Caixa president minimizes possible departure from office to increase government base

The president of Caixa Econômica Federal, Maria Rita Serrano, minimized that she may have to leave office to make way for a political party nominee to increase the base in Congress, but criticized the pressure she has been suffering that ends up eroding the government’s own image.

The presidency of the bank responsible for paying Bolsa Família and financing for Minha Casa Minha Vida is in the sights of centrão parties along with ministries such as Health, Sport, Social Development, among others. União Brasil, which already has ministries, the PP and the Republicans are vying for more space on the Esplanada.

“I saw an interview of her [ministra Nísia Trindade,
da Saúde]which I think portrays the [meu] feeling. She said: I don’t feel insecure, but this exposure is very bad. It is even bad for the bank, because it creates insecurity”, he told journalists this Wednesday (19).

Unlike Nísia, who has been publicly defended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to remain in office, Rita Serrano and Ana Moser, from Sport, are not mentioned emphatically.

Despite being under pressure, the president of Caixa says she understands the need for political articulations to build governance, which has been confirmed by members of the government in recent weeks.

“Obviously, exposure is bad. Now it’s part of democracy. It has interests, negotiations that involve the government’s basic democratic process, so this dispute is part of democracy,” he added.

Rita Serrano also stated that the only guidance for now is to continue working until receiving some new determination, to “dialogue with the entire public sector, especially with public banks, to provide adequate and quality service to Bolsa Família staff”.

She highlighted in the interview that one of the most sensitive points is the operationalization of Minha Casa Minha Vida, which had the new hiring rules sanctioned last week. Rita Serrano says that the bank is already structured “to be able to handle the demand”.

Caixa was recently the target of criticism from the Lula government when it announced the charging of tariffs on bank transfers from companies through the PIX, last month. The decision lasted one day and was revoked at the request of the president.

PP and Republicans are guaranteed on the Esplanade

The leader of the government in the Chamber of Deputies, José Guimarães (PT-CE), said on Wednesday (19) that the PP and the Republicans are guaranteed in the Esplanada dos Ministérios, but still without defining which folders. The parties nominated André Fufuca (PP-MA) and Silvio Costa Filho (Republicanos-PE) to compose the government in exchange for an increase in the number of votes in the house benches – although they maintain independence in the polls.

União Brasil, which holds three ministries, wants to expand its presence in the government with more positions in the first echelon. Currently, the party has the Ministry of Communications, with Juscelino Filho; Integration and Regional Development, with Waldez Góes; and Tourism, with Celso Sabino confirmed last week in place of Daniela Carneiro, who was in charge for Lula’s “personal quota”.

The relationship with these three parties and new changes are discussed later this week by Lula, who will make the final decision on the change of ministries. The expectation is that he will have a meeting with the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), to expand the negotiation.