The Supreme Federal Court (STF) has been at the center of intense criticism from opposition parliamentarians in the first year of the current legislature, according to an analysis of speeches by 72 parliamentarians from the Liberal Party more aligned with the opposition. Between January 9, 2023 and January 28, 2024, the STF and its ministers were cited in 412 speeches by these PL parliamentarians, demonstrating their significant influence on national politics.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was the most criticized person by opposition parliamentarians, appearing in 901 speeches, while former president Jair Bolsonaro was mentioned in 501 statements, usually in a defensive tone. The report analyzed 3,272 speeches by these opposition parliamentarians who voted against government agendas more than 90% of the time.
The topics discussed in relation to the STF focused on criticism of its interference with Congressional prerogatives. Some deputies pointed to the Chamber itself as being responsible for this discrepancy. There were at least 97 statements directly or indirectly mentioning institutional interference, with criticism directed towards the STF’s actions. Deputies also disapproved of the alignment between the Executive and Judiciary.
Impeachment requests for STF ministers like Alexandre de Moraes have been filed with the Senate. The death of Cleriston Pereira da Cunha at Papuda penitentiary complex in Brasília sparked criticism of government, Senate and STF. The relationship between the opposition and STF continues to be tense as ongoing criticism of its actions persists despite some issues slowing down
