Possible appointment of Salles by Tarcísio contradicts Nunes

The possible appointment of federal deputy Ricardo Salles (Novo-SP) as secretary of Justice and Citizenship by governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) left mayor Ricardo Nunes (MDB) upset.

An ally of Tarcísio, Nunes has cultivated enmity with Salles since the eve of the 2024 elections.

To interlocutors, Nunes said he was surprised and dissatisfied with the possible agreement between Tarcísio and Salles and reiterated that he was not informed by the governor.

Despite this, people close to the mayor do not foresee a crisis with Tarcísio if the appointment becomes official in the coming weeks. Nunes has said that the governor has the right to appoint whoever he wants to his secretariat.

Another point of tension is the dispute for the right-wing electorate in the 2028 election. Salles is named as a possible candidate for São Paulo City Hall, and Nunes already has former Housing Secretary and elected federal deputy Sidney Cruz (MDB) as his group's favorite.

Allies also cite a possible future fair deal, if Nunes is appointed Tarcísio's secretary in 2029, after leaving city hall. He could, therefore, become a teammate of his opponent.

The relationship between Nunes and Salles deteriorated before the 2024 election. At that time, Salles withdrew from running for Mayor of São Paulo after his then party, the PL, decided to support Nunes, who ended up re-elected.

In 2023, Salles even called Nunes an "icon of the center" and stated that there were thieves in city hall, during an event with right-wing activists.

After all the wear and tear, Salles left the PL and, today, is at Novo.

This year, Jair Bolsonaro's former Environment Minister gave up running for the Senate after a conversation with Tarcísio — who at the time denied having promised positions in exchange.