The proposal to change the Brazilian government system to semi-presidentialism lost strength in the Chamber of Deputies after the election of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). For deputies who followed the discussions on the subject, the priorities of the new Congress changed with the arrival of the PT to the Planalto Palace.
Lula’s transition team talks with parliamentarians about a Proposal for an Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) to increase social investments as early as 2023. and keeping the budget secret.
If the agreement is confirmed and Lira is reappointed to the post, it will be difficult for the semi-presidentialism project to be guided soon, assess these parliamentarians. It is not ruled out, however, that the proposal works as a “cheap in the sleeve” in future discussions.
“The real possibility of approving semi-presidentialism would be under Bolsonaro, who had no agenda, this opened a vacuum for the Legislature to occupy. The problem of the Lula government will be the opposite. He will have a lot of agenda with difficulty to approve, he will have to make many concessions for Centrão”, said the political scientist from FGV Graziella Testa.
The project began to be taken over by the president of the Chamber in 2021, as a way of trying to circumvent attacks by President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) on the electoral system and reduce pressure for an impeachment of the chief executive. At the time, Lula said that semi-presidentialism would be a “coup” to prevent the PT from winning the elections. “You can’t play at political reform,” the PT said in an interview with Young pan🇧🇷
In October of this year, however, a working group of the Chamber approved, in a symbolic vote, a report in favor of changing the system of government. The model implements the figure of the prime minister and transfers the head of government to Congress, which increases the power of parliamentarians.
The idea has also been sponsored by Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), former President Michel Temer (MDB) and Federal Supreme Court Minister Gilmar Mendes.
Study
In March of this year, Lira established a working group in the Chamber assigned to study the subject. After seven months of meetings, after the first round of the presidential election, the parliamentarians coordinated by deputy Samuel Moreira (PSDB-SP) concluded in a report that it is “forced and essential” to change the relationship between the Executive and the Legislative.
“To do so, it is necessary to change the system of government and adopt semi-presidentialism”, says the document, which also annexes a draft convening a national plebiscite to consult the population on the subject and suggests that the change occur in 2030. is that Brazilian presidentialism would be rigid, and would have a dysfunctional tendency.
The group’s proposal separates the head of state, which would be in the hands of the President of the Republic, and the head of government, which would be coordinated by a prime minister appointed by the president-elect and accepted by a majority of Congress. The ministries would be replaced by a cabinet of ministers.
Opponents criticized the discretion in the composition of this group, which is mostly pro-government. Unlike special commissions, the model does not require proportionality.
Parliamentarians who composed the group point out that the draft has no binding force and, despite the reformist majority, the collegiate only studied the proposal.
“The group met to carry out a feasibility study on the implementation of semi-presidentialism to map the discussion, track the main points of convergence or divergence and the main constitutional challenges”, said deputy Enrico Misasi (MDB-SP). “The practical outcome depends on the political circumstances. It will depend on the new mayor or Arthur Lira, if re-elected, wanting to continue.”
Temer and former STF ministers Ellen Gracie and Nelson Jobim were also consulted in the process.
For Samuel Moreira, the objective is to increase Parliament’s responsibility. “At the same time that he approves (the prime minister), he becomes an accomplice. It is not enough for Congress to just have the bonus, (it should also have) the burden of governing, managing the accounts, inflation.”
Procedure
The group does not have the power to present a PEC, so the report has an advisory role. Moreira highlighted that a plebiscite, however, can be guided if 171 parliamentarians sign the request. This would be the first national plebiscite on the system of government in Brazil since 1993, when the population chose between presidentialism or parliamentarism.
In order to become a PEC, a favorable qualified majority would be required, which, in the current design of the composition of Congressional forces, should not be configured either for Lula or for the opposition. “Neither the government nor Lira would have a constitutional majority. It can be a pressure factor, but I don’t see it as a priority issue”, said deputy Gustavo Fruet (PDT-PR).
“The relationship with Congress will depend a lot on the program of the government of the president who is leading it”, said the political scientist and professor at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro Argelina Figueiredo. In either system, she asserted, there will be a need to form a coalition.
The information is from the newspaper. The State of São Paulo.
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