Half a year after the beginning of his government, the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will undertake key changes in his ministerial cabinet in the coming days. The plan is to give entry to parties that are currently in opposition and that, through charges, could go over to the pro-government side. With a parliamentary reform that approved the expansion to a total of 38 ministries, the Brazilian leader plans to give various high positions in the Executive Power to center and right-wing groups that militated, until recently, in favor of his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.
That is why Lula will meet with the leaders of these acronyms, among which are the Republican and Progressive parties, two variants of the center-right. The head of state’s argument is the fragile support he has in Congress. His own political base is insufficient to approve the measures he proposes and for this reason the so-called “center” must be quickly attracted to the Lulist bloc. As has already happened twice in the first semester, the Brazilian president made it clear that he will maintain the “parliamentary amendments” to their full extent: they are powerful subsidies that supply the coffers of parliamentarians, so that they can carry out works in their constituencies . In fact it is a legal mechanism, but at the same time it gives chances of corruption of the legislature. In exchange for this distribution of large budget items, the Brazilian government obtains the necessary votes from deputies and senators.
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Irregularities are frequent, but since we are dealing with congressmen, the complaints – which there are and many – do not prosper. This is the case of Gilberto Occhi (from Minas Gerais), a parliamentarian from Progresistas (PP) who is highly mentioned these days for holding a relevant position, especially for managing huge resources. It is said that he will soon be the owner of a state bank: the Caixa Económica Federal; an institution that the politician had already directed between 2016 and 2018, when after the impeachment that dismissed Dilma Rousseff, the right-winger Michel Temer took over the Planalto Palace. An audit at the official bank revealed that Occhi “favored” family members and fellow party members with loans. It is not by chance that he has the blessing of Arthur Lira, the head of the Chamber of Deputies who also belongs to Progresistas.
Lira is today an uncomfortable shadow for Lula, since he manages at his discretion who will get part of the money from the “amendments” (or subsidies) among the parliamentary bases. From that place, he has felt himself the owner and lord of the political world that disturbs the presidential life. Yesterday he just pointed out that “the relationship between the Executive and Legislative branches has improved considerably since the beginning of the year.” “What must exist – he continued – is the formula: sit down, solve and comply”.
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The ministerial reform must include other center-right legislators (such as Hugo Motta from Republicanos). It already happened two weeks ago when Lula replaced the tourism minister with a politician from the right-wing Union Brazil party. With everything, Lula has some reservations: For example, it would never hand over ministries such as Health or Social Development to new allies. On the other hand, he is willing to cede positions in Sports.
The explanation given by the PT leaders, who may be removed from office based on the new alliances, is the need to “broaden the opposition arc” that, in principle, will “undress” Bolsonaro and his troupe.