On February 3, the 3rd Ordinary Legislative Session of the 57th Legislature (2023-2026) was opened. In addition to the exchange of the presidents of the two houses and the command of the merit committees, the moment marks the beginning of the final half of the government 3.
Challenges for Executive and Legislative in the 3rd session include the approval of two budget pieces (the 2025 budget, and the 2026, which should be voted at the end of the year), the regulation of consumption, the tax reform on the Income and A, among other government priorities.
In addition, the government needs to improve its image to arrive with good competitiveness in 2026.
In the speeches of inauguration, and stressed that the legislature is also government. Motta, in a direct quote, sought to reinforce Congress’s legitimacy to expand his control over the federal budget.
Interestingly, the responsibility for challenges such as falling vaccination coverage, the increase in transportation costs and reducing infrastructure investment rarely falls on the legislature.
Studies of political science and political economy do not indicate that these factors significantly affect the rates of electoral success of deputies and senators.
However, governing is not limited to the execution of resources through parliamentary amendments. The government is responsible for fiscal management, economic and social development and the implementation of policies of and, among many other areas.
The new mayor, following his predecessor, abandoning presidentialism in favor of parliamentarism. As usual, this proposal is presented as a magical solution to the challenges of governability and more notoriously the occurrence of minority governments and governmental coalitions.
However minority governments are not uncommon in parliamentary regimes. Kaare Strom (1990) analyzed the formation of these governments in Europe in the 20th century and found that about one third of parliamentary governments are minority.
For a dramatized example of this dynamic, it is worth watching the first season of the Borgen series (2010), which portrays the challenges of a minority government in the Kingdom of Denmark.
In addition, the change in the system of government would not alter the coalitional nature of the Brazilian political system.
Only bipartisan or dominant parties systems can dispense coalitions, and this is not the case with Brazil. Although recent reforms aim to strengthen parties and reduce fragmentation, the Brazilian system was not designed to produce unipartisan majorities.
Returning the debate about changing the system of government seems to be, once again, a diverse strategy.
The real objective of the legislative majority seems to follow the advance of control over the investment budget, aiming at parish interests and exempting to any political and administrative liability for government performance.
