Senate accelerates steps to enlist Zanin in the STF with conservative support

The process of confirmation by the Senate of the nomination of lawyer Cristiano Zanin Martins, 47 years old, to occupy Ricardo Lewandowski’s vacancy in the Federal Supreme Court (STF), made by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), takes place in an agile way and without any embarrassment, including the green light from conservative wing senators.

Zanin was Lula’s lawyer, has a guarantor profile and became one of the protagonists in the dismantling of Lava Jato in recent years. Therefore, his nomination to the STF is being seen as yet another setback in the fight against corruption in Brazil.

Since the publication of the indication in the Official Gazette, on June 1st, all stages have been carried out in an accelerated manner, aiming to guarantee the probable approval with a wide margin of the lawyer, all in less than a month.

Zanin’s sabbatine in the Senate will be next Wednesday (21) and the plenary vote will be secret.

Shortly after Lula made his name official, amidst speculation since January, Zanin began a series of meetings with senators. As of last week, he has accelerated this process. One of the objectives would be to clarify some issues for parliamentarians and even avoid uncomfortable points raised by the press. All senators were sought, including former judge Sergio Moro (União Brasil-PR).

In addition to introducing himself to parliamentarians, the meetings served to discuss ideas and, above all, overcome resistance. Direct contact, in theory, allows senators to get to know you better, form an opinion on your suitability for the position and even deal with specific demands.

Senator Carlos Viana (Podemos-MG), president of the Evangelical Front, expressed the satisfaction of the members of the group to hear from Zanin a “firm position” against the interference of the STF in themes dear to conservatives, such as restrictions on drugs and abortion. . During a dinner on Wednesday (14) with the front, the lawyer agreed that Parliament should have the final word on these issues. “The lawyer understood the need to seek a balance between powers”, he summarized.

Regarding Zanin’s conditions for holding office, the president of the Frente Evangélica stated that the lawyer “showed legal competence” and was a “true doctor” by managing to reverse Lula’s complex judicial situation”, even having in his favor “the weight of of the political positions of ministers of the Supreme”.

For him, Lula’s decision to appoint his personal lawyer is the prerogative of the president, provided for by law. However, he emphasized the importance of Congress discussing changes in the way ministers are appointed to the STF, as well as reviewing rules for exercising the function, such as the setting of mandates, “in order to make the Judiciary independent and less susceptible to wishes of each occupant of the Plateau”.

A People’s Gazette, Senator Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF), vice-president of the Evangelical Front, shared her good personal impression of the lawyer, calling him “Doctor Zanin”. She highlighted the intelligence and pleasant personality of Lula’s nominee, revealing that she “liked him a lot as a person”.

Although she did not guarantee her vote for the candidate, the former minister in the government of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) requested that, if Zanin is approved by the Senate plenary, he assumes the role of “the minister of children in the STF” , to ensure the protection of children, one of the main flags of the senator’s political career.

Opinion on Zanin’s nomination highlights career in law and exposes academic insufficiency

This Thursday (14), Veneziano Vital do Rêgo (MDB-PB), who is also vice-president of the Senate, presented his opinion to the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ) as rapporteur for Zanin’s nomination. He stated that the lawyer appointed by Lula is fit to fill the vacancy on the STF. According to the senator, the members of the CCJ, in which the nominee will be questioned next Wednesday (21), have “sufficient elements” to evaluate the nomination.

The opinion highlighted the professional trajectory and revealed the absence of academic content, which Vital do Rêgo tried to circumvent by stating that the lawyer was “the author of numerous legal studies that permeate discussions in forensic environments due to the dense proposed approaches”, such as the publication of articles referring to judicial recovery processes, criminal sentence, general repercussions, among others.

At the Senate CCJ, Zanin will answer senators’ questions about their worldview, commitment to impartiality and the role of the STF. At least three points must be explored by opposition senators: alleged lack of legal knowledge, the close relationship with the president and an investigation into influence peddling in Rio de Janeiro, which was initiated by Lava Jato, but ended up locked.

Approved by the CCJ’s Saturday meeting, which should take the whole morning and afternoon of next Wednesday, Zanin’s name will then be submitted to a vote in plenary on the evening of the same date. Most senators have shown support in favor of the candidate and, not infrequently, many already call him minister.

The quick rite allowed the process to be completed in a short period of time, avoiding delays and extensions on the eve of the parliamentary recess, which could fuel new speculation and resistance, including from the president’s own party, the PT.

According to Marcos Queiroz, an analyst at Arko Advice, confirmation of Zanin by the Senate will occur easily due to the combination of important support he received, including ministers of the STF itself.

The pragmatism demonstrated by Zanin in his search for support, through individual meetings in offices and reserved meetings with groups of parliamentarians, including the Evangelical Front, which tends to be opposition to the government, but received the lawyer well, also contributed to the approval. .

In addition, the fact that the composition of the Senate is mostly guaranteeing, following the same legal line adopted by Zanin, who also criticizes Operation Lava Jato, in which the lawyer faced battles in the courts and which resulted in Lula’s arrest, weighs in his favor. – and subsequent annulment of convictions.

Game of loyalty to politicians reaches until the dispute for the next seat in the Supreme Court

Zanin’s nomination raises concerns about the constitutional requirements for the position of minister of the STF, criteria that have become less important in the choice of members of the Court. One of these requirements is “remarkable legal knowledge”, a criterion about which there are still doubts regarding Zanin. However, this nomination is mainly based on services rendered to the President of the Republic responsible for the nomination. This political approach has become commonplace, raising concerns about the quality and impartiality of the court.

According to analysts, in the current context in which groups of ministers seek to impose positions within a historic judicial activism, personal trust and loyalty to the president who makes the nomination are more valued than legal competence.

With the aim of assuring the Planalto a quick confirmation of Zanin and proving his loyalty, Senator Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP), president of the CCJ and ally of both Lula and the President of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), already is directing efforts towards the next vacancy in the STF. This will open in October with the retirement of Minister Rosa Weber.

Alcolumbre wants to influence the selection process and is working to promote Pacheco as an option to replace the minister, current president of the Court. Meanwhile, movements are also underway on the left, which seeks to convince the President of the Republic of the importance of considering other names.