The senator (-RJ) stated, this Friday (5), after the Republic appointed by the former president (PL), that he has already spoken with leaders of União Brasil, PP and PSD in search of support.
The senator stated that, despite not being seen as having electoral viability at the moment, he will still rise in the polls and that people will start to see a “Bolsonaro with a pacifying mindset” — a counterpoint to the former president, whose administration was marked by attacks on democracy and other Powers.
“This exhibition that starts now, I’m sure it will help people get to know a Bolsonaro with a very modern thought, a pacifying thought, of truly rescuing Brazil,” he told Sheet.
According to the senator, despite decisions in presidential races being made “at the last minute”, Bolsonaro understood “that now was the best time”.
“I think there was already great political instability, great anxiety about the [ex-]President Bolsonaro gives direction. I’m just taking the steps that were discussed with him, discussed with the parties”, he said.
Flávio reported how the conversation with his father went, on Tuesday (2), at the Federal Police Superintendence, in Brasília, where the former president is serving 27 years in prison for an attempted coup d’état.
“He said: ‘You’re a candidate, you can announce now, it’s set’. I had already spoken to a lot of people, so I’m happy with his confidence and faith in God that we will be able to put together an exceptional team like he did in 2018,” he told Sheet.
The senator minimized the resistance from leaders and directors of the center to his name, as the group prefers to nominate the governor of , (Republicans). Flávio said he had the support of Tarcísio and his brothers in the race for Planalto.
The senator mentioned having sought out the president of União Brasil, Antônio Rueda, from the PP, Ciro Nogueira, from the PSD, Gilberto Kassab, and said that he would still speak with Marcos Pereira, from the Republicans.
“They were short conversations, where I said that I had just talked to Governor Tarcísio, a friend, a trusted person, who will be with us. I want to talk more deeply with each of them about the planning”, he said upon disembarking in Brasília from São Paulo.
“I speak well to them all [partidos do centrão]everyone knows how difficult the 2026 election will be”, declared the senator, adding that this process will have “a lot of conversation”.
Flávio said he will work “with transparency, with predictability”, showing who the people will be who will be on his side and convincing the population that the best project “is the one from the center-right”.
Regarding the conversation with Tarcísio, Flávio said that it was “sincere, eye to eye, with an open chest, as it has always been in our relationship” and that his reaction was “to declare total support, partnership, 100% unity”.
The senator also stated that the decision was discussed, conscious and was not taken now. He says his father is in a “humiliating, unfair and cowardly” situation and that lends him credibility.
According to Flávio, his objective is to bring credibility and trust. “We’re going to talk to a lot of people, with a lot of transparency, calm, serenity, centered as I am. […] O [ex-]President Bolsonaro would never choose me for this type of mission if I didn’t have confidence, if I wasn’t prepared”, he added.
Regarding the market’s negative reaction to the announcement, Flávio attributed it to the government (PT), arguing that he is seen as a candidate with less chance of preventing the re-election of the PT member.
“The market understands that Brazil cannot handle four more years of Lula’s government. The concern, because they carry out an analysis just by looking at the picture of the moment, is believing that my name is the one with the least chance of defeating Lula’s failed project”, he replied.
Flávio stated that he will signal to the market that he will do the opposite of the current government, rebalancing the accounts and avoiding tax increases.
“Everyone is so discouraged, everyone is so hopeless with what they are seeing in the country, with so much persecution, with so much cowardice, with organized crime dominating the streets, dominating power. […] Proof of this is what happened today with the market, which, worried about the possibility of another four years of Lula’s government, ends up pricing in a tragedy,” he said.
The senator said he also spoke and received support from his stepmother, Michelle Bolsonaro (PL), and his brothers (PL-SP) and (PL-RJ).
“Eduardo is a person who is 100% with me in this project. He is a great leader out there. He is fighting for the freedom of Brazil, for the redemocratization of our country, and he was certainly very happy with this step that was taken, which was obviously discussed with him and the whole family”, he stated.
