Bolsonaro’s allies see ineligibility as a spotlight – 06/30/2023 – Politics

Allies of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) say that the decision by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) to make him ineligible until 2030 is a shot in the foot from a political point of view and guarantees him the spotlight for years to come.

In general terms, they treat the issue as injustice and emphasize that he will continue with the role of leader of the right.

The governor of São Paulo and the main candidate for heir to Bolsonaro’s estate in 2026, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), quickly manifested himself on social networks and made a point of highlighting his loyalty to the former president.

“President Jair Bolsonaro’s leadership as a representative of the Brazilian right is unquestionable and endures. Tens of millions of Brazilians count on your voice. We continue together, President”, he said.

Valdemar Costa Neto, president of the PL, said he will be the “strongest voter in the nation” in the next elections. “We are going to work double time and show our loyalty to President Bolsonaro. You can believe that today’s injustice will be able to reveal the strongest voter in the nation.”

Already Ciro Nogueira, former Minister of the Civil House and leader of the PP, he said that “hope is more alive than ever” and that “no one can condemn a people not to love a leader”.

By 5 votes to 2, the electoral court ruled that Bolsonaro is ineligible until 2030.

The trial takes place six months after his departure from office and focuses on a lawsuit filed by the PDT against the ticket due to a meeting of the former president with ambassadors, held in July last year, in which he repeated lies about electronic voting machines.

Those around the former president classify the trial as political, but were already waiting for the score of the electoral court – ministers Raul Araújo and Kassio Nunes Marques were in favor of the former president.

Its allies say they believe, however, that voters are aware that there is excessive judicial activism and that this should have repercussions on votes from now on. For them, the TSE acted to remove Bolsonaro from the electoral dispute, but the voter will remain close to him.

There is also an assessment that a judgment like this is difficult for the population to understand. It is very difficult to translate the reasons for his impeachment, so that, simply put, the question remains: “Why can’t I vote for Bolsonaro?” The ex-president’s narrative would be easier to understand.

The bill presented by Deputy Sanderson (PL-RS) to grant Bolsonaro amnesty may not have a chance of prospering today, they say, but they do not rule out that it could gain strength in the coming years, depending on the political scenario.

There is a fear on the part of Bolsonaro’s interlocutors that he will fall into discouragement, as he said could happen in an interview with Sheeton the first day of the trial.

“At my age, [o que] would like to do, remain active 100% in politics. And, taking away your political rights, which, in my opinion, is an affront, you lose a little bit of that gas “, he said.

After the result, he compared ineligibility to stabbing, but said he was not dead.

“Today we are experiencing ineligibility here. I would not like to become ineligible. In politics, this phrase is not mine, nobody kills, nobody dies,” Bolsonaro said in Belo Horizonte.

“I hope, right, because they tried to kill me in Juiz de Fora not long ago with a stab in the stomach. And today I was stabbed in the back with the ineligibility for abuse of political power”, he added.

On the other hand, close allies say he was realistic with the result, but not satisfied. The general assessment is that, between the resources and attempts to reverse the result, Bolsonaro will remain in the spotlight from now on.

In addition, it anticipates the discussion of the ex-president’s estate in public opinion. Behind the scenes, this is still treated with reservations. Among the main names circulating are, in addition to Tarcísio, the names of governors Romeu Zema (Novo-MG) and Ratinho Junior (PSD-PR), in addition to Senator Tereza Cristina (PP-MT) and even Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ).

Privately, the topic is seen as delicate. They know that any gesture can be seen as disloyalty, causing the presidential candidate to fall into Bolsonaro’s displeasure.

Last year, Bolsonaro was defeated by Lula (PT), but by a small margin of votes: there were 58.2 million votes (49.1%) against 60.3 million (50.9%) for the PT.

Despite Bolsonaro’s high level of votes and popularity, he lost part of his political capital by leaving the country and adopting a reclusive posture after his defeat at the polls. The then president left before the end of his term for Orlando (USA), in a gesture of ignoring the traditional rite of changing lanes.

One of the direct consequences of this was that Bolsonaro reached the end of the most important trial he had in court, this Friday, with discouraged militancy and empty streets.

Another factor that allies cite for the lack of mobilization was the 8th of January: there is a fear of Bolsonarist militants and leaders that convene new acts, after the depredation of the headquarters of the three Powers. To this day, scammers are arrested.

Bolsonaro’s party and entourage plans for him include lectures and many trips across the country and abroad. They want him to remain politically active and serve as an electoral force for allies, especially in the 2024 municipal elections.