Blocks in the Chamber will help government, says Padilha – 04/14/2023 – Politics

The Minister of the Institutional Relations Secretariat, Alexandre Padilha (PT), said this Friday (14th) that the formation of two blocs in the Chamber of Deputies will help the Lula government in approving projects.

The declaration was given after a closed meeting with businessmen and representatives of companies in the United States for an assessment of the 100 days of government, at Amcham (American Chamber of Commerce). The minister also stated that the government’s rapprochement with China will not disrupt relations with the United States.

“They are not government opposition blocs. On the contrary, they are led by parliamentarians who defend the government,” said Padilha, citing that the largest of them, with 173 deputies, is led by Felipe Carreras, a member of the PSB of vice-president Geraldo Alckmin .

This block was created by the President of the House, Arthur Lira (PP-AL) and is formed by PP, União Brasil, PSDB-Cidadania, Solidariedade, Patriota and Avante, in addition to the left-wing parties PDT and PSB.

The other bloc united Republicans, MDB, PSD, Podemos and PSC, with 142 parliamentarians, and is led by Fábio Macedo (Podemos-MA).

Padilha claims that the formation of the blocs is about the internal dynamics of the Chamber, therefore, unrelated to the government, rejecting criticism that they were formed due to the disarticulation of the Planalto.

The petista said so far the government has approved all the projects it needed, including pending provisional measures, in addition to chairing the main committees of the House.

For the minister, the new blocks will help in the approval of the new fiscal framework. “Especially because the fiscal milestone is not a topic that divides government and opposition,” he said, stressing that he sees a positive scenario for the project’s approval in the first half.

He did not commit to a date, and cited as a reason the House’s voting agenda that involves discussion of pending provisional measures.

Asked about the payment of amendments and appointments of pending positions that could stop the progress of the agenda, Padilha says that the government first fixed the remainder to be paid from last year and that “there is no intentional damming”.

Padilha also reflected possible friction with the United States, when he stated that the rapprochement with China does not hinder the relationship with that country.

“Brazil’s foreign policy has always bet on multilateral geopolitics, especially President Lula”, he said that, according to him, expanded this multipolar role without affecting the relationship with the North Americans.

At the meeting with the businessmen, which included a representative of companies from the United States, Padilha claims that the matter was never discussed. At the meeting, an assessment of the government’s 100 days was made, in which the role of the United States in recognizing the result of the Brazilian elections was recalled.

He also cited, among other points, Brazil’s role in the agenda for combating climate change.

Padilha said that he spoke about the recreation of the so-called council, which brings together several names from the business community. The first meeting, he says, will be on May 4th.

Among the aspects he cited related to the United States is the innovation system in that country.