Alongside Lula and authorities at the TSE, Alcolumbre decides not to applaud Messias

The president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, was the only member of the formal session table who did not applaud the attorney general of the Union, Jorge Messias, in a round of applause led by the president of the Brazilian Bar Association, Beto Simonetti, during the inauguration of Kassio Nunes Marques as president of the Superior Electoral Court.

When speaking, Simonetti proposed the reference to Jorge Messias. AGU received 30 seconds of applause from the audience and the solemn table. Alcolumbre is sitting next to President Luiz Inácio da Silva.

— I congratulate Brazilian lawyers, in the person of the directors of the federal council present, but I especially congratulate Brazilian lawyers in the person of a dear friend who is AGU Jorge Messias — said Simonetti.

After the applause, the minister of the Social Communication Secretariat, Sidonio Palmeira, whispered to Messias in his ear.

Two weeks ago, Jorge Messias was rejected by the Senate plenary for a vacancy on the Federal Supreme Court.

The assessment of those around Lula is that Messias’ defeat was orchestrated by Alcolumbre, who from the beginning was upset with the PT member’s choice to appoint the head of the Attorney General’s Office (AGU). The senator defended the name of his predecessor, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSB-MG), one of his main allies. Publicly, Alcolumbre denies any action in this regard.

On the day of the hearing, senators stated that Alcolumbre called some parliamentarians asking to vote against Messias. Before the voting score was revealed, the president of the Senate whispered to the government leader in the House, Jaques Wagner (PT-BA), that the government candidate would be defeated. Alcolumbre’s speech was captured by the broadcast of the session.