Analysis: Dilma Rousseff Attempts to Respond to Crisis

01/02/2015 - 09h38

Dilma Rousseff's inaugural speech at the start of her new term has revealed a war ready president with an assertive approach that mixes defense of the most exposed sections of her government.

In a nutshell, she has tried to provide a response to the crisis brought on by the electoral campaign: the ongoing Petrobras shambles, the deterioration of the economy and the nervousness of her political base.

Emotion was set aside in comparison to the speech made to Congress four years ago, when Ms Rousseff cried three times and made references to her family and her femininity.

Now, with the exception of a brief pause to remember the time when she was a political prisoner, her hardness set the tone and there were no visible tears.

Following a self-congratulatory listing of what she considers feats of her mandate and with virtually no references to prior governments, Ms Rousseff followed the guidelines laid out by former president Lula da Silva to mobilize her troops as she called the "Workers' Party militants and allies" to back the "changes".

The long chapter dedicated to Petrobras and the already announced proposals against corruption revealed a president who is concerned with the risks that a crisis in the biggest Brazilian company implies.

As she strongly defended the current regime of pre-salt exploration that gives broad powers to the state company, and, as she spoke about "external enemies" Ms Rousseff tried to deviate the focus of the crisis on the management of Petrobras - a sort of smoke and mirrors strategy that cannot usually live up to the reality of investigations, such as the Car Wash operation.

The economy, another pivotal theme, was toasted with the promise of an "adjustment without sacrifices", which seems difficult to envisage.

In the same week that she promoted a package that estimates savings of US$ 9 bi p.a. in social security and labor benefits, Ms Rousseff reiterated that she will not interfere with these rights - without making references to the infamous possibility that pigs might fly.

Four years ago, Ms Rousseff had promised to end extreme poverty. With distorted data at hand, she announced on Thursday (1) that she had reached the target - something that is imperceptible to those who drive along avenue W3, a few kilometers from Alvorada Palace.

There was plenty of generalizations, standard to this type of speech. The similarities and the generalizations were startling as Ms Rousseff spoke about external relations: even the order of priorities followed the same checklist of 2011, with diplomatic greetings to the rich after listing the importance of the poor.

With a change in the management of Itamaraty, it is still up in the air what course will be taken.

The rest consists of usual political ironies, like the creation of a government slogan involving education at a time when the same ministry was allotted to a political ally who does not share any common ground with this issue.

Translated by CRISTIANE COSTA LIMA

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