French News Thread

[Sal Paradise]

[center][img]http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww287/sparadise34/communesfrancaises.png[/img][/center]

[b]Formal Name[/b]: [i]Fédération révolutionnaire des Communes françaises[/i] (English: Revolutionary Federation of French Communes)
[b]Informal Name[/b]: [i]Fédération révolutionnaire[/i] (English: Revolutionary Federation), France

[u][b]Government[/b][/u]

[b]Form[/b]: 36,000+ communes united in a loose federation
[b]Head of State[/b]: The People (symbolic)
[b]Federal Executive[/b]: The Revolutionary Council

Mostefa Nezzar (justice)
Richard Bélanger (defense)
Fleurette de Guérin (internal security)
Simone Valentin (foreign affairs)
Victor-Marie Bastien (industry)
André Michaud (information)
9 others without portfolio

[b]Federal Legislature[/b]: The Pan-Communal Confernece
[b]Federal Judiciary[/b]: The Court of Cassation

[b]Foreign Relations[/b]

[s]Athenian Federation - Optional Defense Pact[/s]

Edited December 30, 2010 by Sal Paradise

[Sal Paradise]

[center][size="5"][b]Establishment of the Revolutionary Council[/b][/size]

The People of France, organized in their communities and united in the Revolutionary Federation of French Communes, in order to facilitate the management of that union, create the Revolutionary Council as the federal executive of the Revolutionary Federation.

The Revolutionary Council is trusted with the defense of the French Communes, protecting citizen rights, representing them in foreign affairs, arbitrating inter-commune relations and other matters of supra-commune importance.

The Revolutionary Council currently consists of fifteen members with six portfolios but may be expanded as needed.[/center]

[center][size="5"][b]The First Revolutionary Council[/b][/size]

The People of France hereby appoints the following citizens to the Revolutionary Council,

[code]Mostefa Nezzar of Toulouse
Richard Bélanger of Lyon
Fleurette de Guérin of Bordeaux
Simone Valentin of Paris
Victor-Marie Bastien of Tours
André Michaud of Paris
Marie-Noemie Lavalle of Amiens
Denis Linder of Saint-Étienne
Léonore Ardant of Calais
Souad Hanoune of Paris
Mohamed Sadi of Lyon
Joseph Gauthier of Dijon
Théophile Dubois of Amiens
Elisabeth Tessier of Orléans
Anne-Louise Surcouf of Brest[/code]

With the following ministerial appointments,

Minister of Justice, and Council Chair, Mostefa Nezzar
Minister of Defense, Richard Bélanger
Minister of Internal Security, Fleurette de Guérin
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Simone Valentin
Minister of Industry, Victor-Marie Bastien
Minister of Information, André Michaud[/center]

[Sal Paradise]

[center][size="5"][b][i]LES DROITS DE L'HOMME[/i][/b][/size]

[i][b]Preamble[/b][/i]

The people of France affirm the following rights as inherent and inalienable, universal to all human beings, regardless of race, skin colour, gender, creed, age, language, nationality, ancestry, sexuality, physical or mental ability, or any distinction of any kind. No authority, foreign or domestic, can deny these rights to the people of France, or any other human individual in the world.

[b]I[/b]

The right to life and security of person.

[b]II[/b]

The right to govern one's life as one chooses without interference from political, social or religious institutions, and so long as the rights of others are not violated.

The right to participation in one's community or national government.

[b]III[/b]

The right to free expression, freedom of conscience, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, free inquiry and freedom of movement.

[b]IV[/b]

The right to equality under the law.

[b]V[/b]

The right of [i]Habeas Corpus[/i].

The right to a fair and public trial.

The right to the presumption of innocence.

The right to justice free from cruel and unusual punishment.

The right to appeal.

[b]VI[/b]

The right to adequate shelter, sustenance, medical care and a clean environment.

[b]VII[/b]

The right to control both the exercise and product of one's labour.

[b]VIII[/b]

The right of children to a free education, fact and science based, and intended to foster free and critical thinking.

[b]IX[/b]

The right to access the compendium of human knowledge, history and culture.

[b]X[/b]

The right of children to live free of the indoctrination of their parents and their communities, the prejudices, ideologies and superstitions there of.

[b]XI[/b]

The right to privacy and the control of one's body.

[b]XII[/b]

The right to bear arms in defense of one's person, community or liberty.[/center]

Edited December 29, 2010 by Sal Paradise

[Kaiser Martens]

And so while another would-have-been communist state in Europe was aborted, a new one was rising, and a French one at that. Berlin found the situation interesting. They deliberated to see whether if these may eventually try to (Yet again) war over Elsass-Lothringen, but it was decided that due to their communist nature they may not be easily swayed by forlorn nationalism. After all, the people there didn't even speak french for the most part, and those who did had learned it in school with the purpose of doing business.

The Germanic Government offers the Revolutionary Federation a warm welcome to Europe, and assistance with anything that it may require, trying to be good neighbors, trying to start off the right way.

[Sal Paradise]

[center][size="5"][b]Establishment of the Pan-Communal Conference[/b][/size]

From time to time, as situations may warrant, the chosen representatives of the Communes of France, will assemble for a conference, known as the Pan-Communal Conference, to collectively discuss and decide on matters of importance to the management of the Revolutionary Federation.

In contrast to the Revolutionary Council, which protects citizens and executes the law, the Pan-Communal Conference will raise funds for the maintenance of the Revolutionary Federation, approve federal legislation and have constitutional authority.


[size="5"][b]The First Pan-Communal Conference[/b][/size]

The First Pan-Communal Conference has been called to debate, write and agree to a new Constitution for the Revolutionary Federation of French Communes. The Revolutionary Federation's previous Constitution was temporary and meant only to guide the participating communes during the civil war.

One representative from each of the Revolutionary Federation's 36,000 communes will attend the conference. The [i]Stade de France[/i] in Saint-Denis will serve as the conference centre.

The conference will be moderated by the five representatives representing the five largest communes: Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes and Bordeaux.

The decided upon constitution will be offered to the people of France for approval.[/center]

Edited December 1, 2010 by Sal Paradise

[Sal Paradise]

[center][b][size="5"]Admission of the Walloon Communes into the Revolutionary Federation[/size][/b]

The People of Walloon, organized in their communes, have had their application for membership into the Revolutionary Federation of French Communes accepted. The vote to admit the Walloon Communes into the Revolutionary Federation was conducted during the first Pan-Communal Conference and was unanimous.

Representatives from the Walloon Communes are admitted into the conference and will participate in the creation of the new federal charter.[/center]

Edited December 4, 2010 by Sal Paradise

[Sal Paradise]

[center][b][size="5"]CONSTITUTION[/size][/b]


[b]On Sovereignty[/b]

The People are the sole sovereigns of themselves and the lands in which they inhabit. This principle is immutable and transcends this constitution.


[b]On Revolution[/b]

Revolution is the seed of all technological progress, human emancipation and cultural development.


[b]On the Rights of Man[/b]

I. The declaration of the Rights of Man, issued by the People on Décadi 10 Frimaire II, is the primary document upon which this constitution is based.

II. In all matters, the Rights of Man takes precedence over this constitution and the actions of any institution acting under its provisions.


[b]On the Revolutionary Federation of French Communes[/b]

I. In order to better defend their sovereignty and rights, the Communes create the Revolutionary Federation of French Communes as the instrument of that defense.

II. All Communes and all Citizens are united in defense of one another. An assault on the sovereignty and rights of one Commune or one Citizen shall be considered an assault on all.

II. The Revolutionary Federation shall consist of three bodies: the Revolutionary Council, the Pan-Communal Assembly and the Court of Cassation.


[b]On the Revolutionary Council[/b]

I. The Revolutionary Council is the vanguard of the Revolution.

II. The Revolutionary Council is trusted with managing the defense of the Communes, protecting citizen rights, representing them in foreign affairs, arbitrating inter-commune relations, enforcing the laws enacted by the Pan-Communal Conference, enforcing the laws of the Communes if requested and other matters of supra-commune importance.

III. The Revolutionary Council shall consist of fifteen members, appointed by and serving at the pleasure the People.

IV. The Revolutionary Council may expand as needed and create subordinate bodies to assist in the exercise of its duties.


[b]On the Pan-Communal Conference[/b]

I. As situations may warrant, the chosen representatives of the Communes will assemble for a conference, known as the Pan-Communal Conference, to collectively discuss and decide on matters of importance to the management of the Revolutionary Federation.

II. The Pan-Communal Conference shall have the power to create laws that affect matters of importance to the Revolutionary Federation.

III. The Pan-Communal Conference shall meet at least once per annum.

IV. The Pan-Communal Conference shall equitably raise funds for the management of the Revolutionary Federation.

V. Laws enacted by the Pan-Communal may override the Revolutionary Council, provided such laws do not violate the Rights of Man.

VI. Decisions in the Pan-Communal Conference will be made by majority vote with each Commune entitled to one vote for every citizen it represents.

VII. The Pan-Communal Conference may enact laws to manage its proceedings better in ways not outlined in this constitution.

VIII. Members of the Pan-Communal Conference may be removed from their offices by the Pan-Communal Conference for committing crimes in violation of the Rights of Man or treason against the People. Such proceedings will be overseen by the Court of Cassation, which shall render the decision to remove or not remove.


[b]On the Court of Cassation[/b]

I. The Court of Cassation shall be the highest judicial body in the Revolutionary Federation, the final court of appeal and the authority on matters of constitutionality and the Rights of Man, making decisions based on the majority opinion of its members.

II. In the event of a dispute between the Revolutionary Council and the Pan-Communal Conference of the nature described in Article V of [i]On the Pan-Communal Conference[/i], the Court of Cassation shall decide which body is in best conformity with the Rights of Man.

III. The First Court of Cassation shall consist of five justices, serving for life or until retirement or removal, appointed by the Revolutionary Council with the Pan-Communal Conference's approval.

IV. Subsequent justices will be appointed by their predecessors, or in the case of this person's sudden death or incapacitation, by the senior most justice on the court.

V. Justices may be removed from their positions for committing crimes in violation of the Rights of Man or treason against the People. Proceedings may be brought forth by the Pan-Communal Conference. Such proceedings will be overseen by the Revolutionary Council, which will decide whether to remove or not remove by majority opinion with a panel of five Council members.

VI. Lower courts shall be established and administered by the Communes.


[b]On Communes[/b]

I. The Commune is the People's primary unit of community and political organization.

II. Each Commune has the inalienable right to govern its own affairs in the manner of its members' choosing, providing this does not violate the rights of the people.

III. Matters impacting more than one Commune must be decided by all Communes involved, by a process determined by their members or through the Revolutionary Federation's arbitration.

IV. Multiple Communes may organize themselves collectively at their discretion.

V. Each citizen of the Revolutionary Federation is a member of the Commune in which they reside for the longest period of time in a year.

VI. Citizens living abroad for extending periods shall remain members of the last Commune in which they held membership.

VII. No citizen may be a member of more than one Commune.

VIII. Communes may confer membership on non-residents with the consent of that citizen and the Commune in which he or she currently resides, and provided that the citizen not be a member of any other Commune.


[b]On Citizenship[/b]

I. Any person previously a citizen of any state currently or formerly occupying French or Walloon soil shall have claim to citizenship.

II. Any person born inside the territory of the Revolutionary Federation shall have claim to citizenship.

III. Any person born of a citizen of the Revolutionary Federation shall have claim to citizenship.

IV. The Revolutionary Federation may confer citizenship based on criteria of its choosing.

V. The Revolutionary Federation may not deny citizenship to any citizen or any person meeting the conditions of Articles I, II and III of this section.

VI. However, should a citizen denounce citizenship, that person's entitlement to citizenship under Articles I, II and III of this section shall be permanently revoked.

[/center]

[Sal Paradise]

[center][size="5"][b]Defense of the Revolution[/b][/size]

To discharge the duties entrusted to it by the People under the Constitution, the Revolutionary Council creates the Revolutionary Army to protect the security and liberty of the People and the Revolution.

Under the management of the Ministry of Defense, the Revolutionary Army will begin reconstituting and rearming the remnants of the army of the Republic, updating its technology and organizing it on revolutionary principles.

Richard Bélanger
Minister of Defense[/center]


[b]Classified[/b]

Two hundred and seventy-eight thousand former soldiers in the now defunct army of the Ninth Republic were reenlisted into the Revolutionary Army. Minister of Defense Richard Bélanger ordered recruiters double this number.

Equipment for the army, navy and air force would be taken from what the Republic left behind. The nuclear arsenal had already been seized for security reasons. National defense projects like the Anti-Air Defense Network and the Strategic Defense Initiative were repaired, updated and reactivated.

[Sal Paradise]

[center][b][size="5"]Creation of the Ministry of Social Protection[/size][/b]

The Revolutionary Council has created the Ministry of Social Protection and appointed council member Marie-Noemie Lavalle as its first minister. The Ministry of Social Protection is entrusted with carrying out the duties of the Revolutionary Council as they relate to Articles VI, VIII, IX, X, and XI of the Rights of Man.

[b]Health Care[/b] - Pursuant with Article VI of the Rights of Man, the Revolutionary Council is mandating that the Pan-Communal Conference meet to develop free and accessible health care for all citizens. Individual Communes may opt out of the Pan-Communal system provided a parallel system is developed that adequately meets the needs of Commune members.

[b]The Environment[/b] - Pursuant with Article VI of the Rights of Man and recognizing that eco-systems in the Revolutionary Federation affect all citizens, the Revolutionary Council is creating the Department of Environmental Protection, a subdivision of the Ministry of Social Protection, to assume the duties of the Communes in protecting the environment.

[b]Access to Knowledge[/b] - Pursuant with Article IX of the Rights of Man, the Revolutionary Council is creating the Library of France. The Library will be entrusted with the collection and preservation of as much of the collected knowledge of humanity as is possible and establish a system to easily provide this knowledge to the people of France (to be determined).

[b]Education[/b] - A major project on education will be announced in the coming months.[/center]