Valdemar says Bolsonaro is the one who gives the final word in the PL – 07/23/2023 – Politics

Leader of the PL for decades, Valdemar Costa Neto says that the final word in his party belongs to former president Jair Bolsonaro, whom he called a “voting machine”.

In an interview with Sheet, Valdemar said that the divisions in the party that surfaced over fights in a WhatsApp group are the result of an “explosion” from the right and the entry of inexperienced people into politics.

“We have to preserve Bolsonaro, because he is a voting machine and the party lives off of that”, he says.

For him, the former president made a mistake “in communication” when he declared himself against the Tax Reform, and the party may still change its position in the Senate.

The stance goes against the grain of the vote in the Chamber, when the party and the former president were against the measure. Of 99 deputies of the acronym, 20 voted in favour.

Faced with a proposal that had massive support in the House, the defeat fell in the lap of the former president. Which, now, Valdemar says he believes he can change his mind.

“Could be. They have to change a lot there. But let’s see if it [Bolsonaro] does not change when it arrives in the Senate”, he said.

In recent days, a division within the party has become evident, exposed by fights in the WhatsApp group. Mr. is losing control of the party, could it implode?
I think we’re going to reach 30 deputies in the party window and we’re going to lose about ten, 15 [a janela partidária é o período de 2026 em que deputados podem trocar de legenda sem risco de perder o mandato]. What happens is the following, these people have never been part of large stands. When the agenda deals with issues that we defend, such as family, freedom, we will have 99 votes. Now, when it comes to the matter of law, there is this dissent, which is normal.

No person is equal to another in the world, let alone in a party. There are people in the party that I respect, who think that Tarcísio [de Freitas, governador de São Paulo] it’s left.

How do you maintain control of the party, as Mr. always had, with a person who thinks that Tarcísio de Freitas is from the left and another who thinks something else.
Everything happened suddenly. That blast from the right.[Mas] We have to have a way of living in harmony. And all these deputies worked for Bolsonaro in the election. After mid-August, I’m going to start holding meetings in smaller groups so I can explain this to the guy, because there are guys who don’t want to understand.

In the case of taxation, everyone is in favor. They were not in favor of the way it was done. He [o relator, Aguinaldo Ribeiro, do PP], changed the text on the day. I had to give people some time to study a business of such importance.

But it was Bolsonaro’s request. He called the project a “PT reform”.
No no. Bolsonaro is not against [a Reforma Tributária]. [É] Against the way they did.

The president of the PP, Ciro Nogueira, said that being on the right does not mean being anti-left and has already preached a responsible opposition. In this case, when the PL stops supporting a Tax Reform that Mr. is a little defending, does the PL take an irresponsible position?
No no. Let’s not take an irresponsible position. I had already told our leader that there was no point in making changes on polling day without discussing it. Such an important issue had to be discussed with segments of society. We had to see it because there are things there that we don’t agree with, because they have to change a lot. Inheritance tax, this is going to be crazy.

Bolsonaro released a position declaring himself against the reform itself. Was it a mistake that it was your first opposition flag?
No. He didn’t explain himself well, it was a communication error.

The defeat fell on his account.
But it shouldn’t have fallen, it’s silly.

Mr. Do you think you can support Tax Reform in the Senate?
I think. They’re going to have to change a lot of things, and I think the Senate is willing to do that, because they want to approve it.

Can Bolsonaro be favorable?
Could it be. They have to change a lot there. But let’s see if he doesn’t change when he gets to the Senate.

Is the final word in the party yours or Bolsonaro’s?
From Bolsonaro, because he owns the votes. He put these people here, he who has prestige. Who elected Tarcísio and Marcos Pontes [senador] it was Bolsonaro.

We have news of negotiations by members of the PL for positions in the government. Is there no incongruity in being in the opposition and holding positions?
Of course, he will not hold a position in the government. Sometimes people say that Altineu [Cortês, líder do PL], is talking, but is considering releasing the tax amendments. That’s what Altineu is after. If I know of any parliamentarian who nominated someone in the government, they have to be out.

There are comparisons of these negotiations between the Lula government and the centrão with the beginning of his second term. Mr. see similarity?
I see. He has a different style of managing Bolsonaro’s style, totally different.

And is it positive?
Look, I can’t say he hasn’t had success in the past. He had, because he elected Dilma [Rousseff]and she had zero votes.

Is this style of bringing politics into the government? Does it facilitate management?
Have no doubt. Bolsonaro, when he entered the government, did not want to settle with Congress at all. then he started [a se acertar]. But the pandemic was a disaster. Bolsonaro was supposed to win the election in the first round, easy. He didn’t win because of the miscommunication in the pandemic. The fact that he said those things.

For example, saying that he was not a gravedigger.
That was a disaster. We had polls in every election, he was always ahead with the men. With women, he was hopeless.

Has he changed?
Changed. But he failed at first and that was deadly.

Bolsonaro said that if he were made ineligible by the TSE, he would lose a little gas. how is he going Continue? He is going 100 km per hour. It was here in the morning, today [terça, dia 18], just discussing politics. I said: São Paulo, nobody is going to argue with you, Bolsonaro. We have a problem if [Guilherme] Boulos wins the election, we are lost, the country will explode.

Richard [Nunes, prefeito de São Paulo, do MDB] it’s doing well, it’s already starting to grow in the polls. We have to figure out the best way to support you.

Can Nunes go to the PL? No. I think Ricardo is doing well in the MDB. [Bolsonaro] He didn’t say he supports it, but I see that he has sympathy.