Brazil: New lower house speaker lists priorities

The new Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Deputy Rodrigo Maia, who was elected with 285 votes in the early hours of Thursday (Jul. 14), said his priorities at the house leadership include a constitution amendment bill (PEC) setting a ceiling for public spending, negotiating longer terms for states to repay their debts with the federal government, a bill to change rules for pre-salt oil drilling, and a pension reform that is under negotiation with workers' unions.

Maia, who is aligned with interim President Michel Temer, said the house needs to discuss and vote on measures that are seen as unpopular. “Deputies are not only elected to create further costs to the government and win acclaim. We are here to approve measures that will be unpopular as well,” he said. “They may be unpopular now, but we need to look ahead.”

The new speaker also said the legislature must be bold enough to approve a political reform. “We should hold a wide debate at this house because the existing political system has collapsed. We need to build consensus and work together to discuss a political reform and confront this failed model.”

Translated by Mayra Borges