The Congress leadership must ignore the event organized by the president (PT) to mark three years since the attacks on the headquarters of Power on January 8, 2023.
Both the president of the Chamber, (-PB), and the president, (União-AP), indicated to allies that they do not intend to attend the ceremony, which will be held on Thursday (8) at Palácio do Planalto.
In addition to promoting an act of repudiation of the attacks, Lula wants, at the same event, that Congress approved to reduce the sentences of the former president () and others convicted in the .
The seats of Power by groups dissatisfied with the . The reaction to depredations. In the following years, this power of agglutination waned.
Absences occur at a time of . The PT member and Alcolumbre are rebuilding their relationship after the president of the Senate was upset with the decision, by the head of the Executive, of Jorge Messias for a vacancy in the STF (Supreme Federal Court). Alcolumbre and other senators would like the nominee to be (-MG), former president of the House.
Motta and Lula ended 2025 with a more fluid relationship. Allies of the President of the Chamber, however, claim that he should not attend the ceremony because the act tends to intensify the dispute between PT and Bolsonaro supporters. Motta came to command the House with the support of these two forces and prefers not to take part in the main clashes between them.
In 2023, the day after the attacks, Lula managed to bring together governors and the leadership of the Powers in an event shortly after the destruction caused in Praça dos Três Poderes. The then president of the Chamber, (PP-AL), participated. Rodrigo Pacheco, who at the time presided over the Senate, was represented by Veneziano senator Vital do Rêgo (MDB-PB), who was his deputy and held the presidency of the House at that time.
In 2024, a first ceremony was organized to remember the first anniversary of January 8th. At the time, the then president of the Chamber, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), stated that he had family problems and did not attend. Pacheco, who commanded the Senate, was present. In his speech, Lula said that pardoning those involved in the attacks would sound like impunity.
In 2025, attendance at the Congress summit was even lower than the previous year. Lira and Pacheco were not, nor were Motta and Alcolumbre —the two would be elected presidents of the Chamber and Senate weeks later, and were already favorites in their respective disputes.
“Those responsible for January 8th are investigated and punished. No one was or will be unjustly arrested. Everyone will pay for the crimes they committed, everyone”, months before the STF condemned Bolsonaro and his main allies.
The convictions of those involved in the 8th of January were one of the main topics in Congress at the end of last year, when the Legislative.
Lula Members of the opposition are already talking openly about rejecting the veto announced by the President of the Republic and enforcing the reduction of sentences. Even politicians from parties allied to the government privately confirm that there is a high possibility of the veto being overturned.
“If you veto it, it will force a Congress meeting, because we will overthrow it,” said the leader of the PL in the Senate, Carlos Portinho (RJ). “As soon as we return, we will work to bring it down, yes,” said (PL-RJ), party leader in the Chamber. Congress is in recess and will only return to normal operations at the beginning of February.
The possibility of the veto being overturned was mentioned by Lula himself on the day he spoke about blocking the bill. “Congress has the right to do things. I have my right to veto. Then, they have the right to override my veto or not. That’s how the game is”, declared the President of the Republic, at the time.
Congress can override a presidential veto if a majority of deputies and a majority of senators vote accordingly.
The rejection of the veto to reduce sentences is almost certain in the Chamber, where the proposal was approved by . In the Senate, the vote was less elastic —48 to 25—, but still the most recurrent analysis is that the veto would be overturned.
Some government members believe that there is a chance that the political situation will change until Congress resumes its work, which would open up the possibility of maintaining the veto.
