This paper makes an assessment of the debate on political reform in Brazil after the 2008 crisis, presenting distinct views and proposals. It focuses on the understanding that politicians have concentrated on conducting the process for their own political gain. Taking into account the experiences of Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, it argues that most reform proposals in Brazil tend to ensure more power to an oligarchic political elite. Meanwhile, the main interests of civil society (severe penalties for corruption and punishment for the misapplication of public funds) have been put aside. This work presents a brief historical analysis of the Brazilian political system and the debate among the academic community. The overall conclusion of this article is that the changes being promoted by the mainstream of politicians: i) do not attack the essential problems of the political system; ii) will enforce a highly oligarchic party-state.
