The senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI) stated that the “centrão” is not a political bloc of either the right or the left. The parliamentarian argues that the best term to define this group is “conservative” positions, as opposed to the “radicalism” of abrupt social and economic changes.
The argument appears in an article signed by the former chief minister of the Civil House of J.air Bolsonaro (PL) and published by the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo on Tuesday (3).
The “centrão” is the party bloc in Congress that supports the government in exchange for political advantages, such as appointments to positions and the release of amendments. The group, despite not existing formally, has practical influence on the coordination between the Powers. The term is commonly used to describe parliamentary action guided by convenience, rather than by principles or ideals.
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Ciro Nogueira’s article praises centrist-oriented parliamentarians through a historical retrospective. According to the former minister, the political center was responsible for “conserving the fabric of Brazilian society” to the same extent that it consolidated advances and positive changes.
“Just conserving is not enough, and not conserving anything is irresponsible. Too much conservatism is narrow-minded. Too much extremism? Also”, says an excerpt from the article.
As examples of “conservative” changes taken over by the political center, Ciro cites everything from the redemocratization, in 1985, to the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff (PT), in 2016, passing through milestones such as the impeachment of Fernando Collor, in 1992, and the Real Plan , from 1994. “The center does not shout and has never been a protagonist; nor is it his calling. But it helped and will always help Brazil to correct its course”, says Ciro Nogueira.
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Even though he associates “radical” social changes with the progressive sectors of Congress, the senator states that the right “does not have a monopoly on reason”, criticizing the “extremes that believe they are anointed”.
Ciro Nogueira was chief minister of the Civil House during the government of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The Civil House portfolio is a key part of the political articulation between the Executive and Legislative branches and Nogueira’s appointment to the position, in August 2021, represented an inflection in the way Bolsonaro dealt with Congress.
Until then, the president maintained a fragile relationship with federal deputies and senators and, in effect, did not obtain good results in political measures that depended on the approval of congressmen. The appointment of Ciro Nogueira, a member of the “centrão”, represented an increase in the group’s influence in negotiations with Planalto.
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“It was not the center that approached Jair Bolsonaro. It was he who was self-critical in relation to anti-politics and understood the importance of dialogue with Congress”, says the senator in the article, drawing a parallel with the change in stance of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) for the 2002 election.
“It was not the center that approached Lula. It was he who launched the Letter to the Brazilian People and exorcised the radicalism he had professed”, stated the senator.
