Lira forwards re-election with series of gestures to Lula – 01/28/2023 – Politics

In less than three months, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), paved a path that moved him from a close ally of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) to the supporter of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ( PT), consolidating the re-election for another two years in office.

The vote, which is secret, takes place this Wednesday (1) and Lira has a wide range of support, ranging from Bolsonaro’s PL to Lula’s PT.

Two main factors explain the rapid metamorphosis.

First, the fragility of the left, which controls only about a quarter of the 513 seats in the Chamber, which made the prospect of launching a candidacy against the centrão leader a very high-risk adventure.

Second, Lira’s three actions paved the way for rapprochement with the PT: the immediate public recognition of Lula’s victory, the approval of the PEC that gave the new government budgetary breath and, finally, the reaction against the coup vandals of the day January 8th.

“The PT made a pragmatic choice. It learned from Eduardo Cunha’s election. It thought it was not worth taking the risk of trying to elect someone from their party and failing. It was a correct decision from a strategic point of view”, says deputy Ricardo Barros (PP-PR), who was leader of the Bolsonaro government in the Chamber.

The reference made by the parliamentarian is to the 2015 election, when the then president Dilma Rousseff supported the candidacy of Arlindo Chinaglia (PT-SP) against Eduardo Cunha (then in the MDB-RJ), but saw his candidate defeated in the first round by the emedebist .

Less than a year later and after a series of frictions, Cunha would trigger the process that would lead to the impeachment of the PT.

Barros’ assessment is shared by other parliamentarians heard by the Sheet.

“I don’t think that President Arthur Lira’s pragmatism belongs. embark on a candidacy that already had all the signs of being victorious, in a composition that is beneficial for all”, says Marco Bertaiolli (PSD-SP).

For Danilo Forte (União-CE), there is a need for a more mature relationship between the Executive and Lira, “because the President of the House is stronger”.

The leader of the Republican bench, Vinicius Carvalho (SP), claims that the Lula-Lira rapprochement is healthy. “Yes, there has to be this synergy and this rapport.”

Lira’s first act towards the PT boat took place on the night of the second round, on October 30.

Despite having been a faithful ally and having commanded Congress to approve the electoral package that sought to improve Bolsonaro’s chances of re-election, Lira went public that night to congratulate Lula, defend the results of the polls and say that it was time to “build bridges”.

The public message that no movement contesting the result would join, given moments after the Superior Electoral Court declared Lula mathematically elected, represented an emptying of the Bolsonarist tactic of trying to undermine the reliability of the electronic voting machines.

That same Sunday, Lira had a friendly conversation for the first time with Lula, by telephone, to congratulate him. According to those who witnessed the conversation, the PT member even asked, as a way of breaking the ice, about the health of the deputy’s father, former Senator Benedito de Lira (PP), 80, now mayor of Alagoas.

THE Sheet showed that right after the election members of the centrão already signaled that Lula could count on a much more solid parliamentary base if he supported or, at least, did not create obstacles to Lira’s attempt to be re-elected.

The first personal meeting between the two took place ten days after the second round, at Lira’s house, in Brasília.

In the nearly two-hour meeting, Lula said he would not interfere in the election for the command of the House, according to reports. That is, he gave the password that the leader of the center expected to continue “building bridges” with a view to his re-election.

Having made this pre-agreement, Lira was one of the main drivers of the approval in December of the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution that opened space in the Budget for expenses and promises of the then president-elect.

The comfortable result of 331 votes in favor would not have been possible without Lira’s support. The PP, for example, delivered almost 40 votes in favor of the text.

The third movement considered crucial by PT members was Lira’s reaction to the January 8 coup attacks.

The mayor not only spoke out condemning the depredation and demanding punishment, but also went to the attorney general, Augusto Aras, to deliver a criminal notice against suspects of vandalizing the House’s premises.

More importantly, say Lula’s allies, he ensured lightning approval in the Chamber of the federal intervention in the Public Security of the Federal District, in addition to working behind the scenes so that opposition governors would attend the meeting promoted by Lula with the heads of the three Powers, the following day. to vandalism, as a way of demonstrating the unity of the authorities against the coup plotters.

Lira was elected mayor in February 2021, with Bolsonaro’s support. In his two years in office, he acted in line with the former President of the Republic, ensuring his political support in exchange for managing billions from the federal budget, which he used to keep his arc of alliances cohesive.

At the same time that he blocked requests for impeachment, Lira was also an important player in Bolsonaro’s campaign for re-election by leading the approval of the electoral package that reduced the value of fuel and raised the Auxílio Brasil to R$ 600.

He and Lula even exchanged accusations in the campaign mainly because of the high concentration of power in the deputy’s hands, resulting from the distribution of the rapporteur’s amendments.

Now, that is water under the bridge, in the view of the two political groups.

PT members say, however, that, after the House election, Lira can readjust her political path, which could represent a headache for the Planalto Palace.

Despite this, government supporters claim that they see no other option for Lula at the beginning of his term.

The current President of the Republic has distributed nine ministries to PSD, MDB and União Brasil, but, even with the close support of these three parties —which is unlikely to happen—, he will need Lira’s centrão to have a solid majority in the Chamber.

A loyal contingent of around 350 of the 513 parliamentarians is considered a secure base. For amendments to the Constitution, for example, the vote of at least 308 deputies is required.