Poll Finds Most Voters Miss STF Rejection as Messias Reappears With Lula

Overview

• Datafolha reports that 59% of voters did not know the Senate rejected Jorge Messias for the Supreme Federal Court, and among those who knew, 53% said the Lula government looked weaker.
• Jorge Messias, who had taken leave after the vote, stood beside President Lula at public events in São Paulo in a public show that outlets read as a signal of continued backing.
• A 2010 Senate rule blocks the president from sending the same nominee again in the same calendar year, which could leave the Court seat open into 2027 or trigger a legal fight.
• Reporting says Senate President Davi Alcolumbre could also slow or block consideration of a new name this year even if Lula puts forward a different nominee.
• The Senate rejected Messias by 42 to 34 votes, the first time since 1894 that a presidential pick for the Court was voted down, marking an unusual legislative check on the executive.