The Chamber of Deputies will hold a formal session this Wednesday (6) to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the House. The president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) must be the only one among the heads of the Three Powers not to attend the event.
The session scheduled for 10 am in the Ulysses Guimarães plenary has the confirmed presence of the presidents of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União Brasil-AP) and the STF (Supreme Federal Court), Edson Fachin, in addition to the president of the Chamber, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), who is responsible for the celebration.
According to the official schedule, Lula will be at the Planalto Palace at the same time, where he will participate in the accreditation ceremony for new foreign ambassadors.
Lula’s absence from the Chamber occurs amid increased tension between the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. The relationship between Planalto and Congress deteriorated even further after the rejection, in the Senate plenary, of Jorge Messias — nominated by the president for the STF (Supreme Federal Court). In the same week, Congress imposed a new defeat on the government by overturning the presidential veto on dosimetry.
Messiah
The one that overthrew Messias brought together Bolsonarists, led by the senator Flavio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), and Davi Alcolumbre, who worked until the final moments to consolidate the defeat of the Lula government.
Behind the scenes, the defeat is also attributed to the coordination of a wing of Supreme Court ministers. President Lula’s interlocutors told CNN Brasil that an alliance between the president of the Senate and this group of the Court was decisive for the rejection.
However, the Federal Government with the head of the Upper House, largely due to the possibility of nominating a new name for the Supreme Court within the current government and before the October elections.
The Minister of Defense, José Múcio, and Davi Alcolumbre met this Tuesday morning (5), at the official residence of the Senate. According to interlocutors interviewed by CNN, the conversation dealt with possible joint gestures to de-escalate the political environment between the Palácio do Planalto and the House. Lula had met with Múcio the day before and was informed about the meeting.
The tension between the Executive and the Legislative has been going on since last year. The high point of the conflict occurred during discussions over public security projects. The Antifaction PL was presented by the government and modified in the Chamber, generating dissatisfaction among the government base.
At the event commemorating the acts of January 8, 2023, held at Palácio do Planalto, Alcolumbre and Hugo were not present, as well as at the event sanctioning the IR (Income Tax) exemption for those earning up to R$5,000 per month.
200 years of the Chamber
The Chamber of Deputies was created by the first Brazilian Constitution, in 1824. The House was installed on May 6, 1826 in a joint session of the General Legislative Assembly, which also began the work of the Chamber of Senators, today the Federal Senate.
The ceremony celebrating the House’s bicentenary will be marked by cultural activities and speeches from the plenary pulpit.
The president of the TCU (Federal Audit Court), Vital do Rêgo Filho, and former presidents of the Chamber also confirmed their presence:
- Michel Temer;
- João Paulo Cunha;
- Arlindo Chinaglia;
- Marco Maia;
- Eduardo Cunha;
- Waldir Maranhão;
- Rodrigo Maia.
