By Ricardo Luiz
Brazil's Lula government has already approached the Social Democratic Party (PSD), one of the most sought-after parties in Brasília, and the party's president says the talks come with a price. In an interview with the newspaper O Globo, Gilberto Kassab said the relationship with the Planalto, the presidential palace, can become "deeper", but only if Lula signals to the political center and adopts measures in the economy.
It is not a casual gesture. It is a public demand from the man who runs the PSD, a centrist party that both the government and the opposition want on their side.
Kassab's condition: economic measures
Kassab summed up the condition in one sentence: "If economic measures are adopted, we will be closer." According to him, the progress of the rapprochement depends on the course the government chooses. Instead of a blank check, the PSD wants to see what comes from the Planalto first.
Kassab recalled that in 2023 the party decided that, if the Planalto invited PSD members to join the government, it would have "our understanding". In other words, the door was never closed. Now, however, he makes clear that a deeper relationship requires something in return.
Palocci and Meirelles: the message for Lula
The part that is most uncomfortable for the government came next. Kassab said Lula cannot abandon his social commitments, but will have to put people like Antonio Palocci and Henrique Meirelles in the economy, to bring calm and fiscal balance. Palocci was Lula's finance minister in his first term, and Meirelles was president of the Central Bank under Lula.
In practice, the head of a party considering a closer relationship with the government is saying that the economy needs names capable of inspiring confidence. Meirelles, for his part, advocates "stronger" policies from the next government to control spending, according to a news report cited in the source coverage.
Uniting the country and the fight against corruption
Kassab said Lula will need to unite the country and broaden his support, something that, in his assessment, did not happen in the third term. In the PSD leader's view, polarization "has not yet been broken".
He also disagreed with the idea that corruption has lost strength in the political debate. He compared the climate of the runoff to that of 2013, marked by "outrage", and warned of "dangerous movements" if parties do not harden their anti-corruption message.
Asked whether he could be a minister in a possible fourth Lula term ("Lula 4"), Kassab was careful: "It is not on my horizon, I have already held two portfolios. But of course it is very honorable to serve and I do not rule out returning once more." He confirmed nothing, but did not close the door either.
Why it matters: a government with little room
The demand comes at a time when polls show a government with little breathing room. The Quaest poll shows 37% negative approval, 36% positive and 25% regular. In the BTG/Nexus survey, 42% rate the government as bad or terrible, 34% as great or good and 23% as regular.
Another sign is that the PSD has already congratulated Lula and said its lawmakers and governors will maintain a "republican" relationship with him. The União Brasil party, meanwhile, is expected to authorize its members to take part in the government.
VDD Analysis
Kassab's interview shows that the center's support for the Lula government does not come free, and that the Planalto will have to pay with economic credibility. When the president of a party flirting with the government asks for names like Palocci and Meirelles, the message is one of distrust about the fiscal course. It is up to voters to demand that balanced public accounts come before the distribution of government posts.
With information from Bacci Últimas.
