President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) decided to completely block the bill that provided for the recognition of internships as valid professional experience. The measure had been approved by the National Congress and changed the rules of the current Internship Law.
The proposal determined that public bodies regulate situations in which activities carried out during the internship could count as experience in public competitions and selection processes.
In the justification sent to Congress, Palácio do Planalto argued that the text compromised the educational nature of the internship by bringing it closer to a formal work relationship.
According to Lula, although the proposal had a legitimate objective, the content would end up “denaturating the pedagogical character complementary to the educational training of the internship”. The president also stated that the measure could affect criteria used in the selection of candidates in public competitions.
The government also pointed out constitutional problems in the project. According to the veto message, the text attributed broad regulation to public authorities without respecting the administrative autonomy of states, municipalities and other federative entities.
In the Executive’s assessment, this would create an undue centralization of powers at the federal level and would violate principles set out in the Constitution, such as the separation between Powers and federal autonomy.
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With the presidential veto, the text now returns to the National Congress. Deputies and senators will be able to decide, in a joint session, whether to maintain or overturn Lula’s decision.
