Ricardo Lewandowski’s departure from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security opened a new dispute behind the scenes of the government for succession in the department. O (9) and, since December, had been signaling his intention to leave the government, claiming mission accomplished and personal exhaustion after a year marked by crises in the area of security and institutional clashes.
In his resignation letter sent to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), the minister who would be leaving his position for personal and family reasons.
With the confirmation of the departure, Planalto began to evaluate names considered capable of maintaining dialogue with the Judiciary and, at the same time, responding to the growing political pressure surrounding public security.
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Among those listed are the director general of the Federal Police, Andrei Rodriguesformer president of the Senate Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) and the current minister of the Comptroller General of the Union, Vinícius de Carvalho.
Pacheco’s name has been circulating since the end of the elections for Congress. Despite the institutional weight and the good evaluation in the legal environment, allies consider that the chance of him accepting the invitation is reduced. The senator has already expressed, in private conversations, his desire to move away from party politics.
His name was also considered for a vacancy on the Federal Supreme Court, but the president ended up choosing to nominate the then attorney general of the Union, Jorge Messias.
Andrei Rodrigues has gained strength in recent months within the government. In charge of the Federal Police since 2023, he is seen as a technical name, with good traffic at Palácio do Planalto and support from the president.
The PF’s role in sensitive investigations, including the developments in the coup plot that led to the conviction and imprisonment of former president Jair Bolsonaro, reinforced the perception that Andrei has an institutional and political profile to head the department.
Another name on the radar is Vinícius de Carvalho. At the head of the CGU since the beginning of the current government, he gained greater visibility after giving testimony at the CPMI, which investigates INSS fraud. The assessment in Planalto is that the minister brings together legal experience, the ability to coordinate with Congress and a speech aligned with the fight against corruption, a relevant asset in a year of electoral debate.
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The definition of the successor is also linked to a broader discussion about the design of the government. A has returned to the table in recent weeks. Lula has already stated that he may dismember the current portfolio if the Security PEC advances in Congress.
In addition to the administrative argument, the political assessment is that an exclusive structure for public security would signal government engagement in an issue that has come to dominate the national debate.
In this context, allies assess that Lewandowski’s departure is related to the prospect of losing power if the division of the portfolio takes place. A wing of the PT defends that the new ministry be created this year, with a direct focus on the 2026 elections.
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The choice of the next head of Justice, therefore, tends to go beyond the technical profile and reflect Planalto’s strategy to face one of the most sensitive issues in the current political scenario.
