Your World of Legal Intelligence
 United Kingdom | +44 (0) 20 7284 8080

Bolsonaro and the Prospects for Reform in Brazil

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
AuthorMahrukh Doctor
DOI10.1177/2041905819854313
Date01 June 2019
Published date01 June 2019
22 POLITICAL INSIGHT • JUNE 2019
On 28 October 2018, the right-
wing candidate Jair Messias
Bolsonaro received 55 per
cent of valid votes in a second
round run-off election for the Brazilian
presidency. His victory shook the political
establishment and signalled that voters
were fed up with the corruption associated
with the ‘old politics’ in Brazil’s relatively
new democracy.
Bolsonaro’s victory has raised numerous
questions for Brazilian politics. Why did
an outsider from the fringe win? What are
the political challenges facing Bolsonaro’s
Bolsonaro and
the Prospects for
Reform in Brazil
Jair Bolsonaro won a surprise victory in last year’s Brazilian
presidential election on a promise of radical right-wing change. But
can the ‘Tropical Trump’ tackle Brazil’s economic and political crises?
Mahrukh Doctor examines the evidence.
government? What is the likelihood that he
achieves the reforms promised to voters?
And, finally, to what extent do elections in
Brazil reflect those elsewhere?
Bolsonaro’s victory
The explanation for Bolsonaro’s success
can be found in both long-standing
structural features of Brazilian society and
the political and economic crises that
framed the run-up to October’s election.
Additionally, the international context
mattered. The perception that a president
© Press Association
Political Insight May 2019.indd 22 08/05/2019 10:55

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT