Alcolumbre returns gesture to Jaques after PF operation

Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP) publicly came out in defense of senator Jaques Wagner (PT-BA) after the PT member was the target of the 9th phase of Operation Compliance Zero, carried out by the Federal Police on Thursday (18). In the opinion of political analyst Isabel Mega, this support was a "calculated gesture" by the president of the Senate.

"We have to look at the events of the past week from a macro perspective. Some are looking at Alcolumbre, others are looking at the PT, and a feeling of unity among the political class, especially in the Senate", Mega said on Live CNN this Friday (19).

On Thursday afternoon, Alcolumbre interrupted a session he was conducting in the Plenary to speak to journalists and publicly mentioned what was happening with Wagner. Mega noted that this is a type of stance that the president of the Senate does not usually adopt.

"It is a gesture of retribution for the support that Jaques Wagner expressed to him, Alcolumbre, at the beginning of the week", noted Mega. On Tuesday (16), Alcolumbre used the plenary session of the Federal Senate to defend himself against accusations published by Veja magazine, which linked him to the Master case and the former banker Daniel Vorcaro, receiving a support network that ranged from the PT to the PL.

In addition to the layer of reciprocity between the two senators, Mega assesses that Alcolumbre's gesture also represents a kind of "password" sent to the Palácio do Planalto, signaling that he wants to speak personally with Lula.

Mega recalled that the relationship between Alcolumbre and the federal government is strained, both due to the exchange of barbs between him and Jaques Wagner himself since last year and the rejection of the nomination of Jorge Messias to the Federal Supreme Court.

According to Planalto interlocutors interviewed by the analyst, Lula could have an opening for this meeting after his return to Brazil, following the G7.

"What they tell us a lot is that Davi Alcolumbre wants to meet Lula personally, that there are things that need to be dealt with on a personal level", said Isabel Mega.

Among the topics that could be negotiated at this eventual meeting is the PEC that deals with the end of the 6×1 journey, which remains on hold, without any order from Alcolumbre, but which remains one of the government's approval targets this semester.

Electoral strategies
The Master case remains a central element in political campaign strategies for the election year. Mega found that Bolsonarism is working on the situation of Jaques Wagner with caution, but already establishing an equivalence between Wagner and Lula, arguing that the two are historical allies and that the scandal would have roots in the PT of Bahia.

On the other side, Lula's allies maintain that Wagner and Lula are distinct figures and that, unlike what happened with Flávio Bolsonaro and the leaked conversations with Vorcaro, Lula is not the character directly implicated in the Master's scandals.

"Ultimately, we are seeing them sharing this burden that became the Master case, which is a radioactive element for the political class", said the analyst.

Another point of attention raised by Isabel Mega is the future of Jaques Wagner in leading the government in the Senate. There was an expectation that Wagner would make the position available after being the target of the PF operation.

In an interview with Band News on Thursday, Wagner left the decision in the hands of Lula, with whom he had spoken earlier, implying that he intends to continue in the post.

Internally, there is an assessment that keeping Wagner in the role would be a way of shielding an ally. "It's a very delicate calculation that needs to be made by President Lula, including what message he wants to convey", analyzed Isabel Mega.

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Source: CNN