If so far PMDB benefited the most of this political crisis, price was an increase in exposure and stakes they are not used to.
Benefits: Michel Temer, PMDB leader and Brazil vice-president now in charge of political decisions of federal administration. At Senate Renan Calheiros had a negative agenda against Roussef/PT interest. In the lower house Eduardo Cunha pressed forward positive agenda in opposition to long term positions from PT. This include change in labor legislation, president’s prerogative on naming Supreme court judges, to give a couple of examples close to Dilma.
Stakes: leading in times of tough fiscal adjusts is not a popular task, to say the least. If all goes well credit for making the defense of harsh measures may save their skins but now get them the ultimate prize of running on their own ticket to a competitive bid for president in 2018. In the meantime, fiscal adjust hurt PMDB traditional power play which is feeding local politicians with shortcuts to irresponsible funding. If anything goes wrong, their supposed ‘patriotic’ effort now does not grant a jail-free voucher for their past (and present) criminal activities under investigation.