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Reuters: How Brazil's election winner could reshape its institutions as vacancies mount
The winner could shape monetary policy and constitutional rulings as vacancies linger at the Supreme Court, central bank and regulators.
Brazil's next president faces an unusually large backlog of appointments at the Supreme Court, central bank, and economic regulators following a tight race between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro.
Congressional earmarks for local projects swelled from 7.5% of federal discretionary spending in 2018 to 21% in 2025, giving lawmakers leverage to delay confirmations as a political tool eroding executive maneuvering room.
Two central bank board seats have remained empty since January, while senators rejected Supreme Court nominee Solicitor General Jorge Messias in April, and regulators CVM and Cade face vacancies delaying merger reviews.
Claudio Couto, a political scientist at the Fundacao Getulio Vargas, called the backlog "deeply problematic," warning it risks concentrating appointments and politicizing bodies meant to remain nonpartisan.
Voters will also elect all 513 members of the Lower House and two-thirds of the Senate on Sunday, determining how much authority the next president will have to appoint officials and shape key institutions.