Awkward allies

摘要

The new Congress was always going to be awkward for Brazil's president. Having won re-election last October with the slimmest of majorities, Dilma Rousseff has a weak mandate. She faces power cuts, water shortages and a probable recession. She must curb the growing fiscal deficit to maintain Brazil's prized investment-grade credit rating. On top of all this she must contend with a far-reaching corruption scandal at Petro-bras, the state-controlled oil giant. Its embattled boss, Maria das Gracas Foster, an ally of the president, has resigned along with five other executives (see page 60). Ms Rousseff has now been given a first taste of just how obstructive Congress is likely to be. On February 1st, against her wishes, the lower house elected Eduardo Cunha of the Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement (pmdb) to be its Speaker.