#jaques wagner

Senator says proposal threatens democracy and warns of undue influence of budget earmarks and social media over lawmakers

The government’s leader in the Senate, Jaques Wagner, ruled out any possibility of negotiating the bill that grants amnesty to those involved in the January 8 attacks. The proposal had its fast-track request filed in the Lower House on Monday, accompanied by 262 signatures—an absolute majority. “There’s no deal with me; I oppose the amnesty bill under any circumstance,” he said. For the senator, the January 8 events were the most serious affront to democracy since 1985. If the proposal passes in the Lower House, he warned, “it will mean the political class has lost its mind.”

Mr. Wagner said his opposition is not based on electoral calculations. He noted that restoring former President Jair Bolsonaro’s eligibility might even benefit the government in the 2026 elections. In his view, Mr. Bolsonaro would be the weakest opposition candidate against President Lula da Silva due to the high rejection he faces.

When asked why 146 lawmakers from the governing coalition supported the bill, Mr. Wagner pointed to his cell phone as evidence of social media pressure. He admitted the government is struggling to reverse the movement. “This is not about the government’s base. It’s about what motivates lawmakers—do they prioritize moving around the government or focusing on budget earmarks? That’s the issue. How much money does each one have? I mean the base level because some have over R$80 million [in parliamentary budget allocations],” he said. Mr. Wagner believes lawmakers take the budget earmarks for granted and grandfathered.”