Last week, the Brazilian lower house approved President Jair Bolsonaro’s job-saving program allowing companies to cut the working hours and salaries of their employees, who will in turn receive compensation by the government. The vote was considered a success by the administration, as its governing coalition was able to strike down a proposal raising the cap for compensation, which would have cost the already cash-strapped government an extra BRL 23 billion (USD 4.3 billion). The bill’s approval was made possible by Mr. Bolsonaro’s newly-celebrated alliance with the so-called “Big Center” of Congress, whose support has given the president a lifeline in office.
Unlike the name may suggest, the Big Center is not a group of middle-of-the-road politicians, but rather a loose coalition of right-wing forces belonging to for-rent parties, that will throw their weight behind any administration, regardless of ideology, if the price is right. Typically, representatives of the Big Center are handed second- and third-level positions in the Executive, allowing them to oversee big budgets in areas that offer potentially great electoral returns.
No Brazilian administration has managed to enjoy any sustained congressional success without keeping the Big Center onside, as its members make up around 250 of the House’s 513 seats. From the outset, Jair Bolsonaro tried to break the mold, rallying against horse-trading deals with faceless parties, a practice he dismissed as “old politics.” However, backed into a corner over mounting political and health crises, Mr. Bolsonaro has been...
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