Brazil’s Workers’ Party (PT) has started consulting party leaders about the distribution of ministries in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s fourth term. PT president Edinho Silva, whom Lula tasked with leading the initial discussions, has asked parties for proposals and estimates of how many votes they can deliver in Congress.
Silva has met with leaders from at least four parties: MDB, PSD, PSB and União Brasil. The groups span the center-left, center and right; some supported Flávio Bolsonaro of the PL in the presidential race. The early talks have not focused on specific ministries. Party leaders consulted by Folha expect decisions on ministers to come only from late November.
Silva has told party counterparts that the government intends to change how it builds alliances, emphasizing institutional ties with the presidential palace. Lula wants a clearer picture of each party’s support in Congress, particularly on issues expected to be sensitive during the next administration.
The PT has also asked parties to outline their policy agendas and proposed reforms. The aim is to identify where potential allies agree or differ from the government. Lula is expected to assess nominees himself later, and has indicated that political backing alone will not be enough: he wants candidates proposed by allied parties to present plans for the sectors they would oversee.
The tone of the discussions varies by party. Silva has held more informal talks with groups that supported Lula from the first round, while also reassuring them that they would receive significant roles. MDB president Baleia Rossi described his meeting with Silva as a “icebreaker” that included economic policy. He said the party had presented its proposals, set out in a manifesto, and wanted a constructive relationship with the government.
After meeting party presidents, Silva will brief Lula, who is then expected to take charge of the ministerial reshuffle. The current government has 38 ministries, a number that could rise to at least 39 if a Ministry of Public Security is created. In Lula’s third administration, PSD, MDB and União Brasil each received three ministries, while other center-right parties, including PP and Republicanos, were brought into the government later. Internal divisions within parties have at times meant the government could not count on most of their congressional caucuses.
The distribution of ministries is one way the executive branch seeks to secure support in Congress. That effort is expected to matter more from 2027, when Lula is projected to have a smaller base in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. In the Senate, opposition leader Rogério Marinho of the PL could take over as president of the chamber from February. Ministerial and other appointments may also factor into efforts to support the reelection of Senate president Davi Alcolumbre of União Brasil.
Some possible changes have already been discussed, though government leaders consider it too early to settle on names. Lula reportedly wants Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, a member of the PSB, to remain at the presidential palace, potentially opening the Industry, Trade and Services Ministry he currently leads. PSB president João Campos is expected to receive a ministry, possibly Science and Technology.
PSD has told the government it wants André de Paula to remain agriculture minister and hopes to nominate someone linked to its lower-house caucus for the Fisheries Ministry. The future of Mines and Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira, who belongs to the PSD, is uncertain: party leaders regard him as Lula’s personal choice and expect the party to be offered another senior ministry. Former Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes has also been mentioned as a possible minister from the party.
Sources: Folha Poder.