Federalism in the Nemkhav Federation

Federalism in the Nemkhav Federation is the constitutional division of power between the Federal Government and Member States in Nemkhavia. Federalism has been a central tenet of Nemkhav politics and society for over a decade, beginning with early development of the theory in 2009 and culminating in the 2016 federal constitution which governs the modern Federation.

Early Concept

Micronational federalism as a Nemkhav political theory was first developed in 2009 by Marka Mejakhansk. He had been studying federalism as a general concept for some time, particularly its application in modern Russia, the former Yugoslavia and the United States of America. This led him to consider if the concept could be successfully applied in a micronational setting.

First Nemkhav Federation

The very first exercise in Nemkhav federalism would come about in August 2009 with the foundation of the first Nemkhav Federation. The Nemkhav Federation Bill 2009 laid out the basic concepts of the federal system, including the provision for already-established nations to join as member states. Territory already claimed by Nemkhavia was reorganised to reflect its new structure.

As Premier of the Federation, Marka Mejakhansk initiated the Nemkhav Citizenship Initiative 2009, a drive to attract new citizens to Nemkhavia. The ability to bring one’s own nation into the Federation, or found an entirely new one within it, was central to this effort.

Unfortunately this effort didn’t produce the desired results. Upon later reflection it was determined that Nemkhavia hadn’t yet achieved the status required in the community for accession to be desirable. Regardless of the outcome at the time, the groundwork for federalism had been laid in Nemkhavia.

Second Nemkhav Federation

Following the first attempt at federalisation in Nemkhavia, the nation entered what would later be referred to as the “Fantasy Epoch”. The nations immediately following the first Federation were almost entirely fictional in nature, including fictional depictions of federalism in the so-called Socialist Federal Republic of Nemkhavia. When this deception was revealed to the public in 2011, Nemkhavia’s reputation was badly damaged.

It wouldn’t be until June 2011 that Nemkhavia would make another attempt at applying federalism, this time and from then on in an entirely honest fashion.

The Second Federation took what had been learned in the first and applied it in a more structured fashion. This time, there was considerable interest in the idea from the MicroWiki Community which led to several nations becoming Member States. At one point, there were nine member nations including the original Nemkhav homeland. This swell in membership allowed development of the federal concepts in a real-world environment. Issues came up that likely wouldn’t have become obvious in a theoretical context, particularly to do with fair representation. The Greater Monseyside controversy was a key moment in this regard, which had to do with the representation of sub-divisions of Member States. Member States with autonomous subdivisions of province-level were allowed to have those provinces vote in the federal House of Territories, thereby granting their parent state an advantage. This situation that was later rectified by the Federal Assembly, ensuring one vote per state.

Third Nemkhav Federation

From late 2012 to 2016, the Nemkhavia fell into inactivity save for sporadic activity including an attempted re-assessment of the federal structure in 2014. In 2016, President Mejakhansk set about a more structured rejuvenation of the nation.

The Third Federation officially came into existence in 2016 with the adoption of a new constitution. The new document gave legal force to the lessons that had been learned during the heyday of the Second Federation. Representation was fixed legally at one vote per state, along with a more comprehensive system of checks and balances. The office of President was given a great ideal of executive power, particularly in the situation of there being only one member state. The Federal Assembly was appropriately strengthened to counterbalance this power when the Federation has multiple citizens. The judicial system was also suitably empowered.

The 2016 constitution has yet to be challenged by the realities of day to day federal life as the Federation hasn’t yet gained new Member States.

Federalist Party

The Federalist Party of the Nemkhav Federation was founded in 2017 by President Mejakhansk as a vehicle to further the development of micronational federalism. As of 2020, it is the only political party in the Nemkhav Federation or any of its Member States. The stated goal of the party is the furthering of micronational federalism both within the Federation and beyond its borders.