Thousands of mayors put pressure on the Government and Parliament against the crisis in municipalities

Around 3 thousand mayors participated in an event in Brasília, this Tuesday (3), to pressure the legislature and the federal government in search of a solution to the financial crisis in the municipalities.

The Municipalist Mobilization began in the morning with the opening of the event at the Ulisses Guimarães Convention Center. In the afternoon, municipal managers occupied the green room of the Chamber of Deputies and then took a walk towards the Federal Audit Court (TCU).

The president of the National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM), Paulo Ziulkoski, informed that the problems faced by municipal managers have worsened with the current scenario of the fall of the Municipal Participation Fund (FPM). “The crisis is not cyclical, it is not just about the FPM, it is structural, it comes from a series of issues that made us reach this point,” he said.

Most mayors blame the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) for having increased mandatory expenses and the imbalance in financing. Without the necessary resources, mayors fear the worsening of the crisis in direct service to the population in Health, Education and Social Assistance services.

“We are dealing with a serious financial crisis and President Lula’s government is not looking kindly at the demands of the municipalities,” said a PT mayor to People’s Gazette who preferred not to identify himself.

The CNM brought to the attention of the TCU a survey with data on the crisis that has been faced by the municipalities. One of the data on health showed that municipalities allocate more than 15% of the budget to the area, the minimum mandatory percentage. In 2022, the national average was 22.27%, according to the CNM. Furthermore, around 1,500 municipalities – which represent 27% of cities in Brazil – apply percentages above 25%. “To bring basic healthcare to the population at the tip, the Municipalities pay a high bill”, lamented the president of the CNM.

In the area of ​​education, Ziulkoski mentioned the stopped works that prevent daycare centers and schools from operating, for example. And he also mentioned that the payment of floor payments compromises the limits of the Fiscal Responsibility Law (LRF). Regarding daycare centers, Ziulkoski also said that although they are not mandatory, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) ruled that public authorities were obliged to guarantee places in daycare centers and preschools for children aged 0 to 5 years.