The expensive party in the Brazilian clouds

The Court of Audit is sounding the alarm regarding privileges, private planes, and a persistent political culture.

If there is one thing that still leaves me speechless after almost 26 years in Brazil, it is the shockingly high amounts from the treasury spent on maintaining the political class, the three branches of power, and all the institutes supposed to perform essential work for the benefit of the people. Meanwhile, that population looks on with a deep sigh at the rapid rise of the “impostômetro”, which keeps spinning relentlessly with countless digits after the decimal point.

But make no mistake, there are institutes that do perform well. The Receita Federal (tax authority) is one of them; the lion grins with satisfaction, and the number of citizens who can still escape those all-seeing eyes is decreasing rapidly. Another relatively well-functioning institute is the TCU, the Tribunal de Contas da União. This Court of Audit recently came to a painful conclusion showing that the line between state interest and personal luxury has been completely lost.

Hope and psychology

It is a human trait to place hope in leaders who promise change, but history shows that this hope is often met with disappointment. Scientists who study the motives of politicians find that this is no coincidence. There is a clear distinction between people who enter politics to mean something to society and those attracted by status and power. Studies show that the political system often acts as a magnet for personalities with a strong need for recognition and narcissistic traits. For them, winning elections is an end in itself, where promises to the voter are merely a means to obtain the keys to privileges. In an environment where control is lacking, this “negative selection” is given free rein, and the public interest quickly fades into the background.

This phenomenon is certainly not limited to one continent, although the way it manifests itself differs. In the United States, for example, one sees how politicians effortlessly transition to lucrative lobbying roles after their careers, a system that has become almost normalized there. In Great Britain and Western Europe, the emphasis is often on subtler privileges or assigning positions within party structures. Yet there is a sharp contrast with countries like Norway or Sweden. There, sobriety is the norm, and it is not uncommon to see a minister cycling to work or standing in line for the regular public bus. Politicians there are considered citizens with a temporary task, without a royal treatment attached to it.

The Brazilian reality

In Brazil, however, the political top often seems to behave like a modern nobility entitled to privileges that are out of reach for the common man. While in Europe the misuse of public funds more often leads to political sanctions or public shame, a culture prevails here in which certain perks are considered a vested right. A very tangible example of this is the use of the FAB, the Força Aérea Brasileira. In practice, part of the air force fleet has grown into an exclusive transport service for the top in Brasília. It is a world in which ministers and high-ranking officials step into a military aircraft as a matter of course for trips that could often have been perfectly fine with a regular commercial flight. It is a symbol of an elite that literally raises itself above the people.

That this practice is getting out of hand is now confirmed by the investigation of the TCU. The report is a sober list of what they call the “farra das passagens”: an excessive party of flights at the expense of the taxpayer. Between January 2020 and July 2024, these flights cost the state treasury approximately 285 million reais. The analysis showed that FAB flights were up to 6.4 times more expensive than a ticket with commercial airlines. In just seven months, the use of regular flights would have yielded a saving of 36.1 million reais.

The figures do not lie: the average occupancy rate was only 55%. Numerous flights were registered where an entire plane was used for only one passenger, often without any urgent reason. The court determined that the Casa Civil, the Ministry of Defense, and the Air Force must submit a plan within 30 days for a revision of these rules.

Reactions from society

The news provoked—as always—a good number of reactions. I chose some random comments that reflect the general tone well:

“Articles about useless government spending are positive. Corruption is the greatest shame, but the waste of public money on things like private planes for officials contributes just as much to the budget deficit. If citizens are not allowed to spend more than they earn, this should not apply to the state either.”

Another citizen put it even more sharply:

“This is a slap in the face of the taxpayer. This would not happen if there were respect for public property, instead of behaving like an Arabian sheik. But as soon as criticism arises, some arrogant official calls out: ‘Do you even know who you are talking to?’ Brazil is not for amateurs...”

It remains to be seen what reaction the government and the air force will give to this. The bitter side note is that those who have to pass judgment on this are often exactly the people who use these elite services themselves.

Meanwhile

While this report is causing a stir, the president flew to Barcelona, accompanied by 15 ministers—the largest entourage of his current term so far—for a meeting with other leaders. After that, he travels on to Hannover and Lisbon. First lady Janja left earlier, which has since led to a stream of memes on social media. The program is ambitious, with discussions on defense, minerals, and the Mercosur-EU agreement.

Naturally, such costly journeys are accompanied by good intentions. However, reports such as the intervention of the Court of Audit on the behavior of politicians are enough to harvest a new influx of criticism. And that is, especially in the period leading up to the elections, not exactly welcome for the power in office.

Photo: FAB Reproduction

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