Svenska Dagbladet

[TheShammySocialist]

[b]Classified[/b]

The HMS [i]Resolute[/i] along with the frigates HMS [i]Uppsala[/i] and HMS [i]Karlsborg[/i] depart Gothenberg for the Barents Sea for Arctic maritime conditioning for crews and embarked amphibious forces.

Edited November 21, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][size="4"][b]Monarchy Restored![/b][/size]

[IMG]http://royalhouses.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/her-royal-highness-princess-madeleine-of-sweden-duchess-of-halsingland-and-gastrikland.jpg[/IMG]

[i]The official portrait of the newly-crowned Queen of Sweden.[/i]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - Amidst the hype of the recent strike against Finland, Caroline was crowned in a private ceremony today in the nation's capital, marking the return of the monarchy to the nation for the first time since it regained independence from Germany. In attendance at the proceedings were members of the Swedish [i]riksdag[/i], as well as a modest number of private royals from across Sweden. The coronation also comes amid the questions revolving around the disappearance of a Swedish Colonel of the Queen's Own Life Brigade, or [i]Livgardet[/i]. Colonel Theo Torstenson, who is a close friend of the newly-crowned queen, as well as a commanding officer of one of the regiments of the [i]Livgardet[/i] has been missing for a few days, and no one has been able to comment on his disappearance.

Despite the mystery of the disappeared officer, the proceedings and ceremony went over without any security concerns or mishaps, and many members of the [i]riksdag[/i] were pleasantly surprised at the small ceremony and reception. "I am glad that Caroline has taken into account the fact that Sweden is still a growing nation, and that she sought to deliberately keep the scale of the coronation at a small level," commented Prime Minister Ericsson, at the reception. Ordinary Swedes and well-wishers alike turned out in the streets, however, to cheer and applaud the new queen as she made her way to the royal residence in Stockholm.

"This is a great moment in the reviving of tradition, our tradition," commented one well-wisher, who was smiling from ear-to-ear despite the light snow and bitter cold conditions that swept over the capital following the reception at the [i]riksdag[/i].[/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][size="4"][b]Aaland Tunnel-Bridge Connection Continues; Economic Growth Report Positive[/size][/b]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - Engineers with the Aaland Archipelago Connector project have reported that they are closing in on being a quarter of the way through with the project, and are pleased with the "accelerated" progress that has occurred over the past fortnight. Foreman have said that the recent graduation of Sweden's technical schools have boosted its skilled ranks "excessively", and that they laud more Swedes for taking their education to a technical field. The Chancellor of the Exechequer has said that projections are on track to ensuring that the bridge remains on-budget, and maybe even ahead of schedule. They have also said that, in a quarterly report, more government education subsidies will be issued to technical schools, as enrollment appears up.

This follows an initiative by the Division of Education, which works under the Interior Ministry, to push students to seek more work in technical fields, associated with high-tech manufacturing as well as skilled labor positions. The increase in manufacturing jobs in Sweden was seen following independence from Germany, and the knowledge that Sweden needed to be able to rely on more than just a service-related economy to be able to get by. Since then, Swedish manufacturers have reported gains by leaps and bounds in their employment needs, as demand for their goods is steady, or in a number of cases on the rise. Minister of the Interior Benjamin Holm followed up the Division of Education's remarks by speaking at length, on a number of occasions, the need for the country to embrace technical education as more than just a "second-rate" education.

A poll of students in secondary schools have noted that as many as forty percent of graduating outgoing fourth year students are planning to go into a technical education, this number is up from a mere twenty-three percent last year. Swedish technical schools have also seen increased funding, and are therefore able to offer increased services to their enrolled students, making them more competitive in education. While liberal arts and sciences are keeping a steady pace with technical schools, especially with the increase in public-sector jobs since independence, some forecasts say this number of jobs is expected to decline at a slow, yet steady pace over the next five years as positions are filled. Since independence, the government has said that average postsecondary tuition costs are down, and it expects with new legislation, these costs will continue to go down.

On the economic front, growth forecasts have been revised and the Swedish economy has said to have grown "exponentially" since independence, making up for lost ground. With government contracts keeping manufacturers with a steady flow of jobs in a number of key industries, it is expected that the Swedish economy will continue to be able to grow on exports and domestic goods sales. A steady flow of income from the sale of timber and minerals to the United Federation of the East boosted the forestry and mineral extraction markets throughout the fourth quarter, and it is expected these industries will be steady for the foreseeable future given the massive demand for premium Swedish timber and ores in the world.[/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

[b]Classified[/b]

"The Ministry of the Interior hereby declares the southern operations zone for Operation [i]Northern Guardian[/i] cleared and hereby closed, while border patrol and sovereignty operations will continue on the Swedish Northern Frontier with Finland, all troops associated with the southern portions of the operation are being demobilized and equipment returned to garrisons.

The third regiment of the 556th Incident Response Regiment has been shifted from the southern zone of operations to the northern zone of operations, and will be based out of Lulea. Delta Company of Battalion 1116 is hereby shifted to the garrison facilities in Kiruna to provide fast-reaction sovereignty enforcement patrols."

Edited November 26, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][size="4"][b]Swedish Conservative Union Dissolves[/b][/size]

[IMG]http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/VictorDeltaRomeo/3132002_std.jpg[/IMG]

[i]Popular Member of Parliament (MP) Aden Dawkins, seen here while in military service in Central Asia, defected to the Swedish Socialist Front last week. Dawkins' defection is one many that has gripped the Swedish Conservative Union since stagnation in the party's primary platform reform debates.[/i]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - Residents across the nation woke up yesterday to the breaking news that had spread from the chambers of the [i]riksdag[/i] since the early hours of that morning; the Swedish Conservative Union is no more. Many political analysts have noted that the breakdown of the Swedish Conservative Union was inevitable after weeks of haggling over the party's main platform core values. Many SCU MPs have felt that the party had drifted 'too far' to the right, and that the party's main platform needed correcting, so that the entirety of the SCU could 'agree upon a set of core basic values to move forward with'.

Although a number of SCU MPs believed that these debates were needed, a bloc of the SCU has emerged that appears to have developed similar traits with the farther right leaning Order of Falkenberg, which was able to capitalize slightly on the SCU's apparent flip-flopping throughout the first general elections since Sweden's independence. With the stagnation of talks between the two groups reaching a boiling point two weeks ago, a number of SCU MPs defected to the Swedish Socialist Front, feeling that they could 'better represent the Swedish people from the ranks of the SSF'. These defections included the politician-turned-soldier MP Aden Dawkins, who still holds a seat in parliament, and can vote on legislation while in the service. Dawkins' defection was followed by a number of credible names within the SCU to the SSF, which gained an increase of thirty-two percent of the [i]riksdag[/i].

The defections to the SSF has sent a number of hard-core right-wing politicians to the Order of Falkenberg, which picked up as much as five extra percent of the vote in the Swedish [i]riksdag[/i] following the defections, which was made in a large group last Friday in a surprise announcement. With the SCU's numbers dwindling, the Party Chairman of the SCU, Gustav Lindholm announced last night the official dissolution of the SCU, and has gone independent. This move has prompted many political parties to call for a new election, and the Ericsson Government will be expected to face a critical vote of confidence within the coming fortnight.

The Order of Falkenberg has already begun demonstrating and preparing for political action over the sudden collapse of the Swedish Conservative Union, many of its members of parliament also remarking that Sweden's inaction over the Communist Uprising in France could bode dark for Sweden's future. While the Swedish government has made statements against the nation of Finland in particular over the possibility that Finnish troops could be sent to France to assist communist rebels, the Order argues that the Ericsson Government is going to "let the domino fall" in France. "Ericsson's government has been soft on Communism, it has been too soft on Finland, even going so far to sell them ships! The inaction over this outbreak of leftist violence is unnerving our constituents, and our inaction could cost Sweden lives in the long run," said Yves Sturmheld, at a recent rally to add hype to the Order's now-improving electoral bid, with the only conservative competitor now out of the way.[/quote]

Edited November 27, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][b][size="4"]Order of Falkenberg Protests Broken Up in Gothenberg[/size][/b]

[IMG]http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-FM833_iransw_G_20100211133338.jpg[/IMG]

[i]Swedish National Police forces moved in on protestors who had begun to block streets in Central Gothenberg, using pepper spray and riot control officers to break up the demonstrations causing havoc as the protests broke up.[/i]

[b]Gothenberg, SWE[/b] - A fifth day of demonstrations in Gothenberg turned ugly yesterday afternoon, when Swedish National Police, accompanying officers of the Gothenberg Municipal Constabulary, broke up protests that had blocked streets in the center of the city. The protests had moved from a park closer to Gothenberg University, which has been touted by the Order of Falkenberg as a "bastion of communist subversion", to make a more "bold" statement, taking to the streets of Central Gothenberg. Although protest organizers admit that the demonstrations "could have been better coordinated" they argued that the police response was "unjustified" and "unethical". Both national and local police converged on the scene in riot gear and broke up the protests after warning protestors to clear the streets in line with the traffic laws of the nation.

Protestors responded by spitting on police, as well as some masked individuals hurling glass bottles and rocks at the police forces who went to negotiate with the individuals in plainclothes. The Order of Falkenberg, a right-wing party whose agenda has found some significant report in both southern Sweden and the Aaland Archipelago, had secured proper permits to demonstrate and peacefully protest, but city officials have said that these permits were issued for Skansan Park only. Protest leaders, including Yves Sturmheld, said that after four days, the protests were not "getting the right response we wanted, so we did what any protestor has the right to do; take to the streets." City officials warned Sturmheld that they needed at least a day to reissue a permit for another location, but they said Sturmheld would not wait.

"Yes, it is true, Mr. Sturmheld did ask for a reissue of a permit, but to be able to relocate such demonstrations on such a short notice is impossible. Our city office needs time to coordinate with proper authorities as well as municipal leaders to ensure that police can coordinate correctly to better protect and keep such events under supervision and control," stated Gothenberg Mayor Erik Larsson, speaking with the press about the breakup of the protests.

The Order of Falkenberg has recently been active on its political front, as it gears up for what could be a new election sometime in the near future. Government leaders, including the Prime Minister, have said that until the conflict in Central Asia has been dealt with, there can be no election. Sturmheld, however, gained much needed assistance with the breakup of the Swedish Conservative Union, and has been blaming the coalition government of "using the conflict to further its election bid", they contend that if the war against the Kingdom of Cochin is successful, they can benefit from being one of the governments of the victors. Both the SDL and SSF have been silent to respond to this, and other attacks, including allegations that the Swedish government "did nothing" to prevent a Communist takeover in France. The Office of the Prime Minister responded to the commentary by stating that an offer of support was given in a closed diplomatic cable, but no response was tendered, and the government backed down its offer after it was clear that the French Revolutionaries would be able to clearly subvert the French Government.

Nonetheless, the Order of Falkenberg contends that Sweden's recent lack of foreign political will is eroding confidence in its people, and that the government should allow for a re-election. Prime Minister Ericsson survived a confidence vote by a significant majority, and has yet to respond to what could be construed as baiting attacks by OOF supporters and critics. Many protestors in Gothenberg were demonstrating against the strong liberal majority that Gothenberg possesses, which they as "emanating" from Gothenberg University, and some protestors, who claimed to be former students of the university claim that they were deliberately targeted by professors and other students for voicing conservative attitudes in class. Anti-Communist slogans were prevalent throughout the crowd in Gothenberg, with many comments directed at France, as well as Gothenberg University, and the Swedish Socialist Front, which holds a number of key posts in the Swedish Government.

The protests that did reach the middle city blocking traffic were broken up rather quickly, but police did resort to limited amounts of use when subduing unruly protestors with clubs, as well as employing pepper spray. Most protestors had disappeared from the streets by nightfall, but the event underlines what could be growth of further partisan tension developing between political groups here in our own country.[/quote]

Edited December 1, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][b][size="4"]SDL Pushes Border Defenses; SSF Hesitant[/size][/b]

[IMG]http://www.arcticprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/borisoglebsk.jpg[/IMG]

[i]The ice-choked Torne River, part of the natural barrier between Finland and Sweden.[/i]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - The potential rift between the Swedish Democratic League, and its coalition partner, the Swedish Socialist Front potentially grew wider yesterday, as the SSF vocally dissented its opposition to the potential of a full-fledged defensive line being built on the country's border with Finland. Given the two countries' past year relationship, the Swedish Democratic League has said they are in favor of a "strong defense", given the "bellicosity of Finland since its independence". The "bellicosity of Finland" turned violent no more than two months ago, when Swedish Air Force aircraft struck Finnish armored laagers in an effort to drive "potentially hostile forces that could move within minutes on Sweden" away from the border. Finland claimed the attack as another example of Swedish Imperialism, but Swedish lawmakers denied the allegation resoundingly in the [i]riksdag[/i].

The sudden political collapse and turmoil in France, which subsequently led to a left-wing radical takeover of the government, has suddenly "put Sweden on the defensive in Europe", says many foreign political analysts. Sweden admitted to offering assistance to what Swedish Prime Minister Ericsson called the [i]legitimate[/i] government of France, with offers of troops as peacekeeping forces. The offer was subsequently cut off, and some of the Swedish Socialist Front members of the Swedish cabinet noted that they had "not been appraised of the offer", leading to a closed door meeting between party leaders last week after news broke on the situation. Christian and Theo Nyquist, the former the SSF President, as well as the Swedish International Affairs and Trade Minister, said he did not agree with the growing paranoia that seemed to engulf Sweden since the fall of France into Communism. The Order of Falkenberg has accused the SSF of deliberately hampering government policy in regards to dealing with "the growing threat of socialism that seems to be sweeping Europe like a wildfire", and has called into question the SDL's retention of the SSF as a political ally, as well as called for a general election.

The Swedish Democratic League stated, along wit the SSF that they would not support a call for a general election until the war with the Kingdom of Cochin has come to a conclusion, and added that the Order of Falkenberg was stirring political tensions and feeding off potential political conflict paranoia. The Order of Falkenberg shot back today, that while it supported building further defenses along the border of Finland, it stated that the "threat of Communism was real, and that the SDL should dump the coalition as soon as humanly possible". The SDL presented a general funding plan today that would allocate resources and money into a more permanent border defense line that would incorporate static positions at intervals along the border to "crack down on intrusions on Sweden's sovereignty" as well as "contain Finnish aggression should it once again threaten our borders".

The Swedish Socialist Front, however, hotly contested the issue, saying that further defenses would not only waste taxpayers' money, it would also further alienate relations at a time when tensions in Europe are high and Sweden is already involved in what is "shaping up to be what could be considered a total war". Theo Nyquist, who objected to the idea off the bat, and currently serving as Defense Minister, also spoke hotly about the issue, having not been involved in the consultation of permanent border defenses, which appeared to have been contrived by the Minister of the Interior. While Nyquist conceded that the security of Sweden in peace was the job of the Interior Ministry, he would go on to attack Fredrik Ericsson that "in any coalition, significant ideas that are being contrived by one party, should be shared with another". The younger of the Nyquist brothers would go on to say that the defenses should have been consulted upon with the Defense Ministry, and that he felt "betrayed" by his coalition partners, in not being a part of the process.

Fredrik Ericsson has yet to comment on Nyquist's attack, and tried to push forward with the debate, despite SSF opposition, but it seems that new lines are being drawn in the Swedish [i]riksdag[/i], and the coalition appears shakier then it ever has been since the general election.[/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][size="4"][b]SSF Passes Liberal Legislation; Bargain with SDL[/b][/size]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - In what could be the beginning of a repairing of a coalition relationship, the SDL and SSF were able to pass legislation through the house, in front of a stunned Order of Falkenberg audience, that has been capitalizing on the chaotic [i]riksdag[/i] for the past week or so. The Swedish Socialist Front, led by Christian Nyquist, has been pushing for education reforms, including the creation of a Ministry of Education, as well as adjustments to gun control laws, and the legalizing of cannabis. The Swedish Democratic League, which has been resisting efforts by the SSF to put these motions to a vote in the [i]riksdag[/i], especially concerned over pushing moderate conservatives farther into the ranks of the Order of Falkenberg, held its nosed and gave almost party unanimity in approving the vote.

The Order of Falkenberg jeered as the Swedish Socialist Front presented their plan for a vote, but were stunned when the automatic voting tallies began confirming the SSF's "Social Welfare Package Plan" amongst the ranks of the Swedish Democratic League. Throughout the night before last, delegates from both parties, including major party whips were able to come to an agreement over further Swedish defense spending, which has continued to increase throughout the last year. After the SSF pushed through its vote, the SDL began a new vote on the parliament floor, which outlined a strategic defense spending plan, which included the construction of various defensive structures throughout the country. The vote allowed for an opt-in on further strategic defenses, including border defenses, to be possibly confirmed in the next fiscal year.

Swedish Democratic League Whip Hermann Partvenson stated that, "While the Swedish Democratic League [i]did[/i] have to hold its nose on this vote, especially on the legalization of cannabis, we feel that we made the right choice. This evening was a victory for the center and the left, and possibly beginning to repair the strained sinews of our relationship with SSF." The Order of Falkenberg, which believed that it was seeing a fracturing between the coalition that it has been disdainful of since last years' general elections, refused comment on the sudden change in relations between the floundering coalition partners.

The legalization of cannabis has long since been an election issue, with many in the Swedish Socialist Front championing the legalization, to erode the monopoly organized crime has on the drug. Instead, the Swedish Government, through the Interior Ministry, is now charged to form an office of the already existing Controlled Substances Division, which will be in charge of the legalization of the drug, and its legal sale through government-approved vendors, where taxes on the drug will be used for social services programs as well as fighting the use of "hard" drugs.[/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

[b]News Brief - Ministry of Defense[/b]

[quote][b]Kiruna, SWE[/b] - In a visit to Kiruna Spaceport, Sweden's space launch facility and orbital launch testing facility, Defense Ministry Theo Nyquist stated that the Defense Ministry has begun plans to create a joint armed services Corps, which would stretch across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. With the recent developments seen in warfare in Central Asia, the Swedish Defense Ministry conceded that there are 'glaring gaps' in its ballistic missile capabilities. Given the large amount of ballistic missiles that have been reportedly used in the Central Asia, the Swedish Defense Ministry, as part of the strategic defense package that was passed forty-eight hours ago, has approved the creation of the Swedish Armed Forces' Strategic Missile Command, or 'SMC'.

With testing underway at Kiruna of potential conventional-payload missiles, this move is expected to give the Swedish Armed Forces a boosted reach, especially when dealing with large amounts of stand-off air defense capabilities. Ballistic missiles have long been seen as replacements for bombs and artillery shells that are too dangerous to deliver without exposing the aircraft or artillery piece to counter-battery fire. While counter-ballistic missile fire is within the realm of possibility, the use of ballistic missiles against high priority targets is not a new concept, and many defense analysts have said for the past month that adding to this capability is in the best long term interests of the Swedish Armed Forces.[/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][size="4"][b]Malmo Socialist Office Burned[/b][/size]

[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Scorched_car_in_Paris_suburb_november_2005.jpg/320px-Scorched_car_in_Paris_suburb_november_2005.jpg[/IMG]

[i]A burned out car from the blaze that engulfed the SSF Office and nearby apartments in downtown Malmo.[/i]

[b]Malmo, SWE[/b] - Employees for the Swedish Socialist Front's regional office in Malmo arrived at work this morning to find their workplace in ruins and Malmo Regional Municipality fire brigades extinguishing the last of the blaze. At approximately eight o'clock last night, passerby's identified a group of six or so individuals lighting gasoline-filled glass bottles and hurling them into the office, and a nearby building, before sprinting away. The Malmo emergency response center confirmed a fire alarm was dispatched at 8:11pm, and that two full departments moved in to engage the blaze before it spread to nearby buildings, a third department had to be dispatched, as nighttime winds fanned the blaze, and set alight a nearby car, and continued to threaten other adjacent buildings.

"Yes, we can certainly confirm this is arson, it is apparent with the eyewitness statements that the Swedish National Police received, as well as the intensity of the blaze, an accelerant [i]had[/i] to be used to get that blaze going so quickly," noted Malmo Fire Brigade #3 Chief, Marten Wielhamn. "We had to evacuate three nearby apartments, one is totally gutted, the one next to the SSF Office." Wielhamn confirmed that an individual that was driving by, who then tried to fight the blaze with a fire extinguisher from his car in the SSF Office had to be transported to the St. John's Hospital with smoke inhalation, commending the individual for his act.

The Swedish Democratic League and Swedish Socialist Front were quick to denounce the blaze, which could be considered an act of political violence, which has prompted the investigation to be led by the Swedish National Police and not local authorities. With the lessening of tensions between the SDL and the SSF, there is a lot of speculation of pro-right-wing elements setting the blaze. The Order of Falkenberg released a short statement saying that it "does not condone the use of political violence to further its cause", but that "socialists have put themselves out there as radicals in the Swedish government, and therefore this attack was not unforeseen".[/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][size="4"][b]SSF Protests; Conservatives Fighting Back[/b][/size]

[IMG]http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/VictorDeltaRomeo/france_riots_day_2.jpg[/IMG]

[i]Protests gripped a number of Swedish cities yesterday and last night, and protests look to continue today with further unrest.[/i]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - Swedish National Police forces were stretched to the limit yesterday, trying to control civil unrest following what was an angry reaction to the confirm fire-bombing of a Swedish Socialist Front office in Malmo. A number of fire-bombings hit far-right Order of Falkenberg regional offices in a number of cities, in rash early morning attacks by masked youths. Two SSF offices in the Stockholm area, both with personnel inside were firebombed, in what appears to be a growing number of underground youths that are associated with either party. Two workers at one of the offices died in the blaze, when they were trapped in an elevator in one of the buildings, and passed away due to smoke inhalation, which was confirmed last night by Stockholm Fire Brigade officials.

While the Swedish Democratic League, which leads the coalition government, attempted to rally both parties in an attempt to keep the two parties of government from 'playing sides', both parties denounced the other as purveyors of violence and political hatred. Yves Sturmheld denounced the socialists as attempting to foment rebellion in Sweden and install a communist state, and immediately requested that the Swedish Socialist Front be removed from all ministerial offices. Christian Nyquist, as leader of the SSF, was openly disdainful of Sturmheld, accusing him of trying to break up the coalition government and attempting to invoke political violence. Whether or not the Order of Falkenberg was responsible for the firebombing in Malmo two nights ago, the SSF and its supporters certainly think that way, and it appears that it has its own willing cohorts that possess the will to strike back.

Protests supporting both sides met in a bloody clash in Gothenberg, where a number of people were left injured, regional hospitals admitted as many as two hundred patients, including twenty police officers or security forces that tried to break up the violence. Most of the violence that occurred in Gothenberg was centered around the university, where a group of two hundred Order of Falkenberg supporters marched on the campus, while protestors supporting the SSF fought back. Violence and damage also were accrued in Stockholm, Malmo, Uppsala, and Orebro, where as many as twenty structural fires were reported that were started by protests, as well as well over one hundred and fifty cars being torched. Swedish Home Army forces were brought in to protect the Swedish parliament building, when nearly three hundred far-right activists marched on the building, only to be attacked by at least two hundred SSF protestors, which ended when police intervened with tear gas, pepper spray, and riot control officers.

"The violence and escalation of conflict on both sides of this spate of political violence is inexcusable, to respond with violence to Tuesday Night's attack in Malmo does not right any wrong, let the police do their job. Peaceful protests and support in the streets is one thing, but this government will not stand idly by if this violence continues. We urge all protestors to remain calm, and refrain from further acts of violence against your fellow citizens, it is one thing to be politically active, but political violence will not solve this crisis," stated Prime Minister Fredrik Ericsson, last night on a televised broadcast. Ericsson would go on to continually urge both political parties sit down and talk about the matter, and threatened 'consequences' should both parties not cooperate.[/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][center][b][size="4"]Official Statement from the People's High Commissariat of Sweden[/size][/b]

[IMG]http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/VictorDeltaRomeo/flagswedenredthing.png[/IMG][/center]

[i]Dearest Comrades,[/i]

For the past year and a half, the Swedish people have seen our nation grow and prosper, our state has flourished since its independence, but it has also been deceived by the cloak of a so called democracy that brought a criminal to the parliament of Sweden. The Order of Falkenberg has voiced opposition to the government since the first day, it has worked both in the public and private eye to ensure the failure of the government since its election. Instead of working with other parties in the parliament to ensure the success of Sweden in these critical times, it has worked to undermine the government at every turn, and now, it has resorted to violence because it is a desperate, loathing, and fearful creature. It has fed on fears, fear of a government that would be more effective, fear that they would not be able to make a profit because they were not able to decentralize the government.

That fear led them to lash out in a cowardly and dastardly attack which has left Sweden's Defense Minister dead, as well as over one hundred people dead in the following violence that erupted due to that assassination. It has tarnished the strong spirit of political freedom and stability in Sweden, it has tarnished the name of Benjamin Holm, who took his own life following his betrayal of the government, it has reduced itself to cowardly tactics to gain an upper hand when its members felt fear that they would lose the power they had gathered. It has manipulated the Swedish electorate and tarnished its reputation abroad, and for this, there will be no mercy.

I come before you to report the abdication of the monarchy, which was undertaken voluntarily by Caroline of Bernadotte, in her last act as Queen, she has abolished the Swedish parliament, and put into motion changes that will end this strife, and restore the Swedish government. This government will be the beginning of a new era for Sweden, there shall be no need for the [i]riksdag[/i], where the skirmish of this war began. We will restore and rebuild the Sweden that is tearing itself apart, I promise you that this movement is only but a beginning, it requires your support for this dream to take flight. My friends who find themselves on the frontline, fighting these so called 'Black Wolves' of the fascist Order of Falkenberg, know you are fighting a desperate coward who threw away cooperation. Soldiers, remember your oaths you gave to protect this nation from harm, whether foreign or domestic, citizens, remember when you breathed smokeless air as you walked the streets of Stockholm, Gothenberg, and Malmo. We shall prevail over these individuals, these people who call themselves Swedish, they care naught about their nation, they care only about their own personal benefit.

I hereby renounce the official name of this nation to be the Kingdom of Sweden, but rather the People's Union of Sweden, governed by the People's Commissariat. As Secretary General, I promise you that this nation will steady itself, and we will restore the respect, the stability, the unity of this nation, one brick at a time. There will be nowhere that the traitors of the Order can hide, we will hunt every forest, we will overturn every rock, so be it. There will be peace in Sweden, and that peace counts on your support, together as one, Sweden forward, with the times!

[i]Respectfully,[/i]

[i]Christian Nyquist[/i]
Secretary General of the People's Commissariat
Interim Commissar of International Relations

[i]Caroline of Bernadotte, BRIG[/i]
Interim Commissar of Political Affairs
[i]Gamla Stan[/i] Guards Brigade

[i]Ludwig Horn, LTGEN[/i]
Interim Commissar of National Defense

[i]Dannika Mannerheim, BRIG[/i]
Interim Commissar of Internal Affairs
Head of the Swedish National Police
Inspector General, Swedish Union Armed Forces

[i]Anna Stormm[/i]
Interim Commissar of Infrastructure

[i]Dr. Vigdis Eversmann[/i]
Interim Commissar of Welfare and Health Affairs[/quote]

Edited December 14, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[Rauchen]

"Given that the transition was sponsored by the previous regime, and the current one is at least partially made up of members of the abolished monarchy, the Kingdom of Kurland extends its recognition to the People's Union of Sweden, and will operate under the assumption that the Treaty of Riga is still active. However, given the current instability of the Swedish nation, I am concerned for the welfare of the Kurlandic citizens on Kalmar and Gotland. As these provinces are both recent additions to the Swedish nation, and are more in tune with Kurlandic rather than Swedish politics, I doubt that violence will spread on its own accord there, but there is no guarantee that an action by one of the beligerents in this civil conflict won't damage local stability. As such, we are temporarily halting the Kurlandic withdrawal from these two counties for the duration of Sweden's civil strife. Our military forces will remain out of civilian law enforcement, but the KNPD branches previously established in the region will continue to maintain order as they have throughout the transition. When all is said and done, we will withdraw fully from Gotland and Kalmar in accordance with our agreement."

-Alaric I von Ösel
King of Kurland

[TheShammySocialist]

"The People's Union of Sweden acknowledges this temporary halt to the withdrawal of Kurlandic security forces from Kalmar and Gotland given the current situation in Sweden. Swedish security forces will continue to police these areas as well, and work with Kurlandic forces when feasible until this crisis is abated. The People's Union formerly recognizes the continuance of all existing security pacts at this time, but given the current internal strife, will only be able to deploy minimal combat forces at this time."

[i]Dannika Mannerheim
Interim Commissar of Internal Affairs[/i]

Edited December 9, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][size="4"][b]Martial Law Declared; Swedish Armed Forces Engage Black Wolves Militants Across Sweden[/b][/size]

[IMG]http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/VictorDeltaRomeo/Andreas20Karlsson-Fc3b6rsvarets20bildbyrc3a5.jpg[/IMG]

[i]Troops from the [b]Bohuslan[/b] Brigade secure Orebro prior to battling militants that cut the junction of Highways S18 and S20, which was effectively cutting off Stockholm from the Kattegat Coastline.[/i]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - With the declaration of a new government formed by Christian Nyquist and the now abdicated Caroline of Bernadotte, nearly eighty-five percent of the Swedish Armed Forces pledged a new oath of allegiance to the government. Other members were given the opportunity to be mustered out without a dishonorable discharge, provided they signed their discharge papers in a timely manner. Most of the individuals who walked out of the forces were reportedly from the Falkenberg Municipality, or from the Aaland Islands, where one whole regiment mutinied and is currently besieging the loyalist forces that are maintaining a grip on the Mariehamn Naval Station.

"Military forces of the Swedish Union, as well as militants from the [i]Red Orchestra[/i] militia engaged insurgent forces at a number of key locations across the country. This government will not stop until these opposition militias are destroyed or disbanded, and lay down their arms," stated General Ludwig Horn, a veteran campaigner, and currently the interim Commissar of Defense.

Gunfire could be heard in northern and western Stockholm, where the newly christened [i]Gamla Stan[/i] Guards, originally the Queen's Own [i]Livgardet[/i], went into action yesterday against militant forces dug in around the unused former Royal Residence at Haga Park. Reportedly, the abdicated monarch herself has been put in charge of the Brigade, and is leading the attack personally. Caroline was instrumental in the formation of the new government, by issuing an act of the realm that dissolved the old government, which legal analysts have said, was a brilliant political move using a loophole in the constitution that gave her the implied power to do dissolve the government. In his declaration of a new government, which was signed by Caroline, Christian Nyquist named the former monarch as the Commissar of Political Affairs on an interim basis.

Pockets of right wing militia forces have been reported to have various sizable fortified positions across Sweden, mostly in towns along what the military is deeming to be strategic avenues. There has yet to be any confirmation on an end to the hostage situation in Gothenberg at its famed university, nor has the military given out any specific idea of where it has struck beforehand. A spokesperson with the Special Reconnaissance Group, Sweden's joint civil-military intelligence unit, confirmed that there are still sympathizers inside the military, posing as normal soldiers, who are relaying information to insurgent forces. The military has since cracked down, it has noted, using a "variety of techniques" to "weed out", or keep most soldiers in the dark about operations until they are en route, and cannot relay information before the attack breaks.

Whatever the case, it appears that while the Black Wolves are proving to be a pain in the side of this new government, the latter has responded ferociously and in a coordinated fashion, rising to meet the challenge.[/quote]

Edited December 12, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][size="4"][b]People's Commissariat Claims Victory; Security Forces Continue Patrols[/b][/size]

[IMG]http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa325/VictorDeltaRomeo/CarolineBernadotte.png[/IMG]

[i]Caroline of Bernadotte, right, now commissioned as a Brigadier in the Swedish Land Army, talks with fellow soldiers from the [i]Gamla Stan[/i] Guards Brigade after the Battle of Haga Park.[/i]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - The government announced last night, after nearly twelve hours of scattered reports, that Yves Sturmheld was shot dead in a clash with Swedish special operations forces in Gothenberg. Sturmheld was killed after apparently surrendering, only to hurl a grenade at hostages that had just been freed, the hostages were saved by the actions of Captain Erik Gotthard. Gotthard was killed when he threw himself on the grenade, which contributed to saving the lives of at least ten civilian and twenty of his own soldiers. All of the hostages were recovered alive and well, and were transferred to a local hospital for observation, Gothenberg Municipality and the Swedish National Police reported that as many as forty-one police officers were killed in the operation affiliated with the capture of Sturmheld, during a siege at the University of Gothenberg.

In Stockholm, elements of the [i]Gamla Stan[/i] Guards Brigade stormed insurgents in Haga Park, as well as opening up the highway to the city's airport in heavy battles that saw some combat last until the night before last. In a surprising move, Caroline of Bernadotte, the new commanding officer of the Guards, took a direct role in the command of the battle to clear Haga Park. With the elimination of both pockets of resistance, Stockholm was declared to be free of insurgency yesterday at midday, with Gothenberg and Malmo quickly following, as well as Orebro by mid-afternoon. In the battle at Mariehamn, naval and marine forces were able to break the siege of the naval station, and declared the battle to be a mopping up operation in the early evening hours yesterday. There has been no official word on any of these larger battles' casualties as of yet.

"It is regrettable that these last few days have seen brothers fighting brothers, sisters fighting sisters, families torn apart by violence and the partisan political environment that the old democracy espoused. We are moving away from that system, this government need not engage in partisan politics, we are here to serve the people, the citizens of Sweden, the nation we all call home. Partisan politics brought about the collapse of Sweden, it has caused this bloodshed, and I promise that the government, headed by the People's Commissariat, will make good on the promise we make now," said Christian Nyquist, in a television address last night to the nation. "Our concern is you, the people of Sweden, and furthering your opportunities in life, in helping you succeed wherever you go, I stand before you to serve you as your Secretary General."

"The People's Union won its true independence in this conflict, we have prevailed over a malicious threat that brought our nation to our knees, wreaked grief upon all of us, from the common factory worker to the Secretary General. No one has been left untouched by this civil conflict, and I swear on my grave that no one will have to feel that pain again, coming from their own fellow citizens. Sweden will reconcile, we will remember what happened on these fields of conflict, and we will move on to a better future," said Caroline of Bernadotte, as she marched with the rest of the [i]Gamla Stan[/i] Guards back into Stockholm proper following the Battle of Haga Park.

Sweden's Commissariat of International Affairs and Trade has acknowledged that it is now acknowledging its signed treaties with other nations, and plans to continue its defense and economic commitments that it has with various states around the globe. The CIAT also acknowledged that it is now ready to conduct business on the international with the end of the civil conflict in sight, and the operation now considered to be a "mopping up" operation.[/quote]

Edited December 14, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][b][size="4"]Government Announces [i]Northern Lights[/i] Plan; Northern Economy Slow to Recover[/size][/b]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - Secretary General Christian Nyquist announced at an official press conference last night that the People's High Commissariat of Sweden agreed on an economic plan that was submitted by the Norrlands District last week. The District Commissar, Archer Hamilton submitted what was described by Nyquist, as a "foolproof, smart, and sound" economic proposal, which was drafted by his constituents to be presented to the High Commissariat. Known as the "Northern Lights" Plan, the plan is to have the state assist in the development of more manufacturing facilities as well as resource refinement facilities in northern Sweden.

While Northern Sweden has seen boosts of economic activity under the previous government, economic recovery was slowed by the civil strife that gripped Sweden earlier this year, and it has since been struggling to continue to build on earlier successes. Many leading Swedish economists, especially from the Stockholm School of Economics, which were actually in on the formulation of the plan from the outset, working with interested individuals in northern Sweden, say that a government intervention would statistically provide the boost to Northern Sweden's economy. Although the new government of Sweden has been slow to nationalize many industries, preferring to keep its fingers out of the way of the large manufacturing giants, including Ericsson, Volvo, and Saab, all of these companies have pledged to allow for the government to buy twenty-five percent of their stock, and become part of the joint stockholders of the companies.

With the government investment in these companies, they would then use the new funds to build and maintain manufacturing facilities, mainly centering around the procurement of parts for assembly line manufacturing of finished products, to be built in Northern Sweden. Nyquist announced that the government, after strict negotiations with manufacturing leaders, as well as leaders of the Northern Swedish community, that it would move forward with this plan. In the same announcement, that goes along with the Northern Lights plan, Nyquist announced that the government was also relieving the resource processing and procurement industry with a ten percent tax break that will last for the next five years, which is expected to actually allow for production to be ramped up, and in the end, provide more state revenue then lose in the long run.

The government also announced that it bought and will continue provide high grade uranium from Nordic Landholdings Limited, from one of its many mines in Northern Sweden. The company says that while its workers will continue to work at the mine under its company name, the government owns the mine through its five percent of the companies' share holdings, and it will receive the exclusive rights to the revenue. This came after allegations that a police investigation, that was a nationwide effort, uncovered a possible scheme that was planning to sell unenriched uranium abroad. The government has stated in the past that it was concerned about security at the mine, and this business deal not only provides revenue, but also boosts security on not only an national, but an international level as well, by disallowing a possible source of uranium to be accessed by militant non-state actors.

In other news yesterday, which proved to be a boost to the economy, engineers of the Aaland Tunnel and Bridge connection say that the project is going "ahead of schedule", despite the work having to stop during the civil strife. With a boosted workforce now being tapped for construction work on this engineering feat that will connect the Aaland Archipelago with Sweden, the head engineer stated that the project could be completed in another year and a half, if all goes according to plan.[/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][b][size="4"]High Commissariat Votes on Svalbard Annexation[/size][/b]

[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Svalbard_landscape.jpg/320px-Svalbard_landscape.jpg[/IMG]

[i]The Federation of Arctic Regions only recently collapsed, and counter-insurgency operations are currently underway to ensure the stability of the archipelago.[/i]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - In a late night session of the People's High Commissariat, the Commissars and Regional Representatives of the People's Government voted in favor of a full annexation of the protectorate that Union holds over Svalbard Archipelago. This news comes as People's Defense Forces continue a security operation to eliminate insurgent forces of the old government, which have been harassing local villages across the main island of Spitsbergen. Units from the 1st Guards Army were airlifted into the country a few days ago to Sveagruva, and mounted operations towards Longyearbyen, where elements of a naval task force put ashore Marine units to restore order to the island and reopen port facilities.

"The Swedish National Navy can confirm that its auxiliary forces have already offloaded four hundred tons of humanitarian relief supplies in the past twenty four hours, and we will continue to restore services and supplies to the population of the Svalbard Archipelago until there is no further need," reported Swedish National Navy spokeswoman Commander Christina Verfolk, holding a press conference after speaking with national leaders at Tre Kronor.

The defense forces have reported two transports aircraft shot down over the Svalbard Islands during routine operations, both from shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles, which took one aircraft down after dropping paratroopers during an airborne assault over Svreagruva airport. Another transport aircraft carrying military equipment was shot down after delivering equipment at the same location, security forces have engaged insurgent forces in a number of skirmishes, and the navy has reported that it has provided precision gunfire and missile support on a few occasions. The defense forces have said between the skirmishes, as well as the downing of aircraft, about two dozen personnel have been killed or wounded.

As Marine and Guards Airborne units make a concerted push to bring insurgent forces under control, Secretary General Nyquist made a public appearance on television at about Nine PM, local time, to announce the results of the High Commissariat's decisions. "After much debate, it is the decision of the High Commissariat, taking into account strategic concerns over the ownership of the islands, to annex the Svalbard Archipelago and incorporate it into the People's Union of Sweden. The country will be granted municipal and regional representatives within their own regional commissariat, and will enjoy the full protection and sovereignty guarantees that all citizens of Sweden currently are granted. Once this insurgency is brought under control, we will work with municipal leaders to fully integrate Svalbard into the People's Union, work is already under way to build a rapport with local leaders, as well as replenishing local supplies."

International Affairs Experts at the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation have said that the government's decision, despite appearing to be a rushed one, was one that was not unforeseen. "Sweden's strategic posturing has been one of regional security, and providing itself with the strategic ability to have a sort of buffer around itself. The alliances formed, and actions rendered by the last Swedish government, continues in the newest government, for the most part. Swedish security deals with Norway, as well as Prussia have anchored its flanks in the Baltic, and the re-negotiated treaty with France provides Sweden with a regional security network of friends. The projection of Sweden's power is arrayed to ensure the protection of the homeland, and the acquisition of Svalbard allows for Sweden to anchor a presence in the Norwegian Sea, and directly support the security of Scandinavia," noted Dr. Gustav Vertlingen, one of the International Affairs experts at SBC.[/quote]

[Aggressivenutmeg]

"[i]The Scandinavian Federation protests the annexation of Svalbard by Sweden. The majority of the population of Svalbard are Norwegian and as such should be reunited with their brothers in the south.[/i]" - Secretariat of Foreign Affairs

[TheShammySocialist]

"The Scandinavian Federation's protest is noted, if you would like to discuss this matter, the Commissar of International Affairs and Trade and the Speaker of the High Commissariat will gladly meet with a delegate of your nation in Stockholm. However, Sweden see no reason to accede if you are only drawing upon historical claims to these lands; our cultures are virtually the same."

[i]Karl Reinfeldt
Commissar of International Affairs and Trade[/i]

[OOC: Make a thread.]

Edited December 29, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][b][size="4"]Norrland Marine Solutions Agrees to Government Subsidies; Citizens Laud [i]Northern Lights[/i] Plan[/size][/b]

[IMG]http://www.constructionequip.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/ecr305c_feat.jpg[/IMG]

[i]As part of the economic plan known as [b]Northern Lights[/b], a number of key roads in Northern Sweden are being widened for increased traffic.[/i]

[b]Lulea, SWE[/b] - As the government moves to implement the [i]Northern Lights[/i] Plan, an already-established Northern Sweden employer, Norrland Marine Solutions, has agreed to allow the government to buy twenty-five percent of its stock. The company is expected to open up two new facilities in northern Sweden in the coming year, one for production of light boats and vessels, for both constabulary and commercial buyers, the other for the production of maritime spare parts and modification packages. Norrland Marine Solutions has been a small, but reliable employer in Northern Sweden, based out of Lulea, but its new facilities will expand its' production reach to Umea and Skelleftea. NMS currently employs about five hundred individuals, but with the added production facilities and expansion of the corporation, could boost numbers well over four-thousand.

The announcement by Norrland Marine comes only days after contractors under the Swedish government began the widening of S4, the main artery that connects northern Sweden with the Central region of Sweden. The project to widen the highway is expected to take at least a year and a half, with crews working from both ends, as well as a crew working from around Umea southwards. Major bridges along the route already have construction crews working on replacements, or are being retrofitted for the expansion, bridge construction along the route will take significantly longer, with construction taking at least two years to as many as three years to complete before all bridges are expanded to accommodate the new widening.

The expansion of Northern Sweden's economy and development comes amid further forced resettlements from Blekinge County, which was approved to become a military district under the Ericsson government. Blekinge County plays host to the largest formations of the People's Defense Forces, as well as the joint forces' expeditionary command, and many of its citizens have been asked to relocate, with the government promising job search assistance, as well as money for the seizure of property. Many residents around the county have protested these changes, and the enforcement of the resettlement has been sluggish, but the migration from the county has steadily picked up since the [i]Northern Lights[/i] Plan was unveiled. Many citizens in Blekinge simply have given up the protest, and have accepted the governments' request.

"I have a family to support, Blekinge might have been my longtime home, but if I know I can get a job somewhere else, what's the point in fighting something that we're going to eventually lose?" said one father of two, who shrugged simply. "We can protest all we want, but its only making it hard on ourselves. At least if we move out now, we can get a pick of the jobs available elsewhere. Northern Sweden is where things are picking up, and that is where we shall go." Asked if he felt any animosity towards the government, "I think that the wigs in the High Commissariat could have done a better job with this resettlement plan, no one wants to leave a home they built, but at least their assistance has been forthcoming in helping us move, so I can't say that they don't fulfill their promises. Its just a cold feeling you get from those in power, you know?"

"We can understand the pain of the individuals that are currently having to move out of their homes in Blekinge County, but the government feels that by concentrating forces, it lessens the tax burden that is placed on the people by reducing the number of military bases in the country. In short, the people will suffer less of a tax burden, and it also moves civilians out of an that could become a target in a time of war. Northern Sweden is revitalizing itself with the government's help, it has begun a new lease on life, and what better way to start over then by being given a new chance in Northern Sweden, it is a rebirth for many," said Caroline Bernadotte, whose demeanor was very sympathetic as she spoke on television to the nation during a press release. "I have received thousands of letters personally requesting that I intervene in this matter, but I feel that we have made the right decision. I promise to you that we will give families and individuals the time they need to move, and assist in getting them jobs, housing, and even schooling should they request it."

[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Swedish_police_vans_in_Stockholm.jpg/320px-Swedish_police_vans_in_Stockholm.jpg[/IMG]

[i]Protests continued yesterday to oppose forced resettlement plans for Blekinge County, prompting a strong and weary security presence, the protests were largely peaceful, with only a few arrests. Many protests were tempered by the [b]Northern Lights[/b] plan.[/i]

Protests continued in many civilian towns in Southern Sweden, as well as Stockholm, although the Swedish National Police have said that few arrests were made, and that the protests were almost all peaceful, under control, and orderly. Security forces were on hand if things became rowdy, it appears that many citizens feel that after the protests and political conflicts that made the new Swedish Government its result should be avoided. Many sociologists have stipulated that Blekinge County residents do not want to cause any more pain that has already been wrought upon the country by the recent political conflict that left close to one hundred thousand Swedish citizens of all ages, genders, and races dead.

"We appreciate the orderly and lawful protests that have been going on over the past couple weeks during this time of tribulations and trials for Swedish citizens of Blekinge County. While the Commissariat of Internal Affairs is sympathetic to the protests, these resettlements will go through, and we hope to achieve this without major conflict," said Dannika Mannerheim, speaking at the same press release as Caroline Bernadotte.[/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

[quotes][b][size="4"]Karlskrona AB Hires Temporary Fourth Shift; National Navy Releases Future Naval Plans[/size][/b]

[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Biw_aerial.jpg[/IMG]

[i]Karlskrona AB - Gothenberg Division's Falkenberg Facility; the Swedish shipbuilding company, more popularly known as "Kockums" picked up huge numbers of foreign contracts in the past week.[/i]

[b]Stockholm, SWE[/b] - If there were any doubts about Sweden's defense community performing poorly on the international market, those presumptions were shattered over the past week, according to a new report that was released by the Strategic Division of the Commissariat of International Affairs and Trade. Over the last fortnight, Kockums picked up a five different contracts that were "easily" worth more than one hundred billion kronor. While Kockums has been able to keep most of its permanent staff busy with domestic contracts for ships for the Swedish National Navy as well as civilian vessels ranging from light fishing trawlers to supertankers, the company's international sales contracts were languishing until the last two weeks.

As a result of the new foreign contracts, however, Kockums has put its third temporary shift back to work, and has hired a temporary fourth "push" shift that works four out of seven days of the week, working regular nine-to-five shifts!

The Strategic Division of the CIAT, a government oversight commission which monitors Swedish arms sales and represents the Swedish Military-Industrial Complex on the international stage, reported that Sweden's sole shipbuilder of large vessels received foreign contracts for twenty-eight various ships. The report comes amidst an uptick in the Swedish economy, as infrastructure and construction contractors are reporting large stock increases during the [i]Northern Lights[/i] economic plan. Domestic purchases of Kockums' Stock on the Swedish Stock Market drove the price of the stock up astronomically with the new news of foreign sales pouring in, as well as a new government plan to procure vessels for the Swedish fleet as well. Saab Aerospace and Bofors also picked up steam in the stock market, with their participation in the contracts, providing propulsion and armament systems for the vessels. Stocks also rose in various resource gathering and processing companies, including Swedish Steel International, which had been struggling with a lack of contracts for large quantities of its own steel and composite materials.

The government also added to the new economic hype by releasing domestic retail sales for the past quarter, which rose by five percent, after falling ten percent following the Swedish civil conflict late last year. Retail sales jumped significantly, and manufacturers have reported employment gains after languishing in the post-conflict recession, which appears to be short lived with the revitalization of Sweden's economy. The Commissariat of Domestic Commerce is reporting that the Swedish economy is expected to grow "significantly" in the coming twelve months, and that exports will "almost assuredly" top imports within those twelve months. The CDC has also released a statement saying that it "hopes" foreign contracts continue to come in for Swedish shipbuilding exports, as the added foreign contracts are "doing a wonderful job helping to shore up a number of industries, not just shipbuilding" in Sweden.

Domestic contracts are also expected to be coming in from the Swedish National Navy, which is reportedly begun a two year procurement deal with Kockums to procure replacement vessels for a number of key vessels in the "surface fleet". Details are still forthcoming of the future plans for the Swedish National Navy, but it is expected that some vessels could see overhauls and modifications, or complete refits, or even replacements entirely. The Swedish National Navy has reported that it is in the process of a major arms procurement deal with a foreign nation, trading shipbuilding contracts for existing hulls, and it was reported that over two hundred sailors were flown out on charter flights to Asia.

[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6c/USNS_Pollux_%28T-AKR-290%29.JPEG/301px-USNS_Pollux_%28T-AKR-290%29.JPEG[/IMG]

[i]Deployments of key technical staff of the Swedish National Navy come amid reports that the Swedish 7th Motor Rifle Division is being transferred to the Caribbean on an "expeditionary" basis. Vessels of the Swedish National Naval Auxiliary were reported to be loading "significant" quantities of vehicles and supplies in Karlskrona forty-eight hours ago.[/i]

These reports of charter flights being garnered through Sweden's air transport providers comes amid a deployment order that was issued to the 7th Motor Rifle Division, which is reportedly to be deployed to Sweden's new base facilities in the Caribbean. Through its alliance with the Commune of France, the Swedish Defense Forces has procured a regional facility for itself, which is still under construction. While there is no confirmed reports of how big the base will actually be, the Swedish General Staff say the base is of "substantial" size, and will be testament to Sweden's commitment to cross-ocean trade.[/quote]

[Evangeline Anovilis]

[quote][b]To: People's Union of Sweden - Commissariat of International Affairs and Trade - Strategic Division (CIAT-SD)
From: Charlotte de Nouvelle-Châteaudun, Directeur generale de la Compagnie du Commerce et des Colonies Vicidaliénnes
Subject: Trading Ships[/b]

Monsieurs, Madames

As representant of the Compagnie, I today write you in order to ask for a possibility of us to order cargo vessels by the renowned Karlskrona AB Shipyards. Our freighters are all at a maximum of 4000 metric tons of cargo, and so we would like to ask for 5 tankers, 5 container ships and 5 ships for the transport of minerals, in the dimension of at least 20,000 tons. Of course they shall fullfill the safety standarts.

Also, we would like to ask if the People's Union would be interested in in improving our trade relations, as we think it would be mutually profitable to Sweden and the Compagnie, if something was worked out. In regards to this, we also would ask if the Peoples Union had any free areas in its major ports that could be purchased, to allow for us to set up a trading post in the area. I hope it is allowed for foreign companies to privately own ground in Sweden.

With Regards,[i]
Charlotte de Nouvelle-Châteaudun[/i]
[b]Directeur-general de la CCCV[/b][/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote][b]Secure Mail[/b]

[b]To: Charlotte de Nouvelle-Châteaudun, Directeur generale de la Compagnie du Commerce et des Colonies Vicidaliénnes
CC: Karlskrona AB - National Shipbuilding Corporation of Sweden - Civilian Procurement Division
From: People's Union of Sweden - Commissariat of International Affairs and Trade - Strategic Division (CIAT-SD)

Subject: RE: Trading Ships[/b]

[i]Salutations,[/i]

First off, we would like the people of Vicidalia for once again bringing their shipbuilding needs to Sweden's shores, now in a civilian capacity. While our shipyards are currently very busy, the Strategic Division has been able to secure enough space for an order of fifteen ships. Karlskrona AB Stockholm Division's Akerberga Heavy Maritime Industries facility has accepted your contract, and can build these vessels over the course of a year and a half on its expanded facility. Karlskrona AB has recently standardized its Panamax-sized vessels to ease construction and retooling processes, and as for your vessels, we present to you three vessel classes that will suit the needs of the fifteen ships, varying in function, the needs you outlined in your letter.

[list]
[*] [url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f4/MV_Maj_Bernard_F_Fisher_%28T-AK_4396%29.jpg/640px-MV_Maj_Bernard_F_Fisher_%28T-AK_4396%29.jpg][i]Northern Star[/i]-class[/url] Container Vessel - 52,000 Tonnes - $42 Million/294 Million SEK

[*] [url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Supertanker_AbQaiq.jpg/800px-Supertanker_AbQaiq.jpg][i]Alaska[/i]-class[/url] Tanker - 60,000 Tons - $45 Million/315 Million SEK

[*] [url=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Sabrina_I_cropped.jpg/320px-Sabrina_I_cropped.jpg][i]Port of Stockholm[/i]-class[/url] Bulk Ore/Cargo Carrier - 58,000 Tons - $34 Million/238 Million SEK
[/list]

All of these vessels meet Swedish shipping safety guidelines and are currently in service with various Swedish shipping lines that ply the oceans worldwide, some vessels are in active service supplying and replenishing Swedish troops at various posts and are part of our prepositioning naval auxiliary.

Currently, Sweden does allow for foreign colonial trading companies to set up shop in our country, however they are subject to annual licensing fees, and are subject to different tariffs on a product-by-product basis. Swedish indigenous materials that are mined actively or produced by Sweden in what the government determines to be [i]significant[/i] quantities are subject to domestic consumption, and external import of these goods will garner tariff fees, depending on the goods being imported. Currently, there is one berth open at the Port of Gothenberg that could be purchased from the municipal port authority. These docks will, however, are subject to monitoring by security personnel of the Commissariat of Internal Affairs, as are all import and export facilities to ensure the safety of the people of Sweden, and those who receive our products. There are annual fees for renting these berthing spaces.

I hope this message answers any inquiries you have and we hope to hear back from you!

[i]Best Regards,

Timofey Lewenhaupt
Deputy Commissar
CIAT-SD[/i][/quote]

Edited January 4, 2012 by TheShammySocialist

[Evangeline Anovilis]

[quote][b]To: People's Union of Sweden - Commissariat of International Affairs and Trade - Strategic Division (CIAT-SD)
From: Charlotte de Nouvelle-Châteaudun, Directeur generale de la Compagnie du Commerce et des Colonies Vicidaliénnes
Subject: Trading Ships[/b]

Monsieurs, Madames

It seems that indeed these ships are fulfilling our demands. As already mentioned, we would like to order 5 of each. Would we be told the construction time, please?

For the shop, the CCCV would like to accept the offer in Gothenberg, though we first would like to know the licensing fees and how much they amount to. As for security personal, we think Sweden is a country safe enough for trade and the CCCV is honest enough to allow for state-employed security to check on the quality and lawfulness of our business.

For now, I would like to order the ships, altough the payment will be on hold, as we are inquiring on the trading shop. Regardless of this however, we will pay the ships at the end of the negotiations, just that we would like to pay all in one transaction.

With Regards,
[i]Charlotte de Nouvelle-Châteaudun[/i]
[b]Directeur-general de la CCCV[/b][/quote]