Late Tuesday night, after secretly admitting defeat, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro drove another nail in his political coffin by telling the federal court that the electoral process was over. In other words, he has no intention of challenging the victory of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, his staunch rival.
On leaving the session, Judge Edson Fachin said that Bolsonaro “used the verb to end in the past tense. He said, “It’s over”. That settles the matter.” Fachin was the only one of the seven members of the Supreme Court to comment on the meeting with the president.
The meeting took place in a peaceful and friendly atmosphere, said judicial sources heard by CNN/Brazil. Accordingly, Bolsonaro was friendly and relaxed during the hour-long meeting.
Bolsonaro told the judges he acknowledged the result and would abide by the federal constitution. There was no explicit, detailed promise that the President would not appeal the outcome within the limits of the law. But Fachin said that was understood.
In a statement, the judges underscored the importance of the President of the Republic’s recognition of the final election result, with determination to start the transition process this Thursday.
“It was an institutional visit, in a warm and respectful atmosphere, during which everyone stressed the importance of peace and harmony for the good of Brazil,” added the note, quoted by the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper.
Another relevant issue for the president’s future is his legal status, as he became “unemployed” (he was not running for Congress or Senate), but he was not raised at the meeting.
Bolsonaro is the subject of several lawsuits pending in the Supreme Court. As soon as he leaves the presidency, he will see these investigations being referred to the first instance of justice, as was the case with Lula da Silva.