What if political instability hinders the progression of public policies?

This article is written by Sérgio Roberto Knorr Velho, Analyst, Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI).

The problem: The political uncertainty caused by the most recent elections in Brazil.
Why it matters: It can threaten the operation of institutions and the checks and balances principle.
The solution: The strengthening of transparency, institutional autonomy, and the separation of powers as a result of the political class's maturity in negotiating.

Brazil, the fourth largest democracy on the planet (after India, the United States, and Indonesia), continues to be one of the most influential emerging nations despite the recent economic crisis. This democracy undergoes a major test given the division between supporters of the current president, Bolsonaro, and the president-elect, Lula.

The outcome of the election process in Brazil revealed a remarkable balance between the two contenders. A total of 124,252,796 out of 156,454,011 eligible voters participated in the election, or 79.41%. The difference in valid votes was only 1.8%. A portion of voters who refuse to accept loss, block roads, and demand military action in front of army bases exemplify this division in the country. This fraction of voters adopted the national flag and its colours as their symbol.

Extreme circumstances can lead to the failure of negotiations when our emotions transcend our differences, as we have witnessed numerous times in recent history.

The institutions that should assure the winner's tenure appear to be functioning, which is significant given the country's past, and represents the successes of the country's redemocratisation process since the adoption of the last constitution in 1988. Despite these 34 years and the fact that two presidents failed to complete their terms because they were impeached by Congress, the democratic process is likely to endure, according to the acts of the government.

The political instability that impedes the advancement of public policy is, in my opinion, the outcome of the erosion of institutions and the separation and independence of legislative, executive, and judicial powers. It promotes the belief in the principle of checks and balances, which holds that the various State-developed functions must self-regulate. These instabilities impede the state's ability to solve and mitigate the issues of its citizens. Public workers lack the authority to use the state's resources to improve the welfare of the populace. In many instances, emotions can lead to a political and social rupture or even a civil war, which is detrimental to everyone, and serves no one's best interests. Extreme circumstances can lead to the failure of negotiations when our emotions transcend our differences, as we have witnessed numerous times in recent history.

The political class of the country must come to the conclusion that negotiating between the parties is the most effective method to develop answers that reduce the challenges facing society.

We are aware that the democratic process is not flawless, and this deviation from representation through representatives of the people can lead to disbelief that the State is capable of addressing the fundamental concerns of its citizens. The political class of the country must come to the conclusion that negotiating between the parties is the most effective method to develop answers that reduce the challenges facing society. The more the transparency and openness of this process and its efforts to eliminate all types of disparities, the simpler it is for us to sidestep political instability and engage in actions where several parties can emerge victorious.

Loewenstein observed that democracies are required by law to permit the birth and expansion of anti-parliamentary and anti-democratic parties and movements, so long as they comply externally with the norms of legality and freedom of expression. Under the lure of formal equity, this extreme formalism of the Rule of Law does not deem it appropriate to exclude from the game parties and movements that deny the mere existence of their laws.

Therefore, the strengthening of transparency, institutional autonomy, and separation of powers through the application of the theory of checks and balances strengthens the democratic process. This is because the democratic process is one in which the conflict of ideas results in inclusive actions that are taken to solve the problems that face society. Instability in political systems benefits no one and should be reduced as much as possible through the work of an experienced political class and the institutions it oversees.

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