‘Historic defeat’ and ‘heavy setback’: how the international press reported Jorge Messias’ rejection of the STF

The rejection of the nomination of the Union’s attorney general, Jorge Messias, for the position of minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), this Wednesday (29), was reported by the international press. Foreign outlets classified the score in the Senate as a “historic defeat” for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). Messiah was rejected by 42 votes to 34, with one abstention, in the Senate. The vote was secret. Lula’s nominee needed at least 41 of the 81 votes, an absolute majority. The Washington Post stated that the Brazilian Senate dealt a severe political blow to Lula with its rejection. The North American newspaper highlighted that this was the first time in more than 130 years that a name nominated to the STF was rejected. “The last time the Brazilian Senate rejected a nominee for the Federal Supreme Court was in 1894, when the country’s second president, Floriano Peixoto, was at odds with parliamentarians,” says the report. Bloomberg news agency said the unfavorable score was a “hard setback” for Lula, who is seeking re-election. The report explains that Messias is one of Lula’s main legal advisors and a prominent evangelical Christian. “Lula’s appointment of Messias to replace retired minister Luís Roberto Barroso was part of a broader effort to reach a rapidly growing religious and political group. Seen as a bridge with evangelicals, Messias would have been the president’s third choice for the court in the current term,” he states. According to the agency, the defeat is likely to worsen tensions between the Lula government and the Legislature. The Reuters agency reported that this Wednesday’s episode represents a “heavy defeat” for Lula. “In recent months, the Lula government has mounted an unprecedented coordination effort to try to guarantee Messias’ approval, after parliamentarians reacted negatively to the nomination made in November by the left-wing leader,” he says. Reuters Agency reports Jorge Messias’ rejection to the Senate Reproduction The agency also stated that Messias’ nomination angered the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, who was pushing for another name. Portuguese broadcaster SIC Notícias also classified Messias’ rejection as a “historic defeat”. The report recalls that Lula appointed the Union’s attorney general to the position in November and that Alcolumbre was always against the name. “Throughout this Wednesday, Jorge Messias went through a hearing lasting more than eight hours at the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ), the most important in the House, and made conservative signals as a way of trying to win votes from the right and the extreme right”, says the text.

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