Brazil Senate rejects Supreme Court pick for first time since 1894 LULA FACES POLITICAL BLOW

Brazil’s Senate has rejected a nominee to the country’s Supreme Court for the first time in more than 130 years, delivering a political setback to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

According to foreign media, senators voted 42 to 34, with one abstention, against confirming Attorney General Jorge Messias on Wednesday, April 29. The decision marks the first time since 1894 that the Senate has blocked a Supreme Court nomination, when several candidates were rejected during the presidency of Floriano Peixoto.

Because the vote was conducted by secret ballot, it remains unclear which political factions opposed the nominee. However, the outcome underscores the fragmented composition of the Senate, where Lula’s administration does not command a stable majority.

During his confirmation hearing, Messias reaffirmed his opposition to abortion, an issue that remains highly divisive in predominantly Catholic Brazil. He also criticised previous rulings by the Supreme Court, arguing that they had weakened the institution’s authority, and warned of increasing “judicial activism,” though he did not attribute this trend to any specific political group.

Messias, who currently leads the Attorney General’s Office, had been nominated to fill a vacancy left by a justice who stepped down voluntarily. Following the rejection, Lula is now required to nominate a new candidate to the 11-member Supreme Court.

By Tamilla Hasanova