Lula strengthens ministry and maintains security in the background – 01/11/2024 – Power

The dispute for the position and the choice of Ricardo Lewandowski for the Ministry of Justice and Public Security shows what the Lula (PT) government’s priorities are in this area.

By appointing the former minister, the president chose to reinforce his good relationship with the Federal Supreme Court to face possible political crises with the Legislature.

The choice, as a consequence, keeps public safety in the background on the government’s list of priorities. Lula gave up on someone with experience or more connected to the area, in addition to having ruled out dividing the portfolio into two.

The dispute itself, in the final stretch, already signaled Lula’s choice for a name more interesting to his political needs.

If on the one hand Ricardo Lewandowski was never in the area, the competitors also did not have any relevant performance in this field.

Lawyer Marco Aurélio de Carvalho, one of those who ran for the position, has a good relationship with Lula and PT, but has no experience of work carried out in the field of public security.

Ricardo Cappelli, defeated and now on vacation, tried to wear the security specialist’s outfit during the race for the position. In his resume, however, his experience is limited to the year as executive secretary in the Flávio Dino administration.

Therefore, his experience is limited to the period in the department during the preparation of plans to contain repeated security crises in the states.

Attempts have not yet shown results and the government’s trump card so far in public security has been the Federal Police.

During the Dino-Cappelli administration, the corporation was the source of news and positive stories for the government. In particular, in states such as Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, with relevant numbers in relation to the fight against drug and weapons trafficking, in addition to cases of national repercussion such as that of councilor Marielle Franco.

The PF’s protagonism and the strength of its leadership in the Presidency are exposed with the maintenance of Andrei Rodrigues as the body’s general director, regardless of the choice to command the ministry.

The PF alone, however, is not capable of solving the problem of public security in the country.

In this scenario, the government still faces the challenge of presenting good results in the area. A first step for the government is to decide whether to try to create a flag and take the lead in public security or leave, as today, a protocol distance in relation to the responsibility of the states.

Within the government, those who defended the division of the department into two — Justice and Public Security — argue that the government is already charged with the main responsibility in the area and should create a banner to counter the right-wing discourse that left-wing management is insufficient firm in the fight against crime.

Those against it, on the other hand, argue that it is necessary to leave responsibility to the states and act only when necessary, in order to maintain a regulatory distance so as not to become contaminated in the event of problems.

Lewandowski’s choices for his team, especially for the National Public Security Secretariat, will indicate which path he should follow. Senasp (National Public Security Secretariat) is responsible for coordinating all the department’s activities with the state security secretariats.

This year’s municipal elections will be a first thermometer for the government on how the issue of security should weigh at the polls.

Then, in 2026, a possible new presidential contest against Bolsonarism should give a verdict on whether it is worth strengthening in crises with the Legislature or whether it would be better to try to face the opponents’ speeches about the lack of firmness against crime.