Support in Congress for President Temer Shrinks by 40% Following JBS Testimonies

08/04/2017 - 11h54

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RANIER BRAGON

FROM BRASÍLIA

President Michel Temer's governing coalition is currently composed of approximately 260 congressmen in the lower house, meaning his support shrank by 40% when compared to the first few months of the year, before the JBS testimonies were released.

Before the scandal - which led the prosecutor general to bring corruption charges against the president - the governing coalition was composed of 20 parties which, together, controlled 416 of the 513 seats in the lower house.

In the interval between the release of the recording of Joesley Batista's conversation with the president and the vote in Congress on Wednesday (the 2nd) on whether or not to charge Temer, four parties announced that they would be leaving the coalition: PSB, Podemos, PPS and PHS.

At the Wednesday session that blocked the corruption charges, 89 congressmen, whose parties still compose the governing coalition, voted against Temer: a sign that they will not be taking orders from the Executive branch any longer.

That would mean that in effect, president Temer currently has the support of 261 congressmen: four seats more than half the number of seats in Congress. Such a number of seats will make it hard for Temer to pass even bills that would only require a simple majority, given that hardly ever will all members of congress be present at a congressional session.

In order to pass constitutional amendments, for example, the proposed pension reform bill, are required 308 votes: 47 votes more than the number of votes that the president can effectively count on.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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