The powerful Brazilian center-right voting bloc Centrão is engaged in negotiations for a ministerial mini-reform within the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
This reform is expected to impact the race for the presidency of the Chamber of Deputies in 2025.
The Centrão parties are currently working on nominating candidates for key positions in the Lula administration as well as important state-owned companies.
The Centrão aims to secure ministerial nominations for the portfolios of Tourism, Development and Social Assistance, and Sports.
They also seek control over Caixa Economica Federal, a large and prominent state-owned bank.
While the change in the Tourism portfolio is confirmed, negotiations are ongoing for the others.
The ministerial positions hold significant electoral influence as they determine fund allocation and the appointment of allies.
Therefore, the reform plays a crucial role in determining certain parties’ future relevance and power.
Currently, two frontrunners are considered strong candidates to succeed Arthur Lira as the president of the Chamber of Deputies.
They are Elmar Nascimento and Marcos Pereira.
According to the Poder360 outlet, these two deputies are currently more organized in their bid for the Chamber of Deputies leadership.
Elmar is expected to announce his candidacy in the second semester of 2023.
Two other deputies, Hugo Motta and Isnaldo Bulhões, are also seeking to participate in the succession race but currently have less viability.
President Lula acknowledges that his PT party cannot field a candidate with realistic chances of victory, so he emphasizes that the issue must be resolved among the deputies of the supporting parties to ensure a smooth competition.
The Centrão’s objective is to address the concerns of Union Brazil, PP, and Republican representatives in the Chamber of Deputies who feel their interests have not been adequately represented in the government.
They seek to gain more influence within Lula’s administration.
Expected changes by the Centrão include the replacement of ministers in the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger, and Ministry of Sports.
They also aim to appoint a new person to lead Caixa Economica Federal.
The appointment of Gilberto Occhi, a former president of the bank and a potential Centrão candidate, is favored due to his extensive knowledge of the public sector and political dynamics.
However, the competition among Centrão members for the leadership of Caixa remains intense, and Occhi’s appointment is not yet guaranteed.
With information from Poder360