"Finally finished!"
"This is only the first step. It still has to pass the state parliaments and receive His Majesty's approval before it can take effect!"
"It's just a revision. What's there to be afraid of?"
That was right—this was the New Holy Roman Empire Constitutional Committee, and everyone present was a representative sent by the governments of the various states.
The Constitutional Committee had been established as early as 1854, but because the differences between the various sides had been too great, things had dragged on until now.
Now, the draft constitution had finally been produced. Before this, the New Holy Roman Empire had still been operating under the unified agreements signed by the various states.
The draft constitution was soon delivered to Franz's desk.
After reading it from beginning to end, Franz frowned slightly. This constitution was, in truth, the result of compromise among all sides. Its greatest advantage was probably that it safeguarded imperial authority.
That was an inevitable outcome. The members of the Constitutional Committee were all royalists. Apart from the free cities, every state had its own king.
One's seat determined one's mind. If the Emperor's powers were restricted, could the kings' powers still be protected?
From the perspective of power, the kings of the various states were Franz's best allies. Imperial power and royal power stood on the same front; if one suffered, the other suffered as well.
The remaining provisions were largely in line with the actual circumstances of the New Holy Roman Empire.
It was practically a copy of the German Empire. The governments of the various states enjoyed a high degree of autonomy. Other than being forbidden from seceding, using a unified currency, and having to remain aligned with the central government in foreign affairs, they faced virtually no restrictions.