List of political parties in Brazil

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Above the broad range of political parties in Brazilian Parliament since there is no election threshold, the Workers' Party (PT), the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) and the Democrats (DEM) together control the absolute majority of seats in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies,[1] and effectively have dominated Brazilian political landscape since the return of democracy in 1985. Smaller parties often make alliances with at least one of these four major parties.

Since 1982 Brazilian political parties have been given an electoral number to make it easier for illiterate people to vote. Initially, it was a one-digit number: 1 for PDS, 2 for PDT, 3 for PT, 4 for PTB, and 5 for PMDB. When it became clear that there was going to be more than nine parties, two-digit numbers were assigned, with the first five parties having a "1" added to their former one-digit number (PDS becoming number 11, PDT 12, PT 13, PTB 14, and PMDB 15). Often political parties change their names but retain their number.

Summary of parliamentary Parties

In the Federal Senate

As of November 2012 [2]

In the Chamber of Deputies

As of November 9, 2012 [3]

Current parties

Party name (Portuguese) Party name (English) Abbrev. TSE number Registration date Number of members Ideology Position
Partido do Movimento Democrático Brasileiro Brazilian Democratic Movement Party PMDB 15 June 30, 1981 2,354,388 Centrism, Populism, Syncretic politics Centre
Partido dos Trabalhadores Workers' Party PT 13 February 11, 1982 1,549,261 Social democracy, Democratic socialism, Populism Centre-left
Partido Progressista Progressive Party PP 11 November 16, 1995 1,415,620 Conservatism, Liberal conservatism, Populism Centre-right/ Right-wing
Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira Brazilian Social Democracy Party PSDB 45 August 24, 1988 1,353,686 Social democracy, Social liberalism, Christian democracy Centre
Partido Democrático Trabalhista Democratic Labour Party PDT 12 November 10, 1981 1,207,639 Democratic socialism, Populism, Labour movement Centre-left
Partido Trabalhista Brasileiro Brazilian Labour Party PTB 14 November 3, 1981 1,180,541 Centrism, Populism, Federalism, Nationalism Centre/Center-right
Democratas Democrats DEM 25 September 11, 1986 1,094,593 Economic liberalism, Liberal conservatism, Christian democracy Right-wing
Partido da República Party of the Republic PR 22 December 19, 2006 764,375 Conservatism, Nationalism Centre-right
Partido Socialista Brasileiro Brazilian Socialist Party PSB 40 July 1, 1988 577,233 Social democracy, Democratic socialism Centre-left
Partido Popular Socialista Socialist People's Party PPS 23 March 19, 1992 467,199 Social democracy, Social liberalism Centre-left/Centre
Partido Social Cristão Social Christian Party PSC 20 March 29, 1990 364,664 Conservatism Right-wing
Partido Comunista do Brasil Communist Party of Brazil PCdoB 65 June 23, 1988 337,355 Communism, Marxism-Leninism Centre-left/ Left-wing
Partido Verde Green Party PV 43 September 30, 1993 336,017 Green politics Centre/ Centre-left
Partido Republicano Brasileiro Brazilian Republican Party PRB 10 August 25, 2005 287,356 Centrism, Populism, Syncretic politics Centre-right
Partido da Mobilização Nacional Party of National Mobilization PMN 33 October 25, 1990 216,121 Left-wing nationalism, Agrarianism Centre-left
Partido Republicano Progressista Progressive Republican Party PRP 44 October 29, 1991 214,415 Progressivism, Conservatism, Populism Centre-right
Partido Social Liberal Social Liberal Party PSL 17 June 2, 1998 199,112 Social liberalism, Centrism Centre-right
Partido Social Democrático Social Democratic Party PSD 55 September 27, 2011 174,662 Centrism, Syncretic politics, Economic liberalism Centre/Centre-right
Partido Trabalhista Cristão Christian Labour Party PTC 36 February 22, 1990 172,931 Conservatism, Christian democracy, Populism Centre-right
Partido Social Democrata Cristão Christian Social Democratic Party PSDC 27 August 5, 1997 165,609 Christian democracy, Populism Centre-right/Right-wing
Partido Trabalhista do Brasil Labour Party of Brazil PTdoB 70 October 11, 1994 159,378 Centrism, Populism, Labour movement, Nationalism Centre/Centre-right
Partido Humanista da Soliedariedade Humanist Party of Solidarity PHS 31 March 20, 1997 141,534 Distributism, Humanism, Christian democracy Centre
Partido Trabalhista Nacional National Labour Party PTN 19 October 2, 1997 126,060 Labour movement, Populism Centre/Centre-right
Partido Renovador Trabalhista Brasileiro Brazilian Labour Renewal Party PRTB 28 March 28, 1995 113,735 Labour movement, Centrism, Populism Right-wing/Centre-right
Partido Socialismo e Liberdade Socialism and Freedom Party PSOL 50 September 15, 2005 66,043 Libertarian socialism, Trotskyism, Participatory democracy Far-left/Left-wing
Partido Comunista Brasileiro Brazilian Communist Party PCB 21 March 9, 1996 15,937 Communism, Marxism-Leninism Far-left
Partido Pátria Livre Free Homeland Party PPL 54 October 4, 2011 14,027 Scientific socialism, Left-wing nationalism Centre-left
Partido Socialista dos Trabalhadores Unificado United Socialist Workers' Party PSTU 16 December 19, 1995 13,294 Trotskyism Left-wing/Far-left
Partido da Causa Operária Workers' Cause Party PCO 29 September 30, 1997 2,746 Trotskyism Far-left
Partido Ecológico Nacional National Ecologic Party PEN 51 June 19, 2012 248 Green politics, Humanism, Centrism Centre-right
Partido Republicano da Ordem Social Republican Party of the Social Order PROS 90 September 24, 2013 Social democracy, Republicanism Centre
Solidariedade Solidarity SD 77 September 24, 2013 Labour movement, Humanist Movement Centre-left

Non-registered


Waiting for registration in the Superior Electoral Court

Abbrev. Name (Portuguese) Name (English) Ideology Position
ARENA Aliança Renovadora Nacional National Renewal Alliance Conservatism, Nationalism, Technoprogressivism, Christian politics, Authoritarianism Right-wing/far-right
CON Conservadores Conservatives Conservatism Right-wing
LIBER Libertários Libertarians Right-libertarianism, Minarchism Right-wing
NOVO Partido Novo New Party Liberalism Centre-right
PCML Partido Comunista Marxista-Leninista Marxist–Leninist Communist Party Marxism-Leninism, Stalinism Far-left
PCR Partido Comunista Revolucionário Revolutionary Communist Party Stalinism, Marxism-Leninism Far-left
PF Partido Federalista Federalist Party Federalism, Liberal conservatism Centre-right/right-wing
PH Partido Humanista Humanist Party Humanist Movement Centre
PIRATAS Partido Pirata Pirate Party Pirate politics, Freedom of information Centre-left/left-wing
PMB Partido da Mulher Brasileira Brazilian Woman Party Women politics, Women Rights Centre-left/left-wing
PNC Partido Nacional do Consumidor National Consumers' Party Consumer protection Centre
PSN Partido da Solidariedade Nacional National Solidarity Party Centrism, Christian democracy Centre/centre-right
REDE Rede Sustentabilidade Sustainability Network Green politics, Social democracy Centre
PRD Partido da Real Democracia Royal Democracy Party Monarchism, Conservatism Right-wing/Centre-right

Former

Recently absorbed or merged parties

Abbrev. Name (Portuguese) Name (English) TSE number Ideology Merged in Year
PSD Partido Social Democrático Social Democratic Party 41 Centrism, Social democracy PTB 2002
PGT Partido Geral dos Trabalhadores General Party of the Workers 30 Centrism, Social democracy PL 2002
PST Partido Social Trabalhista Social Labour Party 18 Centrism PL 2002
PAN Partido dos Aposentados da Nação Party of the Nation's Retirees 26 Centrism PTB 2006
PL Partido Liberal Liberal Party 22 Centrism, Populism PR 2006
PRONA Partido da Reedificação da Ordem Nacional Party of the Reconstruction of the National Order 56 Nationalism, Populism PR 2006

Historical

Abbrev. Name (Portuguese) Name (English) Ideology Lifetime
PCB Partido Comunista Brasileiro Brazilian Communist Party Communism 1922–1992
PL Partido Libertador Liberator Party Federalism 1928-1937, 1945-1965
AIB Ação Integralista Brasileira Brazilian Integralist Action Integralism, Fascism 1933–1938
PRP Partido de Representação Popular Popular Representation Party Integralism, National conservatism 1945–1966
PTB Partido Trabalhista Brasileiro Brazilian Labour Party Nationalism, Populism 1945–1966;
PSD Partido Social Democrático Social Democratic Party Conservatism, Populism 1945–1966
UDN União Democrática Nacional National Democratic Union Conservatism 1945–1966
PSP Partido Social Progresista Progressive Social Party Conservatism, Populism 1947–1966
ARENA Aliança Renovadora Nacional National Renewal Alliance Party Conservatism, Nationalism 1966–1979
MDB Movimento Democrático Brasileiro Brazilian Democratic Movement Centrism 1966–1979
PDS Partido Democrático Social Democratic Social Party Conservatism 1979–1993
PDC Partido Democrata Cristão Christian Democratic Party Christian democracy, Conservatism 1945-66; 1985–1993
PPR Partido Progressista Reformador Reform Progressive Party Conservatism, Christian democracy 1993–1995
PRN Partido da Reconstrução Nacional National Reconstruction Party Centrism, Populism 1989–2000

See also

References

  1. ↑ Freedom House report on Brazil, 2007
  2. ↑ Full list of Senators ordered by Party, Brazilian Senate website. (in Portuguese) Retrieved November 10, 2012.
  3. ↑ Full list of Deputies, Brazilian Chamber of Deputies website. Retrieved November 10, 2012.