PE: Raquel’s 1st year has political wear and tear and nods to Lula – 12/25/2023 – Power

The first year in office of the governor of Pernambuco, Raquel Lyra (PSDB), was marked by attrition with state deputies and by nods to President Lula (PT), despite being from a party historically opposing his.

Right at the beginning of her administration, Raquel Lyra displeased part of the Legislative Assembly by setting up a secretariat predominantly with technical indications.

The deputies hoped to make nominations in the first echelon of Raquel’s government, which was elected with just three deputies from the PSDB.

The movement did not happen, and she saw her party colleague, Álvaro Porto, being the only candidate for the presidency of the Assembly with the support of the PSB, a party that went into opposition after 16 years in power in the state.

Raquel Lyra’s preference was for a candidacy from the PP, which has eight deputies and is part of the government’s base. But, as Álvaro Porto saw it strengthened, the governor chose not to intervene in the dispute and avoid possible reprisals.

This was not enough to avoid animosity between the Executive and Legislative branches. This year, Raquel Lyra also suffered defeat in the veto vote on the 2024 Budget project. Other projects of interest to the Executive were approved in the House, but with changes.

Deputies complain about the lack of dialogue in the proposals and the sending of projects in a hurry, according to them, by the Executive, with little time for consideration. Furthermore, they talk about delays in releasing parliamentary amendments and resources aimed at electoral bases, especially in the interior.

The state government attributes the difficulties to the president of the Assembly. For those around the governor, Álvaro Porto may try to take power, since he is second in the line of succession, by wearing down the governor and her vice president, Priscila Krause (Citizenship). The majority of the Assembly defends Álvaro, who endorses the thesis of the independence of the Legislature.

Raquel Lyra was also indirectly defeated in the dispute for two open vacancies at the State Court of Auditors. The nominations were formally up to the Legislature, but the Executive complains because it historically had interference in the nominations, which this time did not happen.

In one of the vacancies, the president of the Assembly appointed his nephew Eduardo Porto to replace his own father, Carlos Porto. In the other seat, state deputy Rodrigo Novaes (PSB) was chosen, even though he is affiliated with an opposition party, after an agreement signed before the election for the presidency of the House.

The Assembly also brought forward the election of the Board of Directors for the 2025/26 biennium and sidelined the governor, who will now have Álvaro Porto at the head of the state Legislature during his four years of government. Re-elected, the toucan previously feared that Raquel Lyra would launch another candidate in 2025 and use the state machine to garner support.

In the political-partisan field, Raquel Lyra left the presidency of the state PSDB and appointed businessman Fred Loyo, one of the financiers of her 2022 campaign, to succeed her, in another action that displeased Álvaro Porto, who was interested in taking on the role .

Allies believe that the governor could leave the party and migrate to a party close to President Lula. Among the parties listed are PSD and MDB. The two parties are Raquel’s allies at the state level.

Raquel’s rapprochement with Lula generates dissatisfaction in part of the PL, which continues to support the governor’s allies. According to behind-the-scenes reports, among those irritated by the tucana are former Tourism Minister Gilson Machado, Bolsonaro’s pre-candidate for mayor of Recife in 2024, and state deputy Alberto Feitosa.

In the municipal elections, Raquel Lyra must support the Secretary of Tourism of Pernambuco, Daniel Coelho (Cidadania), in the dispute in Recife against the current mayor João Campos (PSB), who will seek re-election.

The state government sees João Campos as a favorite, but wants to wear him down. The main objective is to take the election to the second round and prevent João Campos from winning in the initial stage. The reading of Raquel’s surroundings is that, even if he is re-elected, going to the second round will already be a setback for the PSB.

In addition to Daniel Coelho, Raquel Lyra does not rule out supporting another candidate in Recife. A name in tune with the governor is federal deputy Túlio Gadêlha (Rede), but the obstacle is in the PSOL/Rede party federation, since PSOL —Raquel’s opponent— launched the pre-candidacy of state deputy Dani Portela.

But Raquel does not intend to get involved in disputes in the municipalities.

The next year is seen as crucial for the governor. In 2023, the government assesses that the house has been cleaned up. Next year, the governor wants to make a mark and overcome crises that have strained management, such as in health and public safety.

To react to criticism, Raquel Lyra announced, in October, a renovation at Hospital da Restauração, the largest emergency room in the state, with a maximum reference value for hiring of R$23.4 million.

In public security, the government launched a state plan two months late, with a target of reducing violent deaths by 30% by 2026.

Between January and October 2023, the state had 2,994 violent deaths, an increase of 5.4% compared to the same period of the previous year.

In the first year of government, Raquel Lyra’s first level had seven changes of secretaries, including in Security. Most of them asked to leave and complained about the lack of autonomy to perform their duties.