Lula joins the joint to reduce Lira’s influence on MPs

Fearing a defeat in the National Congress, allies of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) entered the dispute between the Chamber and the Senate over the rite for processing Provisional Measures (MPs). The assessment is that the current model has increased the concentration of power in the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), which has influenced the bargaining power of deputies with the Planalto Palace.

Adopted during the pandemic, the current model provides that the text of the provisional measures is taken directly to the plenary of the Chamber and, if approved, goes to the Senate. Senators, however, argue that Lira has used this to control the agenda and, consequently, reduce the Senate’s performance.

According to the original model, the processing of an MP is done through a joint committee, where deputies and senators debate the text sent by the Executive. In addition, the reporting of the MPs is carried out by means of a rotation between the parliamentarians of the two Houses.

Provisional measures come into effect as of their publication, but need to be evaluated by the two Houses of the National Congress within 120 days, so that they do not lose their validity. For government members, Lira has held the provisional measures as a way of putting pressure on the Planalto for more space for Centrão allies.

Recently, during a dinner with Lira, Lula exposed the need for the Chamber and the Senate to come up with an alternative to the impasse. Senators have even advocated that the issue be taken to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) by the President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) – which ended up happening this week, but at the initiative of Senator Alessandro Vieira (PSDB-SE). .

The toucan entered with a writ of mandamus, at the STF, against Lira, claiming “inertia in guaranteeing a return to the ordinary regime for the processing of provisional measures”. He requires the suspension of the act signed in 2020, which allowed exceptionality in the processing of MPs.

In addition to judicialization, government supporters fear that, without a solution, at least 20 MPs edited by Lula at the beginning of the year will be blocked in the National Congress. Among them, the one that transferred the structure of the Financial Activities Control Council (Coaf) from the Central Bank to the Ministry of Finance and the one that changed the tie-breaking rule for decisions of the Administrative Council of Tax Appeals (Carf), favoring the Federal Revenue over litigation in tax and customs matters.

Government will defend Senate thesis in the processing of MPs

In this strategy, Lula’s allies are moving behind the scenes so that the old model of procedure for provisional measures is reestablished in the National Congress. To avoid a direct clash with Lira, government supporters argue that Rodrigo Pacheco maintains pressure on the mayor.

Negotiations by the government have been conducted by the Minister of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha. He has acted directly in an attempt to find a resolution between Lira and Pacheco and has already addressed the matter with party leaders.

The president of the Senate even edited an act of the Board of Congress to resume the constitutional rite of the MPs. Lira, however, resisted and argued that the determination needs to be made jointly by the two legislative houses.

Recently, the leader of the Majority in the Senate, Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL), said that he intends to present a point of order (formal protest of congressmen based on the internal regulations) and should ask for the immediate return of the commissions for a unilateral act by Pacheco . The emedebistas are Lula’s ally and one of Lira’s main political opponents in Alagoas.

Planalto believes that pressure can reduce Lira’s influence over Lula’s MPs

Members of the government assess that the Executive’s role in the dispute should be cautious, so that there is no noise or retaliation by parliamentarians. Despite this, they believe that working with senators should have an effect on the strategy to reduce Arthur Lira’s power.

The president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, has already indicated that he intends to meet with Lira this week to present the senators’ proposals to him. To the president of the Chamber, the senator intends to indicate that the judicialization of the case would cause friction between the two Houses and that an agreement would be the best way to end the impasse.

Lira’s allies argue that the mixed commissions for the processing of MPs will only be installed from the second half of the year. With this, the president of the Chamber could maintain influence over the texts already presented by the government. Senators, however, rule out that possibility.

In addition to the president of the Senate, another ally of the Lula government who has participated in the articulations for the impasse is Senator Davi Alcolumbre (DEM-AP). One of the sewn alternatives is that the first provisional measures edited by Lula follow the current model during the pandemic.

From the agreement, the other MPs presented by the Lula government would start to be processed through the joint commissions. The leader of the Government in Congress, Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (Rede-AP), confirmed that the Planalto is not “comfortable” with the current model for processing the provisional measures. “It is our priority to resolve [a volta das comissões mistas]”, he stated.