União Brasil increases pressure for more space in the Lula government

Members of the União Brasil put pressure on the Planalto Palace to remove Daniela Carneiro from the Ministry of Tourism and argue that the party needs to receive the portfolio from “closed gate”. That is, in addition to the position of minister, the party aims that the other positions linked to the portfolio need to be freely indicated by the party.

In the wake of this dispute, the position of Marcelo Freixo, who is the president of the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion (Embratur), was also included in the invoice presented by the leaders of União Brasil to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). The caption demands the changes as a way to increase support for the Executive within the group of 59 deputies of the acronym in the Chamber of Deputies.

The justification among the leaders of União Brasil is that the acronym should have the right to manage the entire structure of the ministries it integrates – in the same way as other Centrão parties that make up the government, such as the MDB and the PSD.

In addition to the ministry commanded by Daniela Carneiro, the acronym also took over the Communications portfolio, with Juscelino Filho, and Regional Integration and Development, with Waldez Góes. These last two were nominated by Senator Davi Alcolumbre (DEM-AP).

Conversations about the change in the Ministry of Tourism have been conducted by Lula together with Alcolumbre and with the leader of União Brasil in the Chamber, deputy Elmar Nascimento (BA). The evaluation among the members of the party that follow these negotiations is that the support in the acronym can reach up to 45 deputies, if there is an expansion of space in the PT administration and the replacement of Daniela Carneiro.

Lula, however, has yet to hammer out Freixo’s replacement at Embratur, bearing in mind that the former deputy is one of the PT’s main allies in Rio de Janeiro. Despite not having amendment funds, Embratur is the target of greed, as it has several positions that can be distributed among political allies.

In addition, the agency led by Freixo has double the budget of the Tourism portfolio for this year. While Embratur has BRL 80 million for investments in 2023, the Ministry of Tourism has BRL 40 million.

União Brasil also pressures Lula for state-owned companies linked to his other ministries

In addition to Embratur, Lula also received the signal that União Brasil is also interested in commanding bodies linked to the ministries of Juscelino Filho and Waldez Goés. In the case of the Communications folder, for example, the complaint revolves around the presidency of the Post Office.

The state-owned company is under the umbrella of Filho’s ministry, but is chaired by lawyer Fabiano Silva dos Santos, linked to PT staff and the Prerogativas group. In the Regional Integration and Development portfolio, the complaint is about the presidency of Banco do Nordeste, which was handed over to former governor Paulo Câmara (PSB), and about the National Department of Works against Drought (Dnocs), which is controlled by Avante.

According to Planalto members, Lula has not yet given any signs that he intends to give in to pressure from União Brasil leaders for more space. The negotiations allowed Daniela Carneiro to remain in charge of the Ministry of Tourism at least until the end of this week.

“A discussion is open with União Brasil, which assesses the need to reformulate its nominees. This is a debate that has been going on for a long time and, at this moment, União Brasil has reinforced this with greater clarity. the União Brasil, to clarify a little better what this means and this theme is, yes, under debate”, admitted the Minister of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha.

Lula tries “honorable” exit for Daniela Carneiro do Tourism

Parallel to the negotiations with the top of the União Brasil, Lula is still sewing so that the departure of Daniela Carneiro from the Ministry of Tourism does not open a new crisis with his political group. The PT member met this Tuesday (13) with the minister at the Planalto Palace to address his political situation.

She is part of Lula’s personal quota and her name was nominated to compose the Esplanada dos Ministérios to the detriment of the support of her husband, the mayor of Belford Roxo, Waguinho Carneiro (Republicans), in the second round of last year’s elections. Despite this, the minister was unable to attract support from the União Brasil bench for the government in votes in the Chamber of Deputies.

With the advancement of negotiations for the change of ministry, Waguinho Carneiro even claimed that his political group “paid a high price” for supporting Lula in the electoral stronghold of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

“Minister Daniela is from an important state, Rio de Janeiro, completely Bolsonarist territory, where we took President Lula’s campaign throughout the Baixada Fluminense, inland, in the northwest. We encouraged many people and paid a very high price for it. ,” he said in an interview with GloboNews.

During the meeting with Daniela Carneiro, Lula indicated that the government is satisfied with her performance as minister. However, she indicated that, as she occupies a portfolio of nomination from União Brasil, the party from which she is leaving, the permanence in the chair depended on the caption. In the conversation, the president also stressed that he wants to maintain a good relationship with the mayor and the minister, who was elected deputy in 2022.

On social media, Waguinho Carneiro, who was also at the meeting with Lula at Planalto, reinforced his alliance with the PT. “We continue alongside President Lula for the good of Brazil, fighting for democracy and the rights of our people. We are going together because the work must continue”, published the politician.

Petistas minimize criticism made by Celso Sabino against Lula

The main candidate to take over Daniela Carneiro’s vacancy, deputy Celso Sabino (União-PA) has already voiced several criticisms against Lula. In 2016, for example, Sabino condemned then-president Dilma Rousseff’s move to appoint Lula to the Civil House.

At the time, the strategy was a way to guarantee a privileged forum and withdraw Lava Jato processes against the PT from the Curitiba court.

“What was predicted happened. Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has just been sworn in as President Dilma’s new minister, he takes over the Civil House. Without listening to the clamor of the streets, without observing what Brazilian citizens ask for. The head of the national Executive accepted her party’s maneuver to guarantee a privileged forum to the man who could be arrested for crimes such as money laundering, not to mention others. This is how the current Brazilian political situation goes”, she said, on Facebook, in 2016.

Lula, however, had his nomination barred by the Federal Supreme Court (STF). After the repercussion of the publication, Sabino ended up deleting the post from his social networks.

Despite this, PT members minimized the criticism made by the deputy. The assessment is that other names, such as the current vice-president Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), were also critical of Lula, but are currently composing with the PT.

In addition, the parliamentarian gained prominence with the PT government at the end of last year, when he made it possible for the Joint Budget Committee to process the so-called PEC of the Transition. At the time, Sabino was president of the collegiate and worked for the approval of the measure, which made it possible to breach the spending ceiling and increase resources for Lula to make possible, for example, the Bolsa Família in the amount of R$ 600.