Opinion – Jorge Abrahão: External signs of a fragile democracy

Politicians should be remembered as artists, actors and actresses: the name on the tip of the tongue. For, ideally, they should refer us to the common good and good things. Just not! Reality doesn’t work like that.

Seven out of ten Brazilians do not remember who they voted for in the positions of deputy and senator in the 2018 elections. It is too little time for such oblivion, a sign of the distance that separates society from politics. This is what the most recent survey on democracy, carried out by IPEC for the Instituto Cidades Sustentáveis, shows. Contempt, in most cases, is accompanied by forgetfulness.

Politics should not be an object of interest only in election years, but regularly cared for and stimulated. The disconnect between people and politics has a lot to do with the lack of interest in following the actions of politicians throughout their term and the lack of spaces for participation. By not remembering who they voted for, the majority of the population signs a blank check and authorizes those elected to advance without being charged, which weakens democracy and encourages the rise of opportunists with unrealistic platforms. After all, they bet that their promises won’t go through.

Another finding of the research is that the generation of jobs, followed by the reduction of social inequalities, are seen as priority duties of politicians. Here, the size of the economic crisis we are experiencing unequivocally appears. The expectation is for an economy-inducing state.

The fall in GDP in recent years, accompanied by an increase in unemployment, precarious work, poverty and people experiencing hunger, is a matter of policy responsibility. There is, therefore, a great expectation that the policy will deliver better living conditions for the majority of the population, which has not been happening.

Finally, even blaming politics for such fundamental issues, the vast majority of respondents, 76%, say they have no desire to participate in the country’s political life, against 9% very willing.

Democracy is an imperfect system, in permanent change. From an institutional point of view, we are experiencing moments of stress, in which the rope is being pulled to the limit. The current government, by dominating the PGR and the presidency of the Chamber, shields itself in relation to society. And, in addition, when making nominations of friends to the STF, it exposes institutional imperfections that must be corrected so that the system’s balances can work. In these episodes there are challenges of change that the institutions themselves must take on.

The research reveals issues of the greatest relevance when we think about the relationship with society, when dealing with memory, priorities and participation. The more distant and disinterested society is from politics, the longer it will take for the country to mature and provide a better quality of life for the population.

The research can be seen as recommendations for democracy to promote real benefits for people and create spaces for participation so that, even for this reason, it is defended by the majority. However, if it does not continue to improve life, the risks of questioning it by adventurers who want to benefit from its inherent imperfections will increase. It is up to each of us, by voting, but also by continuous attention and participation, to contribute to the improvement of the democratic system.