The Monocle Minute

Presidents tend to be weakest in their final weeks before leaving office and often turn to the power that most makes them feel like a king. Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter for any federal crimes committed in the past decade has rightly dominated the US media. It is one of the most extreme examples of presidential clemency that Americans have ever seen.

The first framers of the US constitution were ambivalent about giving their new executive the power to unilaterally void criminal sentences, which reeked of the kind of unchecked authority that they associated with the British crown. Some presidents have, however, deployed it with noble (if debatable) intentions. Gerald Ford pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon, to end the long-running Watergate drama. Jimmy Carter issued a blanket pardon of thousands of people who had dodged military service during the Vietnam War. But Americans are more often reminded of this kingly authority when presidents deploy it shamelessly for lesser motives, often while scurrying out the White House door.

Biden’s move to protect his son is a particularly tawdry example, especially since the president repeatedly insisted that he wouldn’t do so out of his deference to the “rule of law”. His advisors are now reportedly contemplating pre-emptively pardoning Democratic politicians and government officials who could be unfairly targeted by Donald Trump’s Department of Justice.

On the campaign trail earlier this year, Trump promised that one of the first things he would do once back in office would be to absolve hundreds of his supporters who were involved in the January 2021 attack on the Capitol. In his previous term, Trump freed his allies Paul Manafort and Roger Stone from prison and is likely to be even more brazen this time. A Supreme Court ruling this summer determined that even selling a pardon for cash might qualify as an “official act” for which a president could not be prosecuted.

Warnings about a second Trump term have focused on the possibility that he will be the worst kind of 21st-century autocrat. With this latest pardon by the incumbent, we have seen that the president-elect has the tools that he needs to govern as an 18th-century monarch.

Issenberg is Monocle’s US political correspondent. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

Last Friday, Romania’s constitutional court took the unprecedented decision to annul the first round of the country’s presidential election, citing allegations of Russian interference. As a result, Sunday’s scheduled second round – in which the far-right Calin Georgescu was set to run against liberal candidate Elena Lasconi – was unceremoniously cancelled. The courts’ decision was met by clashes in Bucharest over the weekend between police and supporters of Georgescu, the race’s frontrunner, who has risen to prominence over the course of the campaign despite not belonging to any party.

Georgescu’s critics attribute his sudden elevation to a large-scale social-media campaign, for which he claims he spent “zero”. The courts, however, found that some 100 influencers with a total of about eight million followers had been paid to promote him on Tiktok. “It was stealthily done,” Alison Mutler, a Romanian journalist and manager of the Universul news website, tells Monocle Radio’s The Globalist. “The accounts that were used had been dormant for five or six years,” she says. “Suddenly, they were reactivated, spreading all kinds of things, including that Lasconi wanted war in Ukraine.” For now, the two candidates are in agreement that the courts have “trampled” on democracy. Whether the eventual victor will stand by that claim remains to be seen.

As Design Miami’s 20th edition drew to a close on Sunday, it was clear among the artists, collectors and gallerists in attendance that demand for collectible design remains robust. “It’s emerged as one of the fastest-growing design sectors,” says Jen Roberts, the fair’s CEO. “There’s a buzz here, particularly among younger collectors. It’s exciting to see.”

Among this year’s highlights were pieces by celebrated mid-century architect Lina Bo Bardi, thoughtfully curated by London-based JCRD Design and exhibited publicly for the first time. Visitors were also treated to Mexican architect Javier Senosian’s debut furniture collection, showcased by New York’s Friedman Benda gallery.

“We strove to strike a balance between the traditional and the contemporary,” says Glenn Adamson, Design Miami’s curatorial director. “This playfulness is at the heart of the fair.” There’ll be another chance to soak up that spirit at Design Miami’s second Los Angeles edition, which is scheduled for May 2025.

Italy’s Trenitalia has pulled in at first place in a ranking of 27 European rail operators published by Belgian research group Transport & Environment (T&E). Switzerland’s SBB has placed second, followed by Czechia’s RegioJet. Eurostar has the ignominy of being last – which won’t surprise anyone who has been stung by the steep price of a London-to-Paris return. According to T&E, the London-headquartered rail company charges nearly twice the European average per kilometre travelled.

The ranking’s criteria included reliability, the availability of discounts and space to stow bicycles but price was the most important factor. That explains how Trenitalia has beaten the mighty SBB to the top spot (a decision that is certainly a stretch). It’s hard to imagine a better-run, sleeker service than the Swiss national railway – but perfection comes at a price.

A little over a year ago, former Taschen editor Julius Wiedemann launched his own imprint to celebrate the best of Brazilian art, architecture, gastronomy and more. Here, he tells us about Afluente’s first year.

Afluente has published more than 80 titles in its first year. What’s next?
We’re so happy that we can show people what we have published. Sharing stories of Brazil’s cultural heritage has been a pleasure. The plan is to continue to expand, not just in terms of how much we release and the subjects that we cover but our audience too.

What has the response been like in Brazil?
Artists and authors can have a hard time publishing a book here. We have shown that it’s possible, even without subsidies or tax incentives. Along the way, we have met great people and attended lots of events, art fairs and book launches, which are essential to our business. We have also discovered that there are many interesting places to sell books – wine shops have proved fruitful, for example.

What kinds of books have been most popular?
Probably our titles on indigenous art and photography, as well as a beautifully illustrated guide to Brazilian film. Next year we have another great line-up – and we’re planning to publish more than 80 titles again.

To hear more from Wiedemann, tune in to‘The Stack’, Monocle Radio’s show dedicated to all things print.

We head to two new London exhibitions. Japanese Art History à la Takashi Murakami at Gagosian’s Grosvenor Hill outpost offers the contemporary artist’s interpretations of Edo-era artworks. We sit down with Murakami to discuss AI, where he finds inspiration and the atmosphere that he likes to create in his studio. Plus: we meet the curator of Electric Dreams at London’s Tate Modern.