Major challenges await new leader
Fragmented Congress: The first task will be to tackle the soap opera that has become Brazil’s Congress, a burden Bolsonaro’s predecessors struggled to get a grip of. With almost 30 different parties and legislators who negotiate allegiance based on the distribution of official posts, it’s a spider’s web of intrigue.
Relaunch the economy: The markets have reacted positively to Bolsonaro, expecting him to nominate as finance minister his economic guru Paul Guedes, who has promised to accelerate a massive privatisation plan aimed at revitalising the public accounts. Bolsonaro has insisted that certain industries are untouchable, though, including the state oil and energy providers, Petrobras and Electrobras.
Fight against crime: One of his more controversial campaign promises was to give police and the military “judicial protection” when exercising their duties. That left human rights organisations worried about the effects such a policy could have during operations into the notorious favelas.
Rural land conflicts: Rich landowners stand to benefit from a Bolsonaro government after he vowed to label as “terrorism” the occupation of properties, a traditional arm used by the Rural Landless Workers Movement (MST).
Indigenous question: Indigenous people would likely have greeted Bolsonaro’s election with dismay as he’s in favour of cancelling demarcations of indigenous land, much of which is in the Amazon region.