Choice for TCE exposes fractures at the base of Tarcísio – 08/27/2023 – Power

The dispute for the nomination of the new councilor of the TCE-SP (Court of Auditors of the State of São Paulo) in Alesp (Legislative Assembly of São Paulo) reveals fractures in the allied base of Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans).

The next vacancy will open in September, with the retirement of director Edgard Camargo Rodrigues, and the nomination comes from Alesp. The office in the court that judges the accounts of the government and city halls is one of the most coveted in São Paulo politics.

The candidate chosen in an agreement between Tarcísio’s secretary of government, Gilberto Kassab (PSD), and the president of the PL, Valdemar Costa Neto, is federal deputy Marco Bertaiolli (PSD-SP) – the name endorsed by Tarcísio in the Assembly.

The subject, however, has been marked by rebellions and dissatisfaction at the base, which sees in the imposition of a name yet another example of the political disarticulation of the government. The government’s difficulty with the subject indicates that the administration must have work to approve weighty projects foreseen for the second semester.

There are reports that the government even encouraged more names to seek the vacancy, which caused grief and fueled the mood of revolt in the Legislature.

So far, several names circulate through the House, including those of state deputies Ricardo Madalena (PL) and Gilmaci Santos (Republicans). Among the candidates running on the outside, the one who has the strongest electoral support is lawyer Maxwell Vieira, supported by Minister André Mendonça, of the STF (Federal Supreme Court).

A Sheet spoke with several deputies who claim that, although Bertaiolli is a favorite due to the power of the government, the game is not yet won. There are those who say that the movement of opponents or undecided can exceed half of the members of the House, which are 94 in total.

The government has entered the field with more force, with demands on the base and fueling the expectation of nominations for the second echelon.

For now, the dissatisfied list includes people in the governor’s own party, the Republicans, and also the PL, which has the largest bench in the House (19 members).

The situation is no better in União Brasil, a party with eight deputies that was sidelined by Tarcísio.

The candidate seen as belonging to the government, Marco Bertaiolli, has been carrying out an intense work of conversations with different parties. Despite being from Kassab’s PSD, his proximity to Valdemar Costa Neto, from PL, is known.

The leader of the acronym even took Bertaiolli to a meeting with the deputies of the bench, generating a tight match with Ricardo Madalena.

There is a war of narratives about adherence to candidacies, which indicate that some have signaled support for more than one person.

Madalena, a member of the acronym, did not withdraw her candidacy even after the party president’s gesture. Among Bolsonarists, the imposition coming from Valdemar was not swallowed by part of the bench.

The Republicans, the governor’s party, also did not agree with Bertaiolli.

The internal candidate for part of the bench is Gilmaci Santos. If Gilmaci left the mandate, who would take his place would be the federal agent Danilo Campetti (Republicanos), who worked in Tarcísio’s security team in the campaign and was present on the day there was a shooting in the Paraisópolis favela, during the second round .

He became Tarcísio’s advisor, but was forced to leave after being transferred by the PF — recently, the corporation removed him from the position. The chance to help a trusted man in an unfavorable situation is seen as an asset to convince the governor, either for the current vacancy or for the next vacancies that will arise in the coming years.

Tarcísio’s relationship with the Republicans, however, has been strained since articulations began for the party to assume a ministry in the Lula (PT) government. The governor is one of the main names in the anti-PT camp, considered as the name of the right for the 2026 presidential elections, and this movement could make him leave the party.

Running outside, the lawyer Maxwell Vieira has a powerful lobby, the minister of the STF André Mendonça. The report found that the magistrate was involved in the melee of the nomination, including calling some deputies to defend the choice.

The bet of his candidacy is that the minister gets support from Bolsonaristas, evangelicals and even the opposition, interested in imposing a defeat on Tarcísio.

Vieira was director-president of Detran in São Paulo during the management of Geraldo Alckmin and João Doria, both at the time of the PSDB. He also served at Ceagesp in the management of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), always being close to Mendonça.

In a confusing scenario, leftist parties know they can make a difference. PT, PSOL and Rede, together, have a bench of 25 deputies in Alesp.

No names, including government-backed ones, are dropped.

When contacted, Paulo Fiorilo, leader of the PT in Alesp, told the Sheet that the bench should deal with the subject this week in a meeting with the presence of the state president, Kiko Celeguim.

For the opposition, it is important to have a good relationship with TCE advisors, since the court analyzes city hall accounts and also government inspection request letters. Therefore, if Bertaiolli’s victory is seen as inevitable, he could end up taking the votes of that bloc.

However, the impression today is that the government is disjointed in Alesp and that there is a movement of growing discontent. Even among its base, there is a perception that a defeat would send an important message to the government at a crucial moment.

In the second half, the Tarcísio administration intends to vote on several important projects.

Tarcísio will nominate a total of four vacancies, three from Alesp and one from his choice. Negotiations now, therefore, may include choosing some of the current candidates for the remaining posts.

The matter could contaminate the climate for important votes scheduled for the coming months. The priorities must be the administrative reform with job cuts and the proposal that allows the relocation of health education.

So far, the government has struggled to approve much less controversial projects.