Republic of Pinda

“Geraldinho” was the nickname Governor Mario Covas gave to his then-vice governor, Alckmin, in the second half of the 1990s, when the former, in practice, was in charge of the latter at the Palácio dos Bandeirantes (Governor's Palace). “Look here, Geraldinho, be careful not to get fewer votes than João Leite,” Covas joked when, in 2000, he entrusted his vice-governor with the mission of running for mayor of the capital, not without first adding that he should perform better than the Covas candidate for senator who had been defeated in 1998. Alckmin ran, lost, and upon returning to the governorship, inherited Covas's administration, who would die in 2001. “It was destiny,” said the new governor, who, had he won the mayoral race, would have been stuck in the lesser office.

A year after Covas' death, Alckmin began assembling a government to his liking, which corresponded to dismantling the Covas machine. This process left behind resentments that persist to this day. The so-called "Republic of Pinda" was born, leaving behind only the friends from the interior of Pindamonhangaba of the former mayor – and Alckmin emerged as a leader who wasn't in the script of the capital's founding members of the PSDB. Aware of the natural discrimination in São Paulo politics, which clearly divides politicians from the interior from those with roots in the capital, the governor often reminds everyone that he is also one of the founders of the PSDB. "My membership card is number 7," he proudly states. Okay, but discrimination does exist.

Alckmin, whose discourse remains aligned with that of his mentor Covas, who catapulted him to the forefront of São Paulo politics, has always played his own game as a creation, even now favoring Covas's grandson, Bruno, as Secretary of the Environment and potential mayoral candidate in 2012, after having abandoned Covas's supporters. Meanwhile, Alckmin is securing key positions within the party machine for the ever-growing "Republic of Pinda" (a reference to his political machine).

Many consider Alckmin's political approach to the PSDB to be high-risk. He has been excessively harsh on those within the party, especially the allies of former governor José Serra, the followers of former president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and, at this point, even those closest to Senator Aloysio Nunes Ferreira. It is believed that if Alckmin wins the state party leadership in the May elections, as he intends, it will not necessarily be good for him. "Serra will let things take their course, savor the opinion polls that show him as the favorite in the mayoral race, and run alongside Kassab, representing the PSDB, at the head of a large coalition full of dissident members," says one observer. "Once elected, he will make Alckmin's life difficult for the next two years, trying to thwart his plans for both reelection in São Paulo and another presidential run." Following this reasoning, no matter how many purges the governor may carry out within the PSDB party, José Serra will remain the most influential leader of the PSDB in São Paulo, due to his high popularity. Does that make sense to you?