PSD makes offensive in the Senate and agrees with Mara Gabrilli – 01/26/2023 – Politics

In an offensive in the Federal Senate, the PSD agreed on the affiliation of Senator Mara Gabrilli (PSDB-SP) and may overtake the PL. The party is still working to enlist one more senator by next week, further fattening the bench.

Allies of the PSD president, Gilberto Kassab, say that he articulates the increase in the number of parliamentarians since the end of last year. The main objective, they say, would be to face the PL’s discourse that Bolsonaristas were elected in weight and would dominate the Senate.

Gabrilli’s allies already take her affiliation with the PSD for granted and claim that the senator is only asking for the “blessing” of her main political sponsors, such as Senator José Serra (PSDB).

The toucana was a candidate for vice president on the ticket of the Minister of Planning, Simone Tebet (MDB), and has been on the PSDB since her first election, in 2004, for councilor in São Paulo.

People close to the senator claim that she complains that the PSDB failed to point out ways and that she would not like to oppose the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) for free.

While the PSDB decided not to join Lula’s base and remain independent, the PSD became one of the main allies of the new government and enlisted three ministers.

Asked about Gabrilli’s affiliation, Kassab said it would be “wonderful”. “One of the best pictures of Brazilian public life,” he said.

With the senator’s move to the PSD, the party should start the next legislature as the largest bench in the Senate. Today, PSD and PL are tied with 13 parliamentarians each.

In October, the party of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) managed to elect eight senators and announced that it would start the year 2023 with at least 14 – counting with the other six who have a mandate for another four years.

Marcos Rogério (PL-RO) ended up becoming, however, the tipping point. The parliamentarian is out of office for personal reasons, and the alternate, Samuel Araújo, is from the PSD. If Rogério takes office, the PL will once again have 14 senators – and the PSD 13, including Mara Gabrilli.

To oppose the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) and boost the candidacy of the elected senator Rogério Marinho (PL-RN), the PL managed to form a block with PP and Republicans.

“The PL/Progressives/Republicans bloc gives political muscle to Rogério Marinho, who wants to rescue the independence and protagonism of the Federal Senate, if elected”, said the PL, also anticipating that the elected senator Tereza Cristina (Progressives-MS) will be leader of her party.

Together, the three acronyms will have 23 parliamentarians during the election of the Board of Directors of the Senate, next Wednesday (1st). The PDT, with three members, formalized its support for Pacheco’s re-election. Other grassroots parties should do this by date.

The PSD has also been working to affiliate senators Eliziane Gama (Cidadania-MA) and Jayme Campos (União Brasil-MT).

The Maranhão parliamentarian has already spoken with Kassab himself and with several Senate colleagues, such as Otto Alencar (PSD-BA) and Omar Aziz (PSD-AM). The Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro (PSD-MT), tries to convince Campos.

Allies of Eliziane Gama claim that the senator is also evaluating the invitation from the MDB —Tebet’s party, with whom she is close— and should consider the regional scenario.

In Maranhão, the MDB is under the control of former governor Roseana Sarney. The PSD is strongly influenced by the mayor of São Luís, Eduardo Braide.

Eliziane Gama’s advisory stated that the senator is still talking to different parties. Jayme Campos’ advice was contacted, but did not respond.

“In the national field, the bench is very welcoming. It respects differences and frees the parliamentarian [em votações] when the issue is dear to him”, said the leader of the PSD in the Senate, Nelsinho Trad (MS), about the expectation of growth of the bench.

Since the elections, the PSD has also managed to join Senators Zenaide Maia (RN), who was from the Pros, and Margareth Buzetti (MT), former Progressives — and deputy to the Minister of Agriculture.

In the case of Buzetti, going to the government base was a condition for Fávaro to leave the Senate and take over the ministry. The minister’s second deputy, José Lacerda (MT), also joined the party commanded by Kassab in December and left the MDB.

During the presidential campaign, the PSD avoided declaring support for Bolsonaro or Lula, arguing that the party was split and that the official position could have negative effects on the election of deputies and senators. Kassab’s intention was precisely to fatten up the cadres in Congress.

Since the election, the PSD leader has intensified the endeavor to increase the bench to strengthen Rodrigo Pacheco’s chances of re-election.

Traditionally, the senator who belonged to the largest group in the House came as the favorite in the election, which has led the MDB to preside over the Senate several times in the past.

This custom was broken, however, in 2019, with the election of Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP). Renan Calheiros (MDB-AL), who belonged to the largest group and was running for the fifth term as president, withdrew from the race when he realized he would lose the election.

This time, the PL, which has Rogério Marinho as Pacheco’s opponent, seeks to attract the vote of parliamentarians because it elected the largest number of senators in the last election. Kassab’s intention was, in addition to having a large team in the Senate, to debunk this argument from the PL.

Unlike federal deputies, senators can change parties at any time. On Friday (20), Jorge Kajuru (PSB-GO) switched from Podemos to PSB —acronym of Vice President of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin.

As shown to Sheet, the PT wants to strengthen the PSB to increase support for Lula in the Senate. In October, the acronym elected only the current Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino (PSB-MA). The party hopes to announce, in the coming days, the affiliation of Chico Rodrigues (União Brasil-RR).

First alternate on Dino’s ticket, the deputy mayor of Pinheiro (MA), Ana Paula Lobato (PSB-MA), has already decided that she will remain on the PSB. With the affiliation of at least two other senators, the PSB would be able to reach the minimum number for one of the parliamentarians to be promoted to leader.