Appointed by the president () to the vacancy left by the minister in the (Supreme Federal Court), the attorney general of the Union, , his approval is uncertain given the lack of support from the president of the House, (-AP).
The Senate plenary decides this Wednesday (29) whether Messias will be able to join the court, which requires 41 favorable votes among 81 senators in a secret vote. Before that, the nominee goes through a hearing, starting at 9 am, at the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission).
It took them from 7 hours to 11 hours. Voting in the CCJ, made up of 27 senators, is also secret. Even in the case of rejection in the committee, the deliberation will be taken to the plenary for the final word.
On Tuesday night (28), members of Planalto were more optimistic about the result. But the consensus among government supporters and opponents is that there will be a tight score.
To guarantee Messias’ approval, his allies expected a public gesture from Alcolumbre and, consequently, the favorable vote of the group of senators loyal to the parliamentarian, but the president of the Senate did not schedule a formal meeting with the nominee.
Senators from Lula’s base say they hope that Alcolumbre will still receive Messias, even if this Wednesday. This Monday (27), the Minister of Institutional Relations, José Guimarães, reinforced this request to the President of the Senate, but the assessment is that he is irreducible.
Contrary to that of the senator (-MG) in November, Alcolumbre only had one interaction with the nominee over these five months. How they met informally during a reception at the STF minister’s home.
Messias approached Alcolumbre to ask for support, but the senator did not commit to it. He only stated that he will follow the constitutional rite of voting and guarantee an environment of tranquility. The leak of the meeting further angered the head of the Senate, .
Palácio do Planalto, which counts around 45 votes in favor of Messias, tries to overcome Alcolumbre’s resistance in other ways. As shown by SheetGuimarães took charge of negotiating with the senators .
This month, Senate leaders promoted changes in the composition of the CCJ to help Messias with the entry of five names more aligned with the government. Former minister Renan Filho (MDB-AL) took the place of Sergio Moro (-PR) and Ana Paula Lobato (PSB-MA) took the place of Angelo Coronel (PSD-BA), for example. Afterwards, Moro came in as a substitute in place of another senator, meaning he only votes if he is absent.
The Minister of Social Development, Wellington Dias, will resume his seat in the Senate for the vote. There is a concern from the government that there will be enough senators present at the vote on a week with a holiday.
Failure to approve Messias would be a historic defeat for Lula, as the last time it was approved was in 1894, during the government of Floriano Peixoto. For Alcolumbre’s allies, it would serve to show that he controls the House and that government measures must be agreed with the senator first.
Government officials who remain optimistic remember that it was despite Alcolumbre’s opposition at the time. Allies of the Senate president claim that Alcolumbre’s supposed current neutrality is, in fact, a risk for Messias.
In the final stretch, the attorney general intensified meetings with senators and dedicated himself to studying possible topics for the hearing. An evangelical, he also fasted and prayed. This Tuesday, an event attended by Pacheco and the vice-president, (PSB).
Opposition parties, such as PL and Novo, in addition to the Bolsonarists, have already decided that they will vote against Messias – around 30 senators participated in the group’s meeting this Tuesday. Acronyms such as PT and PSB will vote in favor. Most of the MDB and PSD should also support the nominee.
“It will not just be the profile of the nominee that will weigh in, but the political scenario, the country’s situation, the excesses that the Supreme Court continues to commit at this point in the championship”, said the senator (PL-RJ), Lula’s main opponent in the presidential race.
Opposition senators claim that Messias is faithful to Lula, defended the arrest of those involved in January 8th and that his nomination goes against the need to pacify the country and rescue the role of the Senate.
The Messias hearing takes place in a context of fierce conflict between the STF and the Senate due to investigations by parliamentarians, requests for impeachment and CPIs (Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry), in addition to the pressure with the case of . Some of the senators see the rejection of Messiah as an answer for the court.
Topics such as the separation of Powers, parliamentary immunity and the INSS scandal should appear in the argument. Messiah has told allies in a nod to Congress. On the other hand, it will adopt caution in relation to the Master, which involved the ministers and .
among them the two nominated by Bolsonaro – Mendonça, also evangelical, and . Zanin and joined forces in favor of the nominee at court.
On another front, the nominee, but, is largely made up of (PL) allies. Under reservation, they say that Messias’ positions are more aligned with Lula’s PT than with conservatism.
Alcolumbre’s resistance dictated the pace of Messiah’s nomination process, which took 160 days, the longest among current ministers. As the president of the Senate threatened a quick vote to reject the nominee as soon as Lula’s choice was made public in November, the government decided to wait –.
During this period, Lula and Alcolumbre became closer again and the government acted to de-escalate the environment. Messias, in turn, managed to present himself to 78 senators, highlighting his technical profile and seeking to dispel the idea that he was an ideological PT member.
Lula’s trusted name, the attorney general has been the Treasury attorney since 2007 and became known nationally as “Bessias” in a wiretap on the former president (PT) released by Operation Lava Jato in the midst of the impeachment process.
Luísa Martins and Ana Pompeu collaborated
