PT seeks alliance with PSDB to strengthen Haddad in the dispute in SP

After taking former governor Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) to become Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s vice-president, the PT is now seeking to attract the PSDB to Fernando Haddad’s ticket for the government of São Paulo. Members of the PSDB national leadership confirmed to the Estadão that the PT members are trying to open a dialogue with the former mayor of Santo André Paulo Serra, a Tucano pre-candidate for the São Paulo government.

They also reported that PT leaders in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate probed the party about the possible affiliation of the former Minister of Planning and Budget Simone Tebet.

The talks, however, did not progress, and Tebet ended up leaving the MDB for the PSB to run for the Senate in São Paulo.

For Tucano leaders, the alliance with the PT is difficult to form. PT members argue that the Tucanos were sidelined in the São Paulo administration and have no place in the re-election project of Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), which would justify an unprecedented composition with the PT, their historical opponent.

Coordinator of the Prerogativas group and close ally of Haddad, Marco Aurélio de Carvalho confirmed that there is a movement to bring the PT closer to the PSDB in São Paulo and said he welcomes the initiative. Prerogativas was at the forefront of the articulation that led Tebet to run for the Senate for the State.

“There is no doubt that Haddad wants to build a broad front in São Paulo,” said Carvalho. “The PSDB contributed a lot to the country’s democracy. It is a luxury for us to have a relationship with its leaders. Haddad is a broad politician and will know how to lead this process.”

When contacted, Paulo Serra did not respond to the report’s contacts.

A toucan interviewed privately stated that he did not see any sense in the PSDB supporting the PT, but said he considered it plausible that the PT members would encourage the party to launch its own candidate, in a strategy to increase the number of candidacies and favor the holding of a second round.

Bargain

This same toucan assessed that it would be more interesting for the PSDB to have its own candidate than to go with Tarcísio, since, in a possible second stage of the dispute, the party would be an important support and would have greater bargaining power. Furthermore, the strategy would help to strengthen the use of the PSDB ballot box number and, consequently, boost the election of deputies.

Even if it supports the governor, the PSDB will be left out of Tarcísio’s ticket. The composition will have Felício Ramuth (MDB), current holder of the position, as vice-president, in addition to Guilherme Derrite (PP) and a name nominated by the PL for the Senate.

On Haddad’s ticket, there are still two undefined vacancies: that of vice-president and one of senator, which is being contested by former ministers Márcio França (PSB) and Marina Silva (Rede). Tebet will be the other candidate for the Senate.

Haddad has sought to expand the range of alliances, which currently only includes left-wing parties. In addition to the PSDB, the PT pre-candidate is trying to get closer to Gilberto Kassab’s PSD. The party leader ruled out an alliance and said he was done with Tarcísio.

Meeting

The governor’s allies were surprised by what they interpreted as an opening of dialogue between the Tucanos and the PT members. Last month, the national president, Aécio Neves (PSDB), and state president, Paulo Serra, met with Tarcísio and asked for help in assembling the slate of deputies in São Paulo.

The movement was read at Palácio dos Bandeirantes practically as a confirmation that the PSDB would be in the governor’s coalition. In addition to the conversation with the PT, another point that displeased those around Tarcísio was Aécio’s statement that Paulo Serra could be a candidate for governor. The assessment in Bandeirantes, however, is that Serra would not be able to make a competitive candidacy viable.

Currently, the PSDB forms a federation with Cidadania, which means that the parties need to act together.

Federal deputy Alex Manente (Cidadania-SP), who presides over Cidadania at national level, told Estadão who will ask Aécio for the party to lead the federation in São Paulo – currently, the position is vacant.

“For a simple and objective reason that is in the statute: we have two federal deputies from São Paulo in Cidadania and none from the PSDB,” said Manente. Cidadania’s position, according to him, is to support Tarcísio’s re-election.

Emptying

After losing the government of São Paulo after almost 30 years of hegemony, the PSDB suffered a series of defeats in the State. He faced a stampede of mayors, disappeared in the capital’s City Council, where he had the most significant bench alongside the PT, and suffered an emptying of the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo (Alesp) during the party window, going from eight deputies to one.

A good part of its staff migrated to Kassab’s PSD.

The information is from the newspaper The State of S. Paulo.