Since taking power on a pledge to trash corrupt “old politics,” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s first months have been marred by chaos and blunders that have eroded support for the far-right leader and put the brakes on his reforms.
The brash ex-army captain — nicknamed the “Trump of the tropics” for his admiration of the US president — is struggling to make good on his key election promises to kick-start Latin America’s biggest economy and stamp out corruption.
As Bolsonaro prepares to mark the symbolic milestone of 100 days in office on Wednesday, analysts say the euphoria of his October victory that ended decades of center-left rule is evaporating.
“It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that the president’s performance to date has been disappointing,” said Thomaz Favaro of the political risk consultancy Control Risks.
“There was a misperception that he was coming in with a very strong support base and I think we’re now beginning to see that maybe that support wasn’t strong.”
Condemned by opponents as racist, sexist and homophobic before the ballot, Bolsonaro’s message of toughness and an end to business-as-usual politics resonated with voters fed up with violence and industrial-scale graft.
But Bolsonaro, who was better known for making insults rather than policy during his decades as a congressman, is finding that his uncompromising style and penchant for Twitter are not working in Congress where he lacks a ruling-party majority to push through legislation.
His signature policy to overhaul Brazil’s unsustainable pension system, which he has warned would bankrupt the country if changes are not adopted, has stalled following a spat with key political allies and raised doubts about his ability to do the job.
“Over the last few weeks we’ve really seen the side people feared about Bolsonaro,” said William Jackson, an economist at London-based Capital Economics.
“His lack of governing experience, showing up in deteriorating relations with Congress, and his struggles to keep his coalition together seem to have led to a paralysis in policymaking.”
Bolsonaro appears to have adopted a more conciliatory tone in recent days, holding meetings with the leaders of several parties.
He may have finally accepted the “give and take” of Brazilian politics, said David Fleischer, a political science professor at the University of Brasilia.
“It’s a make or break,” Fleischer warned. If the pension reform bill fails then Bolsonaro “doesn’t get any tax reform, which is another important thing on the table, and his government will just drift along until 2022.”