Lula trying to attract Centrão and the PL wing to expand his base in Congress

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) has in recent days increased pressure on government leaders in the National Congress for an expansion of the government base in the Chamber and Senate. For this, Planalto members try to co-opt Centrão leaders who supported the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) with the release of second and third-level positions in the Executive.

At the first meeting of the so-called political council, held this Wednesday (8), Lula demanded agility from government leaders. This is because the lack of a base outside the leftist parties can make it “more expensive” to approve the measures in the Legislative.

“We need to be more precise, because the longer it takes us to find a solution, whether it’s a simple agreement to vote on a provisional measure, a bill, a constitutional amendment, the more time passes, the more expensive it is to approve those things. That is, disharmony is much more riddled among us and we don’t want disharmony”, stated Lula.

Distribution of ministries did not guarantee full support for Lula

Thus, the government contemplated legends such as MDB, PSD and União Brasil with folders on the Esplanada dos Ministérios. However, there is no guarantee of full support from the benches in the Planalto’s votes in the National Congress.

The most emblematic case is that of União Brasil, which has the third largest bench in the Chamber, with 59 deputies, and the fourth in the Senate, with 9 senators. However, the party has members who oppose the government, such as Senator Sergio Moro (PR).

During the meeting of the political council, Lula demanded that the Minister of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha, and government leaders in Congress maintain constant dialogue with deputies and senators.

“We want to re-establish the most civilized conversation possible with the National Congress. I’m sure we’re going to get a large majority to make the changes we need in this country”, said Lula.

Government members avoid saying precisely what the size of Lula’s base in the two houses of the National Congress would be at this moment. However, it is estimated that the support is 228 deputies and about 40 senators. Thus, the government would have difficulty approving, for example, a proposal for a constitutional amendment, which depends on the votes of 308 deputies and 49 senators.

Funasa can be recreated to contemplate Centrão

In order to try to broaden the government’s base in Congress, Lula’s allies are even defending the recreation of the National Health Foundation ( Funasa ), which was extinguished by Lula on the second day of his government. This would be a way to accommodate Centrão parties such as the PP, of the mayor, Arthur Lira, and the Republicans. Both acronyms were at the base of the Bolsonaro government and were not contemplated with positions in the Lula administration.

Funasa had 26 state superintendencies and was responsible for developing sanitation actions to prevent rare diseases. However, a Provisional Measure signed by Lula redistributed responsibilities. Thus, activities related to health and environmental surveillance were under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, led by Minister Nísia Trindade. Actions related to sanitation, in turn, were directed to the Ministry of Cities, led by Jader Filho (MDB).

Now, Lula’s allies already defend that the institution be recreated as a way to contemplate the possible new allies within the National Congress. “We are going to have a meeting next week with the Ministries of Cities and Health to deal with this issue. No matter how many problems Funasa has had over all these years, it is the face of those municipalities that do not always receive the treatment they deserve from the ministries. “, said the leader of the government in the Chamber, José Guimarães (PT-CE).

MP that extinguished foundation divides opinions in Lula’s base

Despite this, the recreation of the organ is not unanimous among members of the Lula government. Last week, in an interview with GloboNews, the Minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa, rejected the measure.

“Funasa is extinct in the MP and sanitation functions will be handled by the Ministry of Cities. Health functions had already been transferred to the Ministry of Health. It is a foundation that over the years has lost capacity for execution”, he said.

As it is an MP, the measure came into effect from its publication, but needs to be voted on by the National Congress within a maximum period of up to 120 days. Behind the scenes, one of the alternatives pointed out by Centrão leaders is to eventually let the text lose its validity and with that the recreation is automatic. Last year Funasa had a budget of R$ 719 million for sanitation works in the states. But for this year, it will be R$ 640 million for the same purpose.

Government allies try to dehydrate opposition by attracting deputies from Bolsonaro’s PL

In the calculations of Planalto allies, the opposition to the government currently has 103 deputies, 99 from the PL and four from the Novo bench. In the Senate, this number would be 12 senators from the PL and 1 from Novo, which recently joined Senator Eduardo Girão (CE).

In order to try to expand Lula’s base within the National Congress, the government’s allies estimate that it will be possible to attract at least about 20 deputies who are part of the PL bench, the party of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The government supporters’ assessment is that the party has names considered pragmatic and that could be attracted to positions in the second and third echelon of the government.

The starting point of the strategy was given by Lula during the meeting of the political council, who defended the “forgetfulness” of the Bolsonaro government. “I have told everyone that I have a lot of faith that we will overcome any and all difficulties that arise. I think it’s good for us to forget who governed this country until the 31st of December”, said Lula without quoting Bolsonaro.

Planalto members assess that the absence of Bolsonaro, who has been in the United States since the end of December, would have widened what they classify as a split in the PL. This would have facilitated the party’s rapprochement with the Lula government, in the view of Bolsonaro’s opponents.

PL wing wants advantages and can approach Lula’s base

But, the relationship has been sewn behind the scenes. This is because a wing of the PL wants to obtain individual advantages. However, without this causing wear and tear on Bolsonaro’s loyal base within the party. Internal negotiation would be a way for these parliamentarians to secure their spaces in the distribution of positions and commissions within the Chamber.

“The concrete fact is that we have a lot to do, we cannot have time to remember and discuss the things of the other government. We have to understand that the National Congress is not an enemy of the government. And the National Congress has to understand that the government is not an enemy of Congress,” said Lula.

Also during the meeting, the president said he was “certain” that he would be able to expand the government’s base in the National Congress.