By Denise Rothenburg — Although President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told journalists that the relationship with Congress is within normal limits, experienced deputies and politicians who root for the government’s success identified two more unresolved problems. One is Arthur Lira’s (PP-AL) desire to elect his successor; another is the desire of the Minister of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha, and part of the government, to elect a new president of the Chamber who is more aligned with Planalto and the PT.
Lira, who received support from the Lulistas for re-election in 2022 — Lula needed to guarantee the Transition PEC — wants to remain influential. The government dreams of having a base to call its own, which can do without the deputy who currently commands the Chamber.
This fight, which is added to the control of amendments to the Budget, is simmering down. And it will boil after the municipal elections. The outcome will define the political relationship in the second half of Lula’s government. We will not die of boredom.
In time: today, the government does not have a strong parliamentary base and will hardly build one if the PT continues to control the best spaces. The photos of the emergency meetings, in which only PT members are present, completely take away the air of the coalition government promised by Lula.
Two points
After Lira called Padilha incompetent, Lula warned all allies that there is no way to change palace ministers, neither in the short nor in the medium term. Read as short term until the end of the year — and medium term, until Carnival 2025, after the election for the Presidency of the Chamber. In other words: more time for PT members, a party that would be unlikely to win the election alone.
TIC Tac
The government warned that it is not possible to release all the amendments by June, as parliamentarians wish. But he promised that by May 8 he will have a solution that guarantees the vetoes will be maintained. All in the name of good coexistence to start discussing tax reform.
Silveira in charge
The Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, has said that he will demand “strict compliance” with Petrobras’ investment plan. “We will not stop being extremely vigorous in our demands, not only from Petrobras, but also from other institutions that can contribute to national development, always making investor interests compatible.” The statement was made during a recording of EsferaCast, a videocast by the think tank Esfera Brasil, which will air on Monday, on YouTube.
All in peace
Regarding the differences with the president of Petrobras, Jean Paul Prates, especially on the issue of dividends to shareholders, Silveira stated that they were overvalued: “More noise than facts”.
The friend who warns is/ The fact that the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, appealed to the Judiciary against the payroll tax exemption had already been notified to parliamentarians on several occasions. The government’s hope is that this will not hinder the tax reform game in Parliament.
Who talks too much…/ Lula’s allies believe that he is talking a lot in this government about topics that would be better left alone
up in the air. For example: saying that you won’t fire Padilha, even if it was just
for “stubbornness”.
… open your guard/ Another point was the fact that the president said he will not punish anyone who goes on strike. These are things that, in the opinion of some, are done, but are not announced.
Synchrony/ Arthur Lira (photo) arrived at President José Sarney’s birthday party shortly after Alexandre Padilha left.
