Where is the world going politically? The question, excellent, found me in the form of an invitation to participate in the biggest television debate in Portugal, resulting from the enormous repercussion that the Brazilian election last Sunday (2) had in Portuguese lands.
The electoral act was followed in Portugal as if it were a Portuguese choice. For those who didn’t know, and had just landed in any Portuguese city, the atmosphere was no doubt.
In any pub in downtown Lisbon, the service TV would turn out the vote count, which was received by Brazilians and Portuguese with equal enthusiasm. Without any effort, one could believe that Lisbon was São Paulo and Porto, Belo Horizonte. All sharing the common home of language citizenship.
Those who wanted Lula there soon rejoiced with the counting of votes in Lusitânia — where the result was known much earlier due to the distance between time zones. “We already have Lula here, let’s put Lula there”, shouted supporters of the former president, between euphoria and anxiety.
Later—very late in Lisbon, just after 3 am—, when the inevitability of the second round was known, the cries of support from both groups of supporters faded into the night.
Portuguese media have given to coverage of the Brazilian president’s election the same amount of time, and probably more resources, than they normally allocate to choosing their own president. Why would it be? The answer has two main reasons.
The first one —which we talk about so much in this column— is the social and economic importance of the huge community that continues to grow. Many families have chosen Portugal to live, without leaving them feeling at home.
The second, a consequence of the first, is the increase in the interaction of Brazilians with Portuguese society. Being more and more, they interact more and more at different levels with the Lusitanians. There are more and more businesses and events that, even though they originate exclusively in the Brazilian community, complement each other and become mature in sharing with the Portuguese and Europeans.
In a world where the stages of political confrontation and economic decision are dematerialized and decentralized, the common language increasingly represents a territory that functions as a political unit.
If we think about it, the impact that the election had in Portugal and the media coverage it generated and continues to generate are proof of that.
Trying to answer the question “where is the world going politically?”, I will say that it is towards a new paradigm, in which traditional democracy weakens as decisions that affect citizens become increasingly decentralized.
It is in this void, which states are still unable to fill, that the radicalisms that afflict us flourish, but it is also in this void that the solution for the democracy of the future lies.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
