Change in government does not guarantee Union Brazil in Lula’s base – 06/12/2023 – Politics

Although União Brasil pressures President Lula (PT) for exchanges in the first and second echelons, members and leaders of the party do not guarantee that the party will integrate the base of the government if the PT meets the demands.

On another front, a wing of União Brasil threatens to take most of the 59 deputies to the opposition if changes are not made.

The União Brasil bench in the Chamber, which is aligned with the President of the House, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), is negotiating with the Palácio do Planalto, the Ministry of Tourism and Embratur (tourism promotion agency). There are also requests from Lira’s group to get the command and directorates of the Post Office.

These posts are occupied by Lula’s allies. Minister Daniela Carneiro (Tourism) is the wife of the mayor of Belford Roxo (RJ), Waguinho (Republicanos-RJ), who campaigned for the current president. Embratur is chaired by former deputy Marcelo Freixo (PT). And the Post Office is managed by lawyer Fabiano Silva, from the Prerogativas group.

The articulations are more advanced for the exchange of Daniela for the deputy Celso Sabino (União Brasil-PA) – despite Waguinho trying this week the last card to support his wife in the position.

This Monday (12), the Minister of the Institutional Relations Secretariat, Alexandre Padilha, admitted the possibility of changes in the first echelon of the government amid the pressure on Daniela.

“Government is like a rally. From time to time, during a rally, you have to change a driver, a tire, what matters is being on the right path. This is a government that has a path, a right direction”, he said, stating that the discussion with União Brasil is “under debate”, “which assesses the need to reformulate its nominees”.

The president of União Brasil, deputy Luciano Bivar (PE), told the Sheet that the party does not plead for any specific ministry, but considers it natural that the government seeks to improve the environment with Congress. He admitted, however, that this does not mean the legend will go to the base.

“This does not imply that any party that has this or that portfolio has a dogmatic adherence to the elected party,” stated Bivar.

Sabino has told allies that, if he takes office, he will work for the party to formally join Lula’s base. Although it currently has three ministries, União Brasil maintains an independent position in relation to the government. The acronym is criticized by the president’s surroundings for not delivering enough votes in Congress on Planalto tariffs.

Although they voted to approve the fiscal framework, most of the bench supported the overthrow of basic sanitation decrees, in the interest of the government. In the analysis of the Provisional Measure that restructured the Esplanada, União Brasil voted for Planalto, but participated in Lira’s articulation to push the matter until the final hours of the expiry date and supported the dehydration of structures such as the Ministry of the Environment.

The Chamber bench increased the pressure for the Planalto Palace to exchange Daniela for Sabino. After Waguinho’s attacks on the parliamentarian, deputies from União Brasil signed a petition for the replacement to be handed over to the political wing of the government.

“I request support for the bench to manifest itself repudiating the action against the colleague and also expressing our decision in the choice of Celso Sabino to represent the party in the government’s Esplanada dos Ministries”, says the message that circulates in the bench. The expectation is that 50 of the 59 deputies will sign the document – ​​just before 6 pm this Monday (12), there were already 47.

Waguinho also said this Monday that it would be a mistake for Lula to replace an evangelical minister with a Bolsonarist — Sabino supported Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in the election.

Members of the União Brasil summit assess that the strategy adopted by Waguinho ended up burying the chances of the minister staying in office.

Sabino’s allies have pointed out that, without the appointment of the deputy, the majority of the União Brasil bench in the Chamber will vote against the government’s guidelines. In addition, they claim that Lula was not elected because of Waguinho’s support, since the PT lost to Bolsonaro in Belford Roxo.

Waguinho is in Brasília and, just this Monday, he was in contact with Lula’s team in search of a meeting with the president. His expectation is that the meeting takes place until Tuesday.

A Sheet he also said that the chief executive called last week to invite him to a meeting when he returned from his trips to the Northeast.

According to the mayor, it will be a conversation between friends. “For him to understand what is happening, explain what he does not know. There is a lot of fallacy. They say that the minister is being chosen by União Brasil to leave, because she is not from the party. Who said she is not? She will stay until 2026”, stated.

Also on Monday, Padilha said there was still no definition of a conversation between Waguinho and the president, but classified the debate on Daniela’s replacement as “absolutely natural”.

“Right now, the party that has signaled the desire to evaluate the three ministers appointed by the party is União Brasil, and the government accepts this as natural to listen and discuss”, he said.

Daniela asked the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) to disaffiliate from União Brasil and is negotiating a move to the Republicans, whose leadership resists participating in the first echelon of the Lula government.

Waguinho used as an argument for Daniela’s permanence the fact that Waldez Góes, Minister of Regional Integration, is in the União Brasil quota — despite still being affiliated with the PDT.

The leader of the government in the Senate, Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), said that a possible departure of the minister of Tourism is “more pertinent” because it is a portfolio that is under the indication of the União Brasil.

He sees an eventual change in the Ministry of Health, however, as something “in the field of desire of those who are asking [a saída]”. The folder is under the command of Nísia Trindade and is coveted by the PP.

“There is the issue of Tourism, due to the change of party [de Daniela]. This one is more pertinent. Health, honestly, I think for now it’s in the field of desire. Who is asking,” the leader told reporters.

Later, Wagner said that Daniela’s case is a “localized problem” and not the case of ministerial reform.

He also stated that “the party has already presented its name”, in reference to deputy Celso Sabino.