巴西左翼着手培养下一代领导人，卢拉阵营接触三名高票议员

PSOL Federal Deputy Érika Hilton won 1.5 million votes with strong social media presence and fight to end six-day workweek Gabriel Reis/Valor/25/04/25 With an even more conservative Congress set to take office in 2027, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (Workers’ Party, PT) victory on October 25 has brought the need to reorganize leadership within the left back to the center of the political debate ahead of his next term. Pick for Public Security ministry divides Workers’ Party Workers’ Party wing resists naming Fonteles Finance minister Lula’s runoff campaign stars tipped for cabinet posts Allies believe a political mobilization effort will need to be built over the next four years, with an eye also on the 2030 elections, when Lula will be unable to run for another consecutive term. To that end, the party intends to rely on figures such as Érika Hilton (Socialism and Liberty Party, Psol, São Paulo), Guilherme Boulos (Psol of São Paulo), André Janones (Sustainability Network, REDE, Minas Gerais) and Guilherme Cortez (Psol of São Paulo) in its effort to expand its political reach. Hilton, Boulos, and Janones in particular have been approached by the PT about joining the party and giving Lula’s political group greater momentum in future elections. Beyond the assessment that they have strong appeal on digital platforms, all three received substantial vote totals in the latest elections. Hilton, for example, was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies in October as the most-voted woman in the history of the lower house. She received 1.5 million votes in São Paulo, becoming only the second lawmaker to surpass the 1 million-vote mark in a race for the position. Boulos, meanwhile, a former national coordinator of the Homeless Workers’ Movement (MTST), is seen within progressive circles as a possible heir to Lula’s political legacy. He was Brazil’s second-most-voted federal deputy candidate in the 2022 elections, behind only Bolsonaro supporter Nikolas Ferreira (Liberal Party, PL, Minas Gerais). The PT’s main concern is preserving the grassroots mobilization that gained strength during the presidential runoff and preventing the progressive camp from losing ground over the coming years. The party’s internal assessment is that, in addition to maintaining an active presence in Congress, it will need to strengthen its political organization to prepare for Lula’s succession in 2030, when the president will be barred from seeking another consecutive term. In an interview with Valor last week, Boulos said Lula needs to deliver a “great government” for the left to enter the 2030 race from a position of strength, when it will have to put forward a candidate to succeed the current president. According to the minister, one of his main concerns is ensuring unity within the progressive camp ahead of the next election. Leadership renewal was also on the agenda at a meeting of the PT’s national executive committee held last Thursday (29). Among the strategies discussed was a campaign to recruit young people into the party. “It is up to the PT to assume its historic responsibility for continuing and deepening the democratic and popular project, developing new leaders, renewing its practices and strengthening its organization for the challenges of the post-Lula period,” the national executive committee said in a statement. “The PT needs to open its doors, renew its forms of participation and build new paths for political organization together with young people.” At the same time, the government is considering how best to make use of these political figures in the coming years. Boulos is regarded as one of the key players in this strategy. Currently Minister of the General Secretariat of the Presidency, he will complete his term as a federal deputy next year. Against this backdrop, one possibility being discussed behind the scenes is for him to remain in the presidential palace. Talks on the matter are expected to advance in the coming weeks. Hilton, meanwhile, is one of the left’s leading figures on social media. Over the past year, she authored one of the proposals that led to the end of the six-days-on, one-day-off work schedule, which became Lula’s main political platform during the runoff. For this reason, she is seen as an important figure for the left’s work in Congress, particularly in countering Nikolas, who also has a strong digital presence. With 28 senators, the PL will have the largest Senate caucus starting next year, three times the size of the PT’s. Meanwhile, talks about both Boulos and Hilton joining the PT are expected to take place later this year. On another front, the government is also considering appointing Janones to a ministry in recognition of his role, which was deemed essential to Lula’s turnaround between the first and second rounds. The assessment is that the deputy, who was re-elected this year, could take on a position related to digital communications and engagement with social movements. The executive branch is still weighing, however, whether his political contribution would be greater in a government post or in a leadership role coordinating efforts within Congress. Cortez, finally, also gained prominence in Lula’s campaign’s digital strategy during the runoff. Elected in São Paulo as the state’s ninth-most-voted federal deputy, one of his responsibilities was to strengthen the campaign’s dialogue with young voters.