Lula will use trip to China to pave STF nomination

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) intends to use the more than 20 hours of the trip from Brazil to China to try to pave the way for the name of his nominee for the vacancy of Justice Ricardo Lewandowski in the Federal Supreme Court (STF), who retires in next Tuesday (11). The main candidate for the chair is lawyer Cristiano Zanin, who acted in the PT’s processes within Lava Jato.

Members of the Planalto Palace admit that Lula intends to hammer out the nomination shortly after his return to Brazil, scheduled for April 17. With that, Lula seeks to measure, together with the members of his entourage, the scenario for Zanin’s approval within the Federal Senate.

In addition to the President of the House, Senator Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), Lula will be attended by at least seven other senators from parties such as the PT, PSD and MDB. PT allies assess that there is no forecast of resistance to Zanin’s name in the Senate, but the president considers it important to have an endorsement from Pacheco and other leaders of the House before making the choice official.

After being questioned by the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ), Lula’s nominee will need to gather at least 41 of the 81 votes in the Senate plenary. President of the CCJ, Senator Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), has already signaled to Planalto that he does not intend to block the nomination in the collegiate. In 2021, the senator held the appointment of minister André Mendonça for about four months in the face of a clash with then-president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

If approved by the Court, one of the processes that may be analyzed by Zanin concerns a complaint against former judge and senator Sergio Moro (União-PR), filed by lawyer Rodrigo Tacla Duran, accused of money laundering. money under Lava Jato. In testimony to federal judge Eduardo Appio, who conducts the remaining processes of Operation Lava Jato in Curitiba, Tacla Duran said he had received a request for payment of bribes to help in a negotiation of award-winning. Appio sent the process to the STF.

Moro denies the accusations and stated that he “does not fear any investigation, but regrets the political use of slander made by a confessed criminal who lacks credibility”. Regarding the possibility of Zanin being nominated for the STF, the senator from Paraná used social networks to question the lack of “impersonality” in Lula’s choice.

Lula will try to expand the base of Chamber allies during a flight to China

In addition to trying to pave the way for Zanin’s nomination with the senators, Lula intends to use the flight time to China to expand his base in the Chamber of Deputies. In addition to the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), the PT invited at least 30 deputies to the entourage. Lira, however, has yet to confirm her presence on the trip.

The Planalto guest list includes names from various parties, such as PP, Podemos, Republicans, MDB, PSD and others. Among the guests is the leader of the block formed by the PSD, MDB, Republicans, Podemos and PSC, deputy Fábio Macedo (Podemos-MA).

The block is, so far, the largest in the Chamber and brings together 142 deputies. Appointed as an ally of the Planalto, Macedo will seek to unify the bloc in Lula’s interest votes in the House.

The expectation is that around 70% of parliamentarians from the party block make up the government base. Macedo is also trying to form a federation formed by PSDB and Citizenship, parties that have 18 deputies. The agreement, however, has not yet been signed.

“This parliamentary bloc is united around programmatic flags, among them the independence of parliament, political depolarization, the search for consensus, the defense of democracy and the development of Brazil”, defended the leader of the bloc.

Members of the Planalto Palace admit that Lula will take advantage of the presence of parliamentarians on the trip to China to strengthen ties with the Chamber. The petista has already indicated to his allies that the government will need to be more “flexible” with deputies, as acronyms such as União Brasil and PSD are not supporting the government.

According to the official letter signed by the Minister of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha, the expenses with the displacement of the listed politicians, which should take place in a Brazilian Air Force plane, will be borne by the National Congress. Hotel rates, says the document, will be the responsibility of each parliamentarian.