Zema says that whoever votes for Flávio Bolsonaro will hand the election to Lula

The former governor of Minas Gerais and pre-candidate for President for the Partido Novo, Romeu Zema, said that the Banco Master scandal made the electoral scenario more difficult for the right and that whoever votes for Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) for president will “most likely” be giving another four years in office to Lula (PT).

“If in 2022 it was already difficult for the right, with this scandal now (at Banco Master), it is even more so. Because in 2022 we had nothing that resembled this. I am very worried that we are handing over this election to the left, once again. And these latest polls have shown that whoever is voting for Flávio (Bolsonaro), will most likely be handing the election to Lula”, said Zema, who participated this Monday, 25, of a meeting promoted by the American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil (Amcham Brasil) in São Paulo.

In the latest Datafolha survey, released on Friday, Lula appeared with 47% of voting intentions in the second round against 43% for the senator. In the previous round, carried out a week earlier, both had 45%. In other words, after the revelations involving the production of the film Dark HorseLula fluctuated upwards and Flávio downwards.

Those around Zema understand that a right-wing candidate with less rejection and no association with the Master would have a better chance of defeating the PT member in the second round. At Datafolha, Flávio Bolsonaro has a 46% rejection rate, against 45% for Lula.

At this Monday’s event, Zema maintained the line adopted in recent days, which surprised even members of his own campaign, and once again made harsh criticisms of Flávio Bolsonaro, of whom he was an ally before the audios were revealed.

The Novo pre-candidate once again stated that, despite living in the same city as Daniel Vocaro, whom he repeatedly called a “thug banker”, he never met with him nor received requests for a meeting.

“Assombração knows who she’s going to show up and knock on the door to,” repeated the Novo pre-candidate, in a reference to his opponent. “For me, whoever approached the criminal banker is a bad sign. Skunk smells skunk. I’ve always heard that in the countryside. And I also don’t believe it when you believe that relatives are the solution to your problem. I like competent people, and not to say ‘it’s a relative who solves it’. When you’re a partner, a relative, things become difficult to resolve.”

Despite criticism of Flávio Bolsonaro’s approach to Vorcaro, Zema stated that he will maintain his support for the senator in a possible second round against the PT and also said that he is open to dialogue with the son of Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Zema said that Flávio tried to look for him after the website’s revelations Intercept Brasilbut there was a disagreement and the two ended up not talking. “Openness to dialogue will always exist. The only thing I don’t agree with is anyone who approaches a criminal. I will always abhor that, I will never agree. People who stand side by side with criminals, for me, are someone I view with great reservation.”

The Minas Gerais native also minimized Vorcaro’s father’s donation to the Partido Novo in 2022. “Four years ago, had anyone heard about the Banco Master scandal? This only came to light last year. He donated like thousands of other people donated to the Partido Novo”, he replied.

Caiado says he is not an ‘opportunist’ and defends rural unity

While Zema condemned Flávio’s approach to Vorcaro, Caiado avoided toughening his tone against the senator, stated he was not “opportunist” and defended the union of the center-right against the PT. The Goiano also participated in the event promoted by Amcham,

“I’m not an opportunist. I won’t pre-judge. But the most important thing in Brazil, at this moment, is that we also don’t play the game that the PT wants. We keep the center-right united, consolidated, to defeat the PT in the second round. This is the objective”, said Caiado in a press conference with journalists, adding later that the candidate who goes through to the second round must receive the support of the others to defeat the PT.

Caiado has stated on several occasions that there is an “institutional disorder” in the country and that the governability of the Executive “will depend on the moral stature of the next president of the Republic”.

Asked if Flávio has the moral stature to fulfill the role, Caiado replied that “this decision will come from the voter” and said again that, so far, the arguments that Flávio brought to explain his conversations with Vorcaro “were not convincing”.

Both Caiado and Zema dedicated part of their speeches to criticizing the Federal Supreme Court (STF). The man from Goiás defended that the Court takes an internal corporis decision to remove ministers affected by complaints related to their own trajectory.

Zema, in turn, proposed establishing a minimum age of 60 for ministers, putting an end to monocratic decisions on relevant issues and changing the criteria for appointing members of the Court, adopting a triple list with names suggested by institutions.

“In order for us to develop, advance, the Supreme Court should have the ability to cut its own flesh. It would spare the country from a crisis process”, stated Caiado.

Zema, on the other hand, said: “The Supreme Court has always been a safe haven, a moderating power in Brazil in the past, but over the last 15 years it has become an incendiary.”