In a Brazil “in shortage”, the Congress authorizes Lula to finance its social programs

Brazil's Congress on Wednesday (December 21st) approved additional appropriations of 32 billion euros for next year's budget, allowing the future leftist government to finance the payment of social minima beyond the spending ceiling.

REUTERS - UESLEI MARCELINO

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Brazil's Congress on Wednesday approved additional appropriations for next year's budget, allowing the future left-wing government to exceed spending limits to fund social programs, but for only one year.

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With our correspondent in Sao Paulo

,

Martin Bernard

Lula won a great political victory even before taking

the reins of power

on January 1.

The Congress has just adopted an amendment to the Constitution which will enable it to finance the social programs which it had promised during the electoral campaign: namely the maintenance of family allowances for the poorest at around 100 euros per month, plus a bonus for families with children under 6 years old.

Fight against poverty

The envelope of more than 30 billion euros must also be used to raise the minimum wage and to finance the purchase of medicines for the poorest.

Objective: to fight against poverty which affects more than 60 million people, or nearly a third of the Brazilian population, according to official figures.

More than 33 million Brazilians suffer from hunger and the purchasing power of the poorest has been seriously affected by

the Covid-19 crisis

and by inflation.

The country is going through a period of "

shortage

" after four years of Bolsonaro's government, Lula said Thursday, promising to place the fight against poverty at the center of his government action.

“ 

We inherit a country in a situation of scarcity, in which the simplest things were not done, irresponsibly, because the president preferred to lie rather than govern

,” he said.

Herculean task

Lula also announced Thursday 16 of the 37 appointments of ministers of his future government.

Many ministers are senior officials of Lula's Workers' Party (PT), such as Camilo Santana in Education or Wellington Dias in Social Development.

Geraldo Alckmin, elected vice-president, who received the portfolio of Minister of Industry and Commerce on Thursday, denounced a "

dismantling of the Brazilian state

" and considered that Lula had before him a "

Herculean task

".

He notably mentioned "

a huge backward

step" in education, with an increase in school drop-outs, and in health, with the drop in vaccinations and the carnage of Covid-19 (more than 650,000 dead in the country ).

Presenting the result of the work of the groups in charge of the transition that he coordinated, Alckmin also denounced "

a drop of nearly 90% in resources for culture

", and, with regard

to the environment

, "

an increase in 59% of Amazon deforestation

” under Bolsonaro.

► To read also: On the front page: "Bolsa Família", the Brazilian social program renewed by Lula

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