Barroso says goodbye to the presidency and exalts Moraes’s “almost heroic” role

Minister Luís Roberto Barroso ended his term as president of the Supreme Court (STF) on Thursday (25) in a session marked by emotion and political balance.

In a farewell speech, he said that the court fulfilled its mission of protecting democracy, even in the midst of external attacks and pressures.

“I am very proud to have divided with everyone the adventure of defending Brazilian democracy,” said Barroso, in reference to the two years in which he commanded the institution. The minister recognized the “personal cost” to the members of the Court, who, according to him, did not stole from facing the most divisive issues of society.

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The magistrate cited as a landmark of redemocratization the absence of episodes such as disappearances, torture and cassations of magistrates, also emphasizing the preservation of freedom of the press since the 1988 Constitution.

The session was accompanied by tributes from colleagues. Dean Gilmar Mendes pointed out that the judgment of the 2022 coup plot symbolized the institutional resistance of the Supreme.

“Brazilian democracy has been unscathed by this proof of fire,” he said. The minister also praised Alexandre de Moraes’s “almost heroic” role in conducting the process.

Gilmar recalled that Barroso’s inauguration in 2023 represented the court’s survival after the January 8 attack. “At that moment, it was clear that the Supreme had resisted and preserved his authority,” he said.

With the end of Barroso’s management, the STF begins a new leadership cycle of Minister Edson Fachin, amid the challenge of maintaining institutional balance in the face of an still polarized political environment.