Conservative political party in Brazil
The
Liberal Party
(
Portuguese
:
Partido Liberal
,
PL
) is a conservative political party in
Brazil
. From its foundation in 2006 until 2019, it was called the
Party of the Republic
(Portuguese:
Partido da Republica
,
PR
).
The party was founded in 2006 as a merger of the 1985
Liberal Party
and the
Party of the Reconstruction of the National Order
(PRONA),
[9]
as a
big tent
,
centre-right
party,
[20]
[11]
and was considered part of the
Centrao
, a bloc of parties without consistent ideological orientation that support different sides of the political spectrum in order to gain political privileges.
[20]
[21]
[22]
As such, it supported the government of
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
and
Dilma Rousseff
? members of the center-left
Workers' Party
?and
Michel Temer
.
[23]
In 2021, it became the base of the then-
president of Brazil
,
Jair Bolsonaro
, for the
2022 Brazilian general election
. This led to many of his supporters joining the party, which thereby became the largest bloc in the
National Congress of Brazil
,
[24]
and the Liberal Party took a general shift to
right-wing populism
.
[9]
History
[
edit
]
The Party of the Republic was founded on 26 October 2006, by the merger of the old
Liberal Party
? which initially started as a
classical liberal
party,
[9]
but slowly shifted towards
social conservatism
after it became influenced by
evangelicals
[9]
? and the
Party of the Reconstruction of the National Order
(
Partido da Reedificacao da Ordem Nacional
, PRONA) ? a
far-right
nationalist
party.
[25]
[26]
The merger was performed in order to surpass the
electoral threshold
of 5%,
[9]
[a]
but also as a rebranding as the Liberal Party was heavily implicated in the
Mensalao scandal
.
[9]
[28]
Historically, the party was a pragmatic party of business interests, supporting the candidacies of
Lula
and
Dilma
from the
Workers' Party
(PT) for the sake of moderating their presidencies. It generally supported a form of
Lulism
, which had less economic regulation. As such, the Party of the Republic was considered part of the
Centrao
.
[21]
[22]
PR's predecessor, the Liberal Party, was heavily involved in the Mensalao ? a
vote-buying
scheme done by the
Workers' Party
in order to gain support in the
National Congress
,
[28]
and Lula's
Vice President
Jose Alencar
was a member of the old PL.
During the 2010 elections, the Party of the Republic focused on the parliamentary elections; it won 41 of the 513 seats in the
Chamber of Deputies
and 4 of the 81
Senate
seats. One of PR's elected politicians was professional humorist and professional clown
Tiririca
, who became the
State of Sao Paulo
's most voted representative with more than one million votes, and due to Brazil's
proportional voting system
, Tiririca thus supported PR in electing a sizeable amount of representatives.
[29]
Sergio Victor Tamer, founder of the Party of the Republic, was the party's president from 2006 to 2014.
Alfredo Nascimento
succeeded Tamer as president of the PR until April 2016, when he resigned due to party leadership not supporting the
impeachment of Dilma Rousseff
. However, 26 of the PR's MPs did vote for her impeachment.
[30]
After that move by its MPs, the party took a more rightward turn away from its bipartisan past and supported
Geraldo Alckmin
's failed campaign in the
2018 Brazilian presidential election
.
On 7 May 2019, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) voted to approve a motion of the party to change its name back to
Liberal Party
(PL).
[31]
[32]
According to party leadership, the change was done in order to return to the party's roots as body defending
economic liberalism
,
Free market
and low
intervention of the state in the economy
. The social positions of the party remained socially conservative, however.
[33]
Other specialists point it out as part of a national tendency of parties in Brazil rebranding in order to get better perception from the electorate due a process of loss of trust caused by the Brazilian political crisis,
[34]
and also riding a wave of pro-liberalism sentiment in Brazil.
[33]
The Liberal Party provokes controversy in 2020 by nominating an openly
neo-Nazi
activist as a municipal candidate in the town of
Pomerode
.
[35]
On 30 November 2021,
President of Brazil
Jair Bolsonaro
and his son Senator
Flavio Bolsonaro
? who were previously affiliated with the
Social Liberal Party
(PSL) and left it, attempting to create the
Alliance for Brazil
party with no avail
[36]
? joined the PL in preparation for the
2022 Brazilian general election
(as presidential candidates must be affiliated with a political party). He had previously considered returning to the
Progressists
(PP),
[37]
the
Social Christian Party
(PSC),
Brazilian Labour Party
(PTB), as well negotiation with number of other smaller and/or right-wing parties.
[38]
Bolsonaro's affiliation to the PL has been pointed out by analysts as a consolidation of an alliance with the
Centrao
.
[39]
In the 2022 general election, the party had formed a presidential ticket and many gubernatorial tickets with a hard right coalition of the
Republicans
and the
Progressitas
(PP). The election was a great success to the party, resulting in PL becoming the largest bloc in the
National Congress of Brazil
with 99 seats and the
Federal Senate
with 13 seats.
[40]
According to some analysts, the party had been divided between two wide factions: one with traditional
Centrao
politicians loyal to party president
Valdemar Costa Neto
, and a Bolsonarist one, composing about two-thirds of the PL's elected bench, with Bolsonaro’s followers from the PSL.
[41]
[42]
In an interview, Neto revealed he feared that in case
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
is elected president, there would be a split in the party as the traditional faction might want to align themselves with a possible PT government, while the Bolsonarist branch would form an opposition.
[42]
Ideology
[
edit
]
The Liberal Party is a
big tent
conservative party. The Liberal Party are described as
centre-right
or
right-wing
.
[20]
[b]
Though previously a party of
national liberalism
, before its merger with
PRONA
, the party has increasingly been affiliated with the anti-democratic right in Brazil. This has come as a result of the party's joining around the political philosophy of Jair Bolsonaro, who was initially affiliated with the
PSL
and other socially conservative parties. With the questioning of democracy, foreign policy, and the anti-democratic statements of Bolsonaro, the party seems to have re-embraced some of the tendencies of the head of PRONA
Eneas Carneiro
, a noted supporter of
LaRoucheism
, the
previous military dictatorship
, and a right-wing opposition to
neoliberalism
.
[37]
Generally the party is right-wing populist, economically liberal, but socially anti-liberal and pro-
Evangelical
, aligning with the ideology of Bolsonaro. The party is
agrarian
, pro-military, and
pro-life
. The party promotes a generally more economically open form of
Brazilian nationalism
than Carneiro.
[44]
The party has frequently supported Bolsonaro's attacks on the media and the electoral system in Brazil.
[45]
[46]
[47]
Notable members
[
edit
]
- Jair Bolsonaro
, former
army captain
,
Federal Deputy
for
Rio de Janeiro
from
1991
to 2018, and
President of Brazil
from
2019 to 2022
- Flavio Bolsonaro
, entrepreneur,
Federal Deputy
for Rio de Janeiro from
2003
to 2019, and
Senator
for
Rio de Janeiro
since 2019
- Tiririca
,
comedian
, singer-songwriter, and
Federal Deputy
for
Sao Paulo
since
2011
- Romario
,
football player
and
Senator
for
Rio de Janeiro
- Marco Feliciano
, pastor and
Federal Deputy
for Sao Paulo since
2011
- Valdemar Costa Neto
, former Federal Deputy for
Sao Paulo
from 1991 to 2005 and from 2007 to 2013 and current Party President
- Onyx Lorenzoni
,
veterinarian
,
cabinet minister
, and politician from
Rio Grande do Sul
Electoral results
[
edit
]
Presidential elections
[
edit
]
Legislative elections
[
edit
]
Election
|
Chamber of Deputies
|
Federal Senate
|
Status
|
Votes
|
%
|
Seats
|
+/?
|
Votes
|
%
|
Seats
|
+/?
|
2010
|
7,311,655
|
7.57
|
|
New
|
4,649,024
|
2.73
|
|
New
|
Coalition
|
2014
|
5,635,519
|
5.79
|
|
8
|
696,462
|
0.78
|
|
0
|
Coalition
|
2018
|
5,224,591
|
5.31
|
|
1
|
3,130,082
|
1.83
|
|
2
|
Coalition
|
2022
|
18,228,958
|
16.54
|
|
66
|
25,278,764
|
24.86
|
|
11
|
Opposition
|
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
The
electoral threshold
(
Clausula de Barreira
) was first passed as a law in 1995 for the
2006 Brazilian general election
, but a coalition of smaller parties petitioned the
Supreme Federal Court
to block it alleging it was inconstitutional.
[27]
The electoral threshold only started taking place after the
2018 Brazilian general election
.
- ^
Experts describe Jair Bolsonaro, a former Liberal Party candidate in the
2022 presidential election in Brazil
, as a 'far-right', but at the same time, the Liberal Party is described as a 'centre-right'.
[43]
- ^
PT
- ^
PMDB
- ^
PT
,
PMDB
,
PR
,
PSB
,
PDT
,
PCdoB
,
PSC
,
PRB
,
PTC
and
PTN
- ^
PT
- ^
PMDB
- ^
PT
,
PMDB
,
PSD
,
PP
,
PR
,
PROS
,
PDT
,
PCdoB
and
PRB
- ^
PSDB
- ^
PP
- ^
PSDB
,
PP
,
PTB
,
PSD
,
PRB
,
PR
,
DEM
,
Solidarity
and
PPS
- ^
a
b
PL
- ^
PL
,
Republicans
and
PP
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Membros da Executiva Nacional"
. Partido Liberal. 9 February 2019
. Retrieved
17 March
2021
.
- ^
"Historia do Partido da Republica (ate 2014)"
. Fundacao Getulio Vargas
. Retrieved
17 March
2021
.
- ^
"Partidos politicos registrados no TSE"
. TSE. Archived from
the original
on 24 October 2014
. Retrieved
17 March
2021
.
- ^
":: Fundacao Alvaro Valle ::"
.
institutoalvarovalle.org.br
. Retrieved
1 February
2023
.
- ^
TSE.
"Estatisticas do eleitorado ? Eleitores filiados"
. Archived from
the original
on 9 May 2019
. Retrieved
26 August
2023
.
- ^
Gustavo A. Flores-Macias, ed. (2012).
After Neoliberalism?: The Left and Economic Reforms in Latin America
.
Oxford University Press
, USA. p. 134.
ISBN
978-0-19989167-2
.
…Lula's PT government enjoyed the congressional support of the conservative Liberal Party (PL), the vice… system is fragmented but in disarray?the comparatively institutionalized party system in Brazil makes fragmentation more…
- ^
Kristin N. Wylie, ed. (2018).
Party Institutionalization and Women's Representation in Democratic Brazil
.
Cambridge University Press
. p. 168.
ISBN
978-1-108429795
.
…While at the helm of the small conservative Liberal Party (PL), Pedrosa's brother suggested she help the party fill the 30 percent…
- ^
Lee J. Alston; Marcus Andre Melo; Bernardo Mueller, eds. (2016).
Brazil in Transition: Beliefs, Leadership, and Institutional Change
.
Princeton University Press
. p. 126.
ISBN
978-1-40088094-2
.
To placate the suspicions of the business elites, Lula invited as his running mate a prominent politician from the conservative Liberal Party.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Brasil, CPDOC-Centro de Pesquisa e Documentacao Historia Contemporanea do.
"PARTIDO LIBERAL (PL)"
.
CPDOC - Centro de Pesquisa e Documentacao de Historia Contemporanea do Brasil
(in Brazilian Portuguese)
. Retrieved
18 October
2022
.
- ^
"O que significa esquerda, direita e centro na politica?"
.
- ^
a
b
"Bolsonaro to join center-right PL party to take on leftist Lula"
.
Reuters
. 8 November 2021
. Retrieved
24 January
2022
.
- ^
Gomez Bruera, Hernan (2013).
Lula, the Workers' Party and the Governability Dilemma in Brazil
. Routledge. p. 77.
- ^
"Brazil's Bolsonaro officially joins centre-right Liberal Party"
. Al Jazeera
. Retrieved
24 January
2022
.
- ^
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
- ^
"Partidos em numeros: PP e PL"
. Pindograma. 8 December 2020
. Retrieved
17 March
2021
.
- ^
Congresso em Foco (3 March 2021).
"Radar do Congresso: Governismo"
. Retrieved
17 March
2021
.
- ^
"Bolsonaro to join right-wing Liberal Party for re-election campaign"
.
The Brazilian Report
. 8 November 2021
. Retrieved
1 December
2021
.
- ^
[15]
[16]
[17]
- ^
"Bolsonaro is leaving office, but his far-right movement is here to stay"
.
Open Democracy
.
- ^
a
b
c
joaogado (8 December 2020).
"Partidos em numeros: PP e PL"
.
Pindograma
. Retrieved
18 October
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Bolsonaro se filia ao PL e volta ao centrao em evento com ataques a Lula e Moro"
.
Folha de S.Paulo
(in Brazilian Portuguese). 30 November 2021
. Retrieved
18 October
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"
'Voces votaram num cara do Centrao', diz Bolsonaro sobre criticas por ingresso no PL"
.
O Globo
(in Brazilian Portuguese). 10 January 2022
. Retrieved
18 October
2022
.
- ^
Estadao.
"Basometro: acompanhe o governismo na Camara"
.
Estadao
(in Brazilian Portuguese)
. Retrieved
15 November
2023
.
- ^
"Bancada dos partidos ? Portal da Camara dos Deputados"
.
www.camara.leg.br
. Retrieved
18 October
2022
.
- ^
Couto, Andre.
"Partido de Reedificacao da Ordem Nacional (PRONA)"
.
Centro de Pesquisa e Documentacao de Historia Contemporanea do Brasil (CPDOC)
(in Brazilian Portuguese)
. Retrieved
21 November
2018
.
- ^
"Partido da Republica (PR)"
.
CPDOC - Centro de Pesquisa e Documentacao de Historia Contemporanea do Brasil
(in Brazilian Portuguese)
. Retrieved
10 September
2022
.
- ^
"Folha Online - Brasil - STF derruba clausula de barreira - 07/12/2006"
.
www1.folha.uol.com.br
.
- ^
a
b
"Christina diz que presidente do PL concebeu o "mensalao" - Noticias"
.
Portal da Camara dos Deputados
(in Brazilian Portuguese)
. Retrieved
18 October
2022
.
- ^
"O "Efeito Tiririca" e a importancia da votacao para deputado"
.
Agencia Brasil
(in Brazilian Portuguese). 4 October 2018
. Retrieved
19 October
2022
.
- ^
"Partido da Republica"
(in Brazilian Portuguese). 21 June 2018
. Retrieved
10 September
2022
.
- ^
"Aprovada alteracao do nome do Partido da Republica (PR) para Partido Liberal (PL)"
(in Portuguese). Tribunal Superior Eleitoral. 7 May 2019. Archived from
the original
on 11 June 2019
. Retrieved
2 June
2019
.
- ^
"Partidos politicos registrados no TSE"
.
Tribuna Superior Eleitoral
. Archived from
the original
on 17 August 2022
. Retrieved
10 September
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"PR volta a ser PL para retornar as suas origens, anuncia deputado"
.
Campo Grande News
(in Brazilian Portuguese)
. Retrieved
18 October
2022
.
- ^
"Dez partidos politicos mudaram de nome nos ultimos quatro anos | A Gazeta"
.
www.agazeta.com.br
(in Brazilian Portuguese)
. Retrieved
18 October
2022
.
- ^
"Dans le Bresil de Jair Bolsonaro, des neonazis de plus en plus visibles et decomplexes"
.
Le Monde.fr
(in French). 11 October 2021.
- ^
"Idealizado por Bolsonaro, partido Alianca pelo Brasil acaba por falta de assinaturas"
.
CNN Brasil
(in Brazilian Portuguese)
. Retrieved
3 October
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Win or lose, Jair Bolsonaro poses a threat to Brazilian democracy"
.
The Economist
.
ISSN
0013-0613
. Retrieved
10 September
2022
.
- ^
"Bolsonaro negocia com DC, PMN e PSC e deve anunciar novo partido este mes"
.
O Globo
(in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 March 2021
. Retrieved
27 October
2022
.
- ^
"Bolsonaro se filia ao PL e retoma 'casamento' com o centrao"
.
noticias.uol.com.br
(in Brazilian Portuguese)
. Retrieved
27 October
2022
.
- ^
"Direita mantem crescimento, esquerda oscila negativamente e centro afunda"
.
JOTA Info
(in Brazilian Portuguese). 3 October 2022
. Retrieved
18 October
2022
.
- ^
"Cerca de dois tercos da bancada eleita do PL sao mais Bolsonaro que Valdemar"
.
www.metropoles.com
(in Brazilian Portuguese). 21 October 2022
. Retrieved
28 October
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Valdemar preve racha no PL se Lula vencer"
.
www.metropoles.com
(in Brazilian Portuguese). 28 October 2022
. Retrieved
28 October
2022
.
- ^
"Brazil's Next Elections Bring the Risk of Social Unrest"
.
New Lines Institute
. 11 August 2022
. Retrieved
3 February
2023
.
Brazil's general election will be held Oct. 2. Even though the official presidential campaign period begins Aug. 16, incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, of the
center-right Liberal Party
, and former President Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva of the Workers' Party are the presumptive frontrunners. ... The Brazilian constituency and the international public know the frontrunners well.
Bolsonaro
, who is now running as a member of the
center-right Liberal Party
after being forced to join a political party to run for re-election, aligns closer with a
far-right political ideology
.
- ^
"Partido de Reedificaccao de Ordem Nacional (PRONA)"
.
CPDOC - Centro de Pesquisa e Documentacao de Historia Contemporanea do Brasil
(in Brazilian Portuguese)
. Retrieved
14 September
2022
.
- ^
Fishman, Andrew (2 June 2022).
"Lula Leads, but Bolsonaro Could Still Win Reelection in Brazil"
.
The Intercept
. Retrieved
7 October
2022
.
- ^
"Citizens' manifesto declares Brazilian democracy facing 'immense danger'
"
.
the Guardian
. 11 August 2022
. Retrieved
10 September
2022
.
- ^
"Brazilians fear return to dictatorship as 'deranged' Bolsonaro trails in polls"
.
the Guardian
. 9 August 2022
. Retrieved
10 September
2022
.
Preceded by
|
Numbers of Brazilian Official Political Parties
22 ? LP (PL)
|
Succeeded by
|
|
---|
Parties represented in
the
Chamber of Deputies
(513 seats)
| |
---|
Parties represented
in the
Federal Senate
(81 seats)
| |
---|
Other registered parties
| |
---|
Unregistered active parties
| |
---|
Defunct parties
| |
---|