The governor of Paraná, . (PSD), met this Wednesday (11) with the leader of the opposition in the Senate, (-RN), and heard calls for him to give up his presidential candidacy and support the senator (PL-RJ), with the possibility of even being nominated for vice. Ratinho Jr. rejected this proposal.
According to three people who heard reports of the meeting, Ratinho Jr. reaffirmed to Marinho that he will be a candidate for President if chosen by the PSD. The party must define by March 30th Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, and Goiás, Ronaldo Caiado.
Marinho responded that, if this happens, the PL will break with Ratinho Jr. in Paraná and for Flávio to have a platform in the state. Until then, there was an agreement for the former president’s party to ally with the one chosen by the governor, in exchange for federal deputy Filipe Barros (PL) to run for the Senate.
The opposition leader and Flávio’s campaign coordinator gave Ratinho Jr. until Tuesday (17) to evaluate the proposal, before Bolsonaro’s eldest son closes an agreement with another candidate in Paraná. There are two options on the table: the senator (), who leads polls of voting intentions, or the president of the Legislative Assembly, Alexandre Curi (PSD).
Curi works to be chosen by Ratinho Jr. as his successor, but the governor shows preference for the Secretary of Cities, Guto Silva (PSD). The state deputy is holding talks with the Republicans to become a candidate, and the PL could nominate the vice president.
The strongest possibility today, however, is the PL endorsing Moro’s candidacy, which until then was a party to run against.
Still according to the reports, Marinho called the presidents of the PP, senator Ciro Nogueira (PI), and of União Brasil, Antônio Rueda, to say that the PL intends to support the former judge of Operation Lava Jato and nominate his vice president. The PP, which leads the federation between the two parties in the state, is trying to block the senator’s candidacy.
Marinho told both parties that the preference is to support Moro in União Brasil, but that, if there is no space, since the priority is to strengthen the benches in Congress, he would offer a party for the former judge to contest for the PL.
Flávio’s party even intends to sign up a PSD parliamentarian to fill this vice position, federal deputy Reinhold Stephanes Junior.
The break with the PL threatens Ratinho’s succession, by fragmenting the governor’s base. His allies, however, minimize the divergence and say that he has already won the election for the Mayor of Curitiba in 2024, even with Bolsonaro having broken the agreement in the second round and his opponent Cristina Graeml.
Furthermore, in the conversation, Ratinho Jr. stated that he would maintain the agreement with the PL in Paraná, with Filipe Barros in one of the seats for the Senate. The rupture of the alliance, he said, could also have an impact on eventual support between the two in the second round of the presidential election.
Allies of the governor and Bolsonaros are still trying to avoid a rupture, arguing that the alliance against the PT is the best path for both groups.
Some of the members of Flávio’s campaign see the governor of Paraná as one of the best profiles for vice president, as he brings together the support of an important state and because he is the PSD candidate who shows the greatest potential in the polls. It is a name that also pleases allies of Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP).
In the conversation, Marinho offered this possibility to Ratinho. However, at this meeting on Wednesday, the suggestion was rejected by the governor, who said he preferred to maintain the presidential plan.
