Staff Reports
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro just turned a campaign line into a plan. What began as a promise to “change the Constitution” has been clarified: he says he will push formal constitutional amendments, known as PECs, to reform Brazil’s courts, lower the age of criminal responsibility in some cases, change tax rules, and even end presidential reelection. Facing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the runoff, Flávio is selling big changes as the way to fix what he calls a broken system.
What Senator Flávio Bolsonaro actually said about constitutional reform
At a rally in Goiânia, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro said his incoming congressional allies give him the chance to pursue constitutional amendments. The next day he told reporters he means PECs — legal changes that must pass two rounds of votes with a three‑fifths majority in both the Chamber and the Senate. His targets are blunt: curb certain Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) powers, make it harder for single judges to decide big cases alone, lower criminal responsibility toward 16 in some situations, and propose an end to presidential reelection.
Why the proposals matter
These are not small tweaks. Changing how the STF works would touch Brazil’s checks and balances. Cutting the age of criminal responsibility and burying some tax rules in the constitution would reshape public safety and the economy. And a PEC to end reelection — which Senator Flávio says he won’t use on himself — is a political signal as much as policy. Opponents say such moves risk weakening institutions. Supporters say the system has been partisan and needs fixing. Both sides are loud. That’s the point.
How realistic are the plans — and what comes next?
PECs are hard. They need 308 votes in the Chamber and 49 in the Senate across two rounds. The Liberal Party and allies improved their numbers in the recent vote, but a supermajority still means building deals with centrists and local leaders. There are also constitutional limits: some core features can’t be erased by amendment. If Senator Flávio wants these changes, he’ll need to draft specific PEC text, win over skeptical lawmakers, and be ready for legal fights at the STF itself — the very court some proposals aim to tame.
Why voters should pay attention — and what to expect
Democracy thrives on debate. Senator Flávio’s plan forces that debate into the open. Voters should demand clear texts, not slogans. Let him file a PEC and then let Congress and the courts do their work. If you like strong judges and long political terms, push back. If you think the judiciary has grown too political and elite interests protect the status quo, this is your chance. Either way, the next moves — formal PECs, congressional signals, and any STF response — will tell whether these promises are political theater or the start of real reform.
