Fachin’s inauguration features gestures of friendship, absence of SP, and defense of the STF

The inauguration of Minister Edson Fachin as president of the STF (Supreme Court), on Monday (29), featured gestures of friendship from the Chamber and the Senate, the absence of the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), and a strong defense of the Court and Brazilian democracy in the speeches of the authorities. Fachin’s ceremony brought together authorities from the Three Powers and governors from different political spectrums, such as the governors of Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado (União), and Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite (PSD). President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), along with several ministers of the current federal administration, such as Finance Minister Fernando Haddad and Planning and Budget Minister Simone Tebet, also attended the ceremony. Governors Romeu Zema (MG) and Cláudio Castro (RJ) were also present. According to CNN, all governors were invited to the event. However, the absence of São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas was notable, despite being in Brasília on the same day. The São Paulo government also did not send a representative to the swearing-in session of the new STF president. Earlier, Tarcísio visited former President Jair Bolsonaro. At the swearing-in event, a gesture between the President of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), and the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), was symbolic. The two posed for photos holding hands, signaling a dampening of rumors of discord between the two parliamentarians and the two Houses, amid the Senate’s shelving of the PEC da Blindagem. During the ceremony, acts by the Supreme Court ministers were also prominent. The first was a speech by Minister Cármen Lúcia, chosen by the members to represent the Court due to her female representation, who made a strong appeal in defense of the Court and democracy. Cármen Lúcia stated that the STF remains ‘intact’ and ‘plural.’ According to her, ‘democracy and democrats must always be alert and vigilant.’ In his address, Edson Fachin was also emphatic in defending democracy, the separation between political matters and justice, and his projects for the Supreme Court. ‘Our expectation is simple: even in dissent and conflict, to coexist without abandoning peace. It is democracy that materializes this ideal; nevertheless, it is institutionalism and justice that make it possible,’ he said in one passage of his speech. The minister also stated that judicial independence is not a privilege but a condition. ‘A submissive judiciary, to anyone, even populism, loses its credibility. Jurisdictional provision is not a show. It requires restraint,’ he said. ‘Every Brazilian judge is a constitutional magistrate and dresses independently in the toga of the inter-American human and fundamental rights system,’ he added. The ceremony also featured speeches by other authorities. Attorney General Paulo Gonet praised Fachin and Moraes. Gonet said the partnership between Moraes and Fachin was successful at the TSE (Superior Electoral Tribunal), where they had previously worked together. For the Attorney General, the harmony between the two magistrates is a ‘pledge of assurance that the vigorous and technical defense of the country’s constitutional values is guaranteed.’ Meanwhile, the President of the Brazilian Bar Association, Beto Simonetti, argued that democracy is ‘non-negotiable’ and that it is ‘urgent to reaffirm the country’s legal sovereignty.’ According to Simonetti, a country’s sovereignty is measured by the strength of its institutions. ‘And no institution is strong if democracy is at risk. There is no sovereignty without democracy,’ he concluded. Edson Fachin and Alexandre de Moraes will serve as president and vice president, respectively, of the STF and the CNJ (National Council of Justice) during the 2025-2027 term.