The Senate is expected to approve the reappointment of Paulo Jeunet after a hearing on Wednesday (12), but to a more stringent degree than two years ago, when he took charge of the Attorney General’s Office.
If there is no surprise, Jeunet will continue to lead the body for a term until 2027. Senators viewed the vote as a benchmark to measure the possibility of approving the name of the Attorney General of the Federation, Jorge Messias, who should be nominated by President Lula to the Federal Supreme Court.
In 2023, the current Head of the General Ministry of the Federation received 65 votes in favor in the plenary session of the Senate and 11 votes against. The support of at least 41 senators is required for approval. The resilient result that year was obtained because even sectors of the opposition, at that time, with the support of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), voted for him.
But the mood of the Bolsonarian wing towards the prosecutor has changed. It should be approved, but will have less support than it had in 2023, group members say.
“The opposition will oppose. But there are only 32 people out of 81,” stated PL leader Carlos Porteño (RJ). Minority Leader Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI) said. Bound I think Gonet will be approved without any setbacks.
Bolsonaro’s dissatisfaction is mainly due to the PGR’s accusations against Bolsonaro in the coup plot operation, for which the former president was sentenced to 27 years in prison. Lula signed Jeunet’s reappointment shortly before giving his statement at trial. Presidential aides said that bringing forward the reappointment date gave more strength and legitimacy to the PGR at a time of high institutional political pressure.
Another factor cited to explain the greater dissatisfaction with Jounieh was the complaint against Eduardo Tagliaferro, former advisor to Federal Supreme Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes.
Tagliaferro, who assisted the minister when he was president of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, has become a well-known name in Bolsonaro’s circles for exposing messages related to Moraes.
Jeunet’s alignment with the majority of the Supreme Court in the coup plot operation was already expected both in the judiciary and in politics. He was nominated by President Lula (PT) to PGR membership in 2023 with the support of Moraes and STF Minister Gilmar Méndez.
The prosecutor was chosen by Lula in 2023 from outside the tripartite list chosen by the National Association of Public Prosecutors, as happened with his predecessor, Augusto Aras, who was twice appointed by Bolsonaro.
Jeunet was Deputy Electoral Prosecutor during the Arras administration, but is not seen as a name in line with the former Attorney General within the Public Ministry and is more acceptable internally than his predecessor.
The PGR president also has the sympathy of the Senate President, Davi Alcolombre (União-AP).
Jeunet, known for his good judgment, has not publicly campaigned for reappointment among senators in recent days. It is more common for authorities to request support from senators before this type of vote, by visiting parliamentarians’ offices.
On Wednesday, Jounieh participated in a hearing before the first panel of the Supreme Court, in which he demanded the conviction of the defendants who were part of the military nucleus of the coup plot after Bolsonaro’s defeat by Lula in 2022.
The Attorney General of the Republic will be questioned on Wednesday by the Senate Committee on the Constitution and Justice, in a meeting scheduled for 9 am. The council will vote on whether or not to recommend approval of the name for public session in a vote that will also take place on Wednesday, but in the afternoon.
Opposition members who referred to the vote in favor of Jounieh point out that there would be no point in rejecting it in the plenary session, because the name that would replace it in this case would also be referred to by Lula.
Strong speeches are expected to come from the most aggressive sectors of the Bolsonar. However, the possibility of approval should tone down the rhetoric of senators critical of the work of the Attorney General, to avoid unease over who will lead the PGR over the next two years.
Hearings are also scheduled for Wednesday for Anício David de Oliveira Jr. and Flavio Marcos Lancia Barbosa, nominees for the Supreme Military Court, as well as hearings for four diplomats nominated to lead Brazilian embassies abroad.
On Tuesday (11), the Colombian confirmed the vote in the plenary session shortly after the hearing for both Jounieh and the other candidates. “We have confirmed the confirmation of about 74 senators (who will participate in the deliberations). It is a sufficient number so that we can deliberate with the authorities tomorrow (Wednesday),” the Senate President announced.
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