Republicans appoint pro-government congressman as the new leader of the party's caucus in the Chamber of Deputies in 2026.

247 - The Republicans, the party of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hugo Motta (PB), has decided that Congressman Augusto Coutinho (PE) will be the leader of the party's caucus in the House of Representatives in 2026. Coutinho, who was the deputy leader of the federal government until this Wednesday (4), belongs to the party's directory in Pernambuco, a state where the party tends to support the re-election of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). The information is from the newspaper Folha de São Paulo.

The congressman will replace Congressman Gilberto Abramo (MG), who is linked to a more conservative group within the party and associated with the church-related wing. The change occurs within a context of internal reorganization of the Republicanos party at the beginning of the legislative year and amidst the electoral calendar.

New leader promises to act in party interests.

The leader of the parliamentary group is responsible for representing the party in negotiations on bills under consideration, speaking on behalf of the party in plenary sessions, and acting in dealings with the government related to positions and the release of parliamentary amendments. Commenting on his selection, Coutinho stated that his electoral base is composed of voters from both the left and the right and said that his actions will be focused on the interests of the party. "It has no relation [to the government]. I will represent the party on issues of interest to the party," he declared.

Internal assessments within the Republicanos party indicate that the change in leadership could facilitate dialogue with the Executive branch. However, party members assert that this does not imply a national alignment with Lula in the presidential race.

The party denies rapprochement with the government at the national level.

Deputy Márcio Marinho (BA), president of the Republicanos party in Bahia, stated that the party's national president, Marcos Pereira, has already indicated that the party will support a center-right candidate in the presidential election, which would rule out the possibility of formally supporting the current president. "It's absolutely no secret that the party's deputies in Pernambuco support Lula. But that doesn't mean the party is aligning itself with the national government," said Marinho.

Other members of the Republican Party report that the party leadership is also dissatisfied with the presidential pre-candidacy of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) and is evaluating alternatives. According to these reports, the party's initial preference was for a candidacy by Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos-SP), who, after Flávio Bolsonaro's announcement, is likely to run for re-election as governor of São Paulo.