• Government proposal to reduce the ICMS (the State Goods and Services Tax) to zero and posts about the increase in hunger prompted discussions in the topic of economy;
• The case of the missing indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and English journalist Dom Phillips put a lot of pressure on the government;
• After approval of the exhaustive role for the ANS (the National Health Agency) by the Supreme Court, opposition profiles sought to associate Bolsonaro with the debate, recalling a provisional presidential decree and Laws sanctioned by the president in 2021 and 2022;
• Bolsonaro’s “lazy” moniker, which was previously used only by the left, spread into the networks at large and became one of the major topics in the debate about the elections;
• The center-right intensified its criticism of Lula with the leak of a preview of his government plan against corruption and the association between voting for him and defending democracy.

The economy remained the major topic in the election debate, with more than 583,000 mentions on Twitter between June 3 and 9. The survey carried out by the Department of Public Policy Analysis at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV DAPP), which sought to identify the main topics associated with the electoral debate, showed a large peak of mentions on June 7, the date of the announcement of price control measures for fuels. Another highlight in the topic of economy were mentions to the number of people who struggle with hunger in Brazil today.

President Jair Bolsonaro was among the major names mentioned in the electoral debate, with emphasis on critical mentions associated with his “lazy” moniker. The disappearance of English journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira was also a highlight in the electoral debate, especially in criticism of the government’s alleged omission in the searches. President Lula, on the other hand, was targeted by center-right profiles, who criticized the association between voting for PT and defending democracy.

Evolution of topic in the electoral debate on Twitter
Period: June 3 to 9

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: FGV DAPP

• President Jair Bolsonaro’s proposal to reduce the ICMS to zero in order to decrease the value of fuels prompted the economic debate during the week. His opponents questioned how much the proposal will really affect the price of gasoline and said the measure is for electoral purposes only. Supporters of the president also spoke about the economy, praising the government’s performance in the sector;
• The virtual mobilization against a decree related to Federal Police and Federal Highway Police public tenders was a highlight in the debate about security. Suspicions of ballot fraud if President Bolsonaro is not reelected also mobilized some users, who asked the Armed Forces to act in the electoral process;
• In Environment, the president’s statement saying that “anything can happen” with the journalist and indigenous expert who disappeared in the Amazon had a negative impact on users. Bolsonaro was accused of being silent regarding the disappearance and of dismantling the Funai during his government.

Cloud of topics in the electoral debate on Twitter
Period: June 3 to 9

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: FGV DAPP

• Mentions to President Jair Bolsonaro were at the center of the election debate this week. Among the most retweeted publications, the highlights were mentions to the provisional presidential decree 1.067/21, sanctioned by the president, which defined the ANS role as exhaustive; posts about the meeting between Bolsonaro and Biden; and comments on the price control measures announced by the federal government;
• The president was also called “lazy” by opposing profiles, who criticized the lack of activities in his official schedule, his constant presence in celebratory events on weekdays, and his vacation periods shown on social networks;
• With a statement made by TV presenter Tiago Leifert about annulling his vote in the event of a dispute between Lula and Bolsonaro, center-right profiles intensified their criticism of the PT, criticizing the relationship between voting for Lula and defending democracy. Former judge Sergio Moro also criticized the former president, mocking his plan to fight corruption;
• The Supreme Court decision to maintain the suspension of the mandate of congressman Fernando Francischini (UNIÃO-PR) prompted mentions to “fake news”;
• Economic issues were also in evidence during the period, with emphasis on the phrase “33 million people”, which refers to the number of people who are currently experiencing hunger in Brazil. The term “millions of reais” was used in posts that criticized the dismantling of the program “Alimenta Brasil” and in tweets that recalled the amount of 6 million paid for the mansion of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro;
• The disappearance of the indigenist Bruno Pereira and the journalist Dom Phillips reached a high volume of interactions in the electoral debate, placing it among the most used terms in the period.