The president of , (-AP), decided to send to the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission), this Thursday (9), the nomination of the Union’s attorney general, , for a vacancy in the (Supreme Federal Court).
The hearing at the CCJ was scheduled for April 29th, and the plenary vote should take place afterwards, on the same date. Next Wednesday (15), at the CCJ meeting, the rapporteur of the nomination, senator (PDT-MA), will read his report, which will be in favor of Messias’ approval.
The calendar was agreed in a conversation, this Thursday, between Alcolumbre, Weverton and the president of the CCJ, senator (PSD-BA).
In addition to the hearing at the CCJ, Messias must receive an absolute majority of votes in the plenary, that is, be approved by at least 41 senators in a secret vote.
The calculation made behind the scenes is that Messias currently has around 56 votes in favor among 81 senators. Despite resisting the nomination, Alcolumbre should not work against its approval, according to senators.
When speaking to journalists this Thursday, Weverton said that Messias “is already more or less on track to be approved in the Senate plenary”.
In a note, Messias stated that he received the established calendar “with optimism and serenity” and thanked the three senators. “Until the date of the hearing, I will continue seeking frank and open dialogue with all 81 senators, in a respectful, transparent and purposeful manner”, he says.
Weverton states that Messiah “fulfills all the requirements”. “He has renowned legal knowledge, has an unblemished reputation and is the Union’s attorney general. He is a young person who has a brilliant career, so I can already say that I will present the report in favor of its approval”, he said.
On the same day that he unlocked the nomination of Messias, Alcolumbre also responded to a request from the opposition and which could overturn that of those convicted of January 8th, including (PL).
The message formalizing the appointment of Messias (PT) on the 31st, but had been on hold since then, amid the frayed relationship between Alcolumbre and the PT member. The name was announced on November 20th.
In an interview with the press, Weverton minimized the delay between the arrival of the nomination in the Senate and its submission to the CCJ by Alcolumbre. The senator stated that, considering the Holy Week holiday, the Senate president’s action took place in four working days — therefore quickly.
Asked whether just 20 days will be enough for Messias to build a majority by the hearing, the rapporteur stated that the coordination has been made for more than four months.
Weverton also said that Alcolumbre acts with good will and good faith in relation to Messias, as he could have chosen a rapporteur contrary to the nomination or even, following the example of the government, but he did not do so.
“President Davi is in a position where he will always be criticized. It’s not just 20 days, it’s four months and 20 days. If he didn’t schedule it for now, what would they say? That President Davi was holding back and making life difficult for the nominee,” he said.
“Then he says: ‘proceed in a normal way’. And they say: ‘isn’t he doing it too quickly?’. It’s always a movement of distrust, as if he were an actor who was against the process. He is fulfilling his constitutional role of making the rite happen”, he added.
In November, the government faced a crisis with Alcolumbre, who resisted the name Messias. The Senate president’s preference was for the name of the senator (today at PSB-MG).
With and threatening to hold the vote without the nominee having enough votes, Lula decided to hold off on sending the official statement and buy more time for political articulations in favor of his ally.
Supporters of the attorney general in Congress claim that his, even if the lines have not been completely trimmed.
As shown by Sheetthe articulation around the attempt to cool down the resistance of the president of , to the appointment of ministers from the court itself, including the two appointed by Jair Bolsonaro (PL): and .
The magistrates held conversations with parliamentarians in recent months in an effort to convince the opposition. Both have been important campaigners in favor of Messias since the nomination, especially Mendonça, today one of the most important names in the Supreme Court.
Interlocutors Messias and allies state that the minister must seek out all senators again. He lists having already spoken to 75 of the 81. Therefore, he must return to these and look for the others, including Alcolumbre himself.
People close to Messias say they believe that the court’s magistrates can pressure Alcolumbre not to hold the hearing to evaluate the nomination, under the argument that the court is embezzled —Luís Roberto Barroso left the court last October.
The heads of the Executive and Congress have not met in person in recent days. When Lula sent the message with the nomination of Messias to the Senate, last week, . The president of the Senate has demanded dialogue with the government and demonstrated dissatisfaction when matters from the Executive are sent to the House without prior negotiation.
“Since we started dealing in December, the pro-Messiah environment has been completely favorable. Since then, he has spoken, made individual visits to several senators. So it has improved considerably,” said Weverton.
The Senate also defined the processing schedule for nominees to the CNJ (National Council of Justice), CNMP (National Council of the Public Ministry) and the Superior Labor Court, which must also be completed by the end of April.
