Austro-Hungarian Empire (The Kaiser's New Clothes)

The Empire of Austria-Hungary is the English name for a centralised state consisting of seventeen culturally distinct and unique provinces. Each province is self-governing, and elects its own parliament and executive. However, each province is technically subservient to the Imperial Government, as headed by Emperor Otto I. Emperor Otto, now 95, came to the throne when he was ten. Having reigned for 85 years, he has sat as a monarch for longer than anybody else in history, with the exception of Pepi II Neferkare of Egypt, whose reign length is disputed. Emperor Otto has transferred all duties of the Imperial throne to his eldest son, Crown Prince Karl, Archduke of Austria, who has ruled as Regent since 1990. While each province is self-governing, a national Congress is elected directly by the people, with each province sending representatives. The lower house, the Chamber of the People consists of 492 members, while each provincial parliament elects 10 members to the 170-member upper house, the Chamber of the State. Technically an absolute monarchy until the 1930s, Austria-Hungary is now governed as a democratic federation and a constitutional monarchy. The weak federal government is headed by the Emperor but in practice by a Supreme Chancellor, who is responsible to the Congress. The current Supreme Chancellor, elected in 2003, is Edi Rama, who is noted because he is the first Supreme Chancellor to come from outside either Austria or Hungary (Rama is Albanian). There are growing fears that when Emperor Otto dies, the Empire will finally break apart formally. There are already strong independence movements in Serbia, Albania and Romania, with others in other provinces gaining momentum. Austria-Hungary is a member of the European Customs Union.