Brazilian President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva recently expanded his cabinet. He added two parties that once backed Jair Bolsonaro.
Each new party gets a ministry, raising the total cabinet count to 38. This is Lula’s second effort to grow his legislative support.
Lula shared the news last Wednesday. He spoke to the nation on Independence Day. The next day, he attended a military parade in Brasilia.
After that, he flew to a G-20 meeting in New Delhi.
The mood during Independence Day was tense but less so than under Bolsonaro. Lula, his wife Janja, and Defense Minister José Múcio led the parade.
Lula’s cabinet is now a mix of 10 parties. His Vice President is Geraldo Alckmin, a seasoned center-right politician.
Alckmin once governed São Paulo and opposed Lula in past elections.
Brazilian politics often requires deal-making. Parties in the so-called ‘Big Center’ (Centrão) hold sway. Talks with these parties took Lula two months.
The Republicans, linked to a large church, now oversee Ports and Airports.
São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, a Bolsonaro ally, is their most powerful member.
The Progressives Party gets the Ministry of Sports. Arthur Lira, a former Bolsonaro ally, leads this party.
The previous Sports Minister Ana Moser lost her job due to the reshuffle. Critics note that women are often the first to go when Lula seeks new allies.
Brazilian Congress
Lula spoke about the changes. “Telling a minister they’re out because of a new deal is tough but it’s part of the game,” he said.
Lula aims to pass his legislative plans with these changes. A new fiscal plan already passed, but it took hard work.
This plan lets lawmakers direct big budgets for local projects.
Brazil’s Congress is not very ideological. Most parties there focus on specific interests. Alliances change fast, and party-switching is common.