple facts and realities that this monumental decision could mean for all of us and must be taken into consideration by everyone.
To those who acknowledge the risks yet still want change I have the following to say:
Look. Falleentium is not a perfect country -- no country is. We must constanrly change and make people's lives better.
No one is content while children still live in poverty. No one is content while there are still many who struggle. Our past leaders have pushed our country into this direction, a core reason for why many of you are disheartened. Yes, political parties are different, but all of we -- Socialists, Conservatives, Liberals and Nationalists -- are on a constant mission to change our country for the better. The question is: how do you get that change? Opinions may vary, but mine is that you don't automatically get said change by simply leaving the union. By putting our economies, security, our place in the world and stability at risk.
'Business as usual' is not on the ballot paper. The status quo is gone, that has been the message of our government and party from the start. There is no going back to the way things were in the past.
This country shall go through structural reform for the better under this administration. More funding for the states, further devolved powers to the state administrations, more investment into the services which all of us cherish and a future where poverty is tackled and a dignified life is secured for all. In this upcoming period this plan for a brighter future shall be set in stone, to guarantee that we shall not revert to the ways of old.
Hastiga and Veldunium are changing and shaping Falleentium for the better -- more so today that at any point in the last centuries and will continue to do so in the future if they choose to remain.
Thus do not see this referendum as a choice between the status quo and something new. See it as a choice between change within the union or outside of it. Real change is Hastiga's and Veldunium's for the taking and there is no inherent need to leave the federation to achieve it.
Those who wish to separate shall surely make their valid arguments about why you should vote to leave, but as Chancellor of all Falleens I can only guarantee the benefits of this different future without risking the economic and collective security that our Empire offers.
These two states have strong identities, strong cultures and strong local democratic institutions. You have built strong and permanent parliaments who lead you according to your popular will.
The vote on the 18th shall not be on whether Hastiga and Veldunium are nations. They already are strong, proud and successful nations. The vote shall be on two competing visions for their futures. A vision which believes they are better off outside our country on their own course to the future, and a vision of strong Hastigan and Veld nations allied to the rest of the Empire with their own stronger legislatures at heart and the benefits of working together with the Empire on jobs, pensions, healthcare funding, the currency, interest rates, defence, etc.
Both valid approaches, both pushed by people with the best intentions and interests for their people, both with their benefits and risks attached. Both with a different plan for our family of peoples.
We are a family, the Falleen empire is not a single nation, it is a country with 21 different nations. This can be difficult but it is wonderful.
The states and overseas posessions, all with different identities competing with each other and even at times enraging each other while still being so much stronger together. We've endured the greatest crises together, there is nothing we can't achieve and we're moving forward together.
This shall be my only address on this issue until the referenda date and our government shall respect whichever future the Veld and Hastigan people vote for.
I'm your Chancellor, but above all I am a fellow citizen, and as any responsible citizen I find it important to voice my humble opinion, one which is not intended to influence the will of our citizens: we are better together. When you are standing in the stillness of the polling booth, think critically about what your choice shall be, that not only one of the options on the ballot shall be a vote for change, they both are. That the only difference between both options is the path you shall take to reach that change.
The choice is yours, long live democracy."