High Government

The High Government (Easwegian: Errantouszaal) was a short lived branch of the Government of Easway which consisted of the three Governors of Bear Island's Municipalities (Marchernex) and the Directors of the National Directorate. The High Government was created from the dissolved Presidential Branch in the January 2020 Important Changes to Government and Positions Act on January 14th 2020, which saw the official end of the Provisional Government, and the beginning of the Directorial Realm. The High Government saw Governors gain certain powers of the former President, now ruling by collegiality and controlled the reformed National Directorates. The Easwegian Militia which was formerly controlled by the President was handed to the Emperor, who's power was in other aspects reduced and managed the House of Zerri. Throughout the existence of the High Government, former President Aleksou Maximus Desourrë served as its first among equals Regent Governor (Zerryeix). This position is distinguished from today's Imperial Council's head of state Regent Marquis, bearing the same name in Easwegian.

## Structure

Each three Governors became the chief controller of their municipality, then often translated into English as province. They gained control of the municipal treasury and would also control their local police departments. Forming the High Government they gained collective head of government status which held a collegial status similar to an interior ministry. The Each governor would control their Provincial Directorate containing adhoc directorate committees. If there were no Directors of a province, the Director of another province would serve as the Director of multiple provinces which is what happened when Director of Humour of Boriopa City Lord Neicou also had jurisdiction within Essrina and Urdport until 20th January when Marquis Samme became the Director of Humour for Essrina. Director of Culture for Essrina Lord Csyeigo had full jurisdiction over the three provinces throughout his entire incumbency, although he switched office from Essrina to Boriopa on the 29th April 2020 over disagreements with working with Governor of Essrina Alperen who served in his Gubernatorial role between the 13th January and the 2nd May 2020, before eventual expulsion from the government due to his continuous ultranationalist views. From this date until the High Government's dissolution, Squirrel, who had been only serving as Director of Health for Essrina since April 29th became interim Governor of Essrina.

### Direct Democracy

Each municipal resident over the age of majority could take part in the Directorates of Easway. Each Directorate contained divisions which citizens could be involved in and vote on policies regarding the Directorate portfolios.

## Dissolution

The High Government ceased to exist when the government was once again re-organised with the removal of Governors and the creation of the Imperial Council headed by the Emperor and originally three Marquis, whilst the National Directorate was made independent.

## Legacy

The High Government is widely remembered for its Directorial system which shaped one of the core philosophies of Easway's political scene today. It brought more democracy to the people by removing power from both the Emperor and the President and was hailed for bringing an end to the provisional government pushing Easway towards rapid development in its national identity formed through the trial and errors of past policies. It is also remembered for its failures, such as an anarchist experiment in a climate where people did not wish for anarchism. The Emizerri was on a task to push for full co-operatism and fulfilling his Emissary leadership seen in the principles of what is now known today as Easwegianism, and saw the theory of Mutualism as the best way for this, but the people disagreed. With the Emperor's House of Zerri delegated to honorary positions and "watching over the constitution", the political ultimatum was on the thoughts of the people; either get rid of the Emperor (Zerrich) altogether to fulfill the dismantling of the state and hierarchy, or rework the system, give the Emperor more reason for existing and turn Easway into a semi-direct democracy. Eventually the latter camp won out after instability within the High Government leading to traffic jams in government activity. The establishment of the Imperial Council and the rebranding of the Imperial Branch to the Chancellery was seen as stable and patriotic. By ending the goal of a stateless society and giving power to the Emperor as Chancellor of the state Council people saw the end of a contradiction, where a government is pushing for anarchism but the people want the monarch. Ironically, as time has went on people have realised the strengthening of the Emperor has gradually overtime gradualised the position into a de-facto republican office. (In Easwegian Zerrich is seen as a neutral term, in the same way a President can either rule over a democracy or a dictatorship). It's accepted today that the Emizerri's popularity had risen the position of Zerrich to a revered status, and historians agree that if the choice to restore power to the Emperor in a new Council whilst making the National Directorate had not occurred, the corrupting forces in the High Government would have continued without the Emperor having power to change it, and the anarchist project would have been taken over by Marxist-Leninist or National Bolshevik elements and a return of an even harsher state. Scholars say this was almost seen when the Emperor's brief absence in June to September of 2019 caused the President Desourrë to disband the Peoples' Committees before the Emperor returned and created his own National Directorate. The Emizerri defends the period as a step in the right direction and a needed progression for the Realm by ending the provisional government. Some argued this was an anarchist experiment going wrong in another country. Others argue it was never fully anarchist in the first place but "anarcho-monarchist like" and so can't be compared. The general consensus was that the High Government period was not a failure of anarchism, it was a show that the Easwegian people were not yet ready for anarchism.