Lula admits that he negotiated a lot in the first year of government and calls for an 8/1 act

A year of many negotiations since before the new government even began. It was in this sense that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) opened the last ministerial meeting of the year this Wednesday morning (20), at Palácio do Planalto, with all 38 State ministers and leaders in Congress to take stock of as was the first year of his third term as President of the Republic.

The word negotiation and articulation was present in practically the entire opening of the meeting, open to the press, but closed after the speech. The meeting is expected to end in mid-afternoon.

Lula classified the current situation after a year of government as “very good”, but not exceptional, as “we always want more”. He stated that the current situation in the country is not “exceptional” because having started the administration already having to negotiate the PEC during the transition to guarantee the necessary resources to resume social measures such as Bolsa Família, Minha Casa Minha Vida, recomposition of the budget of several ministries, among others.

“If we take into account the reality that we have in this country. We had to start governing practically a month and a half before taking office with the transition PEC”, said Lula, thanking government leaders in both houses of Congress and Minister Fernando Haddad, of Finance, for articulating the approval of the PEC in the end of last year.

The need for coordination was recognized by Lula as necessary throughout the first year of government “in a Congress in which all parties are medium to low, none with more than 150 or 200 deputies”.

The president stated that he had to put into practice the “art of negotiation” which “is often misinterpreted or accused of being at a lower level”, that the government “had to talk to so-and-so, so-and-so, the centrão”.

“I have always made a point of saying that, in our government, we do not talk to the center, but rather to parties that have a deputy or senator. We don’t ask which party, we take a proposal and establish the necessary conversations”, he highlighted.

Lula, however, did not mention that the government had to give up the original nominations in ministries and the presidency of Caixa as the year progressed to accommodate nominees from parties that later became partially part of the allied base, such as PP and Republicans, and that continues negotiating with parties in the center.

The articulation was cited by him as necessary to approve especially the tax reform and the agendas that aim to increase government revenue for next year to be able to pay the bills, but also without mentioning that the resources are to try to meet Haddad’s goal of eliminate the deficit in public accounts in 2024.

No “hobby horse” in the economy

Lula highlighted during the meeting that the approval of priority economic projects for the government, with negotiation by Haddad and leaders in Congress, serves as a message to the world that the government does not intend to adopt controversial solutions for public accounts.

“So that we can give the Brazilian people and the entire world that wants to invest in Brazil the certainty that this country is taking the economic issue very seriously. That we do not think for a moment that it is possible to work magic on the economy, to give a ‘hobby horse’ to a ship the size of Brazil, and that we will continue in 2024 with this same way of governing”, he said, highlighting that the government at Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose something.

“Poor ruler who thinks he can exchange the dialogue table for a machine gun, a rifle or a cannon. When this position is reached, ignorance overcame intelligence”, highlighted the president.

Still in the economic field, Lula highlighted the strength of agribusiness for the country’s economy and that more than 70 markets were opened “for those who had doubts” about his relationship with the sector.

He also said that he recognizes that mistakes may have been made throughout the year, but that “we will talk later”, without explaining what he considered an error in the first year of management.

Approach with the Judiciary

In addition to negotiations with Congress to pass the economic agendas considered a priority for the government, Lula also tried to approach the Judiciary, with whom he had a tense relationship, especially during the trial of criminal actions relating to Operation Lava Jato that led him to prison in 2018.

The culmination was the dinner he hosted on Tuesday night (19) at the home of Minister Luís Roberto Barroso, president of the Court, with almost all the magistrates. Only Cármen Lúcia and André Mendonça did not attend, as they were traveling.

According to a STF note released this Wednesday morning (20), the meeting was requested by Lula to Barroso during a private conversation last month due to the organization of Brazil’s participation in the rotating presidency of the G20.

“The president of the STF maintains a friendly relationship with the President of the Republic, although he acts independently in relation to the government. During the meeting, Minister Barroso confirmed to Lula that he will be in Brasília to participate in events relating to January 8th”, said the STF.

In addition to President Lula and First Lady Rosângela Lula da Silva, known as Janja, ministers Gilmar Mendes attended the dinner; Dias Toffoli and wife; Luiz Fux; Edson Fachin and wife; Alexandre de Moraes and wife; Nunes Marques and wife; Cristiano Zanin and wife; and the future Minister Flávio Dino. Minister Jorge Messias, from the Federal Attorney General’s Office, also participated.

Interruption of ministers’ vacations for the 8/1 act

Still during the meeting, Lula determined that all ministers interrupt their year-end vacation to attend the National Congress, on January 8, to participate in an event that Minister Flávio Dino, of Justice and Public Security, is organizing in reference to to the first year of the acts that led to the invasion and depredation of the headquarters of the Three Powers, in Brasília.

Lula stated that Dino will continue as minister until January 8th to coordinate the act and then he must leave the government and take up the open position at the Federal Supreme Court (STF). He did not comment on what the transition should be like or whether he might take on the ministry.

“No one is asking you not to travel, but I want all the ministers to be present on January 8th, and then you can go back to rest, because everyone deserves a rest,” Lula told the ministers.

According to him, the event in Congress is being coordinated by Dino together with the presidents of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), and the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), in addition to the president of the STF, Luís Roberto Barroso.

President Lula also stated that he will take a period off between December 26, 2023 and January 3, 2024, but that vice-president Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) must stay in Brasília. “I don’t know if he will rest, but he has to work,” he said, highlighting that, despite taking a few days off, a “set of ministers” will also be in the capital “as guardians” during this period.