in focus: the mighty South-American country decides on its coming future

By Enrique Saravia, Senior Research Fellow, Käte Hamburger Kolleg / Centre for Global Cooperation Research in Duis- burg-Essen & Public Policy Professor, Federal University of

of 7 October 2014 Brazil in focus: the mighty South-American country decides on its coming future

Duisburg, Rio de Janeiro, 7 October 2014. In two of the population that until then only desired to weeks, on 26 October 2014, almost 143 million satisfy their elemental surviving needs. Nowadays Brazilian voters will decide who will rule the coun- people do not want “panem et circenses”. They de- try’s Executive power for the next four years. The sire recognition of their citizen rights, political par- reason is that in the first round, held last Sunday, no ticipation, democratic transparency and social jus- candidate reached 50 % of the preferences. tice. Notwithstanding, Brazilians have already selected 14 In that difficult moment, the Socialist Party nomi- state governors (Brazil is a federal republic com- nated Eduardo Campos, a former governor of the posed by 26 states and the Brasilia Capital District) – State of , as presidential candidate. 13 states will go to a run-off – members of both the Unfortunately he died in an airplane crash. The vice- Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as president candidate, , who belongs to members of the federal states’ parliaments. the environmentalist political group, became the PS At this moment, and looking at the polls and the presidential candidate. The problem was that she results of the first round, it is not possible to guess supported some issues deriving from her position as who will be the winner. The ones who fight for the a member of the Assembly of God church that does trophy are , current president, candi- not satisfy her new political supporters. But the date of the ruling Workers’ Party (PT), and Aecio surveys began to show a strong support by the peo- Neves, current senator and former governor of the ple. State of (the second most important by Aecio Neves has been a successful governor of his population and the third by GDP) representing the state and is now a member of the Federal Senate. He Social Democratic Party (PSDB). Marina Silva, pres- has a long political tradition, including the fact of ently senator for the State of and candidate of being a grandson of the late Tancredo Neves who in the Socialist Party (PS), who got the third place and 1985 was nominated for the presidency after the 21.32 % of the votes, is out of contest, but her sup- end of the military dictatorship, but who died before port will be decisive for the next round. She has al- taking office. He is a member of the center-left wing ready expressed her preference for Aecio Neves. of the Social Democratic Party and as governor he Last May, nobody was in doubt about the probabil- was in a permanent alliance with , ity of Dilma Rousseff´s re-election. Her government at that time PT major of , the state was strongly approved by the public opinion and the capital, and elected state governor on last Sunday. surveys confirmed her popularity. Her predecessor, But all the groups of the political right spectrum are President Lula da Silva, who belongs to the same now supporting his candidacy which could be con- political party, left the government with a high per- sidered the political right-wing option. centage of approval. But during the weeks previous Even without knowing the final result, at least two to the opening of the Football World Cup, millions important issues are clear. Brazil has walked a long of Brazilians walked in the streets of almost all main way since the times of slavery (abolished in 1888), cities in the country, showing their discontent with the end of the last military dictatorship (in 1985), the huge investment – estimated at 27 billion dol- and the formal elimination of women discrimina- lars – for building stadiums and the infrastructure tion. In fact, the Presidency was being disputed by needed for the tournament, and the precarious three people, two of them women, one the daugh- situation of schools, hospitals, public transportation ter of a Bulgarian immigrant and the other a black and other social needs. The political observers were African descendent. looking at some favourable economic indicators as Since 1990, this has been the seventh presidential the low rates of unemployment and inflation and election. The six preceding periods were accom- the evident diminution of poverty and improvement plished with whole respect to the constitutional of income distribution as well as the growing pres- rules. The political normality confirms that democ- ence of Brazil on the international stage. They had racy in Brazil is sound and stable. And considering been highly surprised when about five million peo- the personality and the programme of the two pos- ple protested in the streets all over the country. They sible new leaders, Brazil´s democracy and economy did not perceive that the social advances of the last will continue their positive way. 20 years enhanced new expectative by a big sector

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