The 94 state deputies elected in the 2022 election took office this Wednesday (15) at the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo (Alesp). Of the total number of parliamentarians, 55 were re-elected and 32 will assume a seat in the Legislative House for the first time. The others have already represented Alesp in other legislatures.
Alesp is the only legislative body in the country that inaugurates deputies on March 15, following state legislation in São Paulo from 1969, which was created to accompany the beginning of the term of the President of the Republic, which, at that time, was also on the same day. March, 15.
With the 1988 Constitution, the presidential inauguration and that of the governors of São Paulo began to take place on January 1st. In spite of this, the beginning of the mandate of the deputies of São Paulo continued to respect the state legislation of 1969, which determined the inauguration for the 15th of March.
But this will be the last time this will happen in São Paulo. In 2019, Alesp approved a proposed amendment to the Constitution that changed the inauguration date of state deputies to take place from February 1st. The change will take effect from 2027.
“I particularly understand that it is important to anticipate this inauguration of the parliamentarians because there is an interstice in the relationship between the Powers of practically two and a half months”, said the political scientist Bruno Silva. “If you have an assembly starting at a later date, the government starts together with the activities of the Legislative Power and there you can already build the support base, you already think about the distribution logic of what are the most common exchange currencies in this relationship between the Executive and the Legislative, in the distribution of positions and in the emphasis on specific public policies”, he said, in an interview with Brazil Agency.
In this new legislature, 25 parliamentarians are women. In the previous legislature, there were 18. “It is still a small growth, but considerable and important. This workbench comes in a crescent. Let’s say that women will now be better able to take on projects, sign these projects and fight for them and for their approval. You know that it is not easy to approve these projects and it will depend, of course, on the contribution of deputies to these guidelines. But, as I always think, female representation is closely linked to party benches, because we already know that they are underrepresented functions in electoral terms. So it is very important that they manage to form large majorities within the parties, in order to attract deputies to support these women’s rights projects”, defended political scientist Maria do Socorro Braga, from the Federal University of São Carlos (Ufscar). in an interview with Brazil Agency.
“In any case, with this number of 25 women, we begin to have greater hopes of increasing several bills or, at least, more bills related to women’s rights being voted on”, he added.
The expectation of political scientists is that, in this new legislature, Alesp’s profile will be facing more center-right and that the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, obtain great support, estimated between 65 and 70 deputies, for the approval of his projects. “Tarcísio must find an assembly in which he will have no difficulty in making political compositions. It is a legislative assembly whose composition and political-party profile are more of the center-right and, when not, of the right”, said Bruno Silva.
Government of São Paulo
The inauguration ceremony of the deputies, held this afternoon, in a crowded Alesp, was attended by Governor Tarcísio de Freitas. At the ceremony, he delivered to Alesp a summary of a message presenting the situation in the state of São Paulo, including the scenario of public accounts and the programs implemented.
“There are many challenges for our state, in all areas. We have social problems, we have the issue of homeless people, people in risk areas, people who depend on the Unified Health System for their elective surgeries. We also have challenges in the economic area, the recovery of competitiveness in the state of São Paulo”, said the governor. “I am sure that this House will be an instrument for the conquest for the construction of a quality public policy. Expect from the government of São Paulo a posture of dialogue. We understand that the state government and the Legislative Assembly will walk together, govern together and promote quality public policies together”, said the governor, during his speech of about five minutes.
At the moment he handed Alesp the message book, the governor heard the audience shouting: “Who ordered Marielle to be killed? [Franco]?”, councilwoman who was murdered in Rio de Janeiro in March 2018, five years ago.
Board of Directors
After taking office this afternoon, the deputies elected for the new legislature participated in the vote to choose the new Board of Directors of Alesp. Despite having grown in representation this year, no woman will occupy a position on the Board of Directors of the House.
The position of president of Alesp for the 2023/2025 biennium will be occupied by André do Prado (PL), the party that has the largest representation in the House, with 19 seats. With that, the PL withdraws the hegemony of the PSDB, the party that had held the presidency of Alesp since 2007.
André do Prado, who is in his fourth term, was elected with 89 votes, including the support of PT deputies, who will oppose the current government. During his vote, deputy Eduardo Suplicy (PT), the most voted in the last elections, stressed that he has immense affection for PSOL, but that he would vote for André do Prado for guidance from his party.
André do Prado beat the PSOL candidate, Carlos Giannazi, who was also running for the post. Giannazi only received five votes, from deputies from his own party.
In his first speech, already elected as president of the Board of Directors, Prado said that “he will work hard to honor the votes he received”.
“Let’s work together for a more humane and developed state”, he said. “During this presidency, the tribune will remain open and plural. This will be the hallmark of our management: a strong legislature and partnership work,” he added.
The PT, which elected 18 deputies, will occupy the 1st Secretariat of the Board of Directors, with Teonilio Barba (PT). As for the 2nd secretariat, Rogério Nogueira (PSDB) was elected, the party that has the third largest bench in the House, with nine deputies. PSOL decided to abstain from voting for the second secretariat. For the 1st vice-presidency, Gilmaci Santos (Republicans) was elected.
