As pressure mounts on President Dilma Rousseff to resign, many are preparing for what will come next in Brazil. Regardless of who is in power, Argentina’s powerful neighbour faces colossal economic hardships. Given that Rousseff is more preoccupied with saving her presidency than saving the country, the president is now part of the problem, not part of the solution. However, it is unclear whether any of the leaders that could succeed her will be in a position to steer the country out of troubled waters and restore sustainable economic growth. Though Rousseff’s departure — either through resignation or a lengthy impeachment process — will open a window of opportunity, there is a bumpy road ahead for whomever takes control of the presidency at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia.
In recent weeks, the president has alienated allies as she has resisted calls for her resignation and fought the ongoing impeachment process. Even her decision to appoint Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to her Cabinet was perceived as a desperate move to protect her mentor from an ongoing corruption investigation and to rally support against her impeachment among legislators who are still loyal to the former president. Many left-wing legislators, including some within her Workers’ Party (PT) seem as if they are inclined to favour Rousseff’s resignation, as that would offer the party an alternative and a chance to regroup around Lula in case of an early presidential election or for the municipal elections that will take place in October.
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