The government (PT) is trying to build an agreement with the president of , , to prevent voting on proposals that could be a source of electoral erosion for the PT member in the area of and between .
The Palácio do Planalto is concerned about potential damage to Lula’s image if the Senate votes on PECs (Proposed Amendments to the Constitution) on the granting of benefits to temples.
In the case of the call, the text expands tax immunity for religious entities. In practice, the proposal prevents taxation on goods, services and consumption related to temples, which ranges from the purchase of helicopters and vehicles to food and cleaning services.
The PT and most left-wing parties were against it, but the government was forced to release the base in the Chamber’s vote at the end of May. Planalto recognizes the appeal of the project among people and fears that a contrary position will be used by opponents to brand Lula as a candidate opposed to religious activities.
The president has been trying to improve relations with evangelicals, a group he represents, according to the 2022 Census, and which has been more in tune in recent years with the Bolsonaro clan.
Last week, the PT released a letter to this segment, highlighting measures in defense of freedom of belief. Another point is the nomination of , evangelical, to the (Supreme Federal Court).
Regarding the reduction of the age of criminal responsibility, there are at least two PECs under discussion. One was approved by the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Committee) of the Chamber, and government officials believe that, given the electoral appeal, deputies can speed up its processing. Another is ready to be discussed in the Senate.
Lula’s allies are working to ensure that neither of them is voted on until the election.
The Lula government is against reducing the age of majority and defends other ways of combating crime among young people. At the same time, there is recognition among PT members of the broad popular appeal that the measure carries.
Planalto admits that public security is one of the areas in which the PT faces historical difficulties. Recently, Lula’s main opponent in the race for the Presidency, the senator (), achieved a victory on the issue with, for the United States, the PCC (Primeiro Comando da Capital) and CV (Comando Vermelho) as terrorist organizations.
In this way, the government fears that it will be blocked if the Senate speeds up the Chamber’s proposal or, in the worst case scenario, rescues one of the proposals stopped in the House to guide this discussion. The subject is considered a minefield that Lula does not want to cross at a time when he is coming over Flávio in the polls.
The government fears that the discussion about the age of majority will take precedence over government initiatives, which have a Security PEC stalled in the Senate. In addition, it recently launched a new program to combat cell phone theft.
The idea of the government base is to convince Alcolumbre not to vote on any of these issues until the election. The group says it is confident after the president of the Senate signaled that he does not intend to put to a vote any proposal to raise the minimum salary or special pensions this year, known as “bomb agendas”.
In parallel, there is an expectation of a meeting between Lula and Alcolumbre that will help the government to vote on three proposals that await analysis in the Senate: the PEC at the end of the 6×1 scale, the PEC for Public Security and the legal framework for the exploration of critical minerals and rare earths.
AGREEMENT FOR BOMB TARGETS
The government’s confidence in Alcolumbre was reestablished after conversations about proposals with a high fiscal impact. This week, the president of the Senate received ministers José Guimarães (Institutional Relations) and Dario Durigan (Finance), who made appeals against the bomb agendas.
According to people familiar with the discussions, Alcolumbre demonstrated good will and indicated that he has no interest in discussing readjustments in the plenary of salary levels that would compromise the federal budget. However, this understanding was left out, as there was a previous commitment to vote with the senators.
According to interlocutors, Alcolumbre asked Senate leaders to cease demands in plenary on proposals to readjust the minimum salary.
Despite this, senator Fabiano Contarato (PT-ES) went to the plenary and demanded the vote from the street cleaners and daisies. This stance placed the government and Alcolumbre in a complicated situation, say two PT leaders interviewed by the Sheet.
“In an election year, this is very complex. Everyone will vote yes because of the election, but we will have to find ten Brazils to pay. (…) Either I will put all the floors and PECs on the agenda or I will not put any at all”, complained Alcolumbre in plenary. The position was endorsed by the government leader in the Senate, Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), according to allies.
For people close to Lula, this was the gesture that was needed to pave the way for a meeting between the PT member and Alcolumbre. They have been broken since Messias’ rejection of the STF.
The president of the Senate reinforced to PT members his desire to resume the relationship and even joked that he would campaign for Lula. A meeting is expected in the coming days.
The Senate ended up following up with three bombshell agendas on Wednesday (10), but none of them meant Alcolumbre failed to comply with the agreement, according to government officials. The renegotiation of rural debts is authoritative in nature and will still go through the Chamber.
The adjustment of the minimum wage for doctors and dental surgeons was approved by the Social Affairs Committee with the government’s consent. Planalto’s assessment is that the Senate needed to respond to the pressure of readjustments and that it will be possible to hold or change this proposal in the Chamber.
The project that establishes temporary contracts and relaxes retirement rules for community health workers still needs approval from the Senate plenary.
