Eduardo Leite defends redistributing power in the PSDB – 01/17/2023 – Politics

The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite (PSDB), defends a repositioning of the party after the 2022 elections, when the party ceased to govern São Paulo after 20 consecutive years of the tucanate in charge of the state.

“We have a moment of crisis for the party, but also of opportunity”, said Leite, this Tuesday (17th) in Davos, where he is participating for the first time in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

The governor, who will assume the national presidency of the PSDB, proposes “a rereading and discussion of the main agendas, flags and better political distribution” of the party. A new configuration of power that takes into account emerging leaders like him and the other two newly elected Toucan governors, Raquel Lyra (PE) and Eduardo Riedel (MS).

“We have three elected governors, one in the Northeast, another in the Midwest and I in the South, with the responsibility of governing and also of promoting this discussion.”

According to Leite, the agenda includes the party’s agenda, program and communication with its electorate. “We are going to work along these lines so that we can reposition the PSDB.”

The fact that the party lost the state race in São Paulo makes room for this redistribution of power, assesses Leite. “The Government of São Paulo was the PSDB’s strength and weakness. Naturally, it was a lever and an anchor for the party”, he says.

“A force due to its population and economic size, but, on the other hand, this same relevance made the party very centered in São Paulo and less distributed in its leadership and direction in relation to other Brazilian states.”

Barred in his pretensions of launching himself to the Presidency of the Republic in 2022 by the São Paulo toucanate, who supported Jair Bolsonaro, the governor of Rio Grande do Sul is seen as a third way for 2026, although he disagrees and says that it is too early to talk about future scenarios.

“More than my personal rise, I want to put my work at the service of strengthening a democratic center that has a project and an agenda for the country”, says the gaucho. “We have a situation of polarization observed in the last election and I understand that a party like the PSDB is positioned in the center, that it is not that center that simply gravitates around power, whoever the president is.”

On the flight from São Paulo to Zurich, by Swiss Airlines, Sheet caught Leite being greeted by passengers. “Congratulations on your re-election, governor. In 2026, I want to vote for you on higher flights”, said a young man, when he saw Leite in his seat in economy class.

“Many people send me this message, since I got involved in this discussion already in the last election. To each one of them, I answer: politics is dynamic. It’s too early.”

On the same flight to Switzerland were Minister Marina Silva (Rede), of the Environment, and the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), accommodated in business class.

Leite traveled to Davos to be a Young Global Leader since 2020, a community of young global leaders of the World Economic Forum. He attends the first annual meeting in Davos with the calling card of governor and global leader.

In addition to connecting with leaders in Latin America and other regions, the governor has held a series of bilateral meetings with CEOs and company representatives. “I scheduled some meetings with entrepreneurs from the energy sector to situate them about the project to implement a green hydrogen plant in Rio Grande do Sul.”

When transiting through Davos, Leite has been the target of questions about the Lula government. “There is a lot of curiosity about how the country’s new administration is going to behave with regard to environmental issues, which are very present at the forum”, he says. “More than questions about the economy, outsiders want to know about institutional instability and the climate crisis.”