The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), refuted, this Friday (30), statements by the president of the PSD, Gilberto Kassab, that he should show gratitude to Jair Bolsonaro, but without showing submissiveness. He maintained that the decision to run for re-election, and not the Presidency, this year is his own desire and that his style of governing is in a technical and more moderate way compared to his political godfather, for whom he was a minister.
— I am a person of values, so I will always be grateful to those who reached out to me and opened doors for me — said Tarcísio, during the delivery of the renovation of the Júlio Prestes railway station, in the capital of São Paulo.
— It’s easy to be on their side when the person is well. It’s difficult, and we don’t see this much in politics, to extend a helping hand when someone is in the worst situation, needs your help, has lost power and is deprived of their freedom. That moment when friends show up to say “I’m with you”. This has absolutely nothing to do with submission.
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The governor of São Paulo was the preferred name of moderate anti-PT sectors and Centrão leaders to try to unify the right in confronting President Lula (PT) at the polls, but was passed over by Bolsonaro, who chose to anoint his son Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), senator from Rio de Janeiro, as a candidate. This Thursday (29), Tarcísio visited the former president in his cell at the 19th Military Police Battalion, in Brasília, known as “Papudinha”. Upon leaving the venue, Tarcísio once again ruled out a presidential candidacy and said that he would “without a doubt” support Flávio.
On the same day, in an interview with the website UOL, Kassab argued that Tarcísio should be grateful to Jair Bolsonaro, but not submissive. The statement was circulated among deputies at the allied base and state administration offices. Allies assessed, with reservation, that the PSD leader appeared to be a certain irritation with the electoral direction of the leader at Palácio dos Bandeirantes and the tone adopted was one of “outburst”, considering that he was one of the main enthusiasts of the governor’s rise to the dispute against Lula.
— I have my style, my characteristic. I’m a more technical, more centered and more thoughtful guy, I still am, and that won’t change. The decision to stay in São Paulo has nothing to do with submission. It’s something I’ve been saying since 2023, it’s nothing new. Since I arrived here I have said that my project is long-term — said Tarcísio.
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The governor denied discomfort with Kassab’s speech, maintaining that he combines the role of “important leader” of the PSD with the position of Government Secretary, responsible for institutional relations with city halls and other public and private bodies.
— Then he speaks as a national leader within what he believes. Obviously, within the government’s role, I will demand that it always adhere to the government’s guidelines. And this he has done in his relationship, for example, with municipalities, in his daily life. He has his own opinions and I don’t think he has any problems.
The governor promised, again, to help Flávio’s campaign, but without detailing exactly what his role will be in the coordination.
— I will help by doing everything that is done in a campaign. In fact, it involves convincing that today we have an absolutely exhausted PT model, which has nothing to offer Brazil, and that there is an alternative project much more connected with modernity, with hope, with prosperity, and which will attack the key points, the structural points.
