Merchant Republic
This article is accurate for the latest versions of EU3, Napoleon’s Ambition, In Nomine, Heir to the Throne and Divine Wind.
Merchant republic is: A governmental form where the nation is governed as a republic but with a heavy reliance on trade and commerce. The trading republics of Italy as well as the Hanseatic League and Novgorod in Russia served as inspiration.
Characteristics
Merchant republics have:
- ruler elections every 4 years.
- no royal marriages
- an administrative efficiency of 1.15.
- a permanent Trade dispute casus belli for war against all other merchant republics.
Activation
Genoa, The Hansa, Novgorod and Venice begin with this government. Other countries may be a merchant republic by Adopt Plutocratic Administration decision.
Domestic policy sliders limitations
This government form is limiting the following sliders:
- Aristocracy vs. Plutocracy must be at least +1
- Centralization vs.Decentralization must be at least 0
Special gifts
- Magistrates: +0.4 yearly
- Merchant cost: -25%
- Heretic tolerance: +1
- Heathen tolerance: +1
Trade leagues
Merchant republics lead a trade league based in their center of trade (COT). By joining a trade league, a state agrees for its provinces to trade only from the leader’s COT. In exchange, league members can trade at both the league and foreign COTs using the merchant republic’s competition modifiers rather than their own. Additionally, trade league members will randomly get the event - Trade station founded in their provinces. Leaving a trade league will remove all trade stations on the 1st of the next month unless the state joins another trade league.
At the game start in 1399, most of the eastern Mediterranean is in the Venetian league while the Genoese league covers the western Mediterranean. Northern Germany, Scandinavia, and England are members of the Hanseatic League. Novgorod’s league, due to general enmity between Russian states, tends to be far smaller.
Trade league war
If a league member leaves the trade league, the league leader gets the Trade league war casus belli on the departing member. The league leader can force the opponent to rejoin the trade league, pay an indemnity or concede defeat. The casus belli has a duration of 12 months.
Trade rights
Merchant republics can also gain trade rights for specific resources. This diplomatic option ensures that all provinces producing a certain trade good from one state will trade in the merchant republic’s COT. Provinces producing the resource get a 66% bonus to local production while the trade value of the province is reduced by 25%. Therefore, merchant republics should not obtain trading rights from league members or any state already trading in its COT.
Form of government change
If a merchant republic owns no province with a center of trade its government is changed to administrative republic by the event: ‘Center of trade lost’.
A merchant republic may change with loss of stability to the following forms of government:
- Administrative republic: -1 stability
- Bureaucratic despotism: -2 stability
- Feudal monarchy: -4 stability
Missions
- Main article: Missions for merchant republics
Previous versions
Heir to the Throne
Changes in relation to Divine Wind: Magistrates: +0.3 yearly
This government was significantly changed in Heir to the Throne compared to former versions by introducing trade leagues, trade rights etc..
Monarchies: Despotic Monarchy • Empire • Feudal Monarchy • Administrative Monarchy • Absolute Monarchy • Constitutional Monarchy • Revolutionary Empire
Republics: Noble Republic • Merchant Republic • Administrative Republic • Republican Dictatorship • Constitutional Republic • Revolutionary Republic
Despotisms: Enlightened Despotism • Bureaucratic Despotism
Theocracies: Theocracy • Papacy
Tribal governments: Tribal Despotism • Tribal Federation • Tribal Democracy • Steppe Nomads
Nation-specific: Celestial Empire
