[War] Spain: "Home Affairs."

[Iain]

"Home Affairs."
Prime Minister Elena Garcia Rodriguez
Spain
5th August 2014

Elena had spent the last twelve hours negotiating with various members of
her cabinet and specialists in a variety of fields over the next week's
proposals. Normally this process was straightforward and unless something
exceptional happened - like a near-miss of nuclear war between two super
powers for example - and focussed solely on one field to minimise the work
involved. This week her ambitions had been high and she was beginning to
think her sanity had been questionable.

It had all begun when the question of high speed rail travel had become
raised at EU-level, leading Spain to re-examine her own plans that had been
somewhat left-dangling for a couple of years. On top of which work had
already begun on discussing the country's nuclear power supply (after the
issues became live again with discussion over China pointing her nukes
everywhere) it's future and the alternatives that may be presented. Then
somehow, Elena had managed to get involved in discussion about several other
things all at once.

So far the proposals that were to be made ran to the tune of something like
this:

Whilst Spain recognised the advantages of renewable energy sources, at the
moment there was not the generation power available from these to replace
entirely the nuclear system. On top of which the safe disposal of nuclear
waste and decommissioned reactors still posed problems both nationally and
internationally. The government would commit to replace one nuclear power
station with alternate, renewable sources within one year but on the
condition that the country join France and the US in ANDA. It was to be made
clear that their interest there was mostly for the advancement of disposal
and decommissioning technology but making nuclear reactors 'safer' may also
be an acceptable short-term goal. This was necessary so that the
decommissioning of said nuclear power station could go off without a hitch
and without damaging the environment presently or in the future.
International co-operation was to be sought on renewable energy sources and
increasing their output.

Spain was also to make definite commitments to upgrade all previously
proposed rail lines to high speed lines within the next five years,
including the proposed links with France and Portugal. Admittedly this might
end up with people being dumped on the border unless their neighbours agreed
to do the work on their side of the borders but it was a start. New trains
would have to be designed, built and maintained as well as the network,
however this would be more to do with the train operators although guidance
would be given from the government if deals could be brokered.

The tender was to go out for both the decommissioning of the nuclear station
and the building, maintaining and supplying of energy from renewable
sources. Tenders would also be put forward for the building and maintaining
of the current and proposed high speed rail links and deals to be proposed
related to the supply of high speed trains. This was to give preference to
Spanish companies but international offers would be considered in the
interest of fairness (and potentially cheapness).

In line with the government's plans to switch to renewable power, all
government buildings were to be installed with solar panels to generate the
majority if not all of the energy required within them. Similar initiatives
would be implemented to military and public service installations.

These, along with several topics table for discussion before any firm
proposal was made on them (harsher punishment for
homophobic/anti-semitic/racist crimes, immigration, sex education), made up
the pile of paper lying before her. As she stood, she wondered just how she
was going to be able to transport that lot in the morning.

----------------------------
ACTIONS:
1)Commit to the shutdown one nuclear power station within one year providing
that:
	a) New renewable sources can be found to run to the same output as
said station
	b) Spain join ANDA to further research in the de-nuclearisation
project
	c) The waste and reactor from said station can be safely disposed of
with 	minimal environmental problems
2) Approach ANDA with interest to join, but make it clear we're in it for
the disposal technology and to make what we have already safer in any way we
can
3) General statement that nuclear power, particularly weapons, should be on
the way out
4) Seek international co-operation on renewable energy
5) Commit to a plan to upgrade all existing proposed high speed rail lines
within 5 years
6) Approach France and Portugal re same.
7) Put tenders out to offers for:
	a) Decommissioning of nuclear station
	b) Safe disposal of nuclear waste from same
	c) Finding, building, maintaining and providing renewable energy
	d) Construction and maintenance of current and proposed high speed
rail lines.
	e) Possible supply of trains to the private sector
	f) Outfitting government etc (as below) buildings with solar panels
8) Begin equipping government, public service and military buildings with
solar panelling to reduce their demands from the national grid.
9) Begin discussions on several social issues with a  view to tabling
proposals
10) Get the woman someone to carry her papers!