The decision by Minister Flávio Dino to reinstate director-general Andrei Rodrigues to lead the Federal Police less than 24 hours after André Mendonça's decision to remove him from the position opened a new front in the political dispute caused by the institutional crisis at the Supreme Federal Court (STF). The crisis at the Supreme was described as the largest in the Court's recent history.
Those involved in the conflict are STF ministers André Mendonça and Flávio Dino, as well as Federal Police director-general Andrei Rodrigues. The case also involves the two main presidential candidates: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL).
The assessment of allies of both candidates is that this crisis at the STF should have direct impacts on the electoral process. Bolsonaro's allies seek to damage Lula's image given his proximity to Supreme Court ministers and reinforce the discourse critical of the STF. Government officials, on the other hand, defend that the president distance himself from the crisis, avoid direct confrontation with ministers and champion the defense of a reform of the Judiciary.
On Wednesday, the two presidential candidates publicly commented on the institutional crisis, with Lula stating in an address that the country cannot remain hostage to individual decisions by Supreme Court ministers.
