Lula returns from the US and is expected to define ministerial changes.
The president seeks to balance the departure of parties from his base with strengthening the left and is betting on Boulos to broaden dialogue with social movements.
247 - President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) returned this Thursday (25) from the United States with the mission of redesigning part of his ministerial team. The move occurs amid the possibility of a mass exodus of figures from União Brasil and PP, which officially announced the formation of a federation and hardened their opposition to the government.
According to Folha de S. PaulLula is considering opening up space to parties in his allied base, such as PSD, PDT, PSB, and even Republicans, should the departure of the two parties be confirmed. This time, the strategy is not limited to guaranteeing governability in Congress, as it was during the initial formation of the government, but also to building state-level platforms for 2026, when the president is expected to run for reelection.
Dispute over positions and regional alliances
Lula has already signaled to ministers linked to the Centrão (center-right bloc) that he will support their regional candidacies in 2026, even if their parties are not formally part of his coalition. This is the case with Celso Sabino (Tourism), André Fufuca (Sports), and Silvio Costa Filho (Ports and Airports), all federal deputies on leave. They are expected to run for Senate seats and were nominated by their respective party blocs as part of the Planalto's (presidential palace) attempt to improve relations with the Chamber of Deputies.
The movement, however, is hampered by pressure from PP and União Brasil, which have set a deadline for elected officials to leave the government under threat of expulsion. União Brasil, for example, brought forward Sabino's departure, who had sought to postpone it to take advantage of the visibility of COP30, to be held in Belém (PA) in November, and consolidate his name for the election. He even suggested the possibility of taking a leave of absence from the party to remain in the ministry, but this solution is considered unlikely.
Meanwhile, André Fufuca is trying to broker an internal agreement to remain at the Ministry of Sports until the end of the year. A faction within the PP party argues that his continued presence would facilitate planned deliverables for the ministry. Those close to the party president, Ciro Nogueira (PI), believe he may not oppose such an agreement, given his personal connection to the minister.
Boulos is expected to assume a strategic position in the Presidential Palace.
In addition to seeking support in Congress, Lula is also preparing changes aimed at strengthening relations with the left. The president has informed allies that Guilherme Boulos (Psol-SP) is expected to be announced as the new Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, replacing Márcio Macêdo (PT).
The secretariat is responsible for dialogue with social movements, and the choice of Boulos would aim to reinforce popular mobilization, especially among young people, as well as expand the government's presence on social media in the face of the Bolsonaro offensive. The goal is to replicate the digital strength of 2022, when Lula managed to increase his visibility during the election period.
In this context, the president is balancing the need to rebuild his parliamentary base with the task of revitalizing sectors of civil society that were crucial to his victory. The next step will be to define how to accommodate strategic allies and manage the pressures from the Centrão (center-right bloc) amidst the political chess game that is already looking towards 2026.
