Supreme Federal Court President Edson Fachin has scheduled separate meetings on October 6 with Senate opposition leader Rogério Marinho and government leader Teresa Leitão. The talks come amid an election-season debate over the court’s role and powers.
On Tuesday, October 6, Supreme Federal Court (STF) President Edson Fachin is meeting Senator Rogério Marinho, a coordinator of Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign, and Teresa Leitão, the government’s leader in the Senate. CNN Brasil reported that the meeting with Marinho was set for 1 p.m. and the meeting with Leitão for 2 p.m. Fachin requested the meeting with Leitão to discuss institutional relations, CNN reported, while Marinho asked for his meeting.
Marinho had previously approached the STF president to convey the Bolsonaro campaign’s concerns about court decisions affecting the Superior Electoral Court (TSE). Fachin also met Senate President Davi Alcolumbre at the Senate’s official residence in the morning. According to Fachin’s official schedule, they discussed matters concerning the judiciary that are before Congress. SBT News and UOL also reported that Fachin had meetings planned with Marinho and Leitão.
The series of meetings comes two days after the first round of the presidential election, amid a campaign debate over the Supreme Court’s role ahead of the runoff. CNN noted that at least 109 impeachment requests against STF justices have been filed with Alcolumbre, and that some members of the court view him as politically weakened after the election and facing difficulty securing reelection as Senate president.
CNN also reported concern within the court about proposals to reduce the STF’s powers, including removing criminal cases from its jurisdiction. The Congress elected on October 4 shifted to the right, drawing further attention to such proposals.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sharpened his public criticism of the court on Monday. At a meeting with allies on October 5, he spoke of excessive closeness within the STF and called for renewed debate on judicial reform, including appointment criteria for justices and the possibility of fixed terms. CNN linked Fachin’s meetings to continuing debate over relations among branches of government; the contents of the conversations have not been disclosed.