Assimetrias na travessia : a cisão do emedebismo gaúcho

Abstract

The main purpose of this research is to answer the following question: what were the factors that influenced the members of the MDB party to choose between PMDB or PDT when the multiparty system was restored in the late 1970? We intended to answer that question in two parts. First, we will do a historical analysis that goes from the multiparty system period - that began after the “Estado Novo” regime - until the final moments of the bipartisanship system, in order to, as proposed by Panebianco (2005), prioritize the analysis of the foundation of the political parties, especially the sections of PTB and MDB from Rio Grande do Sul, as well as its development in such an unusual context as an opposing party, seeking to know how power were distributed in both organizations and the consequences of this interaction when the MDB party was extinguished. Then, we will analyze the political history of the MDB members from the elite of Rio Grande do Sul, searching for patterns in their political careers that may elucidate the choices between the two parties, highlighting the MDB leaders that have decided to join PMDB or PDT. Based on the journalistic coverage of the newspapers “Zero Hora” and “Folha da Tarde” from that period of time, we will also investigate how those leaders publicly justified their decision, in order to, considering the Panebianco (2005) study of the collective and selective incentives, verify if they use ideological and/or doctrinal arguments to explain their decisions, according to the narrative structured by the main leaders of those two political parties in that time: Leonel Brizola and Pedro Simon.