Jair Bolsonaro’s shock election victory in 2018 was made possible by his pact with the Social Liberal Party (PSL). But since he took office, the party’s internal politics have become increasingly tumultuous, with Bolsonaro eager to wrest control of key appointments and resources away from PSL godfather Luciano Bivar. This conflict has led Bolsonaro to launch the Alliance for Brazil, but he faces an uphill battle to register it in time for 2020 municipal elections, and he may be underestimating the importance of the PSL’s access to public campaign financing, writes Mark S. Langevin (George Mason University)
