Conservative Sweep in Brazilian Congress Confirmed
Final results from Brazil’s Sunday general elections confirmed this week that right-wing parties will hold a majority in the Lower House that, together with the majority in the Senate, will grant them control of both chambers of Congress once they take office next year.
Brazilian conservative and right-wing parties, spearheaded by the Liberal Party (PL) led by Senator and presidential front-running candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, secured their best electoral performance in four decades during Sunday’s general elections. The results also automatically triggered an upcoming October 25 presidential runoff between Bolsonaro of the PL party and current incumbent socialist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the far-left Workers’ Party (PT).
Local outlets reported that, collectively, PL and some 20 other right-wing parties secured 276 seats out of the available 513 seats — effectively forming a majority at the Chamber of Deputies once all elected lawmakers take office in February 2027.
Out of the total 513 seats, 121 will be occupied by the PL, a party that not only secured its position as the largest force in the Lower House, but saw its best electoral performance ever, going from 99 elected congressmen in 2022 to 121 on Sunday. Conversely, the Lula-led PT only saw its parliamentary representation increase by two seats, going from the 68 it had obtained in 2022 to 70 in February.
Poder 360 detailed that leftist lawmakers will collectively occupy 124 seats between members of the PT, the Communist Party of Brazil, the Brazilian Socialist Party, and four other left-wing parties. The remaining 113 seats will instead be occupied by congressmen from about 20 different centrist parties.
The Liberal Party’s performance also saw the Bolsonaro-led party break the local record of the party with the largest parliamentary group at the Lower House since the Brazilian Democratic Movement obtained 108 seats in the 1990 general elections shortly after the nation returned to democracy. On Monday, Brazilian electoral authorities confirmed that conservative parties in Brazil will occupy 49 of the 81 seats at the Senate — of which about a third will be occupied by the PL. Notably, several members of conservative President Jair Bolsonaro became elected to Congress on Sunday. Former President Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27 years prison sentence on “crimes against democracy” charges under a strict house arrest at his residence in Brasília.
“With great pride and the strength of every Brazilian’s vote, the PL has established itself as the largest Caucus in the Federal Senate,” the PL party celebrated on social media this week. “This reflects the spirit of a country that chose not to stop, that chose to win.”
“Starting in 2027, we will be 28 tireless and united voices defending what truly matters: our freedom, our families, and the future of our nation,” the text continued. “This monumental victory belongs to you, those who believe in Brazil’s future.”
The now-confirmed right wing majorities at both houses of the Brazilian Congress will grant the nation’s conservatives significant leeway in parliament once the recently-elected lawmakers take office next year.
CNN Brasil detailed that, as per Brazilian laws, a simple majority is required at the Lower House and Senate to pass ordinary bills, while supplementary bills require the approval of at least 257 deputies and 41 senators for its approval. A simple majority of the votes is required to override any presidential veto.
The Brazilian constitution provides the Senate with the prerogative to try Supreme Court Justices on crimes of responsibility and impeach its magistrates. After undergoing a series of prerequisites, 41 votes at the Senate are required to approve the process, triggering the automatic suspension of the accused magistrate and the start of the accused’s defense phase.
After he or she delivers his defense, a final impeachment vote takes place at the Senate that requires a two-third majority to pass — or 54 out of the 81 senators. According to a survey held by a local think-tank cited by CNN Brasil, 54 of the 81 Senators that will be in office in 2027 have already expressed their willingness to support the impeachment of Supreme Court justices.
Over the past years, Brazilian conservative senators have repeatedly attempted to initiate dozens of impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, a self-styled “anti-fake news crusader” that has been at the forefront of a pervasive persecution and censorship campaign of conservative voices in Brazil — with his most prominent targets being Jair Bolsonaro and members of his family. Presently, de Moraes is embroiled in a “civil war” scandal at the Brazilian top court that started after fellow Justice André Mendonça unsealed a police report containing an analysis of alleged chat messages between de Moraes and Daniel Vorcaro, a Brazilian banker currently under police custody over his alleged involvement in a broad financial fraud and corruption scandal.
CNN Brasil noted that the impeachment of a president in Brazil follows a similar process but said impeachment proceedings must be initiated by the Chamber of Deputies and require a two-third majority of votes, or 342 out of the 513 congressmen.
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