See who won and who lost in politics in 2023 – 12/29/2023 – Power

The year 2023, the first of Lula’s (PT) third term as President, was marked in politics by the coup attacks on January 8, the ineligibility of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and the friction between the National Congress and the STF (Supreme Federal Court).

These were facts that altered the power game in Brasília, strengthening and weakening some of the main characters. Lula tried to balance himself in the face of pressure coming from different fronts, such as the centrão, led by Arthur Lira (PP-AL), the market and members of his own party.

In her ministry, Marina Silva (Rede), for example, was weakened, while Fernando Haddad (PT) ended the year with a positive balance.

See who won, who lost and who remained stable in politics in 2023:

Lula (PT), president – stable

Winning by a small margin in the last elections, the PT member had a prolonged year as President, more of a hostage to Congress and the center; even with difficulty, he managed to approve projects of interest, such as tax reform; In the Datafolha evaluation surveys, their excellent/good rates ranged from 37% to 38%, crystallizing the polarization seen in the 2022 election.

Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), vice-president – stable

Alckmin maintained some protagonism in politics when he took over the Palácio do Planalto with Lula’s various trips, aiming to improve Brazil’s image on the international stage; At the same time, as Minister of Development, he implemented policies such as the return of the popular car.

Jair Bolsonaro (PL), former president – lost

Another bad year for the former president, who is now ineligible after trials by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) for the meeting with ambassadors and the 7th of September festivities in 2022; Outside of institutional politics, he has difficulty staying in the spotlight, and is involved in a series of investigations, which could lead to civil and criminal convictions, as in 8/1 and the Saudi jewelry case.

Michelle Bolsonaro (PL), former first lady – stable

Former first lady gained greater political visibility when she was considered a name for Bolsonarism for 2026, both for Planalto and the Senate; however, she has been investigated in cases of corruption, as has her husband, such as the sale of jewelry.

Fernando Haddad (PT), Minister of Finance – won

Haddad managed to approve the tax reform, an agenda for more than 30 years, and carried out important measures for the federal government, such as the taxation of offshore companies and the fiscal framework; he struggles to keep alive the goal of zero fiscal deficit, attacked even by Lula, and has suffered frying within the PT.

Arthur Lira (PP-AL), president of the Chamber of Deputies – won

The president of the Chamber emerged stronger this year, after implementing a ministerial reform in the PT government, in addition to becoming the main articulator of the centrão’s agenda and negotiations to release parliamentary amendments and positions in state-owned companies and other federal bodies; he also had an investigation involving the purchase of robotic kits, which affected him, annulled by Minister Gilmar Mendes, of the STF.

Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), president of the Senate – won

The president of the Senate has been involved in a clash between Congress and the STF and obtained the approval of a PEC limiting monocratic decisions in the court. The proposal, however, must be blocked in the Chamber; despite having a good relationship with the government, he has been encouraging Bolsonaro supporters to appoint a successor as head of the House in 2025 and to make a candidacy for the Minas Gerais government viable in 2026.

Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP), senator – won

After the setback suffered when he was prevented from running again for the presidency of the Senate in 2021, the parliamentarian is expected to return to head the House in 2025, in addition to having appointed three ministers this year in the Lula government and being one of the main controllers parliamentary amendments; The Sheetin October, claimed to be “less powerful than they think”.

Romeu Zema (Novo), governor of Minas Gerais – lost

The Minas Gerais native tried to gain greater national visibility and become a viable option for Bolsonarism in 2026, but made a series of controversial statements, gaffes and demonstrated a lack of knowledge even about the state he governs; he was still cornered in negotiations over the debt that Minas owes to the Union, where Pacheco took the lead. Now he is trying to gain space in the negotiations.

Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), governor of São Paulo – stable

Bolsonaro’s former Minister of Infrastructure spent his first year at the helm of Palácio dos Bandeirantes retreating from measures announced during his term and even retreating from setbacks. Bolsonaro distanced himself for a moment due to public policies seen as progressive and the articulation with the federal government. Among his victories is the approval of the privatization of Sabesp, in December.

Eduardo Leite (PSDB), governor of Rio Grande do Sul – lost

Despite efforts to rebuild the PSDB, the governor of Rio Grande do Sul had a year of difficulties with climate disasters in the state and decided to leave the party’s presidency; Furthermore, he spent the year with low national visibility and without establishing himself as an opposition leader to Lula, which hinders his plans to seek the Presidency in 2026.

Raquel Lyra (PSDB), governor of Pernambuco – lost

The woman from Pernambuco had a difficult year in her relationship with the state Legislature, with complaints about space in the government and political articulation. He suffered defeats with the re-election of the President of the House, in addition to the overturning of vetoes on the 2024 Budget; still faces health and public safety crises, inherited from Paulo Câmara (PSB). Despite local defeats, however, it has become closer to the Lula government, expanded its national reach and is coveted by other parties.

Marina Silva (Rede), Minister of the Environment – lost

The Minister of the Environment, respected by Lula, found herself with less powers after the center changed the Esplanada MP (provisional measure) and transferred some of her functions to other departments, restoring structures of the Bolsonaro government; Lula, threatened by a historic defeat, did not react and maintained the changes. It was also opposed in the case of oil exploration in Foz do Amazonas.

Aécio Neves (PSDB-MG), federal deputy – won

The candidate for President in 2014 was strengthened in the PSDB and projects greater heights in Minas Gerais politics in the coming years. He was acquitted in the corruption case with JBS, revealed after the Joesley Batista audios, and was rehabilitated internally among the tucanos; He had a great influence on the ticket for the party’s national board and is thinking about running for the Minas Gerais government in 2026.

Flávio Dino (PSB), future minister of the STF and minister of Justice – won

Despite a year covered by clashes with the opposition in Congress, the public security crises in Rio de Janeiro and Bahia, and the exhaustion caused by the visit to the Ministry of Justice by a woman accused of laundering money for drug trafficking, Dino was nominated by Lula to Rosa Weber’s vacancy in the STF and approved by the Senate, becoming the court’s new minister.

Alexandre de Moraes, minister of the STF – stable

The magistrate maintains a leading role in the court with the reporting and trials of the cases of the January 8th coup attacks, but has been the target of criticism regarding the conduct of the processes; he was also exhausted by the death of defendant Cleriston Pereira da Cunha in Complexo da Papuda, in Brasília, even after the PGR (Attorney General’s Office) asked for his freedom under restrictions. Even so, he still managed to influence Lula’s choice of Paulo Gonet, the new head of the Public Ministry.

Luís Roberto Barroso, president of the STF – stable

Sworn in as president of the STF after saying that “we defeated Bolsonarism”, Barroso manages the court during the trial of the January 8th coup attacks cases under a series of criticisms and deals with the conflict involving Congress, which tries to approve measures restricting the actions of the court. Despite this, he kept the court’s analysis of abortion on hold, in a nod to conservatism.

Cristiano Zanin, minister of the STF – won

Lula’s lawyer in Operation Lava Jato and friend of the president, Cristiano Zanin left law and became minister of the STF after Ricardo Lewandowski’s retirement; He also managed to please conservative senators and was easily approved for the court — there were 58 votes in favor and 18 against.

Deltan Dallagnol (New), former federal deputy – lost

The most voted federal deputy in Paraná in 2022, the former public prosecutor lost his mandate in June this year after a unanimous decision by the TSE based on the Clean Record Law; the electoral court understood that Deltan had resigned early to circumvent the ineligibility provided by law for members of the Public Ministry, who could not compete if they had open administrative processes.

Gleisi Hoffmann, federal deputy and president of PT – stable

Gleisi maintained an influential role in the Lula government, but was not heard at all times by the president: the main case is the appointment of Gonet to the PGR — he had defended the opening of criminal proceedings against her and her ex-husband, Paulo Bernardo .

Sergio Moro (União Brasil-PR), senator – lost

Moro is a defendant in an electoral investigation action under suspicion of abuse of economic power in the pre-campaign of last elections and has turned to members of the Judiciary in an attempt to prevent the revocation of his mandate; the former judge is politically isolated and does not receive support to implement initiatives or to maintain national projection.

Gilberto Kassab, president of the PSD – won

Tarcísio’s Government Secretary, a strongman in the state government and political articulator, saw his party multiply by seven the number of mayors in the state of São Paulo since December 2022 — from 46 to 329; Furthermore, he maintained a strong influence on the governor’s decision-making, also controlling the transfer of amendments and state agreements. At the national level, he remains close to the Lula government.