The upshot is that the prospects for constitutional reform under Temer are limited. As is so often the case in Brazil, much change will therefore have to be incremental and will take place within the government bureaucracy, rather than through Congress. The shifts underway at Petrobras and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) are good illustrations of where things may be headed, with reprioritization of strategic objectives, asset sales, and general belt-tightening taking place far from the legislative melee. Meanwhile, Temer will be engaged in a mission to build his statesman credentials, including a trip to the G20 meeting in China today, followed by a big speech on Brazil’s independence day, September 7, and then the UN General Assembly. All along the way, expect him to be trailed by challenges to his legitimacy, in the form of celebrity protests, catcalls, and street demonstrations. A new political battle has just begun, to define Brazil’s trajectory after thirteen years of PT rule.

This first appeared in the CFR Blog: Latin America's Moment here. 

Image: Creative Commons.