The approved this Wednesday (12) the reappointment of command of the (Attorney General’s Office) by 45 votes in favor and 26 against. The result is the tightest for an attorney general since redemocratization. No nominee for the position since 1989 has had such a low number of votes in favor.
Gonet needed at least 41 votes in favor. In 2023, in its first nomination, it had been approved by 65 to 11.
Until then, the closest approvals had been those of Aristides Junqueira — in 1989, with 47 votes in favor and 3 against, and in 1991, with 51 in favor and 5 against — and that of Cláudio Fonteles, in 2003, approved by 52 votes and 10 votes against.
The drop in support occurs after the erosion of Bolsonarism, mainly due to the PGR’s role in the coup plot, which led to Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction to 27 years and three months in prison. During the hearing at the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission), earlier, opposition senators had already signaled a vote against. The board approved the name 17 to 10 — below the 23 to 4 recorded in 2023.
Gonet defended his role in the coup plot process during the hearing and stated that the PGR does not present “hasty” complaints. He also said that the body does not criminalize politics and that it does not interfere with the powers of other Powers. He countered criticism by stating that he was highly rated for his career and mentioned a message of support received from the president of the ANPR (National Association of Public Prosecutors).
Gonet did not campaign for his own approval — something common in nominations of this type. He was chosen by Lula (PT) in 2023 from outside the ANPR’s triple list and is expected to align with the majority of the STF in the case of the coup plot. Although he was deputy electoral attorney general under Augusto Aras, he is not seen internally as a name linked to his predecessor.
The Senate session saw pressure from the President of the House, Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP), for parliamentarians to remain in the plenary. The concern was to prevent any of the proposed nominations from being rejected due to lack of quorum.
