The blackout that left millions of properties without power in Grande over the last week triggered a dispute over responsibilities between the mayor (), the governor (Republicans) and the government (PT), amid efforts by the three to reduce the political cost caused by the crisis and increase the wear and tear on their opponents.
Members of the three teams assess that, as it is unclear to the population what the competencies of everyone involved in the crisis are — City Hall, State government, federal government, Aneel and Arsesp (federal and state regulatory agencies, respectively) and the energy concessionaire —, it is necessary to adopt a series of measures to avoid negative consequences that reach the next electoral period.
Thus, while Nunes, as the most demanding local manager, acts to hold Enel accountable, Tarcísio seeks a speech that highlights the structural nature of the crisis, and Lula places himself in a position of mediator between the groups in conflict, leaving the mission of defending the government to his ministers.
The region received strong winds with gusts of up to 100 km/h last Wednesday (10). Enel stated that the winds destroyed parts of the network and that in the metropolitan region. Five days after the storm, thousands of families are still without power.
In the capital, Nunes adopted communication aimed at demonstrating initiative and shifting the focus of political strain from City Hall to the concessionaire and to the federal sphere.
Still on Wednesday, shortly after the windstorm, he was in courtyards — while São Paulo had traffic lights out, places without water and transport disruptions — and announced that, once again, he was contacting Aneel to request the adoption of measures.
The mayor sought to act quickly and classify the problem as a failure of concession and inspection, which are Union responsibilities. “It is the President of the Republic who has the prerogative to intervene in the concessionaires [no caso, a Enel] by decree”, he told the reporter, on Sunday (14).
On the other hand, Nunes found himself in a game of pushing and shoving with the concessionaire, who defended himself from criticism by highlighting flaws in the tree pruning service — the responsibility for which is divided between the company and the City Hall.
In the 2024 election, the second round began amid a similar crisis. The mayor was targeted by his opponent, Guilherme Boulos (PSOL), precisely because of tree pruning. “Nunes didn’t do the basics,” said his rival, currently minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency. The mayor’s allies believe that the tactic adopted at the time was appropriate and continues to be used.
Tarcísio, in turn, aligned with Nunes’ statements. “We are talking about a company that has an old contract, which expires in 2028”, said Tarcísio this Monday (15), during an interview in Caraguatatuba. “From the moment the contract is close to ending, the company stops making any more investments, has no team and stops investing in maintenance, tree pruning and automation.”
The governor is the target of opponents for defending the policy of public concessions of essential services — his was the privatization of Sabesp, last year, which he classifies as a modern concession. Their statements argue that it is possible to create contracts with clauses that oblige the company to invest and prevent failures, in addition to supporting the request for intervention at the concessionaire.
“We ask for regulatory interventions [Aneel]we went to court and we are going to look to the courts once again, asking them to intervene in the agency itself, demanding tougher measures”, he said.
The report found, however, that neither Nunes’ team nor Tarcísio’s expect the federal government to intervene in the company before March, when an audit that Aneel is carrying out at Enel ends.
When commenting on the case this Monday, Tarcísio cited actions adopted in Paraná and Goiás that, according to him, guaranteed the execution of services by private companies, as examples of how regulation and inspection can produce results.
Although he says he intends to run for re-election in São Paulo, the governor is mentioned by allies and opponents as a possible candidate for President.
At the end of the afternoon, the state government published a statement citing two federal laws that could authorize the intervention. “It is essential that the federal government, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy, observing the evidence pointed out by Arsesp and Aneel itself, acts with maximum rigor in the exercise of the granting power, declaring intervention in the Enel São Paulo concession”, says the text.
Lula, throughout the week, did not respond directly to the criticism, but government ministers defended him.
The head of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira (PSD), said on Friday (12) that the government’s focus was to restore energy to the affected properties and stated that around the incident.
Guilherme Boulos stated, during a protest on Avenida Paulista, on Sunday, against the Dosimetria PL, that Nunes and Tarcísio, “who are the biggest defenders of privatizations”, would not have the morality to “want to put in Lula’s lap” the fact that a privatized company provides, according to him, a “poor service” in São Paulo.
Lula, Nunes and Tarcísio met in Osasco, in Greater São Paulo, during an event promoted by SBT, on Friday. Nunes went to the place prepared to make direct demands to the president — and made a brief mention of the topic, asking for help, during a speech broadcast on the channel — and Tarcísio stayed by his side.
The three had a brief conversation after the event. The president did not respond to attacks or defend his government, but provoked Nunes by jokingly saying that “it’s Tarcísio’s fault.” Neither of the two interlocutors reacted, but —Tarcísio said that the meeting should take place this Tuesday (16).
On Sunday, after speaking with the president, Silveira released a new note, in a harsher tone towards the company. of the contract and stated that the government “will not tolerate repeated failures” by the concessionaire.
