OK, this infobox requires a lot of context, since it is set in a fictional world.
There was
once a Safirian Empire covering three continents. A large and multiethnical, multiracial empire with the House of Assembly and Senate providing a check on the Emperor's vast powers. It was an empire of splendour, a rainbow empire of all colors.
Nine hundred years ago (1000s), the last island of that Empire fell. For the last century of its existence, it was struggling to keep the Empire united as Emperors grew complacent, the House of Assembly and Senate were increasingly dismissed from their business by the Emperors and regionalist agitation grew.
The last Emperor, Paĉjo IX "the Silent" of the House of Ĉielarko, disappeared mysteriously as the invaders finally landed on the island. Nobody knows where he ended up. After the island fell, the continents of former Safiria entered in a new era. Technology advanced, wars fought and people born.
However, thoughts of the old Empire and the
Safiraj Paco (Safirian Peace) continued. As the forces of conservatism emerged, the "Imperial Question" split it into two. One, the coronalists, advocated a restoration of the Empire in some limited context. Over time, they became internationalist and moderate. The other, the nationalists, advocated keeping to the status quo and celebrating the centuries of tradition. They opposed a restoration. Over time, they became populistic, racialistic and traditionalist.
Too was the force of liberalism shaped by the Imperial Question. The old Empire was remarkably liberal in its attitudes (it had to be in order to maintain such a huge empire) and in a bizarre way, it was liberals (now picking up the label "federalist") who looked to the Imperial past more than conservatives. However, they covered their talk of a new Empire in liberal rhetoric, a "family of nations, united in diversity". The Solidarist rebellions against needless war in the 1770s gave them a radical twist and working-class appeal.
The agrarian movement has always been a constant in Safiria. The old
Farmistoj faction in the Imperial Congress were influential, and even after the Fall, agrarianism remained strong, even if often on the fringes. Regarding the idea of restoring the Empire, they were sceptical, seeing it as consolidating power into urban areas and not paying agrarian concerns enough. Also, the fact that such an Empire was advocated by federalist liberals and moderate coronalists made it unappealing to southern agrarianists who often profited off the back of slaves. The Northern base was intensely nationalist and distrusted the "urban elite" as well.
The movement built off the anger and determination of the working class, the populists, distrusted the idea of a restored Empire because of two reasons. 1) Their base, despite being radical enough to back the Populists, still were loyal to their nation and didn't want it to be absorbed. 2) They were concerned that it would cement the system of monedism (capitalism) and prevent any genuine reform from happening.
The last force to rise was the most scary. The Communalists, due to the Nationalists sucking away the regionalist right-wing support, were intensely pro-Empire and saw such a restoration as restoring Safiria's golden past. Their de facto leader, Luisina Herrera, was a charismatic populist who had millions in awe (and often shock). They were a concerning development.
In 1919, a new "Imperial Conference" was held, like the last one twenty years before (and the one before that, etcetra), and it was expected to turn out the same way, with no satisfactory conclusion. But Herrera, despite being a unpleasant extremist, could inspire people. Her speech on the Golden Past (she was a historian before being a politician) led many to tears and her appeal to unity won over many. By a 3/5 margin, the Conference voted to restore the Empire.
They worked out a parliamentary structure for the House of Assembly based on how the vast majority did their elections, and an appointed Senate to assure the regionalists and nationalists. When it came to the Constitution, a majority backed the banning of slavery, which led to most Southerners walking out.
This development was concerning and threatened to disrupt the restoration attempt. Nikki Rosenberg, Professor at Paradizo University, called in a person shrouded in the darkest of blue robes, his/her head covered by a thick hood. She said three words. "Bring her in".
When the robed figure returned, it was holding the hand of a peasant girl about 11 years old or so. Hands clearly only just washed for the first time in a long while, clothes clearly new and ill-fitting and hair a total mess. She said "I'm sorry for interrupting your important meeting. The man said I had to be here for some reason". The accent was clearly lower-class. Many around the table quizzed why Professor Rosenberg wanted someone like her in the room.
The Professor stood up and went over to the peasant girl. To all who sat at the table, she said "This is your Empress, the rightful heir to the Sapphire Crown".
To any doubters, the man in the robes held out a clearly detailed family tree tracking the descent from Emperor Paĉjo IX to this girl.
There was a period of uncomfortable silence before a bearded Nordish man said "If that girl is our Empress, what is her name?"
The girl said "Miela. It's an unusual family name." Miela. The name of the last Emperor's consort. It was undeniable, that this girl was the heir.
After the rest of the Conference, even Herrera, grew accustomed to the idea of enthroning her when Rosenberg reminded them of the far less powers she would have compared to her predecessors, the rest of the Conference went ahead somewhat smoothly.
In the end, by the middle of 1920, the Empire was to be restored. Due to logistical problems, the first election to the House of Assembly was in August 1921.
After that, the new House of Assembly voted to bring the South into the Imperial fold by declaring war. The areas that remained at the Conference outmatched the South in terms of industry and technology, if not by people. By 1924, the South was free and incorporated.
After that, the Empire had a glorious coronation for now the Empire was back. The coronation of Empress Miela IV was well-attended.
The 1921 election, the first election to the House of Assembly, is below.