Brazil in Focus 02/2026

Download and read the three articles that make up the February edition of the Brasil em Foco series for free. The first article analyzes the difficulty of consolidating a “third way” in the 2026 elections, highlighting Gilberto Kassab's PSD. Although the party has strength at the state and municipal levels, it faces challenges in terms of national unity, candidate selection, and competition in the face of the consolidated polarization between the PT and PL. The second article explains electoral governance as a set of rules and institutions that regulate elections. It highlights the Brazilian model, Independent-Specialized, with the TSE and TREs autonomous from the Executive. Created in the 1930s to combat fraud, it concentrates administrative and judicial functions, but faces criticism for accumulating broad powers. The text that closes this edition analyzes the 2026 legislative agenda, marked by reduced time due to holidays, the World Cup, and elections. It highlights priority issues such as public safety, artificial intelligence, taxation of data centers, and fiscal balance. Congress will need to demonstrate maturity and commitment in the face of political, economic, and institutional challenges.