21st State Movement
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The 21st State Movement is a Castadilla-based political movement founded in the year 2000 by the party leadership of the Democratic Farmers' Union. The aim of the movement is to seek closer relations with the Urcean protectorate of Arona with the eventual result being a referendum to determine whether Arona should be admitted into Castadilla as the nation's twenty-first state. The goals of this movement would soon be co-opted by the ruling People's Democratic Party to court the Tainean vote. Thus far, no formal plans have been put in place to fulfill these goals beyond closer relations between the two states, though it has been discussed at both the federal and state levels in Castadilla.
Comparison
Politics and government
Castadilla is a sovereign and independent state with a federal parliamentary system under a semi-elective semi-constitutional monarchy with Emperor Maximilian I as its head of state, Francisco Carvalho as its head of government, and a bicameral legislature. Arona, however, is a protectorate of Urcea under a special system known as a Julian republic, a republican form of Urcea's government with a unicameral legislature. It has three top figures in its government, that being the President (Alfons Elan; head of state), the National Administrator (Enola Etania; chief executive), and the Chair of the Proprietary Assembly (Elsu Albeno; head of government).
Arona has had a consistently stable democratic system for many decades ever since it became a republic in 1920, complete with strong rule of law. Castadilla has had a history of undemocratic systems, most especially during the years of the Delepasian Commonwealth, until the Velvet Revolution in 1994. Since 1997, the People's Democratic Party has held the premiership uninterrupted for over three decades. However, the democratic processes have remained undisturbed, with opposition parties allowed to openly run and even win seats in elections.
Both states recognise Reform Tainean, an occidentalisation of the indigenous Tainean language as an official language, making them among the few states to do so.
History
Early years
2020s revival
Height of political support: 2030-present
Reasons for support
In both states, there have been multiple reasons to support this movement. For the Taineans, this is a major part of Tainean nationalism in Castadilla, particularly as Aronese culture is the closest to pre-Occidental Tainean culture, and that having Arona join in union with Castadilla would guarantee the continued survival of the Tainean people. Indeed, Arona has enjoyed very good relations with Castadilla in contrast to the mistrust and sometimes outright hostile relations with other states in Vallos, with relations with XXX being the absolute worst given the latter's treatment of the Tainean peoples within its borders as well as its irredentist claims including the entirety of Arona.
The PDP, Castadilla's ruling party, has supported the movement mostly as a peaceful way to move closer towards an end to Levantine Creep in Vallos while still preserving the dignity of the Taineans, fearing that annexation into XXX would condemn them to the same mistreatment that has plagued the Taineans currently in XXX. Some have criticised the PDP's support of the movement as a cynical measure to win over the Tainean vote from the DFU, an agrarian party founded to promote the interests of the Taineans of Castadilla.
Opposition
Opposition to annexation exists in both Castadilla and Arona alike. Opponents of annexation cite issues ranging from cultural and linguistic differences (Aronese Reform Tainean contains much more indigenous Tainean innovations than Castadillaan Reform Tainean), political concerns over the PDP's dominant role in Castadilla's politics, and various implications for Castadilla.
Democracy in Castadilla is relatively new in comparison to Arona's democracy. Indeed, before the Velvet Revolution, the country was under an authoritarian conservative regime with elements of a sham democracy. Critics contend that issues such as those with presumed democratic uncertainty would make Castadilla an unsuitable candidate for any union with Arona.
A union with Arona could also add to some rather uncomfortable implications. Castadilla's monarch being titled as an Emperor was and still is a highly controversial topic, and annexing another country could be interpreted as an attempt at "neo-imperialism". Supporters counter that the movement was founded by Taineans looking to unite all their people in hopes of ensuring the survival of their language and culture for years to come, and that accusing them of supporting neo-imperialism would be missing the point of the movement entirely.
Proposed methods of union
There are three major proposals for political union, all with its supporters and detractors, and many variations within each.
Regardless of the method, the consent of at least the federal Castadillaan National Assembly and the Aronese Proprietary Assembly would be necessary for annexation. Thus, overwhelming public support in both states would have to support annexation for it to occur. All methods of annexation would require an amendment to the Castadillaan Constitution.
Establishment as a new state
The establishment of Arona as a new estado in their own right would provide the maximum level of protection that Castadilla can offer by putting it legally on par with the other states of Castadilla. This method has been seen as the most desirable form of annexation to many supporters of the movement, guaranteeing that an attempt at annexation by XXX would inevitably lead to Castadillaan intervention. This also has the added benefit of giving Castadilla a coastline on the western half of Vallos, giving the country access to the Polynesian Sea.
However, becoming an estado would also be the most politically challenging method, as it would require amending under the general procedure of the Castadillaan Constitution, requiring not only the support of the National Assembly, but also two-thirds of regional legislatures that represent more than half of Castadilla's population. The odds of such a number being achieved is very difficult, as the addition of a new estado has the potential to divide federal payments to existing estados. However, Arona's current GDP of approximately $68.5 billion makes it more affluent than the states of Auxana, Lagocia, and Kalanatoa combined, thus making it far less likely for a newly-incorporated Arona to be siphoning funds from equalisation payments from other less wealthy estados, thus increasing their chances of supporting this method.
Establishment as a new protectorate
The establishment of Arona as a protectorate of Castadilla would provide the maximum level of autonomy for the state under all proposed methods of annexation as well as the least bureaucratic option given its current status as an Urcean protectorate. The establishment of a protectorate would only require a simple act of the National Assembly, and does not require any action on the part of the estados. Not only would Arona remain as a separate entity, it would be free to change its government at its own pace should it desire to do so. This proposal has had the weakest support, mostly due to fears that XXX would still attempt to annex Arona anyway.
Establishment as a constituent of a dual monarchy
A compromise between the protectorate and estado options, the establishment of Arona as a constituent of a dual monarchy with Castadilla. This method would put the two states under a real union, headed by a single monarch who would reign as Castadillaan Emperor in the Castadillaan half of the union, and as King of Arona in a reestablished Kingdom of Arona. Both states would retain separate legislatures, governments, and constitutions, but diplomatic and defense policies would be conducted in a unified manner, complete with "common" ministries of defence and foreign affairs under the monarch's direct authority, with a "common" finance ministry handling the expenditures of a unified armed forces and diplomatic service.