Do PMDB ao MDB: estratégias na coalizão e pemedebismo em movimento.

Abstract

This research is aimed at analyzing the trajectory of the PMDB (Partido do Movimento Democrático Brasileiro; Brazilian Democratic Movement Party), its strategies in the formalization of coalition presidentialism, and the impacts caused by its reverting to its former name (MDB) in 2017, as well as the factors that caused the implosion of the coalition it supported, formed with the PT (Partido dos Trabalhadores, Workers’ Party), in 2016. The study examines the party’s main actors’ moves in the Legislative arena, as well as those of the Executive Power, which sought their support in order to guarantee the govemability and approval of projects. Furthermore, this research tries to shed light upon the factors that led to the destabilization of the ruling coalition and the split between the PMDB and the PT, thus also leading to the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff. The time frame focuses especially on the govemments of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, and Dilma Rousseff, while trying to highlight the demands and efiforts that led to each one’s getting the PMDB’s support in order to strengthen the goveming base. The research also extends its focus to the PMDB govemmenfs power of agenda-setting after RoussefFs impeachment, especially the determining point of its breakup with the PT, namely the “Bridge to the Future” program, which culminated in the approval of the so-called “Expenditure Ceiling” and the labor reform. For this purpose, data referring to cabinet formation and roll-call votes, as well as data firom the press, were all gathered. These quantitative data help the verification process, from a qualitative viewpoint, allowing to conclude that it is possible to find values associated with market platforms that operate by intervening in the coalition, thus forging a behavior of evading what is usually expected as far as a govemance pact is concemed.