Lula government demands loyalty from allies after reform – 10/05/2023 – Power

Last week, President Lula’s (PT) main assistants held a coordination meeting with ministers appointed by allied parties to demand loyalty from the base and define strategies in the relationship between the PT administration and the National Congress.

The Palácio do Planalto is still trying to strengthen itself in the Legislature practically a month after opening the doors of the Esplanada dos Ministérios to two nominees from the center: ministers André Fufuca (PP), of Sports, and Silvio Costa Filho (Republicans), of Portos and Airports.

Minister Alexandre Padilha (Secretariat of Institutional Relations), responsible for Lula’s political articulation, promoted the meeting and created an exclusive WhatsApp group for government members nominated by allied acronyms. These ministers exert influence over the benches in the Chamber, and Planalto wants to see them mobilized to advance Lula’s agenda in Congress.

Still in this integration effort, the idea is that there will be monthly meetings to refine the discourse, after a first semester in which there were rebellions led by the very parties that support Lula.

Even after the appointments of Fufuca and Costa Filho, the weeks were not peaceful for Lula in Parliament. There were conflicting statements from the PT member and the president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), about changes in command of Caixa Econômica Federal.

Planalto is still concerned about the obstruction led by the ruralist group in the Chamber and the struggle between Congress and the STF (Supreme Federal Court) — parliamentarians accuse the court of exceeding its powers.

There is an assessment among the government’s hard core that Lira continues to have a strong influence over deputies. Therefore, it is important that the ministers themselves are able to react when necessary to possible attacks by Lira, with the aim of shielding Lula’s agenda.

Lula made the first major ministerial reform of his government official on September 6, after around two months of drawn-out negotiations.

To make the changes official, the president fired Ana Moser (Sport) to accommodate Fufuca and relocate Márcio França (PSB) from the Ministry of Ports and Airports to the new portfolio of Micro and Small Companies.

The Palácio do Planalto sought to form part of parties in the center that in the last administration were allied with Jair Bolsonaro (PL). The PP and the Republicans have 49 and 41 deputies, respectively.

According to people present at last week’s meeting, the idea was to guide ministers on priorities for the second semester.

At least 14 ministers participated in the dinner: in addition to newcomers Fufuca and Costa Filho, the ministers of Minas Energia, Alexandre Silveira (PSD), of Cities, Jader Filho (MDB), of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos (PC do B ), from Integration, Waldez Góes (União Brasil), from Communications, Juscelino Filho (União Brasil), from Fisheries, André de Paula (PSD), and Márcio França.

Padilha was accompanied by palace ministers Rui Costa (Civil House), Márcio Macêdo (General Secretariat) and Paulo Pimenta (Secom), as well as the Union’s attorney general, Jorge Messias.

The ministers of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro (PSD), Tourism, Celso Sabino (União Brasil), Transport, Renan Filho (MDB), and Social Security, Carlos Lupi (PDT), were unable to attend.

At the meeting, Padilha made a presentation on the importance of ministers acting in defense of Lula’s priority agenda in Congress.

Padilha also highlighted the need to be able to approve revenue collection measures, to ensure that the government reaches the goal of zero deficit — an objective seen with skepticism by economists and even members of the Executive. Furthermore, the minister pointed out the priority that the green agenda will have for Lula in the second half of the year.

There are obstacles to the legislative agenda flowing in the coming months.

The Chamber of Deputies is undergoing a general emptying, in a movement of pressure against the actions of the STF and Lula.

Driven by the center and by parliamentarians from the ruralist bench, the obstruction of activities in the House resulted, last week, in the suspension of commissions, sessions and votes — even leading to the postponement of the Amnesty PEC, despite the interest of parliamentarians themselves in the broad proposal forgiveness of punishments for parties and politicians.

The obstruction of the work occurred amid the revolt of the ruralist group, the most powerful in Congress today, with the STF’s decision to overturn the thesis of the time frame in indigenous lands.

The movement added to the assessment, which began in the Senate, that the Supreme Court is interfering in legislative issues.

The reaction of ruralists was amplified by the irritation of parliamentarians from the center with the PT government’s delay in defining the handover of some positions, especially at Caixa Econômica Federal.

The blockade was partially overcome with an agreement that sought to allocate resources of interest to the ruralist group to unlock the economic agenda and mitigate the dispute between the Powers. But the climate of tension still worries Planalto.