MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Hugo Motta elected Brazilian Lower House Speaker

Motta stems from a politically active family in Paraíba

Congressman Hugo Motta of the State of Paraíba was elected Saturday as the new Speaker of Brazil's Lower House, which places him right behind Vice President Geraldo Alckmin in the line of succession. Motta was chosen with 444 votes out of 513 in just the first round when 257 would have sufficed.

 At age 35, the Republican Motta will be the youngest House Speaker since the return of democratic rule. However, he did not outperform his predecessor Arthur Lira's 464 votes in February 2023.

Also contending for the spot were Marcel van Hattem (Novo-RS) and Pastor Henrique Vieira (PSOL-RJ), who got 31 and 22 votes, respectively, with two blank votes.

After the result had been proclaimed, Motta was called to take over the seat previously held by Lira. The bloc supporting him included President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Workers' Party (PT) as well as the main opposition's PL, in addition to the PCdoB, PV, União, PP, Republicanos, PSD, MDB, PDT, PSDB, Cidadania, PSB, Podemos, Avante, Solidariedade, and PRD, which together account for 494 of the 513 federal deputies.

Motta's mandate spans until Feb. 2027, when there will be an election for the board of directors of a new legislature.

The House Speaker is also
a member of the Council of the Republic and the National Defense Council.

Born on Sept. 11, 1989, in João Pessoa, Motta is a physician stemming from a politically active family. In 2010, he was elected the youngest Congressman at the age of 21. He is known for his skills in reaching out to both left and right-wing sectors.

“I am certain that we will advance even more in this successful partnership between the Executive and the Legislative, for the construction of an increasingly developed and fairer Brazil, with fiscal, social and environmental responsibility,” Lula wrote in a letter to Motta.

Also choosing its head during the weekend was Brazil's Senate, where Davi Alcolumbre of União Brasil was picked to return to that position after four years.

(Source: Agencia Brasil)