STF Opens 2026 With Ethics Push as Congress Races Urgent Agenda

Overview

• The Supreme Court’s opening session gathered President Lula and congressional leaders, with Lula praising the Court as guardian of the Constitution and warning about AI-driven disinformation in this election year.
• Edson Fachin framed the moment as one of “autocorrection,” elevated a Code of Conduct as a management priority, and assigned Cármen Lúcia to draft it with discussions slated for February 12.
• Pressure from the Banco Master affair persisted as Alexandre de Moraes publicly denied a reported meeting with banker Daniel Vorcaro, and Dias Toffoli’s handling of parts of the inquiry remained under scrutiny.
• Congress returned to a compressed calendar with the ‘Gás do Povo’ provisional measure queued for immediate vote, 73 presidential vetoes awaiting review, and Jorge Messias’s Supreme Court nomination pending Senate consideration.
• Oversight and prosecutions advanced, with the Senate’s INSS CPI summoning Banco Master owner Daniel Vorcaro to testify this week and the STF First Chamber setting the Marielle Franco case for trial on February 24.