Ministry blocks amendments and becomes the target of criticism from Lula – 7/5/2023 – Politics

One of the coordinators of Lula’s (PT) presidential campaign last year, Minister Wellington Dias (Social Development) has accumulated criticism within the Planalto Palace and also in the National Congress.

President Lula himself has told allies that he is disappointed with the minister’s performance. The portfolio, which takes care of Bolsa Família, has a budget of R$ 276 billion — more than Health and Education.

The president has complained to allies that Dias needs to be more focused and present more positive agendas. As the ministry is one of the government’s main showcases, Lula hoped that the portfolio would be a barn of advertisements beneficial to the president’s image, but he does not see this happening.

On another front, Dias entered the centrão’s sights for not having, so far, released amendments coveted by the block of center and right-wing parties.

Leaders of the centrão, who supported Jair Bolsonaro (PL), charge political articulators from the Planalto Palace so that the money can be distributed and serve projects and works in electoral strongholds of government allies and the summit of Congress.

Ana Moser (Sport) is also targeted in the artillery of this group of deputies and senators.

She and Dias are the only two ministers who continue to block the budget of the former rapporteur amendments – the main bargaining chip in negotiations between Bolsonaro and Congress and extinguished by the STF (Federal Supreme Court). Planalto has used this slice of the Budget to try to broaden the political base.

Sought after, the Social Development and Sport folders have not yet responded on the reason for leaving the resources blocked. They also did not manifest themselves on the pressure of the centrão against the ministers.

This week, Nísia Trindade (Health) began distributing the money based on political agreements. Her portfolio is at the center of political pressure from the centrão for Lula to carry out a ministerial reform.

Congressional cardinals keep alive the desire to command the Ministry of Health, whose annual budget is R$ 188 billion. But, given Lula’s strong resistance to moving Nísia’s chair, the centrão has now focused fire on the Bolsa Família portfolio and on Ana Moser.

The president’s dissatisfaction with Dias does not mean, however, that the minister is at imminent risk of falling. Former governor of Piauí, he is one of the closest supporters to Lula.

However, the government’s political wing believes that, if the minister does not improve his relationship with Congress and his ability to generate a positive image for Lula in the social area, he could be replaced in a ministerial reform by the end of the year.

Members of the PP, the party of the mayor, Arthur Lira (AL), target the Ministry of Social Development, and indicated to the government that they would choose a name from outside the party to sponsor in case they command the folder.

To try to shield the minister from further attacks, the government’s political wing intends to trigger a faster release plan for the Ministry of Social Development’s amendments.

Lula inherited R$9.9 billion after the end of the rapporteur’s amendments. Wellington Dias’s ministry kept R$ 1.5 billion of that money – and keeps this amount locked up. In the case of Ana Moser, there are around R$ 200 million, which are also completely stopped.

At the Ministry of Sports, resources are reserved for works such as multi-sports courts, in addition to hosting sports, leisure and social inclusion events.

The money allocated to Social Development is for building and renovating service centers for people who participate in social programs or who want to become beneficiaries.

Wellington Dias was chosen by Lula, still in transition, to coordinate negotiations with Congress to approve the PEC (proposed amendment to the Constitution) that opened space in the Budget to expand Bolsa Família.

Afterwards, he was appointed to the ministry and given the mission to reformulate the income transfer program. Bolsa Família has reached record amounts in transfers to beneficiary families, reaching an average of R$ 705 per family in June.

The government expected more prominence for these positive marks. However, news such as the return of the waiting list, despite the program’s record budget this year, gained notoriety — frustrating Lula’s expectations.

In May, almost three months after the relaunch of Bolsa Família, 438 thousand families had their registration approved by the government, but did not receive the benefit, that is, they were on the waiting list.

The former governor of Piauí entered the Esplanada at PT quota. Ana Moser was Lula’s personal choice. The former volleyball player’s briefcase has one of the smallest budgets. Therefore, the pressure is greater on Dias.

Members of the Planalto Palace claim that, in order to attract more parties to Lula’s base, it will be necessary to make room in the first echelon. There are requests, for example, from the PP and the Republican wing.

For this, according to Lula’s articulators, it is more likely that the PT will lose ministries – to be transferred to the centrão. In order to contain pressure from the centrão, Lula’s allies are considering negotiating changes in secretariats of ministries targeted by parties, but not the vacancy of ministers.