Pan-EUROPA Ecumene

The Pan-EUROPA Ecumene, also known as EUROPAN Ecumene, or the Ecumene (for EUROPA sentients) and PEE (for outsiders), is the ruling aristocratical hyperpower in EUROPA space. Spanning from West to East, composing of classified number of civilizations of all size, they're currently EUROPA's largest alliance, with several members being among most expansive star empires. The Ecumene, with colonial interests scattering along all known space, would be the largest civilization ever exist, should it become one united polity.

The Ecumene's political center is Sanctuarium, a celestial megastructure includes multi-layers, totally 2048 layers, each contains at least one distinct world, with various cities and landscapes, styled itself as Dyson swarm. The New Versailles, where the Declaration occurred, is a floating city, exists on 28th layers. The majority of the Ecumene's ruling organizations locate in middle-layers, within several fantasy-liked cities. The Sanctuarium itself located inside the Celestial complex, a much larger complex structure, covering the entire solar system, usually considered as the center of the Ecumene's power, bordered by various defense lines.

Neither a sovereign polity nor a supranational institution, the Ecumene instead contains elements of both, featuring a labyrinth of intertwined systems. Ruling power of the Ecumene doesn't fall into one hand, be it a person or a political body, but is organized as Triumvirate: That is, while the /First Councilor/ is no doubt the most prestige figure, he or she isn't without limit, whose power is shared by the Convocation and the Grand Diet. Within the core members, border patrols are either very limit, or fully abolished all together. The Ecumene also contains a common market, with an overreaching free trade agreement, although member races and polities are free to opt out when joining. The Diet's members are voted through democratic systems from each member race, civilization or polity; while the Convocation's member are chosen from rulers or the elites of the core empires, reflecting the oligarchical element.

Formed with declaration at New Versailles Conference, in the aftermath of the Shattering in 31st century AT, 6th Era, the Ecumene however has their roots traced back to series of mutual defense treaties and free trade pacts among the Alliance, the Commondality, the WINB, the Alpinas and the NHRE in 11th century AT, 5th Era, with the intention to create an alliance includes all, or most, of EUROPA civilizations. Over the next millennia, those treaties were consolidated continuously, until eventually, an organization of some sorts started appearing, but faced first challenges from those who opposed of what they believed to be the dominance of Western European rooted nations in EUROPA space. As such, the first members of the Ecumene were the Alliance, the WINB, the Royalist France, the Benelux and the Netherlands. Over millennia next, the alliance, named EUROPAN Galactica Alignment at the time, had endured various treacherous events, as well as golden ages, witnessing their spheres of influence and power grew exponentially. Members of the alliance didn't change since the formation of the Quorum of Thirty in 33rd century AT, 6th Era, till the rise of the Great Eights in 17th century AT, 7th Era, but slowly and steadily rose again after the last war. By the current era, however, no plan was made for any expansion, instead, consolidation and reparation for damaged territories during the war were prioritize; although the possibility for the Ecumene to one day encompass the whole EUROPA space remains open, with various other alliances and empires act as observers.

Overall, the Pan-EUROPA Ecumene is united by common beliefs and concepts of order, democracy, progress and shared cultures through time and space, despite including some of the largest ever exist star empires in known space. For much of their history, the Ecumene had united their member races and civilizations by appealing to their shared historical, cultural and traditional links - priding themselves for glorious past, high levels of sophistication and their supposed exceptionalism. Within the UAN, as well as numerous other alliances, the Ecumene represents itself, alongside other grand powers. Initially acting mostly as observer, in recent millennia, due to more integrating plans were enacted, the Ecumene was slowly treated more as a single entity, rather than a loose alliance of star nations.

With members holding various connections with other intergovernmental organizations, the EUROPAN Ecumene enjoys resounding influences across all space corners known to men, in culture, economic prosperity, as well as mutual armed defenses, well-known for producing all types of goods for multiple galaxies. However, this power is hampered by many internal conflicts within the Ecumene itself: The conflicts between the imperial monarchical Grand Lords and the democratic federalist Diet, the social cracks between the high elite-class aristocrats and the lower classes of commoner, the inner core grandlord empires and the outer dominions of the realm; as well as the traditional primes of EUROPA sovereign space - the much older and powerful Quorum of Thirty and the rising, much younger but no less ambitious, Great Eights and their allies.

Government
Normally referred to by its elite-class as a mirror of GACS (and vie versa), the Ecumene is, in essential, an alliance unique in its own rights: Neither a full sovereign polity nor an intergovernmental union, the Ecumene however features and functions based on elements of both. The general idea behind the Ecumene was of a confederal multispecies society, beyond the common state, where each of its constituents is allowed, encouraged and obligated to participant. Although such ideology refers to democracy and limited rule, its nature is emphasized more as a union, than a real democratic nation. Other alternative terms of such system are global federation, or federal commonwealth, although the term Ecumene remains in the end.

De facto, the Ecumene is, in mostly every sense, a confederate constitutional monarchy, composing elements of aristocracy, oligarchy and democracy, of which each institution exists and functions as counter-balance for the other ones. Since the begining, there had always between conflicts between the traditional imperial aristocratic power - the Grand Lords, the House of Councilors and the smaller yet much wealthier core regions - and the rising democratic powers of the Diet, the Senators, and outer regions - much larger yet still poorer. Like their spiritual pre-decessor EU, there had also been the unificationists - those support for futher unifications of different European-rooted cultural spheres, either from ancient Earth or were established after the moving, and polities - versus the federalists - those support the allies, but prefer to stay as they are, a confederation of which members are largely in charge of themselves - and of course, versus the separatists - small yet greatly potential factions prefer to disband the allies all together, believing them to either be obstructs of progress or enemies of their own cultures, identities or interests. Should it had been any of such institutions of ancient Earth, such system would have already broken the Ecumene into pieces, but the well-constructed, highly complex and intertwined labyrinth of checkpoints - approvals and vetoes - has ensured that no single institution could do anything without any other institutions' involvements. In the end, even sword enemies are forced to cooperate at various levels, to reach consensus. Although such system means very heavily cumbersome, at the end of the day, it is the main factor to ensure EUROPA's stability, prosperity and dominant power resounding throughout all known space.

Standing atop of the Power's Pyramid is the esteem Chamber of Forever, five institutions considered to be the central ruling power, and declared from the Ecumene Institution to be the ultimate representatives for their member civilizations. These institutions are: the Convocation of the Grand Lords, the Office for the Lord Councilor, the Grand Diet, the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court. Each of these institutions possesses various power of different levels, enable them to constraint and influent the others at different checkpoint, ensuring that no such institution or individual holding too much power.

The Convocation of the Grand Lords
At the peak of the Ecumene's command are the Convocation of the Grand Lords, also known as Europan High Command. Formerly composed of rulers of the grand empires that spearheaded this organization: The Europian First Lord, the Britannian King-Emperor, the Emperor of the French, the Beneluxian Secretaria-General and the Dutch Lord Chancelor, each wielded enormous authoritarian powers over the rest of the alliance's members, alongside their own star nations and the Lord Councilor. Over time, however, as the Ecumene expanded, more species joined, so were the pressure for a new Convocation increased. Following the chaotic millennia during and after the great war, and the mourning demands from the democratic forces throughout all members, a new constitution drafted, further curfing the power of the Great Lords, expanding them to include rulers from other grand empires, such as the Carpathian Federal President, the New Holy Roman Emperor, or the Highlord of the KSW. By the current age, the Convocation already includes all rulers of Quorum of Thirty, the Great Eights and some other non-aligned empires, totally 50 members.

Aside three traditional branches of government, as per human's view, the officially role of the Great Lord is moderator, or consul; that is, they stand to leverage the relations among the rest of the Chamber of Forever, which usually conflict each other, as well as directing the whole Ecumene. For such end, the Grand Lords elect 5 judges for the Supreme Court, choose from their domains the candidates for the throne of Lord Councilor, and influent the works of the Grand Diet by issuing regnal orders; hence each and every branches of government are, one way or another, influenced by the Grand Lords. They also possess the veto powers over most actions or bills from other branches of the Chamber, although first and foremost requirement would be common agreement among all Convocation's members, which means this right is only realised occasionally. Normally the Grand Lords are addressed as "Your Highness", regardless of sexes.

Trivia
Based on numerous sources, including but not limit to, SporeWiki - PAE, Halo - Ecumene, Star War - Galactic Republic (partially), Star Trek - Federation, real-life European Union and Commonwealth of Nations....