Brazil: Michel Temer says he does not fear unpopularity

President Michel Temer reiterated he is not concerned about the unpopularity that reforms in his administration may spark. “If it so happens that I become unpopular and Brazil grows, I'd be content,” he said at a forum entitled The New Political and Economic Scenario, held in São Paulo and promoted by Exame magazine. Temer also argued for the approval of the constitutional amendment bill establishing a ceiling for public spending.

“The approval is key to avoiding the inflationary spiral as well as recession. The debt may reach 100% of our GDP in 2024 or earlier. It would represent the bankruptcy of the Brazilian state,” he stated. In his view, the introduction of this ceiling would help promote sustainable growth in the country and prevent taxes from rising.

High School

Temer advocated the government's proposal to overhaul the country's high-school system, mentioning the downward trend seen in the Education Development Rate (IDEB in the original acronym) over the last few years. The matter was the object of much discussion for approximately five years, the president said. The goal is to preserve mandatory school subjects for a certain period of time and allow students to design a specific curriculum based on the undergraduate program intended. The president stressed that, in his student years, high school could have two distinct focuses, classical and scientific—a model adopted by Europe and the US.

The proposal, he said, was “received well, despite the few dissonant voices.” “We're sure we're taking a big stride in the quality of education,” the president added.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira

Kleber Sampaio / Olga Bardawil