The Chamber of Deputies will adopt a remote voting system during the party window, which began this Thursday, 5th. The exception will be between March 16th and 20th, when there will be in-person sessions. As a result, the House must be emptied until April 3, the date on which the period of party changes without punishment ends.
During the period of remote voting, deputies will be able to register their votes through the Chamber’s digital system, Infoleg, which allows them to participate in deliberations without physically being present in the plenary.
The party window is a 30-day period in which politicians can change parties without risk of losing their mandate due to party disloyalty.
According to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), the mechanism allows the “reorganization of political forces before the general elections in October”. The window opens seven months before the election.
The President of the Republic, governors and senators can change parties without having to present just cause for disaffiliation from the party.
In the case of deputies, the Electoral Court considers that the mandate belongs to the party for which the politician was elected, and not to the individual who holds the position, since the election takes place through the proportional system.
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For this reason, the parliamentarian must present just cause to disaffiliate from the party. During the party window, however, the change of party is considered a type of legal justification.
Union deputies prepare to stampede
As shown by the Estadãopoliticians from União Brasil dissatisfied with the command of the party president, lawyer Antonio Rueda, are preparing a disbandment of the party during the party window. Parliamentarians estimate that at least 20 names, including deputies and senators, should leave the party.
Among the possible dissidents are the leader of the party in the Senate, Efraim Filho (PB), and the deputies Pauderney Avelino (AM), Coronel Assis (MT), Eduardo Velloso (AC), Felipe Francischini (PR), Padovani (PR), Danilo Forte (CE) and Mendonça Filho (PE), among others. They negotiate affiliation with parties such as PL, PSD, Novo and PSDB.
União Brasil currently has a bench of 58 deputies in the Chamber and five senators.
Parliamentarians heard by Coluna do Estadão point out Rueda’s lack of “awareness”, who, according to them, would not be interested in strengthening the party’s cadres nor in “doing politics, but doing business”.
When contacted, Antonio Rueda stated, in a note, that “União Brasil respects the dynamics of Brazilian politics” and that “the party window is a legitimate instrument of democracy”. The leader also said that the party is strengthening itself and “consolidating a consistent national project for 2026”.
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Chamber emptied
Less than a month after Carnival, the Chamber will be empty again. As shown by the Estadãoon the Wednesday before the holiday, Congress was practically empty.
In the Senate, the entire week leading up to Carnival saw low movement. The president of the House, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), determined a semi-attendance regime, without votes in plenary. As a result, the two CPIs in operation – that of the INSS and that of Organized Crime – canceled hearings.
In the Chamber, the President of the House, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), brought the work forward to Monday and held votes that day and on Tuesday. Wednesday’s plenary session was cancelled.
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There were no sessions in the Chamber throughout Carnival week, including between Wednesday and Friday.
