Lira: lack of definition about Lula’s re-election hinders government – 06/13/2023 – Politics

The mayor, deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL), said on Monday night (12) that the fact that President Lula (PT) has not yet made it clear whether or not he will be a candidate for re-election in 2026 hinders the government.

According to Lira, this lack of definition generates “many pre-candidates from the PT itself”.

“I think that the government needs a unity in itself, there is no criticism here. The fact that President Lula has not made explicit until today if he is a candidate for re-election or does not generate, from my point of view, many pre-candidates within the PT itself. This does not help in the administration of the government. Because there is an apparent difficulty in the relationship between A, B, C, D or E”, declared the deputy, in an interview with Globo News.

Lira repeated criticisms of the government’s political articulation in the interview and said that the assembly of the support base by Lula at the beginning of his term did not have the expected performance by the Planalto.

On the other hand, he praised the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad (PT), whom he referred to as someone who conducts frank conversations and negotiates the texts of projects that will be analyzed by Parliament.

“What does Haddad do? Haddad talks, negotiates text and is frank in conversations. This is political articulation”, said Lira.

The main targets of criticism from deputies linked to Lira are ministers Alexandre Padilha (Institutional Relations) and Rui Costa (Casa Civil).

In the same interview, Lira said that, in a recent meeting with Lula, she suggested replacing Rui Costa with Fernando Haddad. According to Lira, the President of the Republic promptly ruled out this possibility.

“I had breakfast a week ago with President Lula. In the middle of the conversation I asked him a question: ‘do you think about having the possibility of Minister Haddad going to the Civil House and [Gabriel] Gallípolo staying at the farm?”, said Lira.

“President Lula immediately said no. Haddad stayed at the farm and Gallípolo [que é secretário-executivo da Fazenda] goes to the Central Bank. Thereafter the talk of ministries ceased.”

Galípolo was announced as the government’s nominee for a Central Bank board and should be questioned later this month by the Senate, which will decide whether or not to approve the name.

Lira also repeated in the interview that, although the country has elected a “progressive and left-wing” government, the Congress that came out of the polls is “conservative and liberal”.

He also said that the demands of parliamentarians for the occupation of positions and for the release of amendments are lawful.

Lira has been the main critic of Lula’s political articulation.

At the end of May, hours before the vote by the Chamber of the Provisional Measure that restructured the Esplanada dos Ministérios, the deputy mentioned a “widespread dissatisfaction” in the House.

“The problem is not with the Chamber, it is not with Congress. The problem is with the government, with the lack or absence of articulation”, said Lira at the time. “There is widespread dissatisfaction among deputies and perhaps senators with the government’s lack of political articulation, not one or another minister.”

Although Lira’s allies are pressing Planalto for the expansion of spaces in the center, including the Ministry of Health, the mayor denied that he had dealt with Lula about a possible replacement of minister Nísia Trindade.

“All the conversations I had with president Lula were institutional, clear and limpid. No one has ever dealt with space in any ministry”, stated Lira on Monday.

“I like Minister Nísia, I always had the greatest affection for her. I defended her in the last government so that she could take over Fiocruz, in an election that took place in Rio de Janeiro, when she had a lot of difficulties — she is a witness to that. no ministry”.

Finally, Lira stated that he was not affected by the Federal Police operation that affected people linked to him.

Asked if he thought that the operation was intended to affect him, Lira replied: “I don’t think so. If I did, things wouldn’t be as they are.”