Dilma says her administration is a broad coalition of political parties

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony on Monday, June 13, for ministers Ideli Salvatti of Institutional Relations, and Luiz Sergio of Fisheries, president Dilma Rousseff adopted a more open approach to the political parties that are part of the coalition that supports her administration in the Congress. Dilma invited them (“os partidos da base”) to “work together.”

“As we move ahead in our efforts to do what the country expects of us, we have to move together. The government is not just the Executive branch, but a broad coalition that we put together and the people elected,” she declared.

Dilma went on to untangle what she called the technical and political dichotomy, saying that in her opinion there was not such a dichotomy in government. “I hold technical capacity and efficient management in very high esteem. But at the same time it is my conviction that political decisions are the foundation of government decisions,” said the president.

And she went on: “The importance that my government attributes to political activity is reflected in comprehending that a continuation of the great transformations necessary for the economic and social development of Brazil can only be the result of negotiations where we understand interests and identify affinities so we can reach points of convergence where, before, there were only conflicts and differences.”

In conclusion, Dilma emphasized the respect her administration has for the other branches of government. “Without a doubt, our affinity with the political process is manifested in an immense respect for the Congress and Judiciary.”