Given the electoral scenario drawn up after the close of the election, five pre-candidates for the Presidency will have the right to participate in debates on TV and radio during the campaign, if they confirm their names in the dispute: the president (), the senator (-RJ), the former governors () and (Novo) and the writer (Avante).
The number of participants expected for now is the lowest since the 2010 election, when (PT) ran with the support of Lula at the height of his popularity and faced (), (then in PV) and Plínio de Arruda Sampaio ().
The highest recent number was in 2018, when , which featured eight other candidates. He was later replaced by in the dispute.
The legislation determines that it is mandatory to invite candidates whose parties have more than five representatives in Brazil.
The group of those who will be eligible now does not include the folkloric former federal deputy, who joined Mobiliza (former PMN, National Mobilization Party) to run for President again, but who is running for the Government of Amazonas or a senatorial position.
Daciolo became famous in 2018 by making funny speeches during the debates, as well as skipping two matches against other candidates on TV to fast and pray in a mountain. Despite the colorful tone, politicians linked to some campaigns claim that their participation would not be negative, as it could attract viewers who do not usually watch these programs.
Other pre-candidates from smaller parties, such as Aldo Rebelo (DC), Hertz Dias (PSTU), Samara Martins (UP) and Rui Costa Pimenta (PCO), will also not need to be called to the debates.
Renan Santos (Missão), one of the leaders of the MBL (Movimento Brasil Livre), will also only participate if invited by the broadcasters (which could lead to protests from other candidates). , which interviewed 2,004 voters from March 3 to 5, Renan scored 3% in the stimulated survey, in a technical tie with Zema (5%) and Caiado (4%). All well behind Lula (39%) and Flávio Bolsonaro (33%).
The measurement of the number of federal deputies and senators will take place from July 20th, to choose the candidates, but the deadline for the congressmen who will contest the election to be affiliated ended on Saturday (4).
Five parties that surpassed this criterion have launched pre-candidates so far: PT, PL, PSD, Novo and Avante. Novo has five deputies and one senator. Avante lost four deputies in the party window, but added one on the last day and now has exactly five representatives, which will guarantee Cury the right to participate in the debates.
In 2022, the party launched the deputy (MG) for the Presidency, but retreated months before the campaign and decided to support Lula.
On Sunday (5), Avante announced on social media the presidential pre-candidacy of Cury, who is the author of self-help books such as the series “O Vendedor de Sonhos”. He intends to compete with the country and focus “100% on projects and 0% on personal attacks”.
Debates on TV and radio are tools seen by campaigns as important for winning voters’ votes, mainly because they allow cuts to social media or for lesser-known candidates to popularize their images in clashes with poll leaders.
On the other hand, they tend to be viewed with caution by poll leaders due to the lack of control over the content, with the possibility of embarrassment caused by other candidates or exhaustion due to the approach to controversial topics, .
Eight years ago, (PL) decided not to attend the debates after being hospitalized for a stab wound during the campaign – when he was leading comfortably and avoided exposing himself to direct clashes with PT member Fernando Haddad.
In 2006, Lula also before the first round, that of TV Globo, speaking of “the virulence and desperation of some opponents”. Today the PT’s vice-president, but in that election his main competitor, Geraldo Alckmin, stated that the absence occurred because the president had “no way to explain the sequence of scandals involving his government”.
The non-attendance, however, ended up going wrong, and was one of the reasons considered by the coordination of Lula’s campaign for the PT member to have to contest the second round.
In the 2026 election, TV Globo decided to cancel the episode of the nine o’clock soap opera, right after Jornal Nacional, the time with the highest audience. The change also aims to prevent the occurrence, as in 2022, of a long program, which only ended around 2am.
