Back in February, when polls showed that outsiders could be powerful presidential candidates in the upcoming October election, we at The Brazilian Report showed a much bleaker picture, saying Brazilian politics wouldn’t be renewed in 2018. As a matter of fact, we can’t say that voters have rejected a renewal – as the old establishment never gave it a chance in the first place.
“Traditional political forces are operating intensely to keep the status quo,” comments Carlos Melo, a political scientist and professor at the São Paulo-based Insper Business School. In the House, incumbent congressmen protected themselves by approving a new set of electoral rules that would benefit who is currently in public office. Restrictions to campaign funding, a reduced campaigning season, and stricter rules for new, smaller parties lower the chances of a congressional renewal rate much higher than the 50 percent average – even in a time when only 14 percent Brazilians trust Congress.
In the presidential race, a similar operation is going on – conducted simultaneously (albeit independently) by the country’s three major parties: the Brazilian Democratic Movement party (MDB), the Workers’ Party, and the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). These forces are working to isolate the leaders in...
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