I'll push for it when he's ready to sign checks for Rio
In the shifting currents of Brazilian politics, Rio de Janeiro's mayor Eduardo Paes has chosen pragmatism over ideology, aligning his party with President Lula's new administration not out of conviction but out of calculation. The alliance reflects a timeless pattern in democratic governance: the trading of loyalty for access, and access for resources. Paes, who skipped Lula's inauguration to play tambourine at a samba party, nonetheless positions himself as one of the president's most useful allies — a reminder that in coalition politics, presence is less important than leverage.
- With Lula's government still finding its footing, Paes is moving quickly to secure Rio's place at the federal table before the political architecture hardens.
- His PSD party's deliberate distance from Bolsonaro now becomes a strategic asset, allowing Paes to enter Lula's orbit without the baggage of former loyalties.
- Paes is quietly pressuring Rio's governor Cláudio Castro to abandon his Bolsonarista alignment, arguing that federal resources flow toward allies, not opponents.
- The mayor's candid admission that he skipped the inauguration for a samba party — and got away with it — signals just how secure his standing with Lula already is.
- Beneath the humor and informality lies a clear endgame: Paes is waiting for the moment Lula needs him enough to sign the checks Rio has long been waiting for.
Em uma conversa com a revista Veja no final de fevereiro, o prefeito do Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, revelou a lógica por trás do alinhamento do seu partido, o PSD, com o governo Lula. A postura é pragmática: o PSD nunca integrou o governo Bolsonaro, e quando a vitória de Lula se confirmou, Paes agiu rápido — participou de um jantar em Brasília e defendeu o apoio formal à nova administração, posição que contou com o aval do presidente do partido, Gilberto Kassab. "Faço e farei tudo o que puder para ajudar Lula a ampliar sua base", afirmou.
Paralelo a isso, Paes tem trabalhado para convencer o governador Cláudio Castro a se afastar da órbita bolsonarista. O argumento é direto: Bolsonaro nunca fez nada pelo estado, e a proximidade com Lula vale muito mais do que a lealdade a um ex-presidente derrotado.
Sobre a relação pessoal com Lula, Paes a descreve como excepcional — e cita como evidência o fato de o presidente ter escolhido o Rio como destino da sua primeira viagem após a posse. Ainda assim, o prefeito faz questão de preservar sua autonomia: apoio não significa concordância irrestrita.
O episódio mais revelador, porém, foi sua ausência na cerimônia de posse. Paes estava no Rio, tocando tamborim com Zeca Pagodinho numa festa de Réveillon. Só compareceu a um coquetel anterior porque Lula o chamou pessoalmente. Quando confessou a ausência ao presidente numa visita posterior, Lula se surpreendeu e levou na brincadeira.
A anedota ilumina algo essencial: Paes não precisava estar em Brasília porque já havia garantido o que realmente importa — acesso. Agora, ele aguarda o momento em que Lula vai precisar dele o suficiente para assinar os cheques que o Rio tanto espera.
Eduardo Paes, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, sat down with Veja magazine in late February to discuss his relationship with President Lula and his party's role in the new administration. The conversation revealed a politician carefully calibrating his position—committed to supporting the president's agenda while maintaining enough distance to preserve his own autonomy and leverage.
Paes made clear that his Socialist Democratic Party, the PSD, had never been part of Jair Bolsonaro's government, a distinction he seemed to regard as important. When Lula's election victory became certain, Paes said, he had moved quickly. He attended a party dinner in Brasília and advocated for formal support of the new administration, a position that won agreement from his colleagues, including PSD president Gilberto Kassab. "I do and will do whatever I can to help Lula expand his base," Paes said, framing his party's alignment as a pragmatic choice rather than an ideological one.
He had also been working on Rio's governor, Cláudio Castro, who remained aligned with Bolsonaro's Liberal Party. Paes told Castro that he would benefit far more from proximity to Lula than from loyalty to the outgoing president. "Bolsonaro never did anything for this state," Paes said. The message was clear: the political winds had shifted, and Castro should shift with them.
When asked about his relationship with Lula himself, Paes described it as exceptional. He noted that the president's first trip after taking office had been to Rio, a symbolic gesture that suggested Paes had earned real standing in the new administration. But Paes was careful not to overstate the relationship. "That doesn't mean I'm going to applaud everything he does or think we see eye to eye on everything," he said.
Then came the question about his absence from Lula's inauguration ceremony in Brasília. Paes did not hide the reason. He had skipped the swearing-in because he was in Rio at a New Year's Eve party, playing the tambourine with the samba singer Zeca Pagodinho. He had attended a cocktail reception earlier, only because Lula had called him directly to confirm his presence. But the formal ceremony itself? Paes found such events tedious and chose the music and celebration in his home city instead.
What made the explanation remarkable was Paes's candor about it. He recounted his own moment of doubt—"Will Lula notice I'm not there?"—and his relief when the president apparently did not. When Lula later visited Rio and Paes confessed his absence, the president was surprised and made a joke of it. Paes then revealed his actual priority: he was waiting for a moment when Lula would miss him and be ready to sign checks for Rio. "That's what I'll really push for," Paes said.
The exchange captured something essential about Brazilian politics at that moment—the transactional nature of coalition-building, the importance of personal relationships, and the way a mayor of Brazil's second-largest city could afford to skip a presidential inauguration because he had already secured what mattered most: access and the implicit promise of federal resources. Paes was not pledging blind loyalty. He was positioning himself as a useful ally, someone the president would want to keep happy.
Notable Quotes
I do and will do whatever I can to help Lula expand his base.— Eduardo Paes
My relationship with the president is exceptional. That doesn't mean I'm going to applaud everything he does or think we see eye to eye on everything.— Eduardo Paes
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Paes feel comfortable skipping the inauguration? Wasn't that a significant political risk?
Not really, because he'd already done the essential work. He attended the cocktail, he'd publicly committed his party to supporting Lula, and he had the president's direct phone number. The inauguration itself was ceremonial. What mattered was that Lula knew where Paes stood.
But doesn't that suggest Paes doesn't actually care that much about Lula's presidency?
It suggests he cares about what Lula can do for Rio. He's not ideologically driven. He's a mayor thinking about federal funding, infrastructure, resources for his city. The party affiliation is secondary to that.
So when he says his relationship with Lula is "exceptional," what does he mean?
Access. Trust. The fact that Lula came to Rio first after winning. That Lula called him personally. That they can joke about his absence. It's the kind of relationship that translates into phone calls answered and requests granted.
Is he hedging his bets, or is he genuinely committed to the coalition?
Both. He's committed because it serves Rio's interests. But he's also making clear he won't be a rubber stamp. He wants Lula to know that his support has value and comes with expectations.
What does he actually want from Lula?
Money. Infrastructure. Federal investment in Rio. He said it plainly—he's waiting for the moment when Lula has a pen full of ink to sign checks for the city. That's the real relationship.