The Global Uprising of Populist Conservatism and the Case of Brazil

Abstract

Taking the case of Jair Bolsonaro as paradigmatic, the chapter argues that “political parasitism” is the fundamental characteristic of any far-right populist elected for the first time President or Prime Minister. Bolsonaro’s “antisystem tactics” benefits from the fact that the “system” continues to work, benefiting at the same time from permanently attacking this same “system” as evil. In Bolsonaro’s case, claiming additionally that the best possible political model for Brazil is represented by the military dictatorship (1964 to 1985). Examining the period prior to the arrival of the pandemic crisis to Brasil—roughly Bolsonaro’s first year as President—the chapter tries to understand the reasons for his victory in the October 2018 election as well as the governing model he established from January 2019 on, when he took office. It shows in which way this initial period is a direct result of the country’s recent history, as well its importance to understanding his way of governing. It shows how this form of governing is tied to wider global processes, prompting comparisons with Trump. Finally, it considers the results under the light of the debates on the crises of democracies.