Bolsonaro’s new party is a monument to Brazil’s political limitations

After spending more than two years of his presidential term unaffiliated to any political party, Jair Bolsonaro has finally picked a new home. The incumbent head of state’s hand was forced by the upcoming 2022 elections, as Brazilian legislation does not permit independent candidacies. But who did he join? The center-right Liberal Party (PL), an ironic choice for a man who has consistently campaigned against mainstream politics and corruption.

The PL is a key part of the so-called “Big Center,” an amalgam of conservative rentier parties that holds a majority in Brazil’s lower house. While ostensibly falling on the center-right of the political spectrum, the Big Center’s loyalty varies, according to whoever is in power. As things stand, the group backs the far-right Bolsonaro government, but it was once a part of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration — his Vice President José de Alencar was a member of the PL until 2005.

Furthermore, the PL has become almost synonymous...