Lula is being asked to have a closer relationship with Congress| Photo: André Borges/EFE

Allies of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) advocate that the president hold a meeting every fortnight with all party leaders in the House and Senate. The model would be a way for the president himself to listen to the demands and get closer to the parliamentarians of the two Houses, in a strategy to avoid new crises with Congress, such as the one that occurred this week with the vote on the Provisional Measure that restructured the Esplanada dos Ministérios .

In addition to the demand for greater participation in political articulation, Lula also complained that Lula chose to make several international agendas while the agenda with the Legislative was left aside by the PT.

Last Friday (26), for example, Lula had a barbecue at Alvorada with the presence of several government ministers, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and leaders of the National Congress. Government sources admit, for example, that among the subjects discussed at the get-together was the nomination of Lula’s lawyer, Cristiano Zanin, for a vacancy as minister of the STF.

Those in government believe that Lula needs to adopt this model in order to get closer to deputies and senators. The get-togethers at the official residence of the Presidency were routine in the PT’s other mandates.

“Lula should assume command of the political articulation. There has to be negotiation on the part of the government, but there is a lack of good will on the part of the Legislature”, pointed out deputy Lindbergh Farias (PT-RJ).