Ministries linked to the economy rise from 9 to 17 and are dominated by parties

The graduated president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) will have 17 ministries linked to the economic area, against 9 at the end of the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). Practically all of them will be commanded by party members, paving the way for a direct influence of the acronyms in the country’s public policies.

In addition to PT, with 4 ministries in the area, the portfolios linked to the economic universe will be led by members of the MDB (3), PSD (3), PDT (2), PSB (2) and União Brasil (2).

“In my government there is no fear of choosing a politician, because I am one of those who think that, outside of politics, we cannot find a solution for almost anything on this planet”, said Lula this Thursday (29) when announcing the rest of his ministers .

Only the Ministry of Economy, commanded by Paulo Guedes in the Bolsonaro government, will be sliced ​​into four folders: Finance, which will be with Fernando Haddad (PT); Planning and Budgeting, with Simone Tebet (MDB); Management and Innovation in Public Services, with Esther Dweck; and the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, with the graduated vice-president Geraldo Alckmin (PSB).

The new format generates criticism among members of the current federal public service about the efficiency of work from next year. There are warnings, for example, that there may be the launch of programs with contested effectiveness and that they should only serve as a showcase for the respective ministers – some of them, potential candidates for the Presidency in 2026.

The influence of the parties has already begun in the midst of decisions regarding the format of the Esplanada and the respective names. Tebet had to negotiate the scope of her portfolio amid requests from Haddad for elected senator Renan Filho (MDB-AL) to occupy Planning in her place, and MDB leaders had to influence the negotiations.

Tebet sought an image of pacification around the matter after it was announced, saying that “without a doubt” she will work in partnership with the future Minister of Finance.

She was called for a photo at the moment it was announced, alongside Lula, and asked Haddad to also compose the portrait. “We already started out having three identities: we are university professors, he has relatives in my state and they are mutual friends, and [ele] gave me the third, we are of Lebanese origin. You can’t go wrong,” she said.

Tebet accepted the position in Planning after being passed over in other portfolios. The senator initially wanted the Ministry of Education, which ended up with elected senator Camilo Santana (PT-CE).

Afterwards, he indicated that he would like to stay with Social Development, the portfolio that controls Bolsa Família, but Lula announced the also elected senator Wellington Dias (PT-PI) for the position.

The outgoing senator Alexandre Silveira (PSD-MG) will be the future Minister of Mines and Energy, with influence on key issues on the national economic agenda – such as the role of Petrobras and the country’s policy for fuels amid the continuity of the Ukraine War.

Silveira is secretary general of the PSD and committed himself in the presidential elections to block Bolsonaro’s turn over Lula in Minas Gerais, where the difference was only 49.6 thousand votes. In addition, he is a close ally of the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG), whose reappointment should be supported by the future Lula government.

The parliamentarian was rapporteur in the Senate of the PEC (proposed amendment to the Constitution) of Spending, which increases the spending ceiling by R$ 145 billion next year and authorizes R$ 23 billion in investments outside the fiscal rule.

Also this Thursday, the name of the national president of the PDT, Carlos Lupi, was confirmed by Lula at the Ministry of Social Security. Shortly before the announcement, after a meeting at the hotel where the president-elect is staying in Brasilia, the pedetista said that he accepted the invitation to compose the first echelon of the future government.

The post was initially not attractive to the party, which was looking for a portfolio with more visibility. Lupi had been talking to the PT to try to negotiate a ministry that could strengthen the acronym for the 2024 and 2026 elections.

Lupi was Minister of Labor and Employment in the first Lula government and also remained in office in the government of Dilma Rousseff (PT), leaving the portfolio in December 2011.

Another nominee by Lula was Senator Carlos Fávaro (PSD-MT) for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock — he was one of the articulators of the PT campaign with agribusiness. In addition to him, the sector will have two other ministries: the Ministry of Agrarian Development, with Paulo Teixeira (PT); and the Ministry of Fisheries, with André de Paula (PSD).

Senator Renan Filho (MDB-AL) was also chosen for the Ministry of Transport, and Jader Barbalho Filho (MDB-PA) for the Ministry of Cities —both appointed by emedebista leaders. With this, the party will lead two ministries working on works and, therefore, with potential both for electoral visibility for their holders and for political negotiations with Congress through, for example, amendments.

Renan Filho defends more public investments. “With the PEC that was recently approved, the country regains its ability to invest and we are going to resume investments. The diagnosis of the transition team shows the railroad area is practically blocked and the road area with 66% of Brazilian federal roads considered bad or very bad “, said.

The current governor of Amapá, Waldez Góes (PDT), was nominated for the Ministry of National Integration and Regional Development.

The former governor of São Paulo Márcio França (PSB) was chosen for the Ministry of Ports and Airports – part of the current Ministry of Infrastructure. The person nominated by Lula to lead the Ministry of Labor, in turn, was elected federal deputy Luiz Marinho (PT-SP).

Future Minister of Finance, Haddad had been announced when the graduated president started defining the names of his first echelon, on December 9th.