Brazilian Social Democracy Party

Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira ( PSDB, German Party of Brazilian Social Democracy ) is a social democratic and centrist party in Brazil.

History

The PSDB was founded in 1988 in contrast to the socialist Partido dos Trabalhadores. In it, the Social Democrats, Social Liberals, Christian Democrats and especially many members of the formerly single opposition party, the Partido do Movimento Democrático Brasileiro collected. In 1994 the Social Democratic candidate, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, was elected president. He held this post until 2002. His successor should take Jose Serra, but he lost the elections against Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the founder of the PT. Geraldo Alckmin ran in 2006 as the most successful challenger to President Lula. He was there Frente Liberal supported by the Partido and reached 41.6 % in the first and 39.2 % in the second ballot. In the simultaneous parliamentary elections, the PSDB could unite 13.6 % of the electorate votes. In the Chamber of Deputies it is with 65 of the 513 seats the third strongest party, even the second strongest in the Senate with 15 of 81 seats.

Influence

The PSDB has observer status in the Christian Democratic International and its regional organization, ODCA. He leads together with the Partido da Frente Liberal opposition in Brazil, it represents among other things the government in the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. The party colors are blue and yellow. The symbol of the party is a toucan in the colors blue and yellow, and its members are therefore called tucanos.