Brazil: The autonomy of parliamentarians will be put to the test in the Lula da Silva government

The big question for next year is whether the Brazilian Congress will have autonomy and independence during the government of President-elect Lula da Silva (PT) in the face of measures imposed by the Federal Supreme Court (STF). 

For senator Plínio Valério (PSDB), most new senators will hardly question the actions of the STF Justice. In a debate on Jovem Pan’s program “Prós e Contras”, he cited some examples that have been happening and were not contested by colleagues. 

“We saw Barroso‘s impeachment (request), only six senators signed. When we ask for the impeachment of Moraes, many people pretend that they are not listening. I hope that we have 10, 15 more companions and together we can be demanding that one of the several requests for impeachment be put on the agenda, mainly against Alexandre de Moraes,” said Valério. 

For federal congresswoman Adriana Ventura (Novo), parliamentarians often do not take a stand against STF decisions for fear of reprisals. “We realize that everything is very compromised. We need to re-discuss power relations so that they are harmonious and balanced. Today there is a dictatorship of the Judiciary, not to mention that many parliamentarians remain silent because they have lawsuits against them,” says Ventura.

Political scientist Cristiano Noronha said that the STF has become a third legislative house, because many of the topics debated began in the Senate or in the Chamber. 

“These Supreme Court decisions end up, in a way, reflecting a political dispute. If you lose a vote or have a decision in Congress that you don’t like, you appeal to the Supreme Court. I’ve seen the Supreme Court being called on several times because the members of a CPI [Parliamentary Investigation Committee] were not appointed by the leaders. […] The political milieu also ends up calling the STF very intense in various decisions with which they are defeated in the legislature,” analyzed Noronha. 

For analysts, the need for rules and limits to be clearer among parliamentarians is growing more and more so that there is harmony between the powers and judgment capacity of each one of them.

*With information from reporter David de Tarso/Jovem Pan