Democratic Christmas

Christmas celebrations mark the biggest Christian commemorations around the world. It's a day to gather with family, renew our faith in better days, and reflect on the destinies of humanity, on solidarity and brotherhood. It's also a time to think about the country and its democracy.

We endured economic, political, and social crises. And, despite the enormous adversities, we emerged stronger than we entered. This year that is drawing to a close will be remembered as one of the most turbulent periods in the country's recent history. Institutionally, despite the upheavals, there were no fissures. These were very painful, arid years.

A fog of uncertainty, laden with political, economic, and social instability, hung over us. The crisis punished the country, brought turmoil to the economy, tarnished our external image, and stained reputations. Democracy, once again, prevailed.

The nation is currently experiencing its longest period of democracy. Institutions are grounded in the Constitution and respond almost instantly to the demands of society. Our democracy gains strength with each crisis and, as it matures, becomes so ingrained in the daily life of the country that its perpetuity is no longer questioned or doubted.

This perspective, contrary to what institutional comfort suggests, demands that we redouble all our efforts to solidify our model, which is constantly tested, especially during turbulent times. There were numerous attacks on democratic rules during 2016.

Therefore, sacred principles of the Democratic State, such as the independence of powers, individual and collective guarantees, freedom of expression, and the presumption of innocence, need to be reiterated and, moreover, require improvements so that the pains of our past are not repeated in the future. To combat the excesses of democracy, more democracy. To combat the excesses of freedom of expression, more freedom.

The greatest virtue of the democratic model is that it does not pretend to be perfect and finished. Democracy is never complete, and for this reason, we need to reinvent it daily. Being humbly imperfect and unfinished, democracy demands permanent construction; therein lies its greatest merit: its eternal permeability to improvements. It is unquestionable that the representative system is flawed and vulnerable, but it remains the best model because it will be eternally open to enhancements.

The Federal Senate, during the 2015/2016 biennium, made significant contributions in this regard and voted on important projects. Many have already become laws, and other proposals are still awaiting deliberation by the Chamber of Deputies. In 2017, we need to continue modernizing legislation and remain vigilant against insidious movements against Democracy so that all Christmases remain democratic.