Once upon a time ... the manner by which a King or Queen would transform an impulse into a royal decree was via a well voiced spokesman (the herald) who would cry out the written decision from a scroll in the capital’s nearby central square, thereby proclaiming the ruling deemed as known and legally binding for all.
The nearby population could booooh!!! or hoorayyyy !!! the outspoken rules, but essentially it was expected to overhear the decree and from thereon disperse the new law amongst their professional class, around their shops and markets and into their homes and nearby villages. As far as the King's courts were concerned the law was made known and thus enforceable nationwide setting the stage for any perpetrator to be penalised.
This image comes to my mind each time the Portuguese PM comes to announce COVID contention measures. In Portugal this happens at least every two weeks because somewhere in the 345 page constitution it says that a state of emergency shall not last longer than 14 days upon declaration, but apparently at the time of writing it, no one remembered to restrict the number of times such a state of emergency may be invoked.
The only two differences I can identify is that in medieval kingdoms, the King's herald would carry a trumpet while now he grasps a microphone and whereas people then were individually referred to as subjects, today we are civilians. Whether penalties were more severe, is debatable ...
Presumably a whole range of rigorous public institutions have been construed to safeguard the development of individual rights and duties for a common good, but above all, in modern times, a wide number of popular elected delegates empowered to audit, dispute and even overthrow government representatives would ascertain that any new law would be consistent with what a population wants and can. On top of that, we would have the benefit of journalists and other private parties to question and challenge acts of governments, so that eventually we can accept the new law for the greater good and remember to be patient in search for change.
Portugal is going into the ninth consecutive 14 day term state of emergency. Officially this is decreed by the President and accepted by the PM on behalf of the Government which subsequently must get approval from Parliament.
What happens in practice though is that the PM lobbies and insists on maintaining/renewing a state of emergency, selecting and silencing experts as convenient, blaming a population for not complying in a manner that should not cost too many votes. Only then, the President signs off and thereafter Members in Parliament get to booooh or hoorayyy a bit, but repeatedly swallow the legal formality and only as a final act in this fortnightly circus, the government convenes behind its castle walls to decide upon which actual measures to take, usually with effect in a matter of 24 hours. (All this financed by taxpaying civilians by the way). Media and journalists limit themselves to reproduce press releases and allow TV time so that politicians can render their lip service. The civilian population, or subjects, can sit, wait and gossip in the meantime.
I fully understand that any responsible government which envisages a severe state for a nation, seeks prior clearance so that in order when shit does hit the fan, measures can be taken and withdrawn instantly for the greater good. That would be good governance.
However, silly legal formalities aside, Portugal has been in a (near) state of emergency for nearly a year and I am troubled a government is unable to outweigh the pros and cons of how to proceed the very next following day. An entire country is now on stand-by, awaiting whether a government will or will not (partially) close down schools the next day.
Even my school going children can figure out that a government ihas been lacking to resolve issues identified nearly a year ago and failed to keep its promise to equip schools and students with the necessary in order to allow for a reasonable smooth continuance of schooling albeit, on-line. My kids do not need to consult an expert or scientist to briefly set out how, why and when people enter into non-compliance in terms of wearing masks and washing hands or ventilating closed spaces when temperatures approximate 0ºC.
Oh well, I guess I should be grateful to this government for stimulating a sense of "modern" politics amongst my children and learn whom not to vote for years ahead of an eligible age thereto, or maybe they will make dad really proud and create their own version of Robin Hood once upon a time.....
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