PE: João Campos avoids dependence on PT after Lyra setback – 08/28/2023 – Politics

Opponents, the governor of Pernambuco, Raquel Lyra (PSDB), and the mayor of Recife, João Campos (PSB), have been fighting for allies in recent weeks. The toucana managed to attract the PSD to its allied base and took it away from the PSB, but the mayor of the capital is preparing a response by joining her former allies.

Raquel Lyra was elected in 2022 in the second round, ending a 16-year cycle of power by the PSB, her former party, in the state.

The PSD now occupies the Secretariat of Culture of Pernambuco with Cacau de Paula, who the day before taking office in the state was Secretary of Tourism in the City Hall of Recife.

She is the daughter of André de Paula, current Minister of Fisheries in the Lula government, former federal deputy and defeated for the Senate in the 2022 elections. He commands the party in the state and, last year, he had supported Marília Arraes (Solidariedade) in the state dispute.

Despite having the largest bench in the Senate and one of the largest in the Chamber, the PSD was unable to elect federal or state deputies in Pernambuco in the last election. Thus, the party needs to strengthen itself for the next elections.

This need for expansion was decisive, according to PSD members, for the caption to go to the state government.

The governor’s articulation was endorsed by the national president of the PSD, Gilberto Kassab. The national command of the party expects a possible later affiliation of Raquel or vice-governor Priscila Krause (today at Cidadania), for 2026.

With the PSD in her base, the governor may have fewer obstacles in relation to the Lula government.

The governor’s current party, the PSDB, opposes the PT, while the state manager has continued in the neutrality discourse, started in the campaign, but at the same time sought bridges with the federal government, even with the Bolsonarist PL being her ally.

In reaction, João Campos sought to expand the number of his allies within União Brasil. The objective is to ensure support in the Union, which could mitigate damage in the event of a drop with the PT for the coalition in 2024. Currently, PT supporters are supporters of the mayor.

João Campos sealed an alliance with the political group of former mayor of Petrolina Miguel Coelho (União Brasil), son of former senator and former government leader Jair Bolsonaro Fernando Bezerra Coelho (MDB). The mayor is also an ally of Luciano Bivar, the party’s national president. With that, he tries to isolate the federal deputy Mendonça Filho, rival of the PSB, in União Brasil.

Miguel Coelho was a candidate for governor in 2022, obtained 18% of the votes and ranked fifth. In the second round, he supported the toucan against Marília Arraes.

After the second round, Raquel had conversations with Miguel Coelho, but both did not converge to an effective rapprochement.

Miguel’s allies say, privately, that the governor offered a minor secretary and that this would be deliberate, to force Miguel’s refusal. To interlocutors, she did not show full confidence in an agreement.

But the trigger for the Coelho group to ally themselves with the PSB again after seven years was Raquel’s articulation with the PSD. That’s because Miguel was prepared to join the party, but the governor’s advance on the party interrupted the negotiations.

Now, Miguel will indicate a name to occupy the Secretariat of Tourism of Recife. A mini-reform in the mayor’s secretariat is not ruled out, as well as a possible move by Miguel Coelho to a turbocharged secretariat.

Criticized even by allies, Raquel Lyra made this her first prominent political move in almost eight months of management. In the coming months, she should go deeper into negotiations with Avante, which supported Marília Arraes, and with the MDB, which is hybrid, allied with João Campos and Raquel at the same time. The toucan will try the exclusivity of emedebistas.

The PT is in João Campos’ allied base, but intends to apply for the vice-presidential seat next year. That’s because, if the mayor leaves to run for government against Raquel in 2026, a petista would take over the mayoralty of the capital of Pernambuco. In the PT’s view, in this scenario, João Campos could also not leave office, but would be led to support a PT candidate for governor in three years’ time.

Within the PT, the chances of a candidacy in Recife to face João Campos are seen as scarce. Lula’s party does not want to run the risk of defeat and attrition with the PSB, a national ally, which could have consequences in Congress and other alliances in the country.

Those around João Campos believe that only in 2024 will there be a clearer signal about obtaining support from the PT. PT members occupy two municipal secretariats.

Even so, the mayor’s allies see the PT as a determining factor in building muscle. The adhesion of PT cadres and the PT’s radio and television time in the coalition in 2024 would be crucial.

For the time being, João Campos has, in addition to his PSB, the secure support of the PDT and Republicans for re-election. He advanced in negotiations with Solidariedade, chaired in Pernambuco by Marília Arraes.

The PSB is negotiating Marília’s accession to João’s base in exchange for support for her eventual candidacy for the Prefecture of Jaboatão dos Guararapes, a city of 643,000 inhabitants in Greater Recife and today governed by Bolsonaro’s PL, in 2024.