The Bolsonaro family’s imbroglio surrounding support for (PSDB) in Ceará exposed a scenario of internal crises and power disputes within which extends to other states.
The party, which lived under a dual command of and , saw friction intensify with the arrest of the former president, who is serving a sentence.
Without cohesive leadership, first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, the former president’s sons, Flávio, Eduardo and Carlos, and the party wing aligned with the center are competing for space and trying to influence the formation of the platforms for 2026.
The PL leadership held an emergency meeting this Tuesday (2) to iron out rough edges and define a routine for joint decisions. The result was the initiative to map possible agreements signed by Bolsonaro in other states.
The objective is to avoid public clashes like the one carried out by Bolsonaro’s wife and three children last Monday (1st).
The bill became public after the adoption of a possible candidacy by Ciro Gomes for the government of Ceará. Ciro was Bolsonaro’s opponent in the 2018 and 2022 elections, and is the former president.
Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) responded to the criticism and said that his stepmother was authoritarian and ran over the former president, who would have endorsed the movement towards rapprochement with Ciro Gomes. This Tuesday, the senator spoke of the group’s unity and said he had apologized to Michelle.
The fight has the election as a backdrop. launched Fortaleza councilor Priscila Costa (PL) into the dispute, but the party’s local leadership defends the candidacy of Alcides Fernandes (PL), father of the deputy (PL-CE).
Candidacies for the Senate are a priority for the party, whose goal is to form a majority to oppose the Federal Supreme Court. The objective is to elect the new president of the House and unlock impeachment requests against STF ministers.
Similar clashes are repeated in states such as Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina and Pernambuco, in addition to , with the possibility of possible casualties within the PL.
One of the most symbolic cases is Santa Catarina, where the former president nominated his son (PL), a councilor for Rio de Janeiro, to be a candidate for senator. The choice generated a clash with the federal deputy (PL), who had been articulating a candidacy for the position.
Despite the two vacancies in dispute, the governor (PL) must support the re-election of senator Espiridião Amin (PP), which would make a pure ticket with two PL names for the Senate unfeasible. Given the adverse scenario, De Toni is considering migrating to Novo.
The candidacy of Carlos Bolsonaro, who is not from Santa Catarina, is viewed with reservations in the state. The mayor of Pouso Redondo, Rafael Tambozi (PL), declared that the people of Santa Catarina “are not cattle” and said he supports De Toni and Amin, a movement that could gain traction with other mayors.
In Pernambuco, Bolsonaro chose former Tourism Minister Gilson Machado (PL) as his candidate, but the former president’s arrest changed the game and intensified internal divisions in the party.
Anderson Ferreira, former mayor of Jaboatão dos Guararapes, also intends to run for the Senate. In a state that is a stronghold of President Lula (PT), the assessment in political circles is that the PL would need to emerge united around a single candidate to try to win one of the two seats.
In a message sent to allies two weeks ago, Gilson admitted that he may change parties — Novo is one of the alternatives. “I hope that Bolsonaro’s will prevails in my party. Otherwise, it’s peaceful for me to go to another nest. I’m not going to shoot, I’m just going to thank everything they did for me,” said Gilson.
In Rio de Janeiro, a natural candidate for re-election is the senator (PL-RJ). The second vacancy is contested by governor Cláudio Castro and senator Carlos Portinho.
The situation became more favorable for the governor, who increased his popularity after the mega police operation that ended with , in the north of .
Allies of Carlos Portinho, however, remember that the TSE (Superior Electoral Court) judges the governor in a process that could culminate in his impeachment and ineligibility.
In the Federal District, a wing of the PL defends that federal deputy Bia Kicis (PL-DF) be the former first lady’s running mate for the Senate, a move that would isolate the governor ().
For political scientist Adriano Oliveira, from the Federal University of Pernambuco, internal divergences in Bolsonarism are likely to continue while Bolsonaro is in prison.
“They will continue and they must take time because Bolsonaro cannot talk, walk around the country and there is no expectation of power. Given this, there is a void and the search for electoral spoils”, he states.
