Why are Brazil’s election leaders so politically isolated?

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...