Brazil Union
The Brazil Union () is a liberal-conservative political party in Brazil. The party was founded on 6 October 2021 from a merger between the Democrats (DEM) and the Social Liberal Party (PSL). The merger resulted in the biggest party in Brazil, and was approved by Brazil's Superior Electoral Court on 8 February 2022. History. Prelude to the merger. In 2017, Constitutional Amendment 97 was enacted, which established a progressive barrier clause, with that Brazilian political parties have free access to radio and television in electoral campaigns, as well federal funds. Likewise, the amendment prohibited the formation of  political coalitions to contest proportional elections. The purpose of the amendment was to reduce the number of political parties in Brazil. Since then, some political parties have been merged with others. In 2021, the Social Liberal Party (PSL) and Democrats announced the upcoming merger. Historically, the Democrats were one of the largest parties on the Brazilian right, being the successor of the Liberal Front Party (PFL), while the PSL is historically a small social-liberal party, but with the election of Jair Bolsonaro as President started to position itself as a more right-wing party. Merger formalized. The first rumors  emerged by the end of 2019, during the crisis that culminated in the President Bolsonaro's departure from PSL, and by the departure of several historical members of DEM, such as mayor of the city of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes, the former president of the Chamber Rodrigo Maia and the vice governor of the state of São Paulo Rodrigo Garcia, in addition to bad election results of PSL in the municipals. The name along with the TSE number 44 was chosen at the end of September 2021. The merger was agreed upon on 6 October 2021 by an acclamation  on a national convention containing representatives from both parties, and was legally approved by the Superior Electoral Court on 8 February 2022.