Eduardo Stefani

The books of Brazilian history, especially those intended for primary education pupils, treat the monarchy as something distant and negative. The general literature cites characters and facts remotely, almost purposely away from our reality, especially when the facts refer to our monarchy.

The surprise appears when with little reading, we discover that the return of a sovereign was not so remote. We had a plebiscit in 1993 for the brazilian people to choose betweem a Presidential republic or monarchy. It is not a surprise that the first option was the winner, but anyway, we can not forget that 10% of the population chose the second one.

I personally started to get interested in the monarchy after a short talk with a street book seller in São Paulo. At that time, we were living in a period of some anxiety, because we were living during the second half of the year, in other words, a few months before the presidencial election where the candidate Lula was elected. After many years and a troubled history, Brazil would have a brazilian citizen in the literal sense of the word, living in the Federal District and owner of a pen with presidencial powers.

The anxiety was caused by what might happen after that time, because as a young man, I always had some curiosity to understand the brazilian psyche. The year 2002 was also a period of big discoveries for me, since my literature was full of freaky books and I got surprised every day with new perspectives that I learned about brazilian and latin american reality.

Most part of the literature I quoted, was bought through my dear book seller friend, with his lazy cat as an accomplice to our enthusiastic conversations. Between the books I bought, I can quote “The Salvation of Latin America” and “The open veins of Latin America”. They are two books well known for the density of their content that unfold in the mind of a young man who was looking for big heroes in the noble latin american people. It is lamentable how we do not know the history of our continent.

The purchase of a book was always preceded and followed by a passionate discussion about the destinations of Brazil and the world. Normally the theme of the book inspired the conversation. Holding the book “The Salvation of Latin America” and a few months before the presidential election, I asked the book seller what political model would be more apropriate for Brazil. According to the book I had in my hands, I tried naively to provide the answer.

I thought he would respond with something like: We need a Fidel Castro in Brazil, at least for a few years to give some direction to the situation. I also came to imagine the coment should be about the necessity of a bloody revolution to liberate the country from the traitors and unpatriotic parasites who suck and contribute nothing to the colective improvement of the country. I was totally surprised therefore, when I heard from him that the best political model for Brazil would be a monarchy.

In a few seconds all the history books I had studied during childhood came to mind, as well as many ideas from my teachers, parents and everybody else who helped me in forming my views and personality and indeed, I could not argue.

I was only able to get a detailed explanation to help me in my understanding. It caused me some new surprises which changed my perception of the monarchy and motivated me to study more about it.

The cult and bookseller friend argued that the only way to create political conditions for a country still consolidating as a people and a nation, would be to have a government with more continuity, with more commitments regarding the unfolding of each action. He meant that nowadays a president who stays for eight year in power, does not think in long-terms about his actions, however our country needs some intiatives which could run for decades or a generation.

Each president in the present system stays for eight years maximum and the vision of each one is restricit to his own reality, without thinking much about the consequences for the next decade or generation.

With the monarchy we would have a sovereign engaged with his actions, so that they would not cause a tragedy in the next decade.

Maybe the opinion of the bookseller is based essentially on common sense, or because of predominantly personal influences. The fact is that our conversation revealed how great the needs of our country are.

Each four years we have hiccups of optimism and every eight year a change of the chief, so it was in this way in recent times. Beyond the federal government, we have the regional and the town ones, which are very important, however after a government, we have another with new ideas who normally ignores the the ideas of the former.

Lets imagine our country with a palace housing the royalty. We would flip coins in heads or tails, from night to day and we would be subjects of a sovereign. The royal family with some privileges to commit royal gafes and spectacular weddings, such as scandals and love triangles. Maybe a jubilee, royal guard, balls, pretty princesses and princes with dubious inclinations and fatally a royal tax on the whole country.

We would also have a prime minister and as long as our royal family were not only exploiters, a chance could exist to see a government over the years working to not create a short term tragedy.

Leaving aside fiction, the monarchy after being deposed by the republic, tried through conspiracies, study centres and armed actions to return to power. For thirty years there were movements to return the monarchy, so we cannot ignore it.

The history of Brazil has details which are unknow and those who think brazilians do not have blood on their hands are wrong. Unfortunately we normally get intersted in unrelated details.

Today Brazil is maturing as a Republic and certainly does not have space for a different model. Little by little we are getting conscious about the long-term action which we need as a solution for our structural problems, however even with differents owners of the presidential pen, the tendency is to get the desired continuity.

If we have some changes in our historical paths, see you at the next royal ball, who knows, maybe still on Fiscal Island

[], Eduardo Stefani – 26/10/2007