Allies of the senator and pre-candidate for Palácio do Planalto, Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), have shown some relief since last Thursday (18), when a Federal Police operation targeted the leader of the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government in the Senate, Jaques Wagner (PT). The internal assessment is that the scenario surrounding the The Master case became more balanced and the political cost no longer fell exclusively on Flávio.
Even so, assistants advocate caution. Behind the scenes, there is a wing that admits differences between the situations involving Flávio Bolsonaro and Jaques Wagner in relation to businessman Daniel Vorcaro. The reading is that Lula’s name does not appear directly linked to the episode and that a more intense offensive against the president could have negative effects for Flávio himself.
There is, however, another interpretation within the political group. According to this assessment, Jaques Wagner has always been a central figure close to Lula, and the case expanded the list of the president’s allies mentioned in discussions related to the topic. Another aspect considered positive is that the “01” son of former president Jair Bolsonaro would no longer need to act solely in defense of his position, having more space to counterattack politically.
The expectation now is for the next developments. Since the audios involving Flávio Bolsonaro and Daniel Vorcaro became public, the senator has lost, on average, five points in voting intention polls. Still, Lula’s advantage does not worry the pre-campaign, which considers the difference manageable and assesses that Flávio remains consolidated as the main name on the right in the presidential race.
In the last few hours, the case involving Jaques Wagner began to be explored on social media and also in statements by Flávio Bolsonaro, but it should not become the central axis of the campaign. The internal assessment is that the electorate does not want a permanent debate about Banco Master, but rather concrete proposals for the country. Behind the scenes, allies told the column that the senator now has more space to present other narratives and agendas. The perception is that the dispute will be defined by the candidates’ ability to present solutions to the main national problems.
One example was the launch, this week, of a package with 12 urgent measures for Public Security, presented as a way of bringing Flávio Bolsonaro’s pre-campaign closer to issues with greater popular appeal. The senator also took advantage of the moment to expand his attention to segments such as the female public and the financial market.
