What Folha Thinks

02/19/2014 - 09h34

In times of demonstrations and in an election-year, find out what are main views embraced by Folha:

Since its first edition circulated on February 19, 1921, Folha not only reported on the many transformations lived in Brazil and the world, but it has also been transformed by them. The opinions expressed in editorials today are the result of accumulated experience in these 93 years.

The last decades, in particular, were instrumental in laying the principles on which the opinions of this newspaper are built.

History has shown that the best institutional arrangement known is the one able to preserve freedoms both in politics and in the economy. There is no way, therefore, to relativize democracy or the rule of law.

For the same reasons, it is necessary to encourage the free enterprise and development of a market economy, in Brazil, while recognizing the state's role in correcting imbalances and reducing inequalities.

What Folha Thinks

The support of civil unions for people of the same sex or the decriminalization in drug use, for example, stems from the realization that individual liberties have expanded in contemporary societies in which religion itself became the subject of the private sphere.

Internationally, two world wars and recent conflicts in the Middle East have highlighted the risks of interventionist policies as well as the importance of diplomacy and multilateral mechanisms that help to balance the power of nations.

JURISPRUDENCE

These general principles work as a touchstone for the editorial Folha publishes daily. The Editors of Opinion are in charge, with each new topic, to develop coherent arguments following such guidelines, trying to translate them to a wide audience.

Except when there is a clear change in opinion, the editorial background in itself also serves as a beacon. Opinions already published work as a "jurisprudence" of the newspaper.

The fact that Folha declares its opinion through editorials does not prevent many columnists (from daily collaboration) and writers (sporadic) to express a different position.

Pluralism is one of Folha's main characteristics not only in opinion articles, but also in the news reports - seeking to focus on information from various angles and that are not addressed by the editorial.

URBAN MOBILITY

Chaos at the major urban centers leaves no doubt: priority must be given to public transport, in detriment of individuals. Restrictive measures such as rotation and urban toll are essential, and safe bike lanes need to be built. In addition, it is essential to plan for the city's growth in a more compact form, requiring less displacement.

The subway expansion needs to be faster and buses should run on modern runners with passing lane and payment methods before boarding. As such initiatives require heavy investments and the system is already heavily subsidized, the demand for zero fees, at least for now, it is unrealistic.

HEALTH

The condition is known: lack of doctors in remote areas, lack of hospital beds and huge queues for appointments and tests. We lack resources, but the system will not improve if it does not go through a management reform, including better working conditions. Hospital efficiency, for example, is very low, and poor distribution of funds leaves the country with an insufficient number of family health teams.

The model of social organizations, with proper official supervision, provides gains in agility in services and human resource management. It is needed as well to improve the quality of medicine education. While the country does not have the number of professionals that it requires, the use of foreign doctors is acceptable, although this is only palliative.

DRUGS

Since the 1990s, the paper acknowledges the ineffectiveness of policies that focus on repression and advocates an approach from the viewpoint of public health. Thus, Folha advocates for decriminalization of drug use. As of 2011, considering, for example, that the production and sale of these substances, if taxed and controlled, could generate resources for prevention and treatment, the paper became favorable for a cautious and gradual legalization.

The starting point would be marijuana, with similar limitations and educational campaigns as with alcohol and tobacco. None of this, however, should occur without international coordination. On the domestic front, the initiative must be decided through popular consultation mechanisms, such as plebiscite and referendum.

BOLSA FAMÍLIA

Brazil still needs direct income transfer welfare programs, but they must require consideration from the recipient. The Bolsa Família, for example, is correct when it requires that children from 6 to 15 will be enrolled in school and attend 85% of classes; that pregnant women do prenatal testing; and that children under seven take vaccines and nutritional counseling.

The program, however, fails by offering few exit doors, or opportunities created so that the beneficiaries no longer need to use these programs.

CRACOLÂNDIA

No action will ever succeed if you do not integrate the three power levels, as well as balancing both police repression to traffic and assistance measures to the user. In addition, it is necessary to have a medium-term plan to restore streets and dilapidated buildings

ABORTION

As a general rule, the newspaper understands that the issue should be addressed in the light of public health and the rights of pregnant woman. It considers that the Supreme Court acted well to admit termination of pregnancy of anencephalic fetus, but believes that any expansion of the cases in which abortion is not considered a crime should be subject to a plebiscite or referendum.

Regardless, it is necessary to encourage family planning policies and expand the dissemination of morning-after pills, which would reduce the incidence of abortion statistics.

ECONOMY

Brazil needs more balanced growth to be less vulnerable to external fluctuations and guarantee all Brazilians the benefits of development. Necessary adjustments, even when unpopular, must be made imminently and gradually so that the people are not submitted to shocks.

The business environment must be run by simple and predictable regulations. The following measures (among others) must be adopted:

Reduce public spending as a percentage of GDP

Reduce public debt

Keep inflation low and reduce official target in the mid-term

Progressively reduce and reform taxation, making the system more simple, flexible and fair

Increase public spending on infrastructure

Gear industrial policy towards innovation and technology

Increase public service efficiency

Reform social welfare by increasing the retirement age as the population lives longer

Privatize more public services

Strengthen regulatory agencies

Put an end to fiscal wars between States

SAME-SEX UNIONS

Homosexual and heterosexual civil weddings must be put on a par. Citizens cannot be discriminated against as a result of sexual orientation.

EDUCATION

Improving education is key for the country´s future. The list of shortcomings is extremely long and is not limited to lack of resources. Teacher training is lacking. Attracting talent requires incentives such as higher salaries, career plans and bonuses in line with performance.

Evaluation exams are important tools for establishing goals and guiding necessary programs. A minimal national curriculum which is precise and definitive must be established. Initiatives that fail in practice, as was the case with progressão continuada must be modified as soon as possible.

CULTURE

Public incentives to cultural activities are welcome. Specific policies should focus on schools and education, heritage preservation and stimulating sectors that are not market based. The newspaper is in favour of respecting authors´ rights and strongly against State intervention in cultural affairs, content control and censorship, but agrees with classificação indicativa (a guide to audiovisual content appropriate for family viewing) as well as auto-regulation.

QUOTAS

No position should be reserved on the basis of racial, educational or public service criteria. However experiences based on objective social criteria such as income or school of origin are welcome.

ISRAEL-PALESTINE

In the name of peace, policies promoting confrontation such as Jewish colonies in Palestinian territories or attacks against Israel must be abandoned. A two State solution with shared capital must be sought after, even if difficult. Brazil must fair in the conflict particularly as it has outspoken Arab and Jewish communities.

INTERNET

Edward Snowden´s revelations regarding US spying have spurred discussions among the international community regarding decentralizing internet management. Competition in the digital sphere particularly in the light of obvious monopolies is also required. Domestically, content producers must be paid and the Internet Framework which seeks to regulate rights and obligations in the virtual sphere must be approved as soon as possible.

Some of the most important points are network neutrality (a principle that prevents the operator from altering the quality of the connection to benefit or hinder a certain site) and the regulation on third party posting (sites must only be made responsible if, after a judicial order, the relevant content is not removed).

POLITICS

The newspaper must defend mechanisms that increase citizen transparency and monitoring. Recent high impact examples include the Law on Access to Information and the end of secret voting in Congress.

Regarding the need for reform, pressure continues for improving the political culture which seems more effective than magic proposals. In the past parliamentarism was backed but is no longer on the agenda. Some of the current points are:

Adopting the voto distrital misto (a cross between proportional representation and majority voting) with open lists (a system which exists in Germany whereby the voter makes two choices: for the party as well as an individual candidate, in specific districts)

Performance clause (mechanism that allows TV time and funds to political parties that have significant representation in Congress)

Optional voting

Correcting the distortion between seats in Congress (currently congressmen of smaller states represent fewer voters than those of larger states)

Account transparency in real time on the internet

Establishing a cap in absolute terms for donations from people and companies

PUBLIC SAFETY

The Brazilian police must be better trained and must have improved work conditions as well as salaries. In fulfilling its mission, prevention and intelligence must take precedence over systematic confrontation. Equally, the newspaper understands that a harder line is not necessarily the best answer to crime.

It is against the death penalty and reducing penal majority but considers that adolescent offenders should have increased prison sentences and in the case of adults sentences should depend on the type of crime. Alternative punishments are also desirable. Prison sentences should be reserved for violent criminals or those who make serious threats.

Translated by SIMONE PALMA

Translated by MILLI LEGRAIN

Read the article in the original language