Austeridade fiscal nos discursos presidenciais: uma análise discursivo-institucionalista de Collor a Temer (1990-2018)

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the discourses on fiscal austerity by presidents of the republic between 1990 and 2018. Its objective is to investigate and understand the patterns, nuances, and continuities in presidential discourses on fiscal austerity during that period, within the contemporary Brazilian democratic regime. Given this objective, we seek to answer the research question: How was fiscal austerity constructed narratively and discursively in the political communication of heads of state? To answer the research question, we resorted to the qualitative analysis of presidential speeches on austerity in contexts of “critical junctures” and to the quantitative analysis of narrative and discursive patterns individually and comparatively. The thesis is divided into three main sections. Section I contains three chapters: i) presenting and introducing the research problem, in addition to ii) positioning this thesis in the field of discursive institutionalism research, and iii) presenting our methodology. Section II presents the empirical trajectory of austerity in presidential speeches (1990-2018). Thus, from Chapter 4 to Chapter 9, we present the discussion about fiscal austerity in the governments and speeches, respectively, of Fernando Collor de Mello (1990-1992), Itamar Franco (1992-1994), Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2010), Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016) and Michel Temer (2016-2018). In Section III, related to the final considerations, we present our main results and research findings. This Section is divided into three chapters. In Chapter 10, we present the comparative analyses of the presidential speeches. In Chapter 11, in turn, we present proposals for advances in the research agenda on austerity in Brazil. Finally, in the Final Considerations section, we present our conclusions in Chapter 12, summarizing the arguments and central findings of this thesis. Among our main results, we believe that the presidential discourse on austerity presents three distinct and complementary patterns. First, the notion of continuity of austerity, that is, its permanence, was present not only as an economic measure, but also in the speeches of the presidents of the republic throughout the democratic period studied. Second, we show how, despite the permanence of austerity, it modulates itself to the contexts, scenarios, practices, and speeches of the political actors analyzed. And, third, in addition to permanence and modulation, the idea that austerity was claimed as "necessary" and "indispensable", despite the "sacrifices" resulting from it.