Analyzing Bolsonaro’s pick for Justice Minister

Jair Bolsonaro’s cabinet has been a constant source of crisis in recent weeks, with high-ranking ministers leaving after feuds with the president. The first out the door was former Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta, who clashed with Mr. Bolsonaro’s denial of the Covid-19 crisis’s severity. Next, it was Justice Minister Sergio Moro, who resigned while accusing the president of a multitude of crimes. On top of that, the government’s economic team is bickering among themselves, with rumors of the possible resignation of economic tsar Paulo Guedes making a risk-averse market even more jittery. 

In a bid to calm the nerves within his own cabinet, Jair Bolsonaro swore in André Luiz Mendonça as the new Justice Minister, who the president hopes will act as a form of peacemaker. Previously working as Brazil’s Solicitor General, Mr. Mendonça is loyal to the president while also being a respected legal mind, winning awards for his innovative work in triggering legal instruments to recover money embezzled in corruption schemes.

Though he is largely unknown to the public, the appointment of Mr. Mendonça will grant the government credibility among political stakeholders. As an added bonus for President Bolsonaro, the new Justice Minister enjoys an excellent relationship with Supreme Court Chief Justice Dias Toffoli, with whom he worked at the Solicitor General’s Office.

Justice Minister Mendonça represents a far more technocratic appointment than what we have grown to expect from the Bolsonaro government....