The top brass of the Workers’ Party (PT) has transferred to Brazil’s president-elect, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the ministries they are not willing to cede, such as Finance, Health, Education, or Social Development -in charge of the main social programs-, as the rest of the allied groups demand their quota within the next government.
The PT has divided the portfolios in three blocks: state – such as Foreign Affairs, or Defense; Lula’s personal quota – Political Articulation, Justice, Treasury, or Civil House; while the rest could be distributed among the allies, according to a party leader told the newspaper ‘O Globo’.
In Thursday’s meeting, the PT has defended the importance of being at the head of the Ministry of Social Development due to the large number of social programs it administers, among them Bolsa Familia, a portfolio that the Brazilian Democratic Movement of Senator Simone Tebet, its main partner in the second round of the October 30 elections, also wants.
The PT maintains that it does not matter the name of the party member in charge of this ministry, as long as it is led by its acronym, since it would not be wise for a portfolio that offers important political and electoral dividends to remain in the hands of allied forces.
From the MDB they are aware of this reluctance of the PT to let go of this ministry and they are already working on the possibility of Tebet assuming the Environment portfolio, an area that has gained great importance after the criticism that Jair Bolsonaro’s environmental policies have received these four years.
In total, the PT is confident of leading at least fifteen portfolios and although they consider it unlikely, in some such as Health or Education, administered by the party in the previous governments of Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, allied groups could participate, for the sake of governability, while the president-elect tries to accommodate all his new and old partners.
Lula’s decision is also expected to be based on the number of seats his allies have in both houses of Congress, so it is assumed that his more left-wing partners, such as the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL) and Rede will lead one ministry each.
Before the end of the week, Lula is expected to announce at least the holders of three portfolios, among them that of José Múcio Monteiro, former judge of the Court of Accounts, for the Defense portfolio, who would have the approval of the most ‘bolsonarista’ wing of the Army due to his ability and conciliatory profile. The other name that sounds is that of the former mayor of Sao Paulo and former Minister of Education under Lula and Rousseff, Fernando Haddad, for the Treasury.
