Eduardo says Tarcísio ‘has no option to go against’ Flávio Bolsonaro’s candidacy

Former federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP) stated this Thursday, 22, that the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), “does not have the option of going against” the candidacy of senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) for the Presidency of the Republic. In an interview with the portal Razão newspaperthe former parliamentarian said that, if he follows a different path, Tarcísio could be on par with former São Paulo governor João Doria.

“I don’t think he has much to accept, because it’s difficult for you to change this behavior,” said Eduardo. “Tarcísio, until yesterday, is a public servant, unknown to society (sic), who gained notoriety as Minister of Infrastructure and was later elected in São Paulo thanks to President Jair Bolsonaro. He does not have the option of going against Bolsonaro.”

According to Eduardo, “Tarcísio is intelligent” and, therefore, “he will not take that path”. He also stated that the position of governor of São Paulo is strategic and that any manager who serves two highly rated terms in the State projects his name as a presidential candidate for decades. In the former deputy’s assessment, Flávio’s political arrangement has already been defined and the behind-the-scenes game has ended. He added that his brother is a skilled and articulate politician and that, sooner or later, “for an increasingly small number of skeptics”, it will become clear to the electorate that he is the candidate.

“For president, it will be Lula against Flávio Bolsonaro”, he continued. “If he tries any measure to do something different and emerge as a candidate, on the cheap he will be on par with João Doria.” The former head of the São Paulo Executive came to be seen as a “traitor” in Bolsonarism after taking a stand against Jair Bolsonaro in the covid-19 pandemic, aiming for the 2022 presidential elections.

Eduardo emphasized that, in the current design, Flávio will be the candidate for President, while Tarcísio will run for re-election to the São Paulo government. He also stated that the governor of Paraná, Ratinho Júnior (PSD), should also enter the presidential race, but with “reduced chances”, highlighting the work carried out by the Paraná native. For him, the electoral scenario is already polarized.

Visit

The statements came after Tarcísio’s visit to the former president – ​​scheduled between 8 am and 10 am at the 19th Military Police Battalion of the Federal District, in the Papuda Penitentiary Complex – was postponed under the justification of “commitments” in the State. The governor’s official agenda, however, only contains internal orders.

According to the governor’s interlocutors interviewed by the Estadão/Broadcastthe retreat occurred after Tarcísio considered that the conversation could open space for demands for a more emphatic position in favor of Flávio’s presidential candidacy. Although he publicly supports the project of running for re-election in São Paulo, the head of the São Paulo Executive is mentioned behind the scenes as a potential right-wing name for the race for Palácio do Planalto this year.

To people close to him, Tarcísio has expressed discomfort in the face of repeated pressure from segments of Bolsonarism for more explicit support for Flávio’s presidential project. In private conversations, he reported the perception that, for this group, no demonstration of alignment has been enough. After the retreat, the governor became the target of criticism from Bolsonaro supporters, including openly by the vice-mayor of the capital, Mello Araújo (PL).

In his speeches, Tarcísio began to focus on the State he governs, after Bolsonaro blessed his eldest son as the political group’s candidate. The movement seeks to eliminate any interpretation of competition with the senator and avoid attacks from the former president’s children. The so-called “friendly fire”, in fact, has always been among the governor’s main reasons for caution in relation to a possible dispute over Planalto. Tarcísio never had unanimous support from the clan, especially from former federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro.

The discomfort was reinforced in a recent episode involving Eduardo and pastor Silas Malafaia. After the religious leader stated that he preferred Tarcísio as the right-wing candidate for President, with former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro (PL) as vice-president, the former parliamentarian reacted on social media. On platform Eduardo has even stated that Tarcísio “is not right-wing”.

The feud between the two predates the heat of the 2026 presidential debate, but intensified after Eduardo’s actions in the United States in defense of American President Donald Trump’s sanctions against Brazil. At the time, Tarcísio told allies that the former deputy had become “Lula’s biggest campaigner” and would be “scoring an own goal” on a recurring basis.