Media and Democracy Council Discusses the Resilience of Democracy in Final Project Meeting

Final Meeting Featured Former President of the Public Ethics Commission, Mauro Menezes

The closing meeting of the Media and Democracy Council focused on the theme "The Assault on Democracy and Civic-Institutional Resistance" and featured Mauro Menezes, former president of the Public Ethics Commission of the Presidency of the Republic and current member of the Democracy Observatory at the Office of the Attorney General. The objective of the meeting was to analyze democratic protection and resistance initiatives, such as the National Democracy Prosecutor's Office and the debates on social media regarding the topic.

Initially, the meeting provided an overview of the council's composition, organization, and the entities that participated throughout its existence. It also summarized the themes addressed during the 10 meetings held, which consisted of formative, diagnostic, and convergence stages, supported by weekly reports and themes agreed upon during planning sessions.

During the plenary session, one of the key points raised by Mauro Menezes was the need to combat disinformation and hate speech as central and essential issues for strengthening democracy. Menezes pointed out that democracy is currently facing a crisis, marked by constant political instability even in well-established democracies such as those in the United States and Western Europe.

In his remarks about the Observatory's work, Menezes highlighted the necessity of regulating social media platforms and the challenges faced by the legislature in approving regulations. Meanwhile, he commended the judiciary's more effective responses, particularly the actions taken since 2022, during a period when the electoral system faced widespread public distrust.

One of the highlights of the meeting was a survey conducted by the Office of the Attorney General (AGU) between November and December, titled *"The Democracy We Have and the Democracy We Want." The results revealed that 81% of the population believes democracy is the best system of government. According to Menezes, platforms must be subject to normative and institutional frameworks; they cannot operate above the law. He emphasized that social media regulation is indispensable, especially in the face of emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence and the need to safeguard freedom of expression in the circulation of information and opinions.

Another AGU initiative to defend democracy was its recent Technical Note, aimed at supporting the analysis of ongoing investigations into threats to democracy and Brazil’s constitutional regime. In light of recent events, the AGU's note highlighted issues such as evidence of public, civilian, and military agents' involvement in coup attempts, emphasizing that institutions have a legal duty to hold all responsible parties accountable.