Brazil's Lula names Teresa Leitão Senate government leader

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva officially appointed Senator Teresa Leitão as the government’s leader in the Senate, succeeding Jaques Wagner after the latter stepped down following a Federal Police operation. The appointment, published in the official gazette, tasks Leitão with strengthening the executive’s political coordination and advancing priority legislation, notably the Public Security constitutional amendment and the proposal to end the 6 × 1 work‑schedule, both pending Senate approval.

Party leaders from the Workers’ Party have urged the new leader to convey Lula’s need for a meeting with Senate President Davi Alcolumbre to move the 6 × 1 reform forward, warning that delays risk altering the bill’s text and jeopardizing its passage before the July legislative recess. The move reflects ongoing tension between the executive and Senate leadership as the government seeks to secure key reforms ahead of the upcoming election cycle.