Flávio Bolsonaro Vows to Replace Five Supreme Court Justices, Calls Target a 'Rotten Orange'

Flávio Bolsonaro, a leading right-wing candidate in the Brazil presidential election 2026 and the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, has escalated his campaign against the country's highest judicial body, the Supreme Federal Court (STF), by vowing to appoint five new justices if elected, explicitly targeting one of the court’s most powerful members. Bolsonaro stated that Justice Alexandre de Moraes “will fall” and called him a “rotten orange” who is contaminating the court, demanding his removal to restore the STF’s credibility. The open threat marks a new high point in the long-running institutional conflict between the Bolsonaro political machine and the judiciary.

The next Brazilian President is scheduled to appoint four new ministers to the STF over the next four years as justices reach the mandatory retirement age of 75. Bolsonaro’s vow to replace five ministers—one more than the scheduled vacancies—is an unmistakable call for judicial instability and institutional confrontation, signaling his intent to force out Justice Moraes through mechanisms like impeachment or other non-routine processes. Justice Moraes has been the rapporteur in politically charged investigations, including the probe into the attempted coup against the government and a fake news inquiry, both of which have implicated the former president and his allies.

The candidate, a sitting Senator, made the statements while defending a former aide to his father and criticized what he termed a "cabinet of persecution" operating within the court. Furthermore, he promised that his chosen appointments would adhere to a strict conservative agenda to counter what he and his base term “judicial activism”. These new ministers, he stated, would be selected specifically based on their opposition to key social issues, defining them as "against abortion, against drugs, [and] against gender ideology," with the goal of blocking the decriminalization of such issues by the STF.

The STF, which acts as Brazil’s constitutional court, has 11 justices and is the ultimate arbiter of constitutional law and political disputes, a role that has made it a central target for right-wing political movements globally. Flávio Bolsonaro's platform, which also includes proposals to limit the STF’s authority, places the institutional future of the court squarely at the center of the upcoming election. The election is now framed not just as a choice between candidates but as a referendum on the separation of powers and the constitutional role of the judiciary.

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What it touches The explicit threat to reshape the STF and remove a sitting justice signals a significant risk of institutional rupture, which is a key factor watched by both domestic and foreign investors. A sustained period of judicial instability and political confrontation can introduce uncertainty into the regulatory environment, impacting long-term planning and investment in Brazilian assets.