‘Secret budget’ imbroglio is a statement to the growing governing costs in Brazil

The Supreme Court’s decision to declare the so-called “secret budget” unconstitutional was greatly celebrated on social media in Brazil. 

The secret budget is a shorthand for rapporteur-designated budgetary grants. The instrument, which was first used back in 1946, is informal and not transparent — although not illegal per se. However, with the support of the Bolsonaro government, it had truly reached nefarious levels in recent years. 

Budgetary grants are a constitutional provision preventing the Executive branch from having monopoly control over the federal budget. But no one could know who sent the money, or how much, to whom, and for what purpose, for any grants that came under the “rapporteur-designated” classification. 

It gave tremendous powers to the House speaker and Senate president — which controlled the books on these grants.

But the Supreme Court decision does not necessarily bury the possibility of creating another similar arrangement in its place. Congress has come out of the Bolsonaro era stronger than it entered, and the relationship between the Executive and Legislative branches has changed since.

With this, it is very possible that the latter will seek alternatives to keep its new influence over the budget in the coming years....