The Minister of Justice, Ricardo Lewandowski, handed President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), this Thursday (8), his letter of resignation as head of the department. The expectation is that he will formally leave his position on Friday (9).
Lewandowski’s departure not only opens up the vacancy for a future Minister of Justice, but also the possibility of dividing the ministry and creating a new portfolio dedicated solely to public security.
The creation of a new ministry has already been studied by the government to overcome the issue considered a weakness of the PT administration. Behind the scenes, it is said that the decision has already been taken in 2025, but there has been no official announcement.
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Lewandowski had already taken a position against the proposal, highlighting that the creation of a new department would not only weaken the Ministry of Justice, but would also fragment actions to combat organized crime, by restructuring, for example, the order of subordination of the Federal Police to the departments.
Two weeks ago, however, the minister changed his speech and supported the creation. When defending the return of the portfolio, Lewandowski stated that the change will only make sense if it is accompanied by an expansion of the Union’s role in combating crime and a significant increase in federal resources.
According to him, without “substantial funds”, the new ministry tends to be ineffective. “I agree with the president that this division would make sense, firstly, if there was an expansion of the Union’s role in combating crime. Secondly, if substantial funds were provided, because today we have a paltry amount of R$2 billion in our National Public Security Fund”, he highlighted.
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.
