Planalto celebrates Pacheco’s re-election and says the score does not reflect base – 02/01/2023 – Politics

Palatial assistants, parliamentarians and allies of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) celebrated the re-election of Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) to the command of the Senate, but rushed to say that the result does not express the size of the government base in the house legislative.

Pacheco won the dispute against Bolsonarist Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) by 49 votes against 32 – within the limit for approval of the PEC (proposed amendment to the Constitution). The number of votes is much smaller than the 57 that Pacheco won in 2021, when he faced then Senator Simone Tebet (MDB-MS), current Minister of Planning.

The score was especially celebrated by Lula’s allies for representing the same number needed for the approval of the PEC. They mention as a priority the tax reform in the house.

The Planalto Palace’s priority in Congress is economic recovery, with tax reform and the new fiscal framework; and the package of projects proposed by the Ministry of Justice to toughen legislation against anti-democratic attacks.

Despite this, ministers and government leaders were careful to rule out associations between Pacheco’s number of votes and the size of the base.

“We will have 52 to 55 votes [na base do governo]”, said PT senator Rogério Carvalho (PT-SE), quoted for the first secretary of the Board of Directors, which will be decided this Thursday (2).

“I don’t think that [o resultado] impact governance”, said the leader of the government in the Senate, Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), along the same lines.

Privately, the government was waiting for the score to measure the size of the opposition. Of the 21 elected senators, 7 were part of the previous government and became symbols of Bolsonarism, such as the former Minister for Women, Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF).

“We will have to work hard”, said the leader of the government in Congress, Randolfe Rodrigues (Rede-AP), when commenting on the result.

The minister of the Institutional Relations Secretariat, Alexandre Padilha, said that Pacheco represents a reinforcement for democracy.

“From the beginning we were confident that democracy would gain this important reinforcement. Congratulations, senator! Brazil and President Lula are counting on you to walk the path of union and reconstruction”, he said on social networks.

Padilha told journalists that the vote “creates a very positive environment so that we can advance in projects to defend democracy, to consolidate democracy.”

Petistas already expected victory, but were apprehensive in the face of new support declared in recent days for the former minister of Jair Bolsonaro (PT). Complaints about the influence of former Senate President Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP) also generated apprehension.

The government said it would not get involved in the Senate dispute, but waved with positions, including members of the centrão closest to Bolsonaro.

The Planalto had been waiting for the election in Congress to finalize the nominations for the second echelon of government, such as state and regional banks.

Lula, in turn, had dinner with Pacheco the week before the election, at the official residence of the Senate. The two posed for a photo, in a clear sign of Planalto’s support for the then candidate.

The Chief Executive, after the result this Wednesday, called the leader of the government in Congress and asked to speak with Pacheco to congratulate him.

In the opposition, senators say that the result was not what was expected, but that the bloc is strengthened.

Former vice-president of the Republic Hamilton Mourão (Republicanos-RS), sworn in this Wednesday, said that Pacheco will be charged for the promise that the Senate will be “independent”.

The last leader of the government under Bolsonaro, Carlos Portinho (PL-RJ), argued that the score shows the strength of the Bolsonarist base, greater in this legislature.

“We were 23 and we turned 32 [número de votos em Marinho]. This shows a strengthened opposition, although it lost to a government that has instruments. And it lost by nine votes,” he said.

Portinho also stated that, after the elections, the benches of the parties in the Senate should undergo changes, like the PL itself, which already lost a seat on the eve of the vote.

The senator also admitted that, “without a doubt” from now on, the party’s focus will be on working to win the presidency of the CCJ (Commission on Constitution and Justice).

The conduct of the commission under the presidency of Davi Alcolumbre, in the last two years, was the target of strong criticism from the group of pro-Marinho senators, who tried to use the administration to raise votes from other dissatisfied congressmen.

“The idea that Rogério Marinho always took —who knows, Pacheco might reflect on it, not least because it won’t be easy to govern with 32 on the other side—, is that proportionality should be sought [nas escolhas de comissões e para a mesa dos senadores]. And in this regard, the PL would have its positions in the CCJ and other commissions,” he said.