Koru makes 2026 New Years address to the nation

As Serenia enters 2026, and with the Dama province following soon, I would like to take this time to reflect on the year we have had. 2025 has been the year that unity has been most important, both for us in Hokoria and everyone else around the world, as our values, freedom and safety are challenged.

I want to start with unity, because this year has shown us very clearly what happens when it begins to slip. Unity is not about pretending everything is fine. It is about staying connected when things feel heavy, when we disagree and when the world feels louder than our sense of calm. It is about remembering that we do not walk this road alone and that our future depends on how well we look after one another.

What has divided us this year has often come from fear. Fear that has been pushed into our lives through headlines, through social media and through politics that benefit from people feeling uncertain and isolated. We have felt it in our communities and in our institutions. Trust has been tested and in some cases damaged. That has been painful and at times exhausting. But facing that honestly is how we begin to heal it.

This year also brought moments that were deeply personal for me. There was a time when I had to step back from my role as Koru because my mental health would not allow me to continue in the way Hokoria deserves. That was not an easy thing to admit and it was not an easy thing to live through. In that moment, Sakura I stepped forward. They did so with calm, kindness and real care for this nation. They kept Hokoria steady when we needed it most and I want to thank them publicly and sincerely. I am still on my own mental health journey and I share that not for sympathy but because leadership must leave room for being human.

How nations respond in moments of change says a great deal about who they are.

Cycoldia chose distance. They were once our greatest ally, but now our relationship with them has become more difficult. This change did not happen without reason. Their leadership refused to acknowledge Sakura’s succession and in doing so caused an international incident that could not be brushed aside. Communication has broken down and cooperation has grown strained. We kept doors open for as long as we could, but respect must go both ways. Hokoria will always choose honesty over comfort and principle over convenience.

Curnon chose respect. Yesterday, they marked the anniversary of their independence from the United States. Since 31 December 2022, they have grown into their sovereignty with confidence and heart and our friendship has only grown stronger. We have stood closer together through challenges, including the events surrounding Operation Pretzel. Hokoria stands with its allies, we stand for strong institutions and we stand for accountability. Curnon is our friend and we stand with them.

Here at home, our politics have also changed in a way that matters. After the August 2025 general election, we found ourselves with a one party Assembly. That raised difficult questions about balance and scrutiny. The December 2025 snap election changed that. We now have a strong opposition and that is a healthy thing. It means debate. It means challenge. It means that no one gets too comfortable and that the people’s voices are better represented.

Across the world, though, we are seeing something deeply worrying. Governments, including those in the United Kingdom and the United States, are pushing harder against migrants and LGBTQ+ people. Trans people in particular are being used as political targets. Migrants are blamed for problems they did not create. These words do real harm. They make people feel unsafe in their own homes and in their own countries. Hokoria will not follow that path. We choose to be a welcoming nation. We choose to protect queer and trans lives. We choose compassion over cruelty.

We also have to be honest about power. The United States continues to shape politics far beyond its borders, especially in Europe. Alliances matter, but no country should feel it has to trade its values for approval. Europe must be able to stand on its own feet and speak with its own voice. We cannot afford to step back when human rights and self determination are on the line.

At the same time, antisemitism and Islamophobia are becoming louder and more visible. These hatreds have never truly gone away, but they are being spoken more openly again. Hokoria stands against this completely. Jewish and Muslim communities deserve safety, dignity and respect. Always.

We cannot talk about this year without speaking about Hong Kong. The Tai Po fire was a heartbreaking tragedy. But it also exposed deeper problems. Years of political control by Beijing have stripped away accountability, weakened safety oversight, silenced journalists and crushed peaceful protest. The Hong Kong government has chosen loyalty to Beijing over responsibility to its own people. We must say this clearly and without hesitation: what is happening in Hong Kong is wrong. Hokoria stands with the people of Hong Kong.

As we step into 2026, what I want most is for Hokoria to stand together. To stand with our allies. To not be afraid to speak out when something is wrong. To be proud of who we are, of our cultures, of our communities and of the values that bind us.

I believe deeply in this nation and in the people who make it what it is. And I believe that if we hold onto one another, we can face whatever comes next together.