O Workers’ Party (PT) began this Friday (24), in Brasília, the 8th National Congress of the acronym. The event takes place at a strategic moment for defining the electoral and political directions of the party. The meeting continues until next Sunday (26), when the presence of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) is expected.
At 46 years old, the PT uses congress as a space to align its strategy for the elections and discuss guidelines for the future of the party. The central focus is the Lula’s re-election and the construction of a solid base in the National Congressconsidered essential by the acronym to confront what it classifies as the advance of the ultra-right in the country.
In its internal assessment, the party maintains that the president is still leading a process of “reconstruction” of Brazil after the previous administration and seeks to position him as a leader in a changing international scenario. In this context, the PT also tries to associate Lula with global articulations alongside names such as the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchezwith whom he was last week, for example.
The event also has a certain international dimension. Representatives from 22 embassies confirmed their presenceincluding from countries such as China, France, Russia and Venezuela.
In the electoral field, communication appears as one of the priority areas. One of the strategies is to link Lula’s main competitor, Flavio Bolsonaro (PL), in the image of a radical – therefore, without significant differences between him, his father, Jair Bolsonaroand his brothers – while Flávio introduces himself to voters as the “”.
Another challenge identified is the narrative about . Still impacted by the legacy of the Mensalão scandal in the popular imagination, the PT intends to emphasize actions by the current government aimed at combating irregularities, including recent cases involving fraud, such as the INSSand parliamentary amendments.
In addition to electoral tactics, the meeting should advance in the formulation of proposals for a new Lula government program. Among the topics under discussion are social welfare policies — driven by debates such as — and structural reforms, such as changes to the Judiciary.
The manifesto to be discussed and analyzed at the congress also contains suggestions for administrative, technological, tax and electoral policy reforms.
“The Workers’ Party’s strategy is anchored in the construction of a democratic-popular bloc, capable of articulating diverse social forces around a transformation project. This construction requires permanent organization, a dispute for hegemony and a continuous accumulation of social and political forces at the bases of society.”
“The Workers’ Party reaffirms its commitment to the construction of a new historic project. A project that overcomes the limits of Brazilian dependent capitalism, combines democracy, development and sovereignty, and returns to politics its ability to transform reality. It is on this terrain that the future of Brazil and the world will be decided.”
The document also deals with the so-called rare earths:
“For the PT, national sovereignty in the 21st century is not limited to defending borders, but to controlling the heart of the technology of the future. […] Brazil has one of the largest reserves on the planet and cannot accept the role of mere exporter of raw ore; Our project requires that the processing and intelligence on these minerals takes place on national soil, generating qualified jobs and protecting our wealth against international greed”, says an excerpt.
Behind the scenes, the party also intensifies articulations to expand alliances. The strategy involves attract center and center-right parties, such as MDB, PSDB, União Brasil and even the PSD — whether for formal support or to make regional positions more flexible. One of the main organizers of this movement is the former minister José Dirceu.
Despite this, the path is not consensual. More left-wing currents within the PT resist rapprochement with sectors of the center, highlighting a clash between electoral pragmatism and ideological identity. Still, the majority tendency is to advance a strategy of broader alliances.
The final resolution of the congress is scheduled to be released on Sunday.
