Party window empties Congress; leaders go to states – 04/02/2024 – Power

Leaders of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate returned this week to their electoral strongholds in view of the end of the party window on Friday (5), the deadline for councilors who want to run in this year’s municipal elections to change parties without risk of losing their seat. mandate.

The period is important for the parties in the search for strengthening in the states, to increase the number of city halls and also to consolidate long-term strategies, with an eye on future elections. Movements are intense among all parties, from Lulistas to Bolsonaristas.

The municipal election has a direct influence on everyday parliamentary life. Most members of Congress, especially those in the Chamber, count on the support of mayors for their electoral plans. The majority of the 513 deputies, for example, declare themselves municipalists and, throughout their terms, seek to respond to requests from allies in the states.

Furthermore, many parliamentarians are state leaders of their parties and, therefore, travel to their strongholds in this process. Some of them are even pre-candidates for mayor.

So that deputies could intensify negotiations around affiliations, the president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), signed an agreement with the leaders of the House so that there would be no sessions this week. Standing committee meetings were also cancelled.

The Senate, in turn, has held blended sessions, when parliamentarians do not necessarily need to be physically in the plenary for votes, in addition to committee hearings.

Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI), national president of the PP, told the reporter that the party prioritizes all Brazilian states in this party window and that the objective is to win more city halls.

“In the last election, we almost became the biggest party, we narrowly lost to the MDB. Now, our focus is to come first in this election. We are seeing growth in all states,” he says.

The PP is one of the strong parties in the center and was the base of support for former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

The president of the PT, deputy Gleisi Hoffmann (PR), says that there is no specific attention from the party for any state or municipality in this window. When asked whether there is an influence from the figure of Lula (PT) in this affiliation process, she states that “obviously it is a decoy, but joining without criteria does not strengthen us”.

For her, the moment is to articulate long-term goals. “We have experienced a situation like this in the past. During the first difficulties, people left the party. We want to expand our relationship with allies to have lasting progress”, she says.

President of the MDB, deputy Baleia Rossi (SP) recognizes that there is an influence of national members of the party in this process, but says that state leaders, such as parliamentarians, end up having a greater weight at this time.

“MDB works a lot with the realities of the states. Federal deputies, senators and state deputies are the ones who end up organizing the party”, he says.

On social media, Congress leaders (from parties from right to left) published records of membership events in which they participated this week.

PL leader in the Chamber, Altineu Côrtes (RJ), for example, published on Monday (1st) photos of a meeting with the governor of Rio de Janeiro, Cláudio Castro (PL), at the headquarters of the party’s state directory. “The right is united in Rio de Janeiro, working together to elect our mayors and councilors,” he wrote.

Representative Gervásio Maia (PSB-PB), leader of the party in the Chamber, also shared photos of membership events. “We believe in the determination and determination of the new members. The Socialist Party is getting stronger,” he said.