Brazil’s Temer Fares Better Than Rousseff in Opinion Poll

Brazil’s Acting President Michel Temer fared better than his predecessor in an Ibope opinion survey although most Brazilians said they don’t trust his administration.

Temer’s seven-week-old government has no trust from 66 percent of the respondents, according to the poll published by the National Industry Confederation, or CNI. In March, 80 percent of the respondents in another Ibope poll said they didn’t trust the government of President Dilma Rousseff, now suspended for an impeachment trial.  

Temer’s personal approval rating was 31 percent, more than double that of Rousseff in the March survey. Still, 53 percent of Brazilians disapprove of him, according to the poll, which surveyed 2,002 people between June 24 and 27 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. 

“There was no time for a honeymoon,” CNI’s economist Renato da Fonseca told reporters after the survey was released. “People still make a strong link between this government and the previous one.”

The survey’s results were in line with expectations and don’t change the odds that Rousseff will lose her mandate in a final impeachment vote expected to take place in August, according to political analyst Andre Cesar, founder of consulting company Hold Assessoria Legislativa in Brasilia.

“I don’t believe that opinion polls will change the position of senators. They have already made their decision,” Cesar said in a phone interview.

Since taking office in May, Temer has made progress in restoring investor confidence with proposals to shore up the budget deficit through spending caps. Brazil’s financial markets have rallied since he replaced Rousseff.

Yet many of the corruption allegations that dogged Rousseff’s administration have hurt Temer’s fledgling government, forcing the resignation of three cabinet members. He also faced criticism early on for appointing an all-male cabinet, and has faced accusations of antagonizing his predecessor by cutting off her travel budget.