As a political strategist, Temer can win back the PMDB.

The appointment of Vice-President Michel Temer to assume the political coordination between the Planalto Palace and Congress brings with it the chance to recover the power he has been systematically losing to two 'beasts': the presidents of the Senate, Renan Calheiros (AL), and the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha (RJ). For the internal battle, Temer counts on allies such as Minister Eliseu Padilha, Henrique Alves, who moves between his group and Cunha's, and Senator Jader Barbalho (PA), who possesses internal coordination skills and has already shown that he will be on the front line in defense of the government.

April 12, 2015, 10:46 hUpdated July 05, 2018, 13:42 pm

The appointment of Vice President Michel Temer to assume the political coordination between the Planalto Palace and Congress brings with it the chance to recover the power he has been systematically losing to two 'beasts': the presidents of the Senate, Renan Calheiros (AL), and the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha (RJ); for the internal battle, Temer counts on allies such as Minister Eliseu Padilha, Henrique Alves, who moves between his group and Cunha's, and Senator Jader Barbalho (PA), who has the capacity for internal coordination and has already shown that he will be on the front line in defense of the government (Photo: Romulo Faro).

247 - The nomination of Vice President Michel Temer to take over the political coordination between the Planalto Palace and Congress brings with it the chance to recover the power he has been systematically losing to two 'beasts': the presidents of the Senate, Renan Calheiros (AL), and the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha (RJ).

Surrounding the three leading figures of the PMDB party are deputies, senators, ministers, governors, and other politicians with diverse interests who threaten President Dilma Rousseff's attempt to rebuild her support base.

The biggest difficulties, even for Temer himself, are in the Chamber of Deputies, where Cunha has inflicted successive defeats on the government in his first two months as president of the House. Elected with a promise to 'increase the independence' of the Chamber, the congressman shows no willingness to change his position because of Michel Temer.

On Eduardo Cunha's side are figures such as the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, the governor of the state, Luiz Fernando Pezão, the former governor Sérgio Cabral, the future Minister of Tourism, Henrique Eduardo Alves (RN), and most of the party's representatives in Congress.

A protégé of Cunha, Congressman Leonardo Picciani (PMDB-RJ) managed to get elected as the leader of the caucus and is being considered to succeed Pezão. This group also aims, behind the scenes, to launch a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic in the 2018 election, according to Folha de São Paulo, a scenario that would become clouded if Temer succeeds in the government's political maneuvering.

Temer, in turn, has allies such as Minister Eliseu Padilha, Henrique Alves, who moves between his group and Cunha's, and Senator Jader Barbalho (PA), who has great capacity for internal articulation and has already shown that he will be on the front line in defense of the government.

Renan has shown dissatisfaction with his group's influence in the government, leading him to adopt a critical stance against the administration. He is the political godfather of the Minister of Tourism, Vinicius Lages, who will soon lose his post to Alves.

Senators Romero Jucá (RR) and Valdir Raupp (RO) have a close relationship with Renan, with Raupp assuming the presidency of the PMDB this week, as soon as Temer takes leave of absence.