• Repercussion of the announcement of the tax framework prompted an economy debate which surpassed the security debate;
• Partisan actors set the opinionated tone of the discussion, with no particular criticism. The right-wing opposition discredited and distrusted the proposal, while sectors of the left and center-left labeled it “neoliberal” and “suffocating”.
• Among the ministers, Flávio Dino has remained a highlight since the beginning of the government. The minister’s participation in the Constitution and Justice Commission at the Chamber of Deputies earned him praise for his combative stance.

The presentation of Fernando Haddad’s proposal for a tax framework prompted a debate about the economy, which shared the spotlight with security agendas in the analyzed period. With positive media coverage, praise from government supporters and partisan criticism, the reception was marked by unspecific assessments by opponents on the right and criticism from the left and center-left. Those are the findings of a survey by the School of Communication at FGV, which analyzed the repercussion of the topic from March 25 to 30 on Twitter.
The discussion was centered mostly on politically positioned actors, who adopted critical perspectives about the proposal. On the right, there was a predominance of unspecific criticism marked by a generalized distrust regarding the government’s direction and the fulfillment of the announced goals, with occasional publication of negative evaluations by economists. The criticism also reverberated among the progressive field, as actors on the left and center-left considered the proposal to focus on fiscal austerity and of neoliberal orientation. Congressional representatives from both political fields stood out with negative assessments based on the main arguments.

Twitter

Evolution of topics related to the Lula administration on Twitter
Period: March 25 to 30

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: School of Communication, Media and Information at FGV

• The debates on security and the economy stood out in the period. Regarding security, the highlights were the continued negative repercussions of Lula’s statements about Senator Sergio Moro (UNIÃO-PR) and the Federal Police’s operation to investigate the attack planned by the PCC. In this context, the debate was led by critics of the government;
• On March 30, mentions to the announcement of the tax framework increased the debate about the economy. The event caused the economy topic to consolidate a trend of increase and surpass the debate on security;
• News covering the announcement of the economic proposal to the leaders of the National Congress and in an open press conference avoided strong opinions, but were inclined to create a potentially favorable perception;
• In turn, the repercussion in the political fields was marked by distrust among right-wing critics, who based their negative assessment on the low expectations regarding the achievement of goals, with occasional specialized criticism regarding the proposal. There were also mentions to low stock exchange scores;
• Among progressives, the positive reception of users more aligned with the government was counteracted by the criticism from the left and center-left, which indicated “neoliberal” and “suffocating” components in the framework. The critical highlights among the progressive field included tweets from figures such as congressman Glauber Rocha (PSOL-RJ) and influencer Jones Manoel. Users identified as supporters of Ciro Gomes also reinforced the criticism, as well as the PDT-SP congressman Antonio Neto;
• Still regarding the economy debate, topics related to the criticism made by government supporters against the Central Bank continue to reverberate. Previous statements by Minister Fernando Haddad on the tax framework, as well as speculation about the possibility of taxation on products imported from China, continued to circulate on the platform.

Evolution of Lula’s ministers on Twitter
Period: March 25 to 30

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: School of Communication, Media and Information at FGV

• In line with the trend seen since the beginning of the year, the Minister Flávio Dino continued to dominate the general discussion about the ministers of the Lula administration. During the analysis period, the minister was often the target of criticism from the opposition due to the testimony he gave to the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Commission (CCJ) of the Chamber of Deputies;
• At the time, Dino had been summoned to clarify the government’s new decrees on weapons, his visit to Complexo da Maré, and the fight against the January 8 protests. The clash between the minister and opposition representatives generated high visibility for him, including criticism and accusations that he had “mocked” opponents, as well as praise for his alleged combative posture, pointed out by government supporters;
• Fernando Haddad was the second most mentioned minister of the period. This was mostly due to the discussion on the tax framework. The minister’s announcement prompted different political fields, with a predominance of criticism of the economic measure. Both in the right-wing opposition and in the non-government progressive field composed of the left and center-left, the announcement was met with distrust and insecurity;
• There was also the widespread opinion that the return of former president Bolsonaro to the country had lost relevance on the networks, and even in the media in general, due to the spotlight being on Fernando Haddad;
• Statements made by the Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin on tax reform in the country, which he is in favor of, prompted mentions to the politician, especially in traditional media profiles. In turn, Simone Tebet was mentioned frequently due to her participation in the announcement of the tax framework together with Haddad, even though he concentrated the repercussions resulting from the event.

Key terms related to the tax framework on Twitter
Period: March 25 until March 31 at 4pm

Source: Twitter | Elaborated by: School of Communication, Media and Information at FGV

• The measure was viewed with distrust and insecurity by various political fields. The opposition aligned with former president Jair Bolsonaro, as well as the non-government progressive camp composed of the left and center-left, criticized the tax framework announced by Fernando Haddad with different tones. Representatives from these different ideological fields had a high reach in expressing their opinions regarding the government measure;
• On the opposition side, congressman Marcel van Hattem (NOVO-RS) stood out, classifying the action as “another lie by the PT”. He also stated that he will work together with his political group to block the advance of the measure, which, in his perspective, could bring more debt, taxes and expenses for the people and the government;
• On the left, Glauber Braga (PSOL-RJ) compared the tax framework to the criticized spending cap proposed in 2016 by former President Michel Temer. Although he considered Haddad’s announcement “not as bad” as Temer’s measure, Braga stated that social rights would remain subject to the will of the “market”;
• On the center-left, Antonio Neto, president of the PDT-SP, considered the proposal with more moderation. He stated that he would wait for more information before issuing his opinion on the measure, but was categorical in stating that Lula was not chosen by his voters to “make rules for investment in health and education”;
• The measure was seen positively within the government support group, although with a lower reach. For instance, there were comments stating that the proposal is “sensible” and “feasible”, since it would enable the reduction of interest rates, the resumption of investments and improvements in terms of income and employability. On the other hand, the repercussion of Haddad’s announcement in the traditional media also had a relevant impact on the discussion, but with a less opinionated tone.