Museum of the Empire, Eveari, Ananto

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IV.14 and IV.14a
ANANTO-GADURI 14
Empress Nicolette II Ananto and Prince Regent Bjorn Nordholm


Empress Nicolette II Ananto at Coronation and Empress Nicolette II Ananto with Prince Consort Bjorn Nordholm in 5525

Nicolette II Ananto, Imperium Personified
Empress Nicolette II Ananto spent her time in the National Service Program learning about how dams worked, while helping to construct a major high dam during the switch away from petro carbons. When she was crowned in 5501, dam building, and alternative energy for Kalistan became her major pet project. During the previous reign, KPO had informed the nation that the Anantonese Formation had about 25 years of profitably exploitable oil left, and KPO began aggressively moving into wind, hydro and geothermal and solar power generation across the nation. This effort was supported with major state support under Nicolette II Ananto and became one of the signature infrastructure programs of her reign.

Empress Nicolette II Ananto was less populist minded than her mother, and early adopted an imperious, domineering personality that she used to strengthen the Imperial fiat from a suggestion to a formal expectation. She had no problem sacking popularly elected Deputies and replacing them with those more amendable to her will. They served as an example for other Deputies who might attempt to exercise independence. But this sort of heavy handed treatment of Institutional Party deputies found a lot of favor among Kalistanis who, by now expected their Empress to be obeyed by legislators.

She paired this domination of the legislature with a generous nature, care for the poor, including direct participation in humanitarian charities while she was Empress through volunteerism, enforcing strict economic nationalism on industry and the currency to prevent inflation, and in working to eliminate need through national policy. A defiant conservative much like her mother, Nicolette II Ananto embodied the paternalistic State which traded material security for depoliticization of the nation. This was offset by her belief in full employment and her socially progressive policies which emphasized social liberty over economic and political liberty. In doing so, she strengthened the Institution of the Monarchy, and all but obliterated whatever was left of democratic institutions outside of the Free Cities. She married Prince Consort Bjorn in April of 5509 and continued to reign as the sole monarch, and they toured the globe in 5511.

In 5518, Kalistan began its deep involvement in Gaduridos which would eventually lead that nation into the Empire as it stood with the nation against a rightist movement there that threatened the peace of the region. In 5519, Empress Nicolette II Ananto took a step to restore the Empire's ancient titles to it. In signing the Crown Lands Act, she reclaimed Athosia, the Kingdom of Vintalli (modern day Gaduridos,) the Kingdom of Andalay (3/5 of modern day Lodamun). The Bill was controversial in the region and in the world, as people took umbrage at Her Imperial Majesty's claims over what was hers by right and stripped of the nation before the founding of the Republic.

The Regency
In 5528, as Empress Nicolette II Ananto and Prince Bjorn (IV.14a) were travelling from Kaliburg to their home in Eveari, a catastrophic earthquake struck the Green Mountains east of Kaliburg. The earthquake broke the MagLev line, causing the high speed train to derail. The crash killed the Empress and severely wounded Prince Bjorn. Duke Victor Ananto-Martin served as an interim Head of State but was never confirmed as Regent for the Minor Crown Prince Fredrick Ananto-Nordholm (born in 5516). When the Prince Consort Bjorn Nordholm recovered to the point where he could be discharged from the hospital, he was made Regent for the Minor Crown Prince.

Prince Bjorn's primary function was to keep the Government balanced until the Minor Crown Prince could reach his majority and be crowned Emperor. The Prince Regent worked with the Institutional Government, now back in power following the dissolution of yet another ephemeral liberal Party called ReNew Kalistan that had manipulated the election mechanic to achieve a legislative majority, and passed some controversial laws and then dissolved by 5528, to calm investors. The Kalistani Government chartered the Foreign Investment Bank andpulled Kalistan out of a number of treaties with nations who were no longer friendly toward Kalistan during the regency. Major investment into Gaduridos continued through the remainder of the Regency, aiming to tie Gaduridos closer to Kalistan.

In 5535, the Prince Regent purchased the Wilson House property on Wilson Hill in Southwest Kaliburg, moving the Royal Family out of the City. During the Reign of Empress Nicolette II Ananto, the family had relocated from Eveari to Kaliburg, keeping the Estate in Eveari as a retreat and a place to host foreign dignitaries. Rather than returning to Eveari, Bjorn opted to remain in Kaliburg, and the Wilson House was a massive classic mansion in the parkland called Wilson Hill. He also ultimately purchased the entire Hill as personal property, demolishing the housing found there and turning the area into a publicly accessible park. He said he was following the wishes of his lost spouse, the former Empress. During this time, Duke Victor Ananto, brother of Empress Nicolette II Ananto, purchased the Vespiano property on Marlingantos, beginning a 175 year Ananto/Alvarez presence on the Island.

The most important policy passed during the Regency was the abolition of the last vestiges of democracy in Ananto and Kalistan outside of the Free Cities. Bjorn required the Chancellor to pass the Single Party and Eliminating Fascism Act in 5536, which outlawed all Parties, made it a crime to attempt to organize a fascist or anti-monarchist Party and established the Institutional Party as the only legal political Party in Kalistan. Civil Society Organizations which could advocate for policy positions were permitted to remain, but could not advocate for parties outside of the Institutional Party, or advocate for Constitutional Change. Competitive, non-partisan democratic elections were permitted in free cities only. Most people in the nation, when asked, were either for the Single Party Legislation or did not care to express an opinion. Only a tiny minority of the population expressed any opposition at all. The institution of democracy in Kalistan as a basis for government legitimacy, which had existed in some form or another since 1907 CE was now a thing of the past.

5538 saw both a major yacht race around the world begin in Kalistan, as well as the informal rules of Imperial Protocol being first written down and published. These Protocols would lead in short order to the Lese Majestie Laws which made it a crime to insult the Emperor or Empress and finally the House Law which governed formal interactions between Kalistani citizens, the nobility and the Royal Family. The Regency formally ended on August 1, 5539, when the new Emperor was crowned.