"The trend is that we will win, but the PT alone will not win this election," says Zé Dirceu.

247 - In interview with the program good night 247Former minister José Dirceu stated that former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is the country's main political leader and should be the candidate to guarantee the continuity of reforms and democratic stability. Dirceu also highlighted the need to broaden the support base for the next presidential election.

"It's a good thing we have Lula; if we didn't, they would want to turn what is a solution into a problem: his leadership, experience, ability, and electoral base. Despite the challenges, the PT has an extraordinary level of activism throughout Brazil, and Lulaism goes beyond the party," he stated.

Dirceu stressed that Lula is the most viable candidate for the next elections, but warned that the political composition will need to be broadened. "Lula is the candidate who can guarantee democracy and continue a series of reforms that we want to implement in the country. For that, we need at least 200 deputies and 30 senators. The challenge is set for the PT, PDT, PSB, PV, PCdoB, PSOL and Rede, and also for sectors of the MDB and other parties that share a project of national sovereignty and social justice."

The former minister highlighted that the scenario for the next presidential election will depend on who the right-wing and far-right candidates will be. He believes Jair Bolsonaro will be ineligible and that his replacement is still uncertain. "Bolsonaro will be ineligible. Will he step aside so that 'Tarcísio de Freitas' can run? And if it's not Tarcísio de Freitas, who will it be? Ronaldo Caiado, Romeu Zema, Ratinho Júnior, Eduardo Leite? The tendency is that we will win the election, but everything depends on the world situation, the government's performance, and the changes that the PT and other parties will need to make."

Dirceu criticized the actions of the far-right and the defense of dictatorship by Bolsonaro supporters. "The far-right wants a dictatorship in Brazil. It's almost a national betrayal that Bolsonaro supporters, particularly his sons, defend Trump's interference in Brazil. Tomorrow, if Trump says that the Amazon belongs to the United States, I want to see how they will react," he stated.

According to the former minister, the broad front that elected Lula in 2022 needs to be consolidated and have a stronger structure. "The broad front needed a headquarters, leaders, and declarations of support for the government. We need to involve those who prevented Bolsonaro from being re-elected, bring them into the political struggle and into the government. If this isn't done, we will create an environment of despair."

Regarding the political landscape, Dirceu assessed that the weakening of the PSDB and the rise of the far-right have altered the political landscape. "Our confrontation with the PSDB was natural, as there were disagreements about how to run the country. But the far-right is authoritarian and represents a risk to democracy," he said.

The former minister concluded that the next election will depend on the left's ability to form alliances and the government's performance. "The PT alone will not win this election. We need an alliance that is not limited to the left and that can attract sectors of the MDB, PSD, and other parties. The government needs to make adjustments to consolidate this base," he concluded. Watch: