The (tax on financial operations) exposed different strategies from the presidents of the House, (-PB), and (-ap). While the first took the front in the overthrow of the president’s decree (PT), and became the target of attacks from the left, the senator opted for more discreet posture behind the scenes and went almost unscathed.
The higher pressure on social networks about the mayor made him. Motta was publicly defended by the Minister of Institutional Relations (PT), and Lula’s leader in the House, the deputy (PT-CE) against “personal attacks”.
Motta’s allies told the report that the deputy was very exposed in this situation. In addition to leaving him the decision to guide the project to stop the increase in IOF, which took the government and even the opposition of surprise, the parliamentarian recorded a specific video for social networks to defend his position.
Motta and alcohubre were sought via the press office and did not respond.
Two Motta interlocutors even classify this conduct an error and say he needs to share this responsibility with the Senate as well. Other deputies complained that the mayor’s attitude caused the attacks to be directed almost exclusively to the house and spare the senators.
This perception of deputies is translated into the volume of comments on social networks.
According to consultancy Bites, the deputy was quoted at 1.08 million posts since June 17, one day after the House for the project that has sustained the increase in IOF. In the same period, alcohubre was mentioned in 212,000 publications.
Mentions of the mayor, in just 15 days, represented almost 30% of everything that was said about him throughout 2025. And they intensified this week, after a coordinated attack from the left to bring to the internet the speech that Lula was acting in favor of the poorest, while Congress would defend the rich.
Only on Wednesday (2), Motta was quoted at 169,600 posts on X (former Twitter), in relevant Instagram accounts, open Facebook, Reddit, Forums, Blogs and News sites. There were another 205.5 thousand mentions on Thursday, according to Bites. The mayor had never been so much attention so far.
Earlier, he had only been from 100,000 mentions but networks on the same day on March 20 (115,900), when he was the target of the opposite field, those convicted of the scammer attacks of January 8, 2023. That pressure continued in April, but without exceeding the mark of 100,000 comments.
Alcolumbre, on the other hand, generated more attention at other times of the year, such as when it was the target of pockets for alleged favor of an aide in amendments.
The Senate president also chose to close his Instagram for comments after the volume of criticism grows. Motta kept his profile open and saw the number of comments exceed three times the likes.
Two Motta allies minimize the attacks on the networks. They say that historically the mayor is more attacked than the Senate and claim that the deputy has never been so strong politically. According to them, the episode of IOF gave a new level to the presidency of Motta and helped to nationalize his image.
A leader classifies as disproportionate the criticism that the deputy has received in the networks. He argues that even members of the Lula base and leftist parties, such as and PSB, voted to overthrow the decree but are not being criticized.
Another ally of Motta says he sees the government’s finger in criticism of Congress made on social networks and evaluates that the speech of “us against them” can further tension the relationship with the executive, at a time when the government needs to approve stories of interest.
Interlocutors of the presidents of the House and Senate emphasize. The episode would highlight the profile difference of each of them.
There are also differences in the relationship with the government. Members of the Executive do not deny discomfort with Deputy Paraibano, especially because he did not warn the government ministers or articulators in Congress about his decision to bring the overthrow of IOF to the voting agenda last week. President Lula himself classified this week, citing Motta.
The petista did not adopt the same stance with alcohumbre, although the president of the Senate took the bill to the agenda immediately after the House approved it, the same night. The senator returned that the executive has legitimacy to appeal to the court against the overthrow of the decree. Already of the Executive in (Supreme Federal Court).
Since the overthrow of the decrees, Lula has not spoken to the presidents of the houses. After the Senate approves a proposal that raises the union with oil with oil, on Tuesday (1st), the Government leader in Congress (PT-AP) called the President of the Republic to inform the result and highlight the commitment of alcohubre in the vote. In response, he heard from the petista to transmit the thanks to the Senate president.
In an interview with TV Bahia, Lula said he intends to talk to Motta and Alcolumbre when he returns to Brasilia, from Monday.
