The Monocle Minute

In US politics, 6 January has historically only been a significant date for the country’s lawmakers. It’s a day when Congress meets in a joint session to read the results of the electoral-college vote, paving the way for the peaceful transition of power. That changed in 2021, when thousands of Donald Trump’s supporters ambushed the Capitol in what many deemed to be a failed coup.

Today’s date is circled in red in the national psyche. If 11 September shaped the last era of the nation’s politics, 6 January marks the deepest divide in how Americans view their country. For the broad centre and left, it’s a reminder of the current vulnerabilities of US democracy. These issues, from which the US had long considered itself immune, are shared by Europe. One of Joe Biden’s last acts in office was bestowing presidential medals on the lawmakers who oversaw the investigation into the 6 January attack.

Trump, meanwhile, has organised the Republican Party around a revisionist view of the Capitol siege. For the American right, it is now a widely held belief that media exaggerated the danger of a “peaceful protest” so that overzealous law enforcement could criminalise patriotic dissent. Trump has valorised those convicted for their roles in the Capitol violence, calling them “political prisoners” and “hostages”, and will probably free them en masse upon his return to the White House. Prosecutors have already begun pulling back from their remaining cases in expectation that Trump’s justice department will eventually drop them.

But today’s vote count is unlikely to be dramatic. In fact, the world will probably be shown what a peaceful transfer of power should look like when sitting vice president Kamala Harris presides over the account of her own defeat.

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

Not so long ago, Balneário Camboriú was best known as a quiet Brazilian coastal outpost. But in recent years it has undergone an abrupt change. It’s here that you’ll find the country’s 10 tallest buildings under construction – remarkable for a city with a population of about 139,000. Driving the property boom is a combination of fresh opportunities, the arrival of new wealth, enviable security and a bit of luck too.

“With some infrastructure and action, we have managed to establish it as a cultural and economic hub by bringing in international events,” Fabricio Oliveira, the city’s mayor, tells Monocle. “For our New Year celebrations, we partnered with the UAE, which sent more than 1,000 drones for Brazil’s largest-ever show of its kind. We have also worked on the expansion of our beach, creating economic benefits,” he adds. As Monocle discovers on a recent visit, the city’s appeal extends beyond its skyline. The vibrant culinary scene, year-round activity and openness to newcomers make it a world of possibility. For now, it’s a place that works.

For our full report on the fast-growing appeal of Balneário Camboriú, as well as other business-leading stories from our global network of reporters, pick up a copy of the latest issue of‘Monocle: The Entrepreneurs’, which is out now.

Despite being only 27 years old, Edgar Jayet is fast becoming a name to watch on the design circuit. The Paris-born interior architect and designer founded his eponymous studio in 2021 while still attending prestigious French design institution École Camondo. His practice now has offices in France and northern Italy. “I wanted to have an international presence and Venice is a crossroads of artisanal know-how,” says Jayet. His works are contemporary creations, made for the requirements of our time and infused with the skills of classically trained artisans.

“It used to drive me mad to see a historic piece of furniture and hear people say, ‘We don’t know how to make this any more.’ We are the heirs of this tradition of craft.” His first collection, Unheimlichkeit, features corner armchairs, a day bed and a folding screen among other pieces, which are inspired by 18th-century cabinet-making and Napoleonic furniture. Bringing a fresh perspective to longstanding traditions of craft and furniture design, Jayet is on the right track to write his name into the history of French design.

For more on unlikely finds and key figures to look out for in 2025, pick up the latest issue of‘The Forecast’, which is out now.

For Europe’s storied luxury brands, the future depends on safeguarding the traditions of the past. That’s why schools across the continent are working to ensure that younger generations learn about craft heritage. Monocle visits a series of workshops to explore the intricate relations and lessons learned between the masters and apprentices.

To read the full article, pick up a copy of‘The Forecast’, which is out now.

The best hospitality projects delight visitors as much as locals. In this vein, businessman Yuta Oka transformed a series of historic buildings in the small town of Setoda into charming inns, a coffee roaster, a public bathhouse and more. Join us on a jaunt to the Seto Inland Sea.