The president () chose the executive secretary of the Council for Social and Sustainable Economic Development, Olavo Noleto, as the future minister of Institutional Relations in place of , who will leave the government to compete for a seat in the Senate.
Before heading the Conselhão, as the body is known, Noleto was executive secretary of Institutional Relations when he was the minister. He even temporarily commanded the department at certain times.
The future minister was considered, at the beginning of the government, for a candidacy for federal deputy for the PT of Goiás this year. His political profile was considered decisive in replacing Gleisi.
The current executive secretary of Institutional Relations, Marcelo Costa, was even considered for the position. He has the trust of the government leadership, but is seen as someone with a more technical profile.
Gleisi will leave the ministry to run for the Senate. There was an expectation that she would run for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies.
This Monday (26), in, Gleisi said he expected a “smooth” transition in the department, until March, and confirmed Noleto’s name.
Ministers and other members of the federal government who intend to run in the October elections must leave their positions at least six months before the vote, scheduled for October. In other words, they need to hand over their posts by the beginning of April.
At least some of the party leaders in the Legislature have had contact with Noleto in recent years. Congressmen interviewed by the report believe that the ideal profile for a Minister of Institutional Relations would be someone with a greater political trajectory in Brasília. They recognize, however, that the majority of politicians with this characteristic will contest elections and are not available to take office.
These members of the Legislature also assess that the calendar for payment of the 2026 amendments, approved at the end of last year, should reduce potential friction between Congress and Planalto, since there will be fewer negotiations around disbursements — these conversations are led by the Institutional Relations department.
Amendments are the main mechanism for deputies and senators to send money for works in their electoral bases.
It was reported to Sheethowever, a point of concern for members of Congress. An agreement to accelerate payments for informal amendments — resources under the federal government’s authority, but with their destinations negotiated with congressmen — was reached with Gleisi Hoffmann. Members of the Legislature are wondering whether this agreement will be maintained by her successor.
The ministry will also lose other members because of this year’s election. The Secretary of Parliamentary Affairs, André Ceciliano, is expected to be a candidate for state deputy in Rio de Janeiro.
Names such as the secretary of Federative Affairs, Júlio Pinheiro, and the executive secretary of the Federation Council, Moema Gramacho, are also mentioned as possible candidates for elected positions in this year’s dispute.
Treasury and Civil House
The ministers (Civil House) and (Finance) are also expected to leave the government in the coming months. The folders should be in charge of their main assistants.
The situation of the Civil House is the most obvious: the executive secretary, Miriam Belchior, since the beginning of her administration was considered by government officials as someone with a higher status than the other executive secretaries of the Esplanada.
She has held prominent positions in PT administrations since the 1990s. Between 2011 and 2015, during Dilma Rousseff’s government, she was Minister of Planning. Lula sometimes quotes her in public speeches.
Executive secretaries are a kind of “deputy” for ministers. They are responsible for organizing the workflow in the folders and usually take over temporarily when their bosses are away.
Rui Costa will leave his position in April. He is a likely candidate for senator, despite also making moves for a possible new candidacy for governor of the state.
Another secretary of the Civil House is considered to take on a ministry: Bruno Moretti, secretary of Government Analysis, is often cited as a possible replacement for Simone Tebet in Planning. Lula, however, has indicated to allies that he finds Moretti’s work important for the Planalto, which reduces the chances of him assuming the ministry.
At Finance, Fernando Haddad’s likely replacement is Dario Durigan, current executive secretary of the department. . He has won Lula’s favor in recent years and has the support of Haddad, one of the members of the government closest to the President of the Republic.
The current Minister of Finance told the Panel column, from Sheetwhich . Lula and the PT insist that he be a candidate for governor in São Paulo, but Haddad does not want to run in the election.
Another executive secretary tipped to take on an important ministry is Leonardo Barchini, who could take on the role in . This replacement, however, is not as certain as the others.
Camilo has a senator’s mandate until 2030 and does not intend to run for any elected office this year, but will leave the government to try to strengthen the re-election candidacy of the current governor, PT member Elmano de Freitas.
The replacement of ministers who will contest this year’s election has been discussed at the top of the government. Lula, Miriam Belchior and other assistants debated the issue last week.
The President of the Republic wants ministers and other government allies with local political strength to leave their positions to contest the election. Lula’s idea is to have a more numerous and cohesive base in Congress from 2027 onwards, if he is re-elected.
At the same time, the head of government tries to reduce the damage that the departure of the main executive staff could cause to management. Lula’s allies fear, for example, that a possible worsening of the functioning of government areas will cause the president to lose votes in his re-election attempt.
