Lula says he will not cede Bolsa Família ministry to the centrão – 07/13/2023 – Politics

President Lula (PT) said, this Thursday (13), that the Ministry of Social Development, which takes care of the Bolsa Família, is “yours”, removing the interests of the centrão in this portfolio.

“This ministry is my ministry. This ministry does not leave. Health does not leave. It is not the party that wants to come to the government that asks for a ministry. It is the government that offers the ministry”, he said.

“It’s just an inversion of values. At the right time, we’ll talk as calmly as possible. I don’t want a hidden conversation, a secret conversation. press will know what I talked to each one, what was offered for the government’s participation and what the government wants to establish in relation to Congress until the end of the term”, he added.

The statement was given in an interview with TV Record. The entirety will air at night, but the excerpt has already been released on the portal.

The ministry, commanded by Wellington Dias, is coveted by centrão parties, who are negotiating entry into government. In exchange, they guarantee support for Planalto agendas in the National Congress.

This was not the first time that Lula has said that the ministry belongs to him. Last week, in an interview with SBT, he was also asked about the possibility of giving up the folder.

On the occasion, he did not mention the ministry by name, but he also said that “who chooses the position is the government”.

Lula’s statement also signals that the ministerial reform sought by the parties in the group led by the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), should only take place after the return of the legislative recess, in August.

The first lady, Rosângela da Silva, known as Janja, had also passed on a message of strength from Wellington Dias. Last week, she said in the recording of a video at the ministry, next to him, that the folder is the “heart of the government”.

“I’m here at the MDS and this is the heart of the government. President Lula says that the poorest population in Brazil is the priority of this government. So, the Ministry of Social Development is responsible. The public policies made for this population happen and they are designed here with this wonderful team”, said the first lady.

Despite the gestures, the folder led by Wellington Dias has accumulated criticism within the Planalto Palace, due to frustration with the low number of positive agendas for the government, and also in the National Congress, for having blocked the release of amendments. The portfolio has a budget of R$ 276 billion – more than Health and Education.