His reappointment to the command of the (Attorney General’s Office) by 45 votes to 26, in , was interpreted by ministers of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) and senators from the government, the center and the opposition that he will face if his nomination for the position is confirmed by the president (PT).
The general perception is that this also strengthens the group of the president of , (-AP), who does not hide his preference for the vacancy to be occupied by the senator (-MG), his predecessor and one of his main allies.
It is up to the Senate to approve the president’s nomination for the STF, and this requires the minimum support of 41 of the 81 senators, in a secret vote. Without Alcolumbre’s group, the government bloc will hardly have enough votes to approve the name of the Union’s attorney general for the position of Supreme Court minister.
Shortly after the vote, government officials minimized the effects that Gonet’s tight score could have on the eventual nomination of Messias. There is an assessment that the result shows the current situation in the Senate, with established votes from the opposition and government blocs, and that Lula is already aware of the difficulties, but has reiterated his support for the head of the (Advocacia-Geral da União).
The approval score of the minister – then senator and former Minister of Justice and Public Security under Lula – was not so different from that obtained by the PGR. There were 47 votes to 31.
The difference is that Gonet was approved with 65 votes in favor the first time, but now faced an opposition campaign after denouncing () in the coup plot process – to 27 years and three months in prison.
An assistant to the PT member highlights that the Executive is already aware of the need to articulate and intensify dialogue with senators to improve this score. The expectation of Planalto members is that resistance will cool down once the name is indicated, and that voting against with the aim of forcing Pacheco’s choice would be acting against Lula himself.
The President of the Republic has signaled that he may nominate Pacheco for a future vacancy on the STF, if he is re-elected for his fourth term, but has insisted that the senator run for the government of Minas Gerais with his support, to give him a stronger platform in the state.
before the president traveled to Asia. The expectation was that the Chief Executive would announce Messiah after the meeting, but he decided to postpone this move.
At the meeting, the president of the Senate pointed out his preference for Pacheco and warned Lula about the problems, and the PT member had to talk to other senators before making his choice official.
The leader of the opposition in the Senate, (PL-RN), avoids comparing Gonet’s score with a possible vote on Messias, but states that the result shows that the opposition can defeat the government if the blocks of President Lula’s support base crack.
“I will only be able to speak for the opposition when I confirm the choice, and then we meet to discuss. But I personally will vote against it, in the same way I voted against Cristian Zanin, because President Lula promised in the last debate of the campaign that he would not nominate his lawyer, friend or political allies to the Federal Supreme Court”, says Marinho.
Opposition members emphasize that the 26 votes against occurred even without mobilization. Bolsonaro is isolated, under house arrest, and without access to social media. The strategy is to apply greater pressure in the case of the Supreme Court vacancy, most targeted by Bolsonarists, to inhibit the support of senators from center-right parties.
On the other hand, part of the opposition recognizes that they can vote in favor of Messias, due to the possibility of choosing another evangelical for the STF, to do a double with .
A leader from the center says, behind the scenes, that his vote will depend on Alcolumbre’s guidance. Another highlights that Gonet was only rejected this Wednesday (12) by the actions of the leaders of the MDB, Eduardo Braga (AM), and the PSD, Omar Aziz (AM) – who was the rapporteur for Gonet’s nomination in the Constitution and Justice Commission.
Two STF ministers heard by the Sheet corroborate the senators’ perception. One of them said that the score was a very bad sign, especially on the eve of the appointment of a minister. Another saw the vote as a strong message for the government regarding the choice for the Supreme Court.
