User:Vneiomazza/Centrão

Centrão (, literally big centre) is a term used in the politics of Brazil to describe a group of political parties which possess no specific ideological orientation, aiming instead to secure proximity to the executive so as to obtain benefits and distribute privileges through clientelist networks. Despite its name, the centrão is not necessarily a centrist political group, but a group of broadly conservative parties comprising politicians belonging to the so-called "baixo clero" who act in line with their own interests and participate in cronyism.

History
The term was first used in the Brazilian Constituent Assembly of 1987-88 to designate a group of centre-right parties which joined together to support President José Sarney with the aim of combating the constitutional proposals of the supporters of Ulysses Guimarães, accused of bring excessively left wing. At that time five parties formed part of the centrão: the Liberal Front Party (PFL), the Liberal Party (PL), the Democratic Social Party (PDS), the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) and the Brazilian Labour Party (PTB), as well as parts of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB).

The centrão gained new prominence with the formation of the "blocão", a group created in 2014 by Eduardo Cunha (at that time leader of the PMDB). The group was the result of discontent with President Dilma Rousseff among representatives belonging to the government's base. The bloc brought together eight parties (