Leader of the Lira block demands Lula in the release of amendments – 05/12/2023 – Power

Leader of the largest block in the Chamber of Deputies, Felipe Carreras (PSB-PE) says that the government needs to improve its relationship with the National Congress and demands greater participation from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) in political articulation.

In an interview with SheetCarreras says that the block of 173 deputies —composed of União Brasil, PP, PSDB-Cidadania federation, PDT, PSB, Avante, Solidariedade and Patriota— helps in the governance of the PT administration.

However, he says there is a need for the government to unlock nominations for office and speed up the payment of amendments for parties to deliver votes. “Perhaps the government needs to fine tune more, fulfill what was agreed, to have the necessary deliveries in a pragmatic way of the votes.”

Carreras, ally of the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), also calls for more dialogue between the Executive and the Legislative.

What is the balance of the creation of the largest block in the Chamber a month later? Positive. What we were looking for was an integration of a block that could give representation to some parliamentarians, even from our field, from the PSB, from the PDT, to have space, protagonism in commissions. In the CPMI itself [do 8 de janeiro], we would not have, within proportionality, the right to indicate vacancies of title, nor of substitute. Let’s have.

We, as a party of President Lula’s solid base, are associated with parties that are decisive for governance, such as União Brasil, Progressistas, Avante itself, PSDB-Cidadania, and we have sought proximity. We have identified problems and sought solutions.

Can you consider it a base block? I think the government needs to do its self-criticism. You need to improve your relationship with the National Congress so that we can help too, right? We, in the PSB, have to have our critical view. We also have to take what these parties are having in terms of dissatisfaction. But the commitment remains lit to be a grassroots block.

What kind of self-criticism does the government have to do? Talk to Congress, talk to party leaders. President Lula, who is the greatest political leader in the history of the country, [precisa] participate in the political game, call for yourself too, talk to the different ones, with a center party, listen to criticisms and suggestions for the government to be more assertive.

In the decisions that are taken, I even hear criticisms from ministers that decisions are taken with decrees, that even they from the related area are heard.

In your opinion, could part of the disorganization in Congress be resolved if the president assumed this role of articulator? I think that if the president listened a little, but listened… I have no news, after he took office, that he spoke to any leader of a center party, which is decisive for his governance. A lot could be avoided, like public statements. To think that there was one mistake or another in the last legislature is natural, but there is something that does not need to be exposed, because it weakens the relationship.

Consulting a leader on a topic, a rapporteur for an important matter that was approved in the last legislature, I think it could avoid some crises here in the House.

Is there a lack of dialogue with Congress then? I think. Mayor, many times, does not like to hear and receive councilor to dispatch. Governor listens to state deputy to govern. I think that the president, even within his history as president of the terms he held, he held this type of meeting, even approaching the base and other parliamentarians. He created a very close approximation.

A great example is José Múcio Monteiro [ministro da Defesa]. He brought close a federal deputy who is very dear, very skillful, who was from the PFL, who has always been on the right. And it helped a lot to give governance.

I don’t have any kind of jealousy because I belong to a grassroots party — the vice president [Geraldo Alckmin], having three ministers, being from our left-wing camp—and seeing protagonism in parliamentarians from the center. It helps, it’s good for the country. I think we have to stop looking inward, stop being radical, narrow, and expand the government. Bring people to help, expand, look at the country. There is no third round.

Mr. Do you think he’s listening too much to his own party? I think there are a lot of people acting with their liver. You have to forget who ruled in the past. Institutions are doing their part and we need to govern for everyone. You don’t have to divide who is Bolsonarist and who is a lulist, who is PT and who is PL. You have to unite the country. Our block wants to act with this position.

In addition to the lack of dialogue, what other dissatisfactions are the bloc’s parties signaling? Something that comes from our bench, for me as a leader, is that the issue of regional spaces is not getting off the ground. More than 100 days and things are dammed up, not announced and often, to make matters worse, they announce a name here, another there, which generates a lot of jealousy.

Mayors who charge resources for sensitive areas, for paving a street, an artesian well in a district in a distant municipality, and do not get funding for it. And the parliamentarians are in an environment of anxiety.

These indications of parties that are not the PT. I see the dissatisfaction of President Lula’s entire base here. It’s kind of a generalized thing. And the release of the amendments is not taking off. Now, this week, it was opened for registration, but it is a first phase. Then comes the commitment, then comes the payment.

That, when it comes to the deputy, is a councilor who complains about the mayor and the mayor complains about the deputy. It has been flagged since January. This weakens the parliamentarian with his base. And it ends up reflecting on governance.

The leader of União Brasil, Elmar Nascimento, said in March that the government needs to speed up the amendments. It helps? I think it helps. Now this all has a moment, right? We are living a moment of relative tension. And sometimes, when you arrive with medication in the framework that is established, many times it is not the solution. I think that dialogue is important, the moves that the government made were interesting, the issue of amendments is very important to calm the base of deputies. Obvious. It became clear that the will of the ministries is not reflected in the National Congress in votes. And I agree with leader Elmar that it is important to resolve this issue of amendments. Urgent.

In the PSB, like Mr. are you seeing the relationship with the government? We have tried to hold meetings with our ministers. The relationship between parliamentarians and our ministers is excellent.

Now, our entire group is critical of the government’s behavior, be it in the indication of regional spaces, or also in the issue of amendments. This dissatisfaction is widespread in our bench.

The lack of articulation ended up translating into defeat last week. Missing political reading? I think when the decree was issued [que altera o Marco do Saneamento e que acabou derrubado na Câmara] it was a failure, because he did not speak with the minister of the end area, nor was he talked to the Chamber.

Because it is a gross act to change a law passed in the National Congress through a decree. Obviously there would be some sort of consequence. So, given the environment of dissatisfaction, there was a message from Parliament in relation to the matter and in relation to other issues that ended up, in some way, influencing the defeat of the government, which is obviously a message that things are not working as they should .

Now there are other important issues, such as the framework, the tax reform. Mr. Have you seen a change in the government to try to approve these guidelines? I felt a motivation, self-criticism to improve. Now this needs to be translated and realized.

Does the government have to act more to get votes on economic agendas? The government’s performance is good, in terms of interlocution in Congress, with Minister Haddad himself. He invited us to talk, he went to the official residence of the president of the Chamber to hold a meeting with the leaders of the bench. This was politically very well seen. Now, this needs to be constant. Minister Haddad, in relation to political skill, is scoring well.

Which CPIs have the most potential impact on the government? It’s hard to make a prejudgment. There are CPIs that have already paid off, CPIs that have ended up in pizza. From the profile of President Arthur Lira, who will authorize the operation of the CPI for the first time, and from the profile of the parliamentarians, I am sure that all will yield results.

How is Lira’s relationship with the Lula government? I see President Arthur’s goodwill, his great synergy with Lula. Arthur was the president who had the most votes in the history of a president of the Brazilian Parliament and he has an advantage: he is predictable. If you make an agreement with him, he fulfills it.

I think that maybe the government needs to fine tune more, fulfill what was agreed, to have the necessary deliveries in a pragmatic way of the votes for the approval of structural projects in the country.

When Lira says ‘we won’t accept setbacks’, is that a warning? It’s an alert. We have already seen objectively that when the government wanted to face it without dialogue, the government will lose. Will lose.

---

Felipe Carreras, 48

In his third term as federal deputy, Carreras took over as secretary of Tourism, Sport and Leisure of Pernambuco in 2015. Before, he served as a businessman.