A vote on the PL opposition is scheduled in the chamber on Tuesday (18th), with the allies of Lula’s government (PT) voting on the issue and working with the idea that it will be overcome depending on the document presented by Guilherme Delite (PP-SP), but the opposition is seeking more time and trying to take advantage of the left’s exhaustion in the security field.
Chamber President Hugo Motta (R-PB) has already informed his interlocutors that the vote will take place on Tuesday and has convened a meeting with the project as the sole topic of discussion. Mr. Motta’s allies also say there is no pressure to prevent the issue from being considered on the same day. This is because if the President of the House of Representatives backs down on this issue, it could further damage the president’s image.
A close representative said the rapporteur was willing to resolve the issue after being targeted by allies who deemed him incapable of forming a consensus. In the opinion of most lawmakers, Delight, security chief in the government of Tarcisio de Freitas (R), made a mistake and lost political power.
Party leaders say they will only know for sure whether there will be room for a new postponement the day before. The text was originally scheduled to be voted on last Wednesday (12th).
The problem is that Delight’s report, already in its fourth edition since Friday (7th), has yet to win a majority in the plenary and has been the subject of criticism from the government, centrists and opposition parties.
Some leaders interviewed by the report said they believed a deal could be reached by Tuesday, but others said it would take days or even weeks for Delight to fine-tune the proposal, which would also include hearing from the governor, law enforcement officials, secretaries and experts.
Behind the scenes, the intention of right-wing MPs is to keep the House of Commons on security issues, a priority area for Lula’s government. For Palacio do Planalto, the intention is the opposite, to overcome the problem in order to advance other issues of interest to the base in a political landscape already tainted by the 2026 elections.
“The government wants you to vote because we are at the end of the year and we need to resolve this issue,” said government deputy leader Gilmer Tat (PT-SP).
PL leader Sostenes Cavalcante (Republican) said: “I think we need to give Mr. Delito more time, another week or two. In my opinion, the time will not be ripe for Tuesday, but it is up to the president to decide. Mr. Delito will be able to listen to more people’s opinions and improve his writing.”
MDB leader Isnardo Brujoes (MDB-AL) said that Delight was one of the best people to report on the issue, and that although it had not yet reached a plenary opinion, it was close. Emedevista says the document’s clear definition of criminal factions is non-negotiable.
Mauricio Neves (PP-SP), a supporter of the rapporteur, said: “I am confident that we will approve it on Tuesday, which will be a victory for Brazil. Mr. Delight was willing to be flexible in the process.”
At the beginning of the week, things were different. After Delight amended the bill drawn up by the executive branch with measures that the government did not accept, it was at Planalto Palace that he tried to buy time to change the proposal.
Despite the government’s claim that the rapporteur intended to reduce the role of federal police, which Delight denied, the rapporteur backed down and ultimately agreed to some of the administration’s demands.
However, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security has pointed out a series of problems that remain with the document. The latest version could remove more than 360 million reais a year from the federal crime-fighting fund and redirect it to state governments.
Ministry members also said that negotiations with Delight regarding new changes to the project have not progressed.
Still, Lula’s allies are insisting that the project be voted on as soon as possible. He says the government is unlikely to be able to get Delight to submit an opinion that it completely agrees with, so it needs to invest in political debate, mobilize public opinion and vote on the best document in hopes of improving it in the Senate, or Lula will veto parts of it.
In his assessment, the left cannot win the debate over public security, and is only able to draw with the right at best. In this sense, it would be important to move on to other topics and calm down the political debate.
Once the security issues are overcome, the government may resume discussions on defending tax justice, in addition to focusing on the PT government’s social programs. In addition to the budget law itself, the chamber is working on a series of projects to secure the 2026 budget, a priority for the Treasury Department.
Government officials said consultations will continue until Tuesday to discuss the vote. He said the government was aware that it would be difficult to restore the issue to its original wording and was therefore considering the amendments that would be tabled and what strategy would be adopted in plenary session.
After a meeting with ministers convened by Prime Minister Lula to discuss security on Thursday (13th), Minister for Institutional Affairs Gleij Hoffmann said Planalt was “ready” for the vote.
“If the President (Ugo Motta) puts it on the agenda and actually votes on it, we will be in a position to have this discussion. We also want to compile our opinions and give our impressions in order to take the report forward. Otherwise, we will hold a debate in plenary and present our proposals, because I think it is very important that we have an answer to face this,” the minister said.
Mr. Sosthenes also plans to present amendments and points to the plenary session for a vote on the excerpts left out by Mr. Delight. PL leaders want to change the rules for detention hearings and have not given up on equating factions with terrorists.
Similarly on the right, another group looking to expand on this theme is the Governor’s Group. On Wednesday, the heads of the executive departments of RJ, DF, GO, MG and SC asked Mr Motta to vote on the project for up to 30 days so that his proposals could be incorporated.
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