PT is not thinking of anyone other than Lula for 2026, says government leader: “There is no plan B”

The government leader in the Chamber of Deputies, José Guimarães (PT-CE)said that the PT has no plans for 2026 to run for the Presidency of the Republic other than Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. According to him, after Lula’s eventual re-election, the name of the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, “is in place”.

The statements were made in an interview on Friday (3) on Opinião CE radio. “2026, there is no plan B, in my opinion. It’s Lula. After 2026, then, obviously, Camilo’s name is in place”, he stated.

Guimarães also praised the projection of the minister, who was previously governor of Ceará. “One of the great winning areas of our government is Education, led by Camilo. Therefore, he is a figure today that is being projected nationally, among other names that we have as references, Haddad, Rui Costa, Wellington Dias”, said the parliamentarian, citing the names of Finance Minister, Fernando Haddad, in addition to the respective ministers of the Civil House and Social Development.

He added: “Lula says this: ‘My former governors do the job very well.’ And Camilo does the job very well with this challenge of managing the government’s main portfolio, which is Education.”

Guimarães also said that the minister “will always be remembered nationally”, but that, now, what is being discussed is “preparing the government for Lula’s re-election”.

For the deputy, the government needs to bring together more political forces from the center around the president.

“I defend the thesis that we have to expand the base, bring everyone into the government now, these parties more towards the center, thinking about 2026, to build a mega alliance to guarantee Lula’s re-election”, declared Guimarães.