At the age of 47, Cristiano Zanin can be a minister of the STF until he reaches the age of 75 if he is approved by the Senate on Saturday.| Photo: David Fernandez/EFE

Officially nominated by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to occupy the vacancy of minister in the Federal Supreme Court (STF), lawyer Cristiano Zanin is already looking for the necessary votes to have his candidacy approved by the Federal Senate. The nominee needs to garner at least 41 votes among the 81 senators.

Zanin, however, intends to obtain 49 or more votes – the same amount that Senator Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) obtained in his election to preside over the house. Despite the ambitious goal, the number represents the number of allies that Lula has in the Senate. At first, he needs to focus on the largest number of attendances in the house on voting day, so that he has his approval guaranteed without having to resort to the opposition.

If you need to rely on the support of Bolsonarists, the lawyer has already articulated conversations with the “other side”. Even before having his appointment made official, Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI) and Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) from Rio Grande do Norte, have already said that they are willing to vote in favor of the lawyer in previous conversations. In addition, Zanin has had the support of ministers such as the Attorney General of the Union, Jorge Messias, of the ministers of the STF Gilmar Mendes and Alexandre de Moraes, and of the minister of the Federal Court of Accounts, Bruno Dantas, to talk to senators of the opposition.