The PT leadership assesses that Centrão allied itself with the extreme right in Congress to sabotage President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s third term and sees governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) as the main interlocutor of the “privatist” project.
For the party, Tarcísio is “transforming São Paulo into a laboratory for the radical reduction of the role of the State, the delivery of public goods and ideological confrontation with the federal government”.
The diagnosis is contained in a proposed political resolution that will begin to be discussed by the PT Executive this Friday (5) and will be reviewed by the National Directorate at its last meeting of the year, on Saturday, in Brasília.
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The preliminary text, obtained by Estadãowas produced by the Construindo um Novo Brasil (CNB) movement, Lula’s trend, and may still undergo changes.
Even without mentioning the nickname “Centrão”, the proposed political resolution refers to the group when it addresses the crisis of recent days between the Palácio do Planalto and Congress. “The relationship between the Executive and the Legislative is going through tense moments, marked by deep contradictions and instability deliberately produced by the extreme right and conservative sectors that control Congress”, says the document.
An amendment suggested as a complement to this section also states that such sectors “appropriate the Executive’s budget with extortion and empty presidentialism”.
The PT then mentions how Lula’s responsibilities have been gradually being dehydrated. “The scene on November 26th and 27th symbolizes this crisis: one day we celebrated the sanction of (for those earning up to R$5,000), a historic achievement for millions of workers and, the next day, we suffered defeat with the overturning of presidential vetoes in the so-called ‘PL of Devastation’, approved in disregard of federative dialogue, science and environmental protection”, highlights the text.
The Planalto Palace’s clash with Congress reached its peak after Lula nominated the Union’s attorney general, Jorge Messias, for a position as minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF). The decision angered the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP), who wanted his colleague Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) to be appointed.
In the document, the PT also points out that the dispute for Senate seats, in 2026, must be treated as a priority, “since its composition will be decisive for the approval of strategic reforms”. To overcome the current unfavorable correlation of forces in Congress, the party command maintains that everyone needs to go out into the field, “particularly President Lula and his ministers”, with the aim of winning votes and increasing the PT bench.
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Although it does not say that Tarcísio will be Lula’s main opponent in 2026, the PT text leaves no doubt about that. The first version states that Tarcísio appears as “the main interlocutor of the neoliberal and privatist project, of fascist inspiration”.
He also says that he is among the governors who “have been working to sabotage Lula government policies, creating obstacles to federative action in strategic areas such as public security, infrastructure, education and social policies”.
Faced with an electoral scenario in which the PT is preparing to face “attempts at destabilization and large-scale digital manipulation”, in addition to the advance of organized crime, the defense of the creation of an exclusive ministry for public security returns to the fore. “Brazil needs a Ministry of Public Security and an articulated national policy, focusing on intelligence, combating financial havens for organized crime, and protecting communities”, states one of the excerpts of the proposed resolution.
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Since the beginning of the government, in 2023, the Ministry of Justice has also included public security. Surveys indicate, however, that the issue is now the main concern of voters and now the PT admits that the issue has become “an unavoidable national issue”.
When participating in the hearing of the Special Committee of the Chamber, this Tuesday, 2, Tarcísio said that the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) for Security proposed by the Lula government is “cosmetic” and defended the reduction of the age of criminal responsibility.
The arrest of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), in the PT’s assessment, “puts the right back in check” and “opens up internal disputes for hegemony”. The party notes, however, that despite the crisis, Bolsonarism “remains articulated”, mobilizing “important sectors of national politics”.
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Also this Friday, the PT will promote an act to launch its 8th National Congress, which will be held from April 23 to 26, 2026 with the task of discussing party guidelines and electoral tactics.
As shown by the Estadãoformer Minister of the Civil House José Dirceu will coordinate the new PT program, which will also deal with the post-Lula period. The document will serve as the basis for the president’s electoral platform, which will have banners such as tax justice, the end of the 6-for-1 working day and zero tariffs.
