The Council of the Republic () is the superior consultative body to the President of Brazil, established for consultations regarding exceptional constitutional provisions and for matters relevant to the stability of democratic institutions. The Constitution establishes that the body must issue an opinion in cases of federal intervention, a state of defense, and a state of siege.
Operation The Council of the Republic was initially provided for in article 89 of the Constitution and organized by federal law in 1990.
According to the law, the President of the Republic is responsible for convening the Council in the case of federal intervention, state of defence, state of siege and also on relevant issues relevant to the stability of democratic institutions. As an consultative body, the President is not obligated to put in practice the measures from the council's advice.
Membership The Council of the Republic consists of the President, the Vice President, the Minister of Justice and members of the National Congress who serve ex officio. There are also six members selected two each by the President, the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies among any brazilian citizens by birth who are over 35 years old.
The selected members are referred as Councilors of the Republic (), they and their substitutes serve a non-renewable three-year term. As of September 2026, the terms of office of all Councilors of the Republic had expired.
Current members OrderOfficePortraitIncumbentTaking office1President of the RepublicLuiz Inácio Lula da SilvaLula previously served as President of the Republic from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2010.1 January 20232Vice President of the RepublicGeraldo Alckmin1 January 20233President of the Chamber of DeputiesFederal Deputy Hugo Motta1 February 20254President of the Federal SenateSenator Davi AlcolumbreSenator Davi Alcolumbre previously served as President of the Federal Senate from 2 February 2019 to 1 February 2021.1 February 20255Minister of State of Justice and Public SecurityWellington César Lima e Silva15 January 20266Leader of the Majority in the Chamber of DeputiesFederal Deputy Silvio Costa Filho 25 June 20267Leader of the Majority in the Federal SenateSenator Veneziano Vital do Rêgo19 February 20258Leader of the Minority in the Chamber of DeputiesFederal Deputy Gustavo Gayer 19 December 20259Leader of the Minority in the Federal SenateSenator Ciro Nogueira 5 February 202510Appointed by the PresidentAugusto Heleno19 February 2021It is uncertain whether he remains on the Council, given that his term has ended.11Paulo Skaf19 February 202112Substitute: Augusto RosaElected by the Chamber of DeputiesJosé Carlos Aleluia14 March 201813Substitute: Marcello LavenèreEugênio AragãoEugênio Aragão previously served as Minister of State of Justice from 14 March to 12 May 2016.14 March 201814Substitute: Marcus Vinicius Furtado CoêlhoElected by the Federal SenateDavi AlcolumbreAs Senator Davi Alcolumbre is the current President of the Federal Senate, it is uncertain whether he remains in the position of Councilor.30 August 202215Substitute: Robson Braga de AndradeGilberto Kassab30 August 2022
Council meetings Since 1990, the Council of the Republic only met twice, both meetings occurred in 2018 as joint sessions with the National Defence Council, during the presidency of Michel Temer. In February, for the a posteriori advice on the Rio de Janeiro public security federal intervention. In December, this time a priori, to give advice on the Roraima public security federal intervention.
In two previous situations, however, the Council almost convened:
The first was in 2005, when the Order of Attorneys of Brazil formally asked to the Presidency, then held by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), to summon the Council to deal with the political crisis created by the Mensalão scandal. According to the entity, the crisis would threaten the country's democratic institutions, one of the situations foreseen for its summoning; The second was in 2010, when then Governor of the Federal District, José Roberto Arruda (PR), was arrested accused of obstructing the Federal Police investigations of the Mensalão scandal in the Federal District, which investigated corruption cases in the federal unit. Due to the political destabilization in the district, which had five different governors in the period of 12 months, the Prosecutor General of the Republic requested a federal intervention in the Federal District, other case foreseen in the Council's attributions.
2021 meeting announcement On 7 September 2021, during manifestations in his favor in Brasília, São Paulo and other capitals, president Jair Bolsonaro announced he would convene the Council on the following day, for the purpose of "show the people's picture in the acts".
Bolsonaro gave a speech in Brasília in the beginning of the afternoon and then headed to São Paulo, where he also gave a speech. The mention to the meeting of the Council of the Republic happened during the speech in the federal capital. Bolsonaro said he would invite the president of the Supreme Federal Court, Luiz Fux, besides the justice is not member of the Council.
In response, the Presidents of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, and the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira, reported they hadn't receive any formal invitation by the Presidency of the Republic. The President of the Supreme Court, Luiz Fux, said he would not be present, once he's not a member of the Council.
On the other hand, Vice President Hamilton Mourão said Bolsonaro was wrong when mentioning the meeting.
2023 Federal intervention in the Federal District
In 2023, President Lula decreed federal intervention in the Federal District to put an end to a serious disruption of public order amidst the 8 January Brasília attacks. However, the Council of the Republic was not convened at the time.
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