"Dilma acknowledges that it is necessary to renegotiate the government's base in Congress."

Sergipe 247 - Federal deputy Márcio Macêdo participated this Friday afternoon (5) in the meeting between President Dilma Rousseff and the Workers' Party caucus in Congress. He said he was very satisfied with the meeting and reinforced his support for political reform and the plebiscite now. According to the parliamentarian, the president recognized that “it is necessary to renegotiate the Government's base in Congress and asked the PT caucus coordination to help in the recomposition of allied parties”. 

“The meeting was of a high level. Dilma Rousseff is a president who understands what is happening in Brazil and, as a stateswoman, is listening to the voices of the streets. She is concerned with providing answers for this new moment in Brazilian politics. The president is committed to fulfilling the five pacts she announced for Brazil,” stated Márcio Macêdo.

Regarding the plebiscite, Márcio commented that the president reaffirmed her respect for Congress, which is responsible for initiating the reform process. "The president knows that it is Congress's role to hold the plebiscite on the reform. She respects that, but she has a position in favor of political reform with a plebiscite now," emphasized Márcio Macêdo, who is also in favor of immediately initiating the popular consultation process.

“I advocate for the plebiscite and reform to take place now. The voices coming from the streets demonstrate dissatisfaction with the political system and reveal a crisis of representation. The best instrument to change this process is reform, because it is a form of direct participation for the entire population. It is constitutional, democratic, and will enable the exercise of popular sovereignty,” he argued.

Among the topics of the reform, Márcio Macêdo emphasized the need to discuss the voting system (whether proportional representation will be maintained, whether it will be district-based, or whether it will operate under a mixed district model), campaign financing, the party system (with or without coalitions), and the expansion of popular participation.

According to the Sergipe state representative, in addition to the discussion about political reform, it is necessary for the three levels of government (federal, state, and municipal) to respond, with public policies in the areas of health, education, and transportation, to the demands presented by the people in the streets.

“I defend the thesis that, from the inside out, the PT's 10 years in power provoked a first-world revolution, with the largest income transfer program on the planet, through Bolsa Família, and implementing successful programs like Prouni. The PT developed the largest program for the protection of the human person, but from the outside in, there are things that need to be improved,” he said.

In this regard, Márcio Macêdo advocates for the effective allocation of 75% of oil royalties to Education, in addition to a profound curricular reform in Brazilian education, with the implementation of full-time schools and vocational training. He also emphasizes the need to raise teachers' salaries.

In terms of healthcare, in addition to allocating 25% of royalties to the sector, the congressman from Sergipe also suggests implementing tax reform that includes taxing large fortunes and directing these resources to the sector. "These resources should serve to finance healthcare," he emphasized. He also advocates for prioritizing investment in urban mobility. "Those who live on the outskirts of large metropolitan areas suffer from a lack of quality transportation. Historically, Brazil has encouraged the use of private cars, but now it's necessary to reconsider this concept and invest in public transportation," he said.