The debate for mayor of São Paulo: The tale of a thrown chair and its effects on the media
2024 has been a very important year in the political world; with elections occurring in most countries, positions of power are quickly being changed, some more impactful than others. For example, the Labour Party took power in the United Kingdom for the first time in fourteen years. Many countries are having some form of election this year. However, Western country elections have overshadowed the Brazilian municipal elections and the elections for the mayor of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Like most other elections, the election for mayor has had its fair share of debates. If there has been something specific about one of the debates for mayor of São Paulo, it is that it was received as an absolute joke. With ten candidates, each with differing opinions on the political spectrum, various debates for city mayor have occurred. One in particular caught the attention of most of the Brazilian nation for a very understandable reason – a chair was thrown on a candidate from another candidate.
Background information on Brazilian politics before reading
Brazil is a multiparty, federal presidential constitutional republic established on representative democracy. The Brazilian Government has a strict separation of powers (the three branches are independent) and uses proportional representation. If a candidate is not elected with 50%+, a second election occurs with the two most-voted candidates.
Who are the candidates?
Altino Prazeres:
A candidate for the PSTU (Partido Socialista dos Trabalhadores Unificados – United Socialist Workers’ Party) Prazeres is 57 years old. He works as a subway operator for the city. He claims that he wants to be mayor as together with his party, they are the only political group that can defend an alternative for the working class against capitalist exploration.
Bebetto Haddad:
A candidate for the DC party (Democracia Cristã, Christian Democracy) Haddad was voted out of the election by the electoral justice, as he did not pay a electoral fine. He can still attempt to run for mayor, but is not one of the major candidates. Haddad was the state deputy of São Paulo from 1991-1995.
Guilherme Boulous:
A candidate for the PSOL party (Partido Socialismo e Liberdade – Socialism and Liberty Party) Boulos is 42 , and is a professor. He studied Philosophy, and obtained a Masters in Psychiatry from USP (University of Sāo Paulo). He is a renowned activist, and the ex leader of the Homeless Workers Movement.
João Pimenta:
A candidate for the PCO party (Partido da Causa Operaria – Workers Cause Party), Pimenta is 27, and currently works as a journalist. He is the youngest candidate, and his father is the president of the party which he represents
João Luiz Datena:
A candidate for the PSDB party (Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira – Brazilian Social Democracy Party) Datena is 67, and is currently a journalist. Datena has tried out for previous jobs in Senate and government, however failed.
Maria Helena:
A candidate for the Novo party (New Party) Helena is 43, and is currently an economist. She was also the ex-secretary of privatization under ex-president Jair Bolsonaro’s government.
Pablo Marçal:
A candidate for PRBT party (Partido Renovador Trabalhista Brasileiro – Brazilian Labour Renewal Party), Marçal is 37, and is an ex “coach”. Known for his extremist views and opinions, Marçal is a growing figure in Brazilian Right Wing politics.
Ricardo Nunes:
A candidate for the MDB party (Movimento Democrático Brasileiro – Brazilian Democratic Movement), Nunes is 56, and is currently the mayor of São Paulo. Nunes is running for re-election.
Ricardo Senese:
A candidate for the UP party (Unidade Popular – Popular unit), Senese is 37, and is an operator for the São Paulo Subway. He was one of the leaders of the 2014 Subway Strike.
Tabata Amaral:
A candidate for the PSB party (Partido Socialista Brasileiro – Brazilian Socialist Party) Amaral is 30, and a federal deputy. Known for her humble background, coming from the favelas, Amaral is a Harvard graduate, who often advocates for education.
Mayoral Debates – What was the chair-throwing scandal?
Political debates are one of the most loved parts of an election. They are crucial for allowing people to further their understanding of candidates and their plans.
One of the debates for mayor of São Paulo was organized by the Brazilian TV channel Cultura, and the participating candidates were Tabata Amaral, Pablo Marçal, Maria Helena, Guilherme Boulos, Ricardo Nunes, and João Luiz Datena. The debate went on as does any political debate until the fourth block, where candidate Pablo Marçal decided to resurface accusations of sexual assault against Datena. Marçal then reminds Datena of a previous debate in which he almost slapped him. After reminding him, he proceeded to say: “ You’re a jerk. You came across the debate these days to slap me and said you wish you had. You’re not even manly enough to do that” (translated phrase), after which Datena threw a chair at Marçal.
The Thrown Chair’s impact on the society
The thrown chair became a national meme within minutes. People of all ages were joking about it in their own ways. Whether it was sixty-year-olds making fun of it on Facebook or teenagers making edits to songs such as Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey, everybody found a way to joke about it, especially on social media. People from all over the nation proceeded to mention it for weeks. I had family members of all ages, even those not into politics, come up to me and joke about it. This serves as a reminder of how serious moments can remind us of our humanity and how light-hearted we can be, even in a nation in which politics are so conflicted, like Brazil. While what happened to Marçal was not lighthearted, the act of what happened to him brought so many people together and became the dinner table joke in countless households across the country. And even once Marçal was in recovery, people joked about how dramatic he is, as he brought to Social Media to share exactly how he was, further proving how people used this election (like many others) as an opportunity to joke around and unite people.
Conclusion + Electoral Updates
In the long run, neither Marçal nor Datena made it to the second round of the election, which is currently between Nunes and Boulos. While the main reason they did not make it was due to a lack of votes, maybe the debate did have some form of influence on people when voting.
As all of these world elections slowly come to an end, it is important to remember that regardless of who we support, and what end of the political spectrum we are on, we are all still people. And moments like these are ones which truly bring divided societies together.