Ministers Joel Paciornik and Luís Roberto Barroso on a visit to the Kotel
Brazil is awaiting general elections scheduled for October 4, 2026, which are expected to be an intensely fierce contest. The election features a highly polarized political environment, shaped by institutional strain and deep realignments.
Although the election result and the paths of the next government are currently entirely unknown, one name has been pointed out as one of the most influential figures in Brazilian intellectual circles and who could be extremely relevant in the nation's near future.
After concluding a highly influential 12-year tenure on the STF- which included serving as the Court’s President - Luís Roberto Barroso returned to public life as a distinguished Constitutional Law Professor. His writings and legal philosophy continue to shape legal and political discourse in Brazil.
He is Jewish and applied for Portuguese nationality years ago, given that he is the son of Judith Soriano and grandson of Elias Soriano (from Greece) and Zafira Mousathi Levi (from Turkey). Barroso is of Jewish heritage through his mother and has actively connected with his roots, engaging with various Jewish community leaders and institutions in Brazil. He had often welcomed Chabad Lubavitch leadership into his professional chambers; for instance, Rabbi Leib Rojtenberg—the director of Beit Chabad in Brasília.
He officially stepped down from the Supreme Court ahead of the mandatory retirement age in October 2025. While no longer wielding judicial authority, his long-term impact on Brazil's constitutional and political landscape ensures he remains a prominent voice in the country's national life.
Barroso will remain a highly relevant figure in Brazil tomorrow, primarily as a prominent public intellectual, academic, and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Federal Court (STF).
