The degradation of democratic institutions in Brazil and the responsibility of the powers

It was written in the stars of the Republic's dysfunctionalities that this moment of degradation in relationships, actions and reputations would arrive.

The Constitution's statement on the harmonious and autonomous division of responsibilities between the three Powers is not there by chance nor is it the work of dilettantism on the part of the constituent collegiate.

It is a basic precept, an essential prerequisite for a democratic regime. The one in the name of whose resumption the norms that would come into force after 21 years of submission of the Legislative and Judiciary to the command of the hypertrophied Executive — the dictatorship — were written.

Since then, the country has suffered and overcome obstacles that tested the firmness of the 1988 institutional design. It is, however, unable to resist the inability of the subsequent generation to follow in the footsteps of the architects of redemocratization.

In the midst of authoritarianism, voluntarism, populism, usurpation of functions and aggression against rites and rules, we are witnessing a deterioration of conduct whose solution is far from the blame of the aforementioned system to which reforms are requested, in an attempt to escape the responsibility that belongs to its drivers and operators.

The head of the Executive chose to rely on magistrates who were permeable to alliances in the Judiciary, in order to overcome difficulties in an interested and skittish Legislature. Oblivious to the consequences, they entered a downward spiral of shared demoralization.

The presidential election takes place in an environment of rejection and disenchantment; the Federal Supreme Court is experiencing an impasse of unprecedented severity and Congress does not have leaders with the institutional stature equal to the challenge.

The tunnel is dark and the pit is bottomless. The answer in other times was in politics, which lost its tone and protagonism when it decided to dedicate itself primarily to business and outsource its functions to judges with political leanings and a vocation for warrior saints.

Let common sense hope that the solution is not in place to stop the bleeding with Supremo and everything.