Nordic Empire
Largely spared from the direct effects of the Great War, Scandinavia become home to tens of millions of refugees during the conflict, as well as many of humanity's greatest achievements in the arts, hastily evacuated from museums and preserved in arctic vaults. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is credited with restoring worldwide agriculture and was again relied on during the earliest days of interstellar colonization. The generous welfare systems of the United Federation of Nations were based in part on the so called “Nordic Model” and today the Nordic Empire is one of the most advanced local economies in the UFN. The flag of the Nordic Empire incorporates the colors of its former constituent nations. The colors themselves have no official meaning. It was adopted in 2354.
Structure
The Nordic Empire is a supranational entity consisting of the previous nations of the Scandinavian peninsula: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Each of the member states retain much of their sovereignty, and are responsible for almost all matters of internal governance. These member states have their own constitutions, legislatures, court systems, executives and, in the case of Norway and Sweden, their own monarchs. The Empire itself only governs economic, foreign policy, and defense matters, although the gradual standardization of various laws - such as penal codes - is cause for much political disagreement within the Empire.
The Empire is governed by the Nordic Council, a quasi-legislative, quasi-executive body unique within the UFN. The Council elects a single monarch, which is the leader of the ruling government and is head of all executive departments within the Empire. The Council can pass legislation on a variety of issues unilaterally, but most laws passed by the Council must be adopted by the legislatures of the member states in order to take effect within that member state. The Stockholm Charter enumerates the powers the Council can pass unilaterally, and over the centuries the Charter has been modified to expand or retract the Council's powers. The Stockholm Charter can only be amended if 67% of the Council, a majority of every member state legislature, and a majority of every member state voting in a referendum agree to the amendment.
The Empire has several executive departments, formed by articles within the Stockholm Charter. These notably include the Nordic Trade Commission, the Nordic Defense Force, the Nordic Regulatory Commission, and the Nordic Foreign Commission. These offices are headed by officials selected by the King and confirmed by majority vote in the Council.
The Nordic Empire is an elective Monarchy, with broad protections against political repression; only openly communist and fascist parties are banned. Most political parties within the Empire operate on the member state level, but there are large coalitions of member state parties that operate on the federal level. There are two axes of divide within Nordic politics: the traditional left-right divide, and the pro-Nordic and pro-member state divide. Currently, the Nordic Center Coalition holds a plurality in the Council, and governs with the Nordic Democracy Group in a coalition government. The Nordic Center Coalition is made up of center-right parties that take a broadly pro-Empire stance, while the Nordic Democracy Coalition is made up of several smaller parties, both on the left and the right, that wish to reduce the Empire's power. They are currently opposed by the Left People's Alliance, a broad coalition of left-wing, pro-UFN political parties.
Culture
While the Nordic states have been united under the Empire since the 24th century, they maintain their distinct national identities. Early attempts at creating a unified "Nordic" identity were met with harsh criticism from the population; the common argument was that the Empire exists to defend the Nordic countries, not to destroy them. Deep-rooted cultural and linguistic differences further kept the Nordic member states distinct from one another. This cultural diversity eventually became a part of the Nordic Empire's greater identity.
Traditional cultural identity is important for all of the Empire's member nations, but this fused with a general progressive consensus. The Empire views itself as a progressive society, always pushing the bounds of human freedom. The monarchy exists purely as a historical artifact, the royals themselves being living examples of Norwegian and Swedish history. The unique languages of the Nordic member states are preserved, and the Empire itself provides all documentation in Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Icelandic. Literacy rates among Scandinavian member states are some of the highest in the galaxy, and about 80% of the Empire's population is conversant in Basic Standard. Traditional holidays continue to be respected, timed to when they would begin and end on Scandinavia. A considerable amount of government expenditure is spent on culture; some of the best museums in the galaxy are found in the Nordic Empire, and they are all free for the public.
Military
The Nordic Defense Force acts as a united military for the entire Nordic Empire, replacing the national militaries of its member states. All military affairs are organized on a federal level, although small home guard units are organized by national governments. The Nordic Defense Force primarily operates as a peacekeeping or anti-piracy force, as the Nordic Empire itself has not been involved in a major armed conflict since the Great War. Nonetheless, the Nordic Defense Force remains one of the most well-equipped and well-funded military forces on Earth, even if its size is small for a regional power. The Empire is home to a considerable military industry, which supplies the Nordic Defense Force and foreign buyers, primarily the nations of the Galactic Community. SAAB and Bofors are two of the largest military contractors in the Milky Way, with military contracts all throughout the Milky Way.
Religion
The predominant religion in Scandinavia is Lutheran Christianity, but religion does not play a large role in most Nordics' lives. Most Nordics merely identify as Lutheran, and about a quarter of the Empire's population is atheist or agnostic. A small number of Muslims, predominantly refugees from the Arabian Sector fleeing the effects of the Great War, live in Scandinavia.
Trade & Transport
The Nordic Empire is predominantly social democratic, mixing a market economy with a strong welfare state. Healthcare and education are free throughout the Empire, although benefits and minimum wages vary between the member states. The predominant goal of this "Nordic model" is to enhance social mobility, promote economic equality, provide for universal basic human rights, and provide a robust economy. The Nordic model is frequently a topic of contention among the member states of the United Federation of Nations, where its implementation is a frequently-used rhetorical device. Nonetheless, the Nordic Empire stridently opposes the Marxist-Leninist model, despite the allegations of some foreign politicians.
Scandinavia is a highly industrialized and sophisticated economy. Many of the largest aerospace companies are headquartered in the Empire, and provide some of the most famous spacecraft and atmospheric craft in the Milky Way. Much of this production is civilian, although the Empire does possess a respectable military industry. The Empire also has a robust light industry economy, providing cars, electronics, and other consumer goods throughout the Milky Way. The Swedish company IKEA is famous throughout the Milky Way.
The Empire is a free trade bloc, with no restrictions on trade between UFN member states. The Nordic Empire itself decides trade policy with the rest of the UFN, and it normally attempts to make lenient trade agreements with neighboring states. The member states of the UFN are the Empire's biggest trading partners, and exports account for more than a quarter of the Empire's total GDP.
The official currency of the UFN is the Credit Standard and was founded by the Scandinavian Empire. The CS was established in 2387, when all members of the UFN agreed to join a single currency, in order to facilitate economic activity between the UFN states. The credit is one of the most well-known currencies in the Milky Way, and is famous for being a "politically neutral" currency.
"Folkets kaerlighed" " The People's Love"
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Alternative Names
Scandinavian Empire
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Demonym
Scandinavians
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Elective
Power Structure
Semi-autonomous area
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Credit Standard
Parent Organization
Location
Official Languages
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Comments