Brazil's Senate rejected Jorge Messias, the president's choice to fill a vacant seat on the country's top court, in a secret ballot held Wednesday. Only 34 senators voted to confirm Messias, falling short of the 41 votes required for approval. Forty-two senators opposed his nomination. The rejection represents a significant political setback for Lula, who is preparing for a reelection campaign in October.
Messias, 46, has served as Brazil's solicitor-general since 2023 and functions as a close legal advisor to the president. Lula nominated him to replace Luís Roberto Barroso, who departed from the court in November. The Supreme Court has operated with only 10 of its 11 seats filled since Barroso's resignation.
The rejection carries historic weight. The last time Brazil's Senate blocked a Supreme Court nominee was in 1894, during the presidency of Floriano Peixoto, Brazil's second-ever president. That rejection also came amid tensions between the executive and legislative branches. The 1894 precedent marks a 132-year gap between rejections of judicial nominees.
Messias initially cleared a Senate commission vote before the full chamber voted against him in a secret ballot. During the confirmation process, other members of the Supreme Court openly campaigned on his behalf. Messias himself attempted to build support among lawmakers of Evangelical faith, a significant political constituency in Brazil's legislature.
Lula now faces the obligation to nominate another candidate to fill Barroso's seat. Any new nominee will undergo the same Senate review process and face another confirmation vote, with no guarantee of approval given the outcome of Messias's rejection.
