Flávio Bolsonaro Unveils Presidential Government Plan Focused on Judicial Limits and Spending Cuts

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the PL candidate for President, released his 76 page government plan titled Para o Brasil Vencer o Atraso on Thursday. The proposal outlines significant changes to the powers of the Supreme Federal Court (STF), including limits on monocratic decisions and the removal of the court's original criminal jurisdiction. The plan suggests that individual ministers should not override the work of Congress and proposes restricting who has the legitimacy to bring actions before the court. Additionally, the plan calls for an end to the special legal forum for federal deputies and senators and prohibits relatives up to the third degree from practicing law in the courts of their respective magistrates.

On the economic front, Bolsonaro proposes a deep reduction in public spending, which he refers to as a tesouraço. This includes cutting at least ten ministries, reducing commissioned positions, and combating supersalaries. He advocates for a new fiscal rule focused on stabilizing and reducing the public debt to GDP ratio to lower interest rates and inflation. The plan also suggests a review of the current tax reform to reduce the VAT and lower taxes on fuels and electricity. Regarding labor, the proposal introduces flexible work hours for mothers and youth, as well as specific hiring contracts for people aged 18 to 24 and those over 50.

Public security is a central pillar of the program. Bolsonaro proposes reducing the age of criminal responsibility from 18 to 16 and implementing harsher penalties for adolescents over 14 who commit grave crimes. The plan includes classifying criminal factions such as the PCC and Comando Vermelho as terrorist organizations, creating 500,000 new prison spaces, and ending regime progression for those convicted of heinous crimes.

Regarding civil liberties, the plan proposes a Tesouraço da Censura to eliminate state structures that monitor or punish disinformation, which the campaign describes as a Ministry of Truth. It also calls for the revocation of acts by the Lula administration that the campaign claims were used to silence critics. On the topic of sovereignty, the document criticizes President Lula's discourse, stating that sovereignty is not exercised by repeating the word constantly.

Center outlets highlight the lack of detail regarding the new fiscal rules and the potential contradictions in tax proposals. Center right outlets frame the security and judicial measures as a necessary war on impunity and a defense of the balance of power between the judiciary and the legislature.