Os donos do Supremo: dinâmica de liderança e protagonismo da Presidência do STF

Marjorie Correa Marona; Felipe Recondo Freire; Mariela Campos Rocha; Lucas Fernandes de Magalhães

doi:10.1590/SciELOPreprints.11245

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Marjorie Correa Marona Federal University of Minas Gerais
Felipe Recondo Freire Getúlio Vargas Foundation https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9868-8263
Mariela Campos Rocha Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8388-0653
Lucas Fernandes de Magalhães Instituto Brasileiro de Mercados de Capitais em Belo Horizonte https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1046-2458

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/SciELOPreprints.11245

Keywords:

Brazilian Supreme Court, Presidency, Institutional Representation, Judicial Branch, Political Leadership

Abstract

This study examines the evolving role of the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) presidency, emphasizing its growing political and institutional influence. The research explores how STF presidents have expanded their role from a primarily ceremonial function to one of significant leadership. The main research question is: how does the STF presidency exercise institutional representation, and what factors shape its role? The study analyzes the official agendas of STF presidents from 2001 to 2021, identifying trends and variations in presidential actions. Findings suggest that both the personal profiles of justices and the broader political context directly impact the presidency’s degree of influence. The study proposes a typology of STF presidencies, categorizing them into ceremonial, negotiating, independent, and leading models. The conclusion highlights that the STF presidency has become a key political player, strategically mediating governance and intergovernmental relations. This institutional transformation reflects the increasing judicialization of politics and the demand for greater transparency and engagement from the judiciary.

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Author Biographies

Marjorie Correa Marona, Federal University of Minas Gerais

Marjorie Corrêa Marona is a Brazilian political scientist and professor in the Department of Political Science at the Faculty of Philosophy and Human Sciences of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (DCP/FAFICH/UFMG). She coordinates the Observatory of Justice in Brazil and Latin America (OJb-AL/UFMG) and is a researcher at the National Institute of Science and Technology for Quality of Government and Public Policies for Sustainable Development (QualiGov). Marona holds a Law degree (2001), a Master's in Philosophy of Law (2004), and a Ph.D. in Political Science from UFMG. She completed postdoctoral studies in Political Science at IESP/UERJ (2019) and in Law at the University of Toronto (2022). Her areas of expertise include theories of justice, judicial institutions, constitutionalism, and democratic theory.

Felipe Recondo Freire, Getúlio Vargas Foundation

Felipe Recondo Freire is a Brazilian journalist who graduated in Social Communication with a specialization in Journalism from the University of Brasília (UnB) in 2002. He is a co-founder of JOTA, a journalism and technology company that provides information solutions and data science on Brazilian public institutions. Before founding JOTA, Felipe worked at the newspapers Folha de S.Paulo and O Estado de S. Paulo, where he covered topics related to the Judiciary and national politics. His career is distinguished by his dedication to journalistic coverage of Brazilian public institutions and his contribution to the debate on the country's judicial system.

Mariela Campos Rocha, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais

Mariela Campos Rocha is a Brazilian political scientist. She serves as a professor in the Graduate Program at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas) and as a researcher at the Center for Studies on Political Behavior (CECOMP) at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). She completed postdoctoral residencies at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation - Minas (FIOCRUZ - MINAS) in 2023 and at the State University of Montes Claros (UNIMONTES) in 2019. Mariela holds a Ph.D. (2018) and a Master's degree (2013) in Political Science from UFMG. She undertook a sandwich doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin in 2017. Additionally, she specialized in Educational Informatics at the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA) in 2004 and earned a bachelor's degree in Social Sciences from the State University of Minas Gerais (UEMG) in 2003.

Lucas Fernandes de Magalhães, Instituto Brasileiro de Mercados de Capitais em Belo Horizonte

Lucas Fernandes de Magalhães is a professor in the International Relations Department at the Brazilian Institute of Capital Markets in Belo Horizonte (Ibmec), where he teaches Public Policy Analysis and coordinates Datapex - Laboratory of Empirical Analysis in Foreign Policy. He holds a Law degree from Escola Superior Dom Helder Câmara and a Master's in Political Science from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), where he also serves as a researcher at the Brazilian Justice Observatory. His research interests include empirical studies on public policies with a focus on causal inference and the role of the Judiciary.