Ministers and party leaders meet on the eve of Rousseff's impeachment trial

With less than 24 hours to go until the beginning of the impeachment trial of Brazil's suspended President Dilma Rousseff, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Rodrigo Maia, welcomed interim government ministers and PMDB and PSDB party members for dinner at his home in Brasília. His guests included Senate President Renan Calheiros, Senator Aécio Neves, Chief of Staff Eliseu Padilha, and the Head of the Government Secretariat, Geddel Vieira Lima.

The meeting followed another one held last week in São Paulo where the economic team and parliament leaders discussed plans to cap public spending in 2017 even before the approval of a bill on the issue that is pending before Congress.

Pay rise for Supreme Court justices

The government denies being at odds with the PSDB after disputes over a bill to increase the salaries of Supreme Court (STF) justices. If approved, the pay rise would have a cascade effect across the judicial branch, increasing government spending.

The vote on the pay rise proposal had been set to take place on September 6, a week after the verdict on President Rousseff's impeachment trial. Senate President Renan Calheiros noted that interim President Michel Temer and he had promised the pay rise to the judiciary, and played down its impact on public finance. “Its effects are not significant for fiscal balance. Brazil is functioning well, the institutions are functioning well, the government branches have harmonious relations, but are independent from each other.” In his opinion, putting “Brazil's fiscal troubles down to the judiciary pay rise which are really minor—that's such a narrow take on this discussion, you can't go along with that,” he said.

Impeachment

This Thursday morning (Aug. 25), the Senate begins the impeachment trial of the suspended president. In the next few days, the prosecution and defense witnesses will be heard, as well as Rousseff herself next Monday (29).

*With additional reporting by Karine Melo.

Translated by Mayra Borges