RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday (22) said that he would decide about running in next year’s elections only in March.
The president was asked by a supporter at the Alvorada Palace how the 2022 elections would be played out. Neither the supporter nor Bolsonaro discussed party affiliation, but the President replied, “I will decide in March.”
The President has been without a party for 2 years since leaving PSL in 2019. Earlier this month he had decided that he would join Valdemar Costa Neto’s Liberal Party (PL).
The ceremony to formalize the affiliation had been scheduled for November 22, but was canceled. The reason was said to have been the President’s discomfort with potential PL state alliances in 2022, principally in São Paulo, where the party was planning to support Rodrigo Garcia (PSDB), João Doria’s deputy governor and now candidate for governor.
Last week, PL leaders met and gave Valdemar Costa Neto the green light to facilitate Bolsonaro’s affiliation.
They trust that a consensus will be quickly reached and that there will be daily talks between the head of the party and the President until the affiliation is achieved. If everything runs smoothly, the affiliation is expected to occur by the end of the year. Bolsonaro’s answer to the supporter on Monday evening has made this scenario even more uncertain.