lost strength among government supporters in the Senate shortly before the vote (Attorney General’s Office) on Wednesday (12). It took a last-minute mobilization to guarantee his return to office, with the smallest margin.
The effort involved the defense of the attorney general during the hearing at the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission), a nod to the opposition in the plenary and direct action from some of the most influential senators, mainly the president of the House, (União Brasil-AP).
The action against the coup plot process, which culminated in , made the support of most of the opposition to Gonet unfeasible. Still, he is liked by most senators.
Reducing support for the attorney general was, however, a way of dealing with that of the attorney general of the Union, for Luís Roberto Barroso’s vacancy in the (Supreme Federal Court). Most senators prefer the former president of the Senate (-MG). Whoever is nominated to the Supreme Court will need approval from the Senate.
Flávio Bolsonaro in attack
The first tense moment was at Gonet’s hearing at the CCJ, when the PGR was the target of Bolsonaro criticism. (-RJ), son of the former president (PL), made the biggest attacks.
“You passively accepted being screwed over,” he declared. He also said that the PGR seemed to “follow orders” from the STF minister, mainly responsible for Bolsonaro’s conviction in the coup plot.
“The members of the Public Ministry must be ashamed of you,” declared Bolsonaro’s son.
Senators say they identified signs of nervousness in Gonet. Some feared he would respond in the same tone and lose votes. The president of the CCJ, (PSD-BA), asked Flávio for moderation. Then, Jayme Campos (União Brasil-AL) had a quick discussion with the Bolsonarista.
This reduced the pressure on the attorney general, who was subsequently able to answer the questions. He had 17 votes in favor and 10 against in the CCJ, a score within the expectations of his main supporters.
Signs of dissent
The decisive vote in the plenary was scheduled for shortly after the hearing. Score estimates ranged from 47 to 51. Gonet needed at least 41 supports to be reappointed.
Between the CCJ and plenary sessions, a movement in the government base against the nomination was detected in conversations in offices and corridors.
President of the House, Alcolumbre worked to ensure that the session had 71 voters. Omar Aziz (PSD-AM), Eduardo Braga (-AM) and (MDB-AL) sought out colleagues to guarantee support for the attorney general.
Gonet supporters even sought votes from the opposition. As the deliberation is secret, it is not possible to be certain about how each senator voted. One of the organizers estimates, based on the list of those present and the results, that around six government votes were lost and two opposition votes were won.
Government leaders in the Senate, (-BA), and Congress, (PT-AP), also moved. The tension between the Legislative and Executive branches, however, reduced the influence of the two representatives.
After the vote, senators increased pressure on the government for Lula to give up Messias and nominate Pacheco. The message reached at least Wagner and the ministers (Civil House) and (Institutional Relations).
One of the main reasons is that Alcolumbre, essential to guarantee Gonet’s approval, prefers Pacheco to Messias.
Opposition held back
In addition to Gonet, the Senate needed to evaluate nominations from 10 other authorities. The expectation was that the attorney general would be last.
However, the president of the Senate put INSS benefits to a vote after approving nominees for two other positions – and held the deliberation on Gonet soon after.
The INSS discussion called senators to the plenary, as the topic has popular appeal. Furthermore, her vote was seen as a gesture of goodwill to Bolsonaro supporters.
The rapporteur was the leader of the opposition, (PL-RN). Highlighting Marinho would reduce the chance of a Bolsonarist rebellion in the same session, which would make the approval of the PGR unfeasible.
Gonet’s reappointment was approved with 45 votes in favor, 4 more than the minimum necessary, and 26 against. Opposition sectors heard by the Sheet They knew the result would be tighter, but they imagined a bigger margin.
After the vote, some senators believe that the PGR could have been rejected if there had been a public campaign against it. Oppositionists showed resentment towards the attorney general, but were unable to create a climate on social media that would discourage other congressmen from supporting him.
