Temer finds his ideal partner in Maia.

Officially, Michel Temer's candidate to succeed Eduardo Cunha was Congressman Rogério Rosso (PSD-DF) for obvious reasons. A member of the so-called "centrão" (center bloc), Rosso was nominated by Cunha and could appease Temer's problematic ally. The objective: to avoid a potential plea bargain by the former Speaker of the House, which could implode the entire PMDB leadership.

However, from an ideological standpoint, it will be difficult to find a parliamentarian more aligned with the so-called "bridge to the future" than Congressman Rodrigo Maia (DEM-RJ), the winner of the dispute in the early hours of Thursday. 

Ultra-liberal, Maia defends pension and labor reforms, opening the pre-salt oil reserves to foreign companies, and setting a ceiling on public spending. Without going into the merits of these changes, Maia will put them to a vote without demanding the tolls that would be imposed by a Speaker of the House from the centrist bloc. By all indications, he will act out of conviction – and not out of self-interest. Moreover, Maia said that parliament should prepare to vote on “unpopular measures” starting in the second half of the year.

Coincidence or not, the so-called "market" reacted with euphoria to the victory of the new Speaker of the House, with stocks rising, the dollar falling, and future interest rates dropping, as had not been seen for a long time. 

If Temer does, in fact, overcome the final impeachment battle, expected to take place at the end of August, Brazil can prepare to experience a new cycle of liberal reforms. This, however, will not necessarily bring popularity to the Presidential Palace.