Flávio Bolsonaro's Plan Proposes Limiting Supreme Court Power, Ending Re-election

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a presidential candidate for the Liberal Party (PL), has unveiled a government plan that includes proposals to curb the power of Brazil's Supreme Court (STF) and counter President Lula's rhetoric on national sovereignty. The plan, released Thursday, seeks to establish checks and balances between the branches of government.

A key proposal involves limiting the STF's authority by ending the special jurisdiction granted to parliamentarians and emphasizing collective rulings over individual decisions. Bolsonaro argues this would prevent a single minister's judgment from overriding the legislative work of Congress. The plan also seeks to narrow the list of individuals and entities eligible to bring cases before the STF, a move supported by some in Congress aiming to reduce judicial challenges to approved legislation.

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None of these measures weaken the Judiciary. All return it to its constitutional place, and return to the people, through their elected representatives, the power to decide on their own lives.

Bolsonaro's document, titled "Para o Brasil Vencer o Atraso" (For Brazil to Overcome Backwardness), asserts that the STF has accumulated an excessive number of functions. He contends that restoring the court to its constitutional role as a high court will re-establish democratic equilibrium. "None of these measures weaken the Judiciary. All return it to its constitutional place, and return to the people, through their elected representatives, the power to decide on their own lives," the plan states.

Furthermore, the plan addresses foreign policy and governance structure. It critiques Lula's approach to sovereignty, suggesting it is exercised by mere repetition rather than substantive action. While not directly naming Donald Trump or the relocation of Brazil's embassy in Israel, it references relations with the US and Argentina. Significantly, the plan proposes ending the re-election option for the president, contrasting this with the Workers' Party (PT) approach and framing its own project as being for the country, not just for power.

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sovereignty is not exercised by repeating the word 'sovereignty' all the time.