MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
“A Lula da Silva man steps down; a Dilma woman moves in”
Senator Gleisi Helena Hoffmann on the steps of Dilma Rousseff? Brazilian Senator Gleisi Helena Hoffmann, 45, wife of Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo has been chosen by President Dilma Rousseff to replace outcast Antonio Palocci as chief of staff.
The move, which surprised the political system, is seen as the first truly Dilma personal and direct nomination since most of her cabinet is a continuation from the Lula da Silva administration, and the new chief of staff will then be full soldier of the president.
Belonging to a family of German origin, Ms Hoffmann is Senator for the southern state of Parana, studied Law and Government Financial Management and joined the Workers party in 1989. She held a cabinet post in the State of Matto Grosso do Sul and in 2002 was part of the transition team of President Lula da Silva.
Ms Hoffmann was named Brazilian financial representative at the huge Itaipú dam complex, shared with Paraguay, and in 2006 run for a Senate bench but lost. In 2008 she became chairperson of the Workers Party in the state of Parana and in 2010 was elected Senator for her state with the most votes.
“A Lula da Silva man steps down and a Dilma woman moves in”, is how a Brazilian political columnist described the situation, even when President Rousseff had an ‘excessive dependency’ on Palocci for most major decisions.
“Dilma is betting Gleisi will play the same role the president exercised as cabinet chief of Lula da Silva; not even in her wildest dreams could Gleisi have imagined the post of such importance as chief of staff”.
According to a presidential advisor, “now in fact begins Dilma’s government, with someone who owes her and only her, the nomination for the post that implements government programs”.
However the simple change will not solve the problems that the Rousseff administration has been piling up in such a short time (five months). The inner circle hopes the president has learnt from the Palocci crisis that was considered the administration’s most articulate communicator with the political and business worlds.
“Dilma overloaded Palocci”. The president wanted Palocci present at all meetings, and his opinion in all decisions to be made which ended neutralizing her main minister since Palocci had less time to meet with politicians, congress members and business leaders. This only aggravated his personal stance with the Workers Party main ally in the ruling coalition, the PMDB, which has never been particularly cordial.
“When Palocci’s personal finances crisis exploded, he was debilitated before the political system and specifically with his own Workers Party that let him on his own in the midst of the turmoil making things worse”.
Finally the President needs to look back at the incident and according to her close aides “must change her attitude: show more care for allies; hold more meetings with members of Congress and learn to contain her furies and not let them out on her staff”.
“If not, one day she may be the direct impact of a crisis and will have to live through the same solitude experienced by her former chief of staff”, concludes Folha de Sao Paulo.
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Read all commentsthe Family Companies normally have been prosperous...
Jun 08th, 2011 - 09:35 am 0the Family Governments ? why not !
Let's hope that this is Dilma's first move to break with the old corrupt establishment governing cartel.
Jun 08th, 2011 - 11:42 am 0Dilma had to accept the ministers given to her when she was elected.
Dilma had to accept a coalition not of her choosing.
Dilma had to accept known multiply-corrupt ministers.
Dilma had to accept massive pay increases for all politicians.
Dilma is having to learn the hard way to be an intuitive politician rather than a hard-ball administrator.
What we have all been waiting for is -
to see how she manages to deal with a Brasil mired in corruption from top to bottom.
Because this is the REAL Brasilian core issue, not poverty.
With elimination of corruption, vast amounts of money become released to aid poverty - and it reduces the gap between the rich and the poor in an ethical rather than a Robin Hood fashion.
On this day that Palocci is let go from Government,
Daniel Dantes, the corrupt Brasilian banker is let go free from jail.
The signs are NOT auspicious that Dilma is willing or able to win in a head-to-head with the old-guard.
They have the capacity to frustrate and block every move to remove corruption, and Dilma does not have the support from the man in the street necessary to face them down.
Perhaps she is, indeed, the wrong President, and we will have to wait many more years post-Lula for our White Knight.
By then, Brasil's window of opportunity will be closed for good, and Brasil will have sunk once more into the thrall of the world's successful economies.
Geotard, seriously, don't you get tired of your own bs?
Jun 08th, 2011 - 07:30 pm 0And let's be fair, corruption in Brazil is as high as in your old country. I know you will type it's not true, it's impossible bla bla bla, but that's the reality. Something you just can't stand.
On this day that Palocci is let go from Government,
Daniel Dantes, the corrupt Brasilian banker is let go free from jail.
Palocci was forced to step down, for the second time. First time he was innocent and there was no prove against him. Second time? we still don't know because all what the opposition has is rhetoric. Rhetoric a clown like you believes in. you are innocent until proven guilty.
Daniel Dantas, a brilliant banker who knew how to cheat the cheaters. There is no evidence against him and not even the FBI in the US could crack his code to check his hard drive. You are innocent until proven guilty.
It seems you will never ever grow up and understand that you are living in illusion between left and right. The more you type your comments about subjects you have no clue about, the more you show how dumb you are. Keep going.
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