Guy on the right gets younger and more irreverent

The meteoric rise of Javier Milei, 52-year-old deputy, rocker and libertarian economist, recently elected president of Argentina with the biggest vote in its history, can be attributed in large part to the fervent support of the young electorate. His millions of followers on social media, his affinity with pop culture and his bold stance in defending his ideas connected him to a crowd dissatisfied with old political practices, increasingly associated with the left. By encouraging youth lacking hope in the midst of widespread poverty and economic crisis, Milei managed to demolish old patterns and begin to inspire movements across borders.

In Brazil, the rejuvenation of the right anchored in digital media has evolved since the great popular demonstrations of 2013, gaining even more momentum in recent years, following the election of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and young conservative parliamentarians, such as Marcel van Hattem (Novo-RS) and, more recently, Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG). These leaders inspire new generations to become actively involved in the public debate, raising flags such as economic freedom and family institutions without any embarrassment, without losing the enthusiasm and irreverence that characterize youth.

Milei’s impetuous figure with disheveled hair and leather jacket, singing rock to supporters and calling rivals “thieves”, excites Brazilian right-wing youth. “Argentina is showing the world that liberalism can be pop. In addition to going against the establishment and much of the media, Milei overcame stereotypes created by the left against those who defend individual freedom and the limitation of the State to basic functions”, said Marcel van Hattem, 38 years old. He is in his second term as deputy, having started his political career at 18, as a councilor in Dois Irmãos (RS), then moving on to the state Legislature (2015) and Congress (2018).

Nikolas Ferreira, 27 years old, the most voted deputy in 2022, with almost 1.5 million votes, also stands out as one of the most influential politicians on social networks, easily using tools and languages ​​typical of younger users. Constantly acclaimed in the halls of Congress and in the cities of the country where he travels, especially by young adults and teenagers, he is seen by analysts as the most prominent face of this rise of the young right.

In the first year of Brasília, his initiatives and speeches aroused controversy, pointing out errors and contradictions of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and addressing without inhibition topics such as the liberalization of abortion and drugs, the implementation of unisex bathrooms and political prisons.

Nikolas Ferreira calls Lula a thief in speech at the UN

On the 17th, Ferreira, who has a degree in law and was born in a favela in Belo Horizonte, participated in New York, at the headquarters of the United Nations (UN), in the Transatlantic Summit, as a young leader. At the event that marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the deputy spoke in English against abortion laws and in favor of moral principles threatened by public policies. This speech was another of his many to go viral on the networks.

“The left uses the distortion of reality, relativization and destruction of identity to co-opt and manipulate, especially young people. I defended life from conception at the UN, I addressed ideological indoctrination and the cultural war and I also exposed the hypocrisy of environmental activists, so active in the last four years and now disappeared while the fire consumes the Amazon and the Pantanal. I also did not fail to reinforce that Lula is a thief and his place is in jail”, commented the deputy.

“A Christian, conservative and defender of the family, Nikolas is a reference for the Brazilian right, especially for young people. As a federal deputy, he has worked to defend democracy, youth and right-wing principles”, commented state deputy Lucas Polese (PL-ES), 27 years old, the youngest member of the Legislative Assembly of Espírito Santo. President of the Liberal Institute of Espírito Santo (Iles), he is one of the politicians who sees the Minas Gerais deputy as a model to be followed.

New generation of deputies made noise at the CPMI on January 8

This irreverent and engaged face of the young Brazilian right was explicit during the sessions of the Joint Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPMI) on January 8, which ended in October with the control of the government majority over its outcome. The broad and permanent exposure of the minority deputies on social media, their performance as a team and their audacity to expose the federal government’s omissions in the acts of vandalism in Praça dos Três Poderes encouraged the opposition and irritated the government.

Pejoratively called “fifth grade” by parliamentarians from the government base, the young right-wing members of the CPMI caught the attention of the vice-president of the collegiate, the experienced senator Magno Malta (PL-ES). He sees the group as successors to other conservative activists and the harbinger of a new era for the Republic.

The spirited André Fernandes (PL-CE), 25 years old and author of the CPMI request; Nikolas Ferreira, 27; Filipe Barros (PL-PR), 32; Maurício Marcon (Podemos-RS), 36; and Abílio Brunini (PL-MT), 39, were christened by Malta as “The Gideão Generation”. The reference comes from the biblical character who, despite his young age, led a victorious army of just 300 soldiers. “You come with all your strength and are an example of how to learn to trust in God, even when everything seems impossible,” he said.

Although he is the same 27 years old as Nikolas Ferreira and is also an ardent defender of liberalism and the fight against left-wing agendas, the activist, YouTuber and federal deputy Kim Kataguiri (União Brasil-SP) follows a parallel path on the young right, due to the clashes between the Movimento Brasil Livre (MBL), of which he is the founder, and the allies of former president Bolsonaro.

Kataguiri is a pre-candidate for Mayor of São Paulo. In his group is the São Paulo councilor, Fernando Holiday (União Brasil), who is against racial quotas and has stood out for confronting left-wing politicians.

Left loses air of novelty and becomes sullen and moralistic

Even left-leaning intellectuals have observed a peculiar dynamic, characterized by an apparent inversion in the historical roles traditionally attributed to the left and right. Previously associated with a serious and grumpy stance, the contemporary right has emerged as the greatest defender of freedom of expression, presenting proposals that challenge the status quo in “transgressive” ways.

On the other hand, the left now assumes the role of censor, with identity agendas that, in many cases, escape the understanding of the majority of the population. This scenario provides an opening for spirited criticism from the right. The left, by adopting a politically correct stance, has lost its aura of novelty and, by persisting in failed economic models, finds itself subject to questioning.

According to Juan Carlos, general director of the Ranking of Politicians, the national scenario clearly shows a rejuvenation of the right, although it is still empirically difficult to prove. “Social networks were an essential factor in this cultural process, in which the right shows more humor and contestation, while the left appears to be more sullen and moralistic with its politically correct outlook,” he said.

Young politician is guided by conservative and Christian values

Pre-candidate for PL, councilor from Cabo de Santo Agostinho (PE), Emília Soares, said she entered politics driven by the desire to do good for people and defend principles that she believes are fundamental. She finds inspiration “in the courage and determination” of figures such as former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (PL), influencer Bárbara Destefani, creator of the channel Te Atualizei, and Nikolas Ferreira. “The deputy is a young man who fights daily for what we defend. He inspires me every day and gives me a lot of strength to continue”, the young woman told People’s Gazette.

Identifying herself as a right-wing leader, the teenager claims to be the youngest representative in her city’s city council, presenting an agenda focused on valuing individual freedom, personal responsibility for Christian values ​​and free market policies. For her, a society based on conservative and ethical principles is “the way to build a solid future”.

Contrary to the quota policy, the defense of abortion and the so-called gender ideology, Emília believes in political renewal on the right, as the left “has had enough time to show its approaches”. She understands that young people are no longer being predominantly shaped by student entities linked to left-wing parties, such as the Brazilian Union of Secondary Students (Ubes) and the National Union of Students (Une), and are increasingly seeking a conservative path. , aligned with the motto “God, Country and Family”.

Emília carries out social projects and is excited about the positive impact that politics can have on the lives of people, families and communities. Recently, she was selected from among 20 thousand applicants to join the leadership class at the Renova BR political training school.

“We must join those who want to put the country back on the path of peace, development and justice with a capital J”, he concluded.