Tebet negotiates Turbocharged planning, but Haddad resists

With less than a week left for the elected government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to take office, the possible nomination of Simone Tebet (MDB) to take over the Ministry of Planning and Budget created discomfort for a wing of the PT and triggered a negotiation for restructuring the portfolio .

This Tuesday (27) a meeting is scheduled between Tebet and Lula to discuss the ministry.

The name of the senator as head of Planning is defended by the PT president, Gleisi Hoffmann, who wants women in more important positions in the government. However, the proposal was not well accepted by the future Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, on the grounds that he and Tebet have different views on conducting the economic area.

This Monday (26), Haddad spoke with members of the MDB and made an appeal for senator-elect Renan Filho (MDB-AL) to assume the portfolio.

The former governor of Alagoas had been asked by the future Minister of Finance to head Planning about 20 days ago. The Senate bench, however, decided to plead for a ministry that would have what they consider a “finalistic function”.

Therefore, it was decided that Renan Filho would be the holder of the Ministry of Transport. This Monday, emedeb supporters repeated to Haddad that the elected senator was appointed by the bench to head another portfolio and, therefore, should not go to Planning.

Looking at the long-term political clash, those who follow the formation of the ministries also say that in the Planning Tebet could gain muscle to shadow Haddad, who is being prepared to be a weighty name in future electoral disputes of the party, including the Presidency of the Republic.

Historically, Economics and Planning work hand in hand. In Lula 3, the partnership between the incumbents needs to be even more refined, given the future government’s ambition to recover long-term planning and also promote administrative reform.

Those following the negotiation process affirm that there are also divergences in relation to the constitution of the new Planning. Even though it is an already powerful ministry, as it includes Budget management, the MDB aims to increase the portfolio with other attributions.

Since last week, as Sheet showed, the MDB pleads that the ministry also incorporate the PPI (Investment Partnerships Program). This area, so far, is designated for the Civil House, Rui Costa.

According to members of the future government, there is a possibility that the program will be transferred from Costa’s purview to Planning, with the aim of accommodating the senator. The future head of the Civil House, however, resists giving up the program.

Tebet has indicated that he agrees to take over Planning. In addition to her, Deputy Reginaldo Lopes (PT-MG) is also quoted for the portfolio.

The senator also signaled that she would like the folder to stay with Caixa and Banco do Brasil. These public banks, by tradition, are subordinate to the Treasury, and their eventual transfer to Planning was not well received.

According to Sheet found, this proposal is difficult to accept. The Transition working group responsible for the Regional Development area proposed that the regional banks be transferred to Planning, but the suggestion was rejected.

The senator preferred to have stayed with the Ministry of Social Development. The portfolio, however, was claimed by the PT for being responsible for managing Bolsa Família, a program that is the party’s showcase and will start the government with one of the largest budgets among the ministries.

Since then, the elected government has sought alternatives for the senator, who was important in boosting Lula’s votes in the second round.

As the initial desire has already been frustrated, PT interlocutors say that it will be politically complicated not to meet the senator’s new requests. On Friday, when he spoke with Tebet, Lula also put the ministries of Tourism and Cities on the table as options.

The senator rejects occupying Tourism. In relation to Cities, the obstacle occurs because the folder is claimed by the MDB bench in the Chamber. The party’s assessment is that if Lula gives Tebet the portfolio, that would create a political problem with the deputies, which could cause wear and tear to the PT candidate in votes in the House.

Tebet was even invited to the Ministry of Agriculture, but refused to assume the portfolio. Afterwards, the PT started to work with the scenario in which she would take over the Ministry of the Environment. As shown to SheetGleisi Hoffmann even sounded out the senator for the portfolio on Monday of last week (19).

The emedebist, however, did not want to go over Marina Silva (Rede-AP) and conditioned to accept the Environment only if her colleague declined.

The PT’s plan was for Marina to be the government’s climate authority and assume the body, which would have the status of a ministry, linked to the Presidency of the Republic. The deputy elected by the Network, however, made it clear that she preferred to be a minister. For this reason, Lula also indicated last week that he would nominate Marina as holder of the environmental portfolio.

Lula reaffirmed to Tebet that he would like to have her at the top of the government and sounded her out for Planning. The senator has been telling allies that she has not conditioned support for Lula to a space in the government, and that, therefore, she would only accept a portfolio in which she judges that she could collaborate with the government.

The senator also reported that she would not have much affinity with the PT’s economic policy and that this could be a difficulty. The parliamentarian, however, received appeals, including representatives of the financial market, to accept the ministry.

The choice of planning holder has been dragging on for weeks.

Gleisi Hoffmann wanted the post and was quoted, but Lula preferred that she remain as president of the PT. Senator-elect Wellington Dias (PI-PT) was even considered for the post, but ended up being chosen for Social Development.

An invitation was floated for the economist Persio Arida, but he declared in an interview with the Sheet that he had no intention of returning to the government, signaling that his contribution would be restricted to suggestions for the working group dedicated to the transition in the economy. Economist André Lara Resende was invited to take over the portfolio a week ago, but declined.