Brazil will assume the presidency of the Mercosul Parliament for the first time, starting from this Saturday (28). During a meeting held in the Argentinean city of Tucumán, deputy Dr. Rosinha, who was the Brazilian vice-president in the Parliament, will start heading the institution. During the next six months, it will be his duty to conduct the invigoration of the parliamentary body, which intends to represent the civil societies from the member states of the bloc – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – in the debates regarding regional integration.
In Dr. Rosinha’s opinion, organized civil society is starting to notice the existence of the new parliament. He lists businessmen and researchers from universities as the most interested in the topic. “These sectors have already noticed the importance of the bloc, while the rest of the people, in general, have not” admits the deputy.
During the first phase of the process to create the institution, each of the four member states was represented by 18 parliamentarians appointed by the local National Congresses – nine from Venezuela, country that is in process of joining Mercosul, and has the right to voice its opinions at the Parliament, but not to vote. Until 2010, all countries must directly elect its representatives, completing another step of the transition process. But how many representatives there will be? That is the most important question that should be solved until the end of the year, according to Dr. Rosinha.
The criteria to define the number of parliamentarians to be elected in each country is directly related to the budget of the institution, located in Montevideo, says Dr. Rosinha. He also believes that, by the time all elected deputies start their mandate, in 2011, the Mercosul Parliament will be on its way to consolidation.
Next comes an interview with the new president of the Mercosul Parliament:
Agência Senado – This is the first time Brazil will preside the Mercosul Parliament, after three member states did so. What are the priorities of your mandate?
Dr. Rosinha – The protocol that created the Parliament present us with two issues: the Parliament must represent the people residing in Mercosul and should also create a Mercosul citizenship. Due to these issues, representation and citizenship, we must have the adequate number of parliamentarians to make people feel they are being represented. During this six months mandate, my goal is to establish an adequate proportion to that representation. Currently, Brazil is underrepresented, while Paraguay and Chile are overrepresented, if we consider population size. So I am looking forward to solving this issue.
Agência Senado – Will this definition happen until the end of the year?
Dr. Rosinha – It should happen until the end of the year, because Argentina should also have more than 18 representatives, and they will run elections in the second semester of 2009, giving them little time to work on that bill. We will have elections in 2010 and we should also create our bill, as established by the Constitution, one year in advance.
Agência Senado – Are the other countries from the bloc open to these changes?
Dr. Rosinha – There was great resistance, especially from Paraguay, by the time we discussed the protocol. Now Paraguay is adopting a new posture, a new political position. I hope that very soon we will hold new talks with them, to study this new representation proposition. Argentina is favorable, because they will have more seats. In preliminary talks with Uruguayan leaders, they are not opposed to changes in Mercosul’s system of representation.
Agência Senado – And what proposal is being considered?
Dr. Rosinha – The bill I presented, that is currently under consideration, sets 75 seats to Brazil, keeping 18 for Paraguay and Uruguay, and 32 to Argentina. Venezuela, as soon as that country joins the bloc, would have 31. And I propose a revision of this system every time a new member joins Mercosul.
Agência Senado – How will the elections of Brazilian deputies to the Mercosul Parliament work?
Dr. Rosinha – That depends on the representation system we will have. There are still lots of question marks. If we keep having 18 seats, I see no other option than national elections with party lists. Because, in that scenario, it would be impossible to have individual voting. If we move to 75 seats, new possibilities will unveil. It could be a national or a regional election. In an election made in a state level, few states would have more than two deputies, and 13 states would have only one representative – which means, in reality, a majority election, and not a proportional one. We must choose, in my opinion, for a regional election. In that case, we would have to build new electoral circumscriptions, because what we have today are only town and state circumscriptions.
Agência Senado – Do you prefer the regional list system?
Dr. Rosinha – I think it would give the deputy more responsibility, as well as more authority to represent the region that elected him. Then comes another question: lists or individual voting in each region? Again, I think the list is more appropriate, because it forces you to find a way to represent all states of that region in the list.
Agência Senado- What is your view on the performance of Mercosul Parliament so far?
Dr. Rosinha – We are facing many challenges to make that parliament work, because we are still national parliamentarians. Most of this challenge is related to time and work. There is also the cultural issue, because each member will likely defend his country, not the region. This will only be solved with direct elections and the forging of political families. There is political will from everyone, and Brazilian deputies are attending every session. There is the will for integration, and these challenges are intrinsic to the forming of a parliament.
Agência Senado – The fact that the parliament is summoned only twice a month does not affect the works of that House?
Dr. Rosinha – It raises difficulties given the short time we have, and there is already an overload of work, coming mostly from the committees. There is also a lack of understanding, let’s put it that way, from the boards of national parliaments in general, and I’m not talking of Brazil, about the role of the Mercosul Parliament. At least this will be a short phase, only four years.
Agência Senado – Is Brazilian society starting to notice the existence of the Mercosul Parliament?
Dr. Rosinha – I think organized civil society, people that debate national and even international politics, and companies that have business in Mercosul, they have already noticed the existence of the parliament. Universities have too, there is great demand from them, with a great deal of doctorate and master’ thesis. These sectors are already aware, but people in general are not.
Agência Senado – But it will be the people who will elect Mercosul’s parliaments.
Dr. Rosinha – This is why I support the idea of granting free time on television for campaign advertising, as (it happens) in national elections.
Agência Senado – Is the relation with governments going well?
Dr. Rosinha – In Brazil’s case, yes, I would say so. Collaboration has been positive, and the debate will only grow from now on.
Agência Senado – The act that created the Union of South American Nations (Unasul) establishes a new regional parliament in Cochabamba, Bolivia. How would these two parliaments relate to each other?
Dr. Rosinha – First we have to look at the big picture. We have always discussed the union of Latin America. But left-wing winds have not reached Latin America as a whole, only South America. And this scenario favors the integration of South America. At the same time, there are two blocs in South America: the Andean Community and Mercosul. These two blocs must meet eventually, to make the integration. I think Unasul is a step in that direction. This institution, defined as parliamentary space, will not be a parliament, immediately. In case it is built, it would be located in Cochabamba. There is no rush, this possibility was considered, just as the Assuncion Treaty and the Ouro Preto Protocol paved the way for the Mercosul Parliament. During my mandate, we will make a plenary meeting between the Andean and the Mercosul Parliaments to debate this issue, in Montevideo. There is an agreement to promote two annual meetings between the parliaments.
Agência Senado – What are the next steps to strengthen the Mercosul Parliament?
Dr. Rosinha – As soon as we define this issue of representation, we will also set a budget. Then Mercosul Parliament will have more independence. Its current budget is of US$ 1 million. It is not expensive. But, starting from 2011, with all the elected deputies, there will be more independence.