Brazil Union and PP set a 30-day deadline to leave Lula's government and guarantee amendments.

247 - União Brasil and PP have set a deadline of up to 30 days to formalize their departure from Lula's (PT) government, as announced on Tuesday (2). The decision amplifies the pressure for Ministers Celso Sabino, of Tourism, and André Fufuca, of Sports, to leave their respective portfolios. However, the change will not be immediate. According to sources close to the president of União, Antonio Rueda, and the president of PP, Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI), the strategy is to ensure that all ongoing commitments and amendments are duly completed before the formal rupture, reports Malu Gaspar, from the newspaper The GlobeThe measure aims to ensure that ministries can settle amounts still being processed and that agreements with parliamentarians and regional leaders, such as mayors, are fulfilled.

The União Brasil and PP parties, which had already announced the formation of a federation to be registered with the courts, will proceed with the transition in a planned manner. "To resolve some things, settle some commitments," stated a member of the federation's leadership, highlighting that the move had been planned for months but was brought forward after President Lula criticized the leader of União Brasil, Antonio Rueda, during a ministerial meeting. The departure also comes after the president demanded greater support from ministers linked to the Centrão (center-right bloc). The final decision by the parties, which was initially supposed to occur only in 2024, was accelerated. Until then, the parties intended to postpone the announcement of their break with the government, which would extend their period of influence over public administration.

In 2024, the Ministry of Tourism received R$ 850 million in parliamentary amendments, while the Ministry of Sports obtained R$ 1,3 billion, resources that are significantly higher than the initial budget foreseen for both areas in this year's budget, of approximately R$ 3,1 million. The parties' strategy, therefore, is to ensure that these resources are properly committed before a change in leadership. If the ministers were to abandon their posts immediately or be removed from office, there would not be enough time to settle outstanding financial matters. "The order of the day is to ensure the house is in order, allocate the committed resources, and keep the agreements open," explained a source involved in the process.

The move, which had been under discussion for some time, intensified after President Lula criticized União Brasil and the lack of support from his ministers. Until then, Sabino and Fufuca, who aspire to run for the Senate in 2026, preferred to postpone the break in order to maintain their positions and political support, especially in the context of a possible reelection of the current president.

Another relevant point in the articulation between the two parties involves the nominations for state-owned companies. The PP, for example, maintains the presidency of Caixa Econômica Federal with Carlos Vieira, although this appointment is frequently attributed to Arthur Lira (PP-AL), former president of the Chamber of Deputies. The resolution regarding these nominations should also be addressed in the context of the parties' departure from the government.

The decision to break with the Lula government is also related to the start of Jair Bolsonaro's (PL) trial at the Supreme Federal Court (STF). The alliance between União Brasil and PP is, in a way, linked to the figure of the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos), who is seen as a potential successor to Bolsonaro, who is ineligible until 2030.