The 2016 Brazilian municipal election was by no means a “normal” one. It comes after the bloodiest campaign in the country’s democratic history, as at least 20 candidates have been murdered since August. The political atmosphere has also been influenced by the worst recession in Brazil since the 1930s, the largest anti-corruption investigation in history, and an extremely divisive impeachment process against former President Dilma Rousseff.
Traditionally, the local race is considered to be a kick-off to the presidential election. This is precisely why it is so important to analyze the results of Sunday’s election, and explain what that might mean for the future. Here are our most important takes:
The Rise of the Right-Wing
This certainly isn’t a trend that began in 2016. Two years ago, Brazilians elected the most conservative Congress in the past half-century. Now, the best-performing candidates have come from conservative sectors. In Salvador, Mayor Antonio Carlos Magalhães Neto was reelected with a staggering 74 percent of the votes. Plus, the four largest parties in the impeachment process against Dilma Rousseff came out stronger.
In Rio de Janeiro, Flávio Bolsonaro had an impressive performance, coming in fourth and earning 15 percent of the votes. He is the son of Congressman Jair Bolsonaro, the most prominent leader of the Brazilian far right. The Bolsonaros have gained notoriety for their racially charged, homophobic, and misogynistic remarks. Such a performance by Flávio conveniently helps his father’s ambitions of becoming the right-wing candidate for president in 2018.
Between 2002 and 2014, the Workers’ Party was Brazil’s most powerful political force. The party won four straight presidential elections, and in 2012 even advanced into predominantly conservative cities including São Paulo. A mere four years later, the Workers’ Party is facing its worst crisis.
The party has presented 47 percent fewer candidates compared to 2012. Out of the 635 Workers’ Party members elected four years ago, 105 have left the party. According to Arko Advice, a consulting company based in Brasília, the political group is expected to win only one mayoral race in a state capital: the small northern state of Acre’s Rio Branco. In São Paulo, incumbent Mayor Fernando Haddad didn’t make it to the second round, and the party failed to secure a win in any of the cities surrounding the capital.
Even worse than the 2016 results is the party’s lack of alternatives to former President Lula da Silva. The leader is being prosecuted for corruption and money laundering – and could be ineligible for the 2018 presidential race.
São Paulo Has A New Mayor
Brazil’s largest and richest city has chosen its new mayor in the first round. It’s the first time that this has occurred since Brazil first adopted a two-round system for cities with more than 200,000 voters. At 6:41 pm and with 64 percent of the votes counted, the Brazilian poll institute Datafolha declared a victory for millionaire businessman João Doria.
A member of the center-right Brazilian Social Democracy Party, João Doria was backed by São Paulo state’s Governor Geraldo Alckmin, who is now the party’s favorite choice for the 2018 presidential elections. Back in August, when the campaign began, only 5 percent of São Paulo residents wanted to vote for Doria. Two months later, thanks to the support of the Governor, the first-time candidate led the polls with more than 40 percent of the votes.
Doria is a businessman who hosted the Brazilian version of The Apprentice. He defends privatizations and the freedom of markets – despite, of course, the fact that his companies have received roughly $3 million in incentives from the state government since 2005. He wants to sell some of São Paulo’s public parks, as well as the municipal stadium, to private ventures.
Rio de Janeiro: Mayor Eduardo Paes Loses Ground
Mayor Eduardo Paes is perhaps the biggest loser in this year’s election. After serving two terms during which Rio hosted the 2014 World Cup Final and the 2016 Olympics, Paes failed to make it to the second round, a remarkable outcome. Since 2006, his party, the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, have dominated Rio’s local political scene – they’ve won two mayoral and three gubernatorial races.
Ultimately, Paes is paying for the mistakes he made as mayor, as the city of Rio is experiencing an acute economic crisis. He is also paying for his arrogance. Notwithstanding accusations that his chosen candidate, Pedro Paulo, has repeatedly beaten his wife in the past, Paes thought that his prestige alone would be enough to elect his successor. He was proven wrong.
The next Mayor of Brazil’s “wonderful city” will be either Marcelo Freixo, a left-wing politician, or Marcelo Crivella, a senator and Evangelical bishop. The second round will take place on October 30.
In Rio de Janeiro, 25 percent of registered voters didn’t show up to cast their ballots. If we consider the 5 percent of “blank” and 13 percent of “invalid” votes, this means that 43 percent of Rio’s voters chose not to vote for mayor. In São Paulo, that rate was at almost 40 percent.
We must remember that voting is mandatory in Brazil. Such a low turnout can be credited to the fact that Brazilians have stopped caring about politics – and politicians.
'''Dnia 30 października 2016 w Brazylii odbyła się druga tura wyborów samorządowych, która była rozstrzygnięciem tury pierwszej, przeprowadzonej 2 października.'''

Tegoroczne wybory były, obok przeprowadzonego niedawnego impeachmentu wobec będącej w połowie kadencji prezydent kraju Dilmy Rousseff, kolejną części trzęsienia ziemi i zmiany układu sił, który dokonało się w 2016 roku na brazylijskiej scenie politycznej.

Dotychczas rządząca w dużej części kraju i będąca u władzy od 2002 roku socjalistyczna Partia Pracujących (PT) utraciła większość ze swoich dotychczasowych ośrodków władzy i poparcie 60 procent wyborców sprzed czterech lat.

Największą porażką partii była przegrana partii w największych miastach Brazylii – São Paulo oraz Rio de Janeiro.

W São Paulo nie doszło do drugiej tury wyborów, gdyż wynik został rozstrzygnięty już 2 października, podczas pierwszego etapu, gdzie nowym burmistrzem największego miasta Ameryki Południowej został João Doria, biznesmen, który kandydował z ramienia PSDB, Brazylijskiej Partii Socjaldemokratycznej (która wbrew nazwie, prezentuje poglądy centroprawicowe).

Kolejnym zaskoczeniem okazał się wybór na burmistrza Rio de Janeiro Marcela Crivelli, biskupa zielonoświątkowego Uniwersalnego Kościoła Królestwa Bożego założonego przez Edira Macedo, którego burmistrz-elekt jest bratankiem. Crivella jest autorem kontrowersyjnych i konserwatywnych twierdzeń o homoseksualizmie oraz rasistowskich wypowiedzeń wobec ludności afrykańskiej. Wynik dziwi tym bardziej, że Rio uznawane jest jako miasto liberalne i postępowe na tle religijnej i konserwatywnej Brazylii. Zaskoczeniem była wielka porażka obecnego burmistrza, Eduardo Paesa, który nie dostał się nawet do drugiej tury pomimo pełnienia funkcji gospodarza podczas piłkarskich mistrzostw świata z 2014 roku oraz tegorocznych igrzysk olimpijskich.

Partia Pracujących przegrała także wybory w mieście Recife, które było jedyną stolicą stanową, w której kandydat tej partii dostał się do drugiej tury.