Brazil's presidential hopeful faces record backlog of key institutional appointments

Brazil's next leader will inherit a historic shortage of appointments to the Supreme Court, the central bank and major economic regulators, creating a potential power imbalance. The vacancy surge reflects a Congress that increasingly uses confirmation votes to extract political concessions, curbing the president's traditional appointment authority. Senate President Davi Alcolumbre has maintained a practice of holding nominations pending his approval, and many of Lula's candidates remain unsubmitted.

Key posts, such as two central bank board seats and a Supreme Court seat, have been vacant for months, the longest since the 1980s. Experts warn that concentrating appointments in a single administration could politicize bodies meant to stay neutral. With congressional control expanding, the election outcome will determine not only who governs but also how much leeway the president will have to fill these critical roles.