"The PSDB in São Paulo is settled." Is it?
The PSDB in São Paulo is not divided, and the José Serra factor is a thing of the past. This is the assessment of federal deputy Bruno Araújo (PSDB-PE), for whom the party in that state is literally engaged in the presidential project of Senator Aécio Neves (PSDB-MG); "Obviously, we have the utmost respect for the importance of José Serra. But any movement to change parties, without taking anyone with them, is something that exposes any political leadership."
PE247 – The PSDB in São Paulo is not divided, and the José Serra factor is a thing of the past. This is the assessment of federal deputy Bruno Araújo (PSDB-PE), who believes the party in that state is literally engaged in the presidential project of Senator Aécio Neves (PSDB-MG).
The PSDB experienced internal turmoil over the decision regarding who would be the party's candidate in the 2014 presidential elections. Former São Paulo governor José Serra sought the candidacy but ended up isolated within the party, while the current pre-candidate, Senator Aécio Neves from Minas Gerais, has the support of the main PSDB leaders: former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso and federal deputy Sérgio Guerra (PE), the party's national leader.
Amidst the lack of space that José Serra is experiencing within the PSDB, rumors have emerged that the politician could join the PPS, before the party merged with the PMN, resulting in the creation of the Democratic Mobilization (MD). Federal deputy Roberto Freire (SP), who presided over the PPS nationally and now heads the MD, confirmed that an invitation was extended to the former governor of São Paulo. However, nothing concrete has yet been decided.
In any case, the PSDB's pre-candidate is consolidated in a year (2013) that marked the anticipation of the electoral debate. According to Araújo, the discourse of the governor of Pernambuco and virtual candidate for the PSB, Eduardo Campos, according to whom it is first necessary to win 2013 and then think about the 2014 elections, cannot be applied to the PSDB.
According to the parliamentarian, these are different cases, because in Pernambuco, for example, "it also means a lot to make this transition from the government camp to the opposition camp." This is because it is known that Governor Eduardo Campos managed to create and maintain a friendly relationship with the PSDB, even obtaining the support of 14 PSDB mayors in the 2010 elections.
“In our case, it’s about the consolidation of Senator Aécio Neves’s support outside the party. Internally, it’s a consolidated fact, especially with the definitive resolution of the matter in São Paulo. The episode involving former governor José Serra is an isolated incident within the party. The PSDB of São Paulo has fully incorporated itself into the national project of his (Aécio Neves’s) candidacy,” Araújo stated in an interview with Rádio Folha FM.
The congressman expressed optimism regarding a possible second round in the 2014 election. "They are two important protagonists. No one in recent history has seen a presidential candidate, in the case of President Dilma, begin a presidential campaign so early because it's clear that, with the emergence of Governor Eduardo Campos and Senator Aécio Neves, everything points towards a second-round election," he observed.
The congressman stressed that José Serra is not isolated within the PSDB and that the internal situation is calm. “We have confirmation that no federal or state deputy from São Paulo is leaving the PSDB. Senator Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, from the PSDB in São Paulo, has announced that he will not change parties and will continue on the path he has always followed within the PSDB since its founding. Obviously, we have the utmost respect for José Serra's importance. But any movement to change parties without taking anyone with them is something that exposes any political leadership,” Araújo noted.