Brazil’s president weathers multiple storms

MICHEL TEMER, Brazil’s president, was as shocked as all his countrymen by the crash of an aeroplane in Colombia in which 71 people died, including most members of a popular Brazilian football team (see article). The tragedy also had the effect of removing from the headlines other bad news that affects the president more directly. Data published on November 30th suggest that the economy will recover more slowly from a severe recession than many analysts had expected. A fresh scandal has forced yet another member of the cabinet to resign, the sixth in the six months since Mr Temer took charge. His efforts to reform Brazil’s economy are making progress, but his government is in turmoil.

The latest scandal looks more like an embarrassment than a threat. Geddel Vieira Lima, who was in charge of the president’s relations with congress, quit after the former culture minister, Marcelo Calero, accused him of demanding that an arm of the ministry unblock construction of a high-rise building in Salvador, in which Mr Vieira Lima had bought a flat. Mr Calero, who had resigned earlier, claimed that Mr Temer had insisted that he patch things up with Mr Vieira Lima.