The reign of Louis XIV, in France, was the longest in the history of Europe, with 72 years of validity – from 1643 to 1715.
Louis XIV, known as King Sol, influenced habits and customs of the nobility of all Europe in a absolutist monarchyone of the oldest power regimes in the world.
Surrounded by tradition and etiquette norms in the luxurious, the monarch was allegedly author of the phrase The state is me (The state is me, in free translation), portraying the concentration of the executive, legislative and judicial powers in the hands of the king.
Although it is increasingly uncommon, it is still in force in some countries.
What is an absolutist monarchy?
In this form of government, the monarch has the role of head of state and has the total and unlimited power over the country. In this way, the king does not need to be accountable to a parliament or any other institution.
The king also holds powers to declare war on other countries, impose orders on the army, execute justice as necessary, as well as appoint positions and control the national economy.
In an interview with CNNthe teacher of International Relations RENATO DE ALMEIDA He stated that the monarchy was the predominant system around the world until the nineteenth century. “We can find examples on various continents and civilizations, including Incas, Mayans and Aztec.”
The most important aspect in this format of government is the concentration of power in the hands of a monarch and his family in the management of a country.
“In general, the most important positions are divided between the members of the dominant clan and the succession is always respecting a chronological order of descendants or heredity,” said Almeida.
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the absolutist monarchy was the strongest system of government and represented influence, dominance, military strength and territorial expansionism.
In this political system, popular participation is restricted and therefore susceptible to internal rebellion movements. For the monarchy to maintain, “the notion of social welfare needs to be kept to keep the population under dominion, control and security,” explains the expert.
DIVINE RIGHTS OF KINGS
Often the absolutist government is attributed to “divine rights.” In theory, this means that the king was chosen by God to rule that nation, with no restrictions on mandate or participation of popular choice.
Support elevates the proximity between absolutist systems and religion. For the church, belief reinforced that kings were sovereign and were not subject to any laws.
Moreover, any challenge to the authority of sovereigns could be seen as an act against divine will.
Find out which countries are absolutist monarchies
Currently six countries still maintain the absolutist monarchy as a form of government. See what are below:
- Saudi Arabia
- Brunei
- Oman
- Qatar
- United Arab Emirates
- Swazilândia
In these countries, regimes are considered strong and very low popular participation. “They can be dictatorial, promoting persecution of regime enemies, often resulting in arbitrariness,” adds Renato de Almeida.
“The existence of these absolute monarchies may be related to the characteristics of organization from tribes and clans, where kinship ties are predominant throughout the organization of politics and power,” points out the expert.
In an interview with CNNInternationalist Lawyer Talita Dal Lago Fermanian explains that there are currently 43 monarchies in the world, distributed mainly between and absolutistas.
Most-about 37-are parliamentary monarchies, where the king or queen performs symbolic functions and political power is in the hands of parliaments and elected prime ministers.
Examples include the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Morocco and Thailand.
