After electing the largest benches in the National Congress, the PL changed its statute to reinforce ties with Bolsonarist flags. The objective is to present itself as the main opposition party in the country and maintain the recall of 58 million votes for the former president, who traveled to the United States with no date yet to return.
The party founded by deputy Álvaro Vale in 1985 had a more economic bias in its program and was not connected with a more right-wing agenda.
The original statute already included the strengthening of the private company, the recognition of property, tax reform, but also the importance of minority rights, a passage that does not appear among the new central guidelines.
The modifications were approved at the last national convention of the acronym, which took place in December and brought together representatives of the 27 state directorates. The document, however, will only be released after approval by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
O Estadão found that the new program will have freedom of expression as a centerpiece and included themes such as defense of life, family, balance between the Powers. In the field of economics, it reinforced guidelines such as minimal State intervention in the economy, the right to property, privatization and included concessions for national infrastructure.
With the motto “There is no democracy without freedom”, the document makes a counterattack to the narrative of “coupism” made by Bolsonaro’s opponents and defends the “strengthening of the democratic state of law”, but with its own reading.
During the presidential campaign, Bolsonaristas accused the Federal Supreme Court (STF) of censorship due to the fake news inquiry and the arrest of far-right militants accused of planning anti-democratic acts.
In one of his speeches, Bolsonaro stated that people can live without oxygen, but not without freedom. “For the Liberal party, the rights to come and go, to be, think, act and speak are inviolable”, says the new program.
Narrative – In private conversations, members of the acronym presided over by former deputy Valdemar da Costa Neto admit that Bolsonaro’s controversial positions and his uncontrollable oratory caused the wear and tear that helped in the defeat at the polls.
The idea now is to build a more palatable narrative for the next four years. “We went through wars and the pandemic, all bathed in the constant struggle between the truth of each citizen and their narratives”, says the presentation text.
In another passage, the statute says that the Brazilian people were able in the last four years to “rekindle in their essence” feelings that were dormant. “We rescued the pride of our flag, the love for the homeland, the appreciation of the family and the strengthening of individual and economic freedom in its rawest form, without state tutelage”.
The new PL guidelines also make nods to evangelicals, who form one of the main bases of Bolsonarism. “We protect and defend the conservative values of Brazilian society. We reaffirm our belief in Life and Liberty in all its aspects, natural and inalienable rights; in Society, organic unity and community of men; in Politics, an essential activity for the administration of society and maintenance of order and morals”, says the document.
In one of the most forceful passages, the PL preaches that freedom “is as important as life itself”: “You cannot negotiate FREEDOM, nor LIFE!”, states the text.
In another reference to deputies that Bolsonaristas say have been persecuted, the Liberal Party’s new program argues that the “inviolability” of the parliamentary tribune must be ensured, without including the right to impunity, in cases of common crime.
Criticism of electronic voting machines, one of Bolsonar’s strongholds, also gained space in the new program, but indirectly. “The electoral process must be transparent and auditable in order to prevent any possibility of fraud or manipulation.”
In the chapter “Property and Agrarian Reform”, the PL makes an indirect attack on the MST by saying that the State must develop effective public policies that guarantee security and freedom for small, medium or large producers, safeguarding their property and assets and combating acts anti-democratic invasions.
In the part about “National Defense”, the new program makes signals to the Armed Forces, which were one of the pillars of the Bolsonaro administration. “The Armed Forces must have their troops equipped and trained with ready-to-use capabilities. The advancement of strategic projects for the Armed Forces and the Defense Industrial Base contributes to the development of dual products and increases the deterrent capacity in the face of threats to national security.”
Regarding foreign policy, he highlights the “significant importance” of Brazil’s entry into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The document ends on a religious note. “God bless our country.”
Frustration – The PL changed its statute to adapt to Bolsonarism and gave the post of honorary president to Jair Bolsonaro. As a member of the party’s executive board, the former president will be entitled to a salary of R$39,000 and an office in Brasília. Parliamentarians and members of the acronym’s leadership, however, say they are “frustrated” and “apprehensive” with Bolsonaro’s last gestures after leaving office.
There is also a more moderate wing in the party, or physiological, depending on the interlocutor, which resists “Bolsonarization”. This group says that the PL is greater than the former president and that it will be up to the president of the caption, Valdemar da Costa Neto, to manage the coexistence between the two groups.
Due to the strategic planning of the leader, who controls the largest Party Fund in Brazil, Bolsonaro should travel the country over the next four years in lectures, meetings and party events, while Michelle Bolsonaro should take charge of PL Mulher, which will be boosted.
Bolsonaro’s silence after the defeat and his trip to Orlando with no return date generated uncertainty about the former president’s willingness to assume this mission. Valdemar da Costa Neto set the goal of doubling the number of PL mayors in 2024 – today there are only 352 across the country. For this, he counts on Bolsonaro as a poster boy.
With Bolsonaro absent, General Braga Netto, who was a candidate for vice in 2022, took on a leading role in the party machine and has been dispatching at the party’s headquarters in Brasília since December. The national convention was led by him and Valdemar da Costa Neto.
Bolsonaro’s party won the largest bench in the Chamber of Deputies this year, growing from 76 current deputies to 99 in the next legislature. In second place is the PT-PCdoB-PV federation, with 80 elected deputies (PT with 68, PCdoB with 6 and PV with 6).
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