Explaining Brazil #301: Can Lula fix his relationship with Congress?

One and a half years into Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s third presidential term, his economic agenda has seen some progress. But since day one the government has contended with a deeply conservative Congress that’s dominated by powerful rural lobbies and cohorts faithful to the far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Congressional leaders have expressed their dissatisfaction with the people the government has appointed to liaise with them, making the issue even worse. 

Despite strategic moves to distribute cabinet positions to center and center-right parties, this has not guaranteed Lula a stable coalition. Some in the president’s camp are calling for a reset in negotiations with Congress — but is that possible?

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Background reading on Lula and his relationship with Congress:

• In episode 289 of Explaining Brazil, we analyzed the feud between Lula and Arthur Lira, in which the House Speaker was less than happy with the government’s liaison with Congress
• Indeed, in April, Mr. Lira had declared war on the administration, with the poor relationship with the aforementioned liaison causing real problems for the government.
• Arthur Lira was re-elected speaker at the beginning of last year, meaning that he cannot seek a further term in February’s vote — and he’ll have to try and elect a successor instead.
• Beatriz Rey has written at length about the relationship between the Executive and Congress in Brazil, particularly in this piece about the country’s growing governing costs.

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