If confirmed, the appointment would guarantee Temer a privileged forum. The decision will be made by President-elect Jair Bolsonaro
There is a strong chance that President Michel Temer will be appointed Brazil's ambassador after leaving the presidency. Sources from the Presidential Palace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) told the newspaper Correio Brasiliense that Temer is a strong candidate to assume the ambassadorship in Rome, although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, contacted by the newspaper, did not officially comment on the matter.
The nomination is treated as an “honorable exit” for the president at the end of his term. The post is considered one of the most prestigious in the Brazilian diplomatic corps, being part of the imposing Elizabeth Arden Circuit, which also includes representations in New York, London and Paris. Currently, the embassy is headed by Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, a career diplomat and former chancellor of Dilma Rousseff (PT).
Privileged forum
If the appointment is confirmed, Temer would maintain his privileged status. According to international relations expert Creomar Souza, a professor at the Catholic University of Brasília (UCB), ambassadors’ immunity extends both inside and outside Brazil. “What is happening in Brasília at the moment is that political figures who have been left without elected positions are seeking positions that maintain their privileged status. This benefit extends to Brazil and Italy, in this case. The role of ambassador would make the president a kind of minister at the service of Brazil,” he says.
Furthermore, judging by recent events, the Brazilian embassy in Rome will play a significant role in the next government. President-elect Jair Bolsonaro (PSL), who will decide whether or not to appoint Temer, met with the Italian ambassador to discuss the possible extradition of former Italian activist Cesare Battisti, accused of terrorism in Europe and currently in exile in Brazil.
History
The Rome embassy was once occupied by important names in the foreign service, such as Paulo Tarso Flecha de Lima, whose wife, Lúcia Flecha de Lima, worked to restore the Panphili Palace, a baroque building built between 1644 and 1650, in Piazza Navona.
Since 1920, it has been the headquarters of the Brazilian embassy in Italy, becoming property of the Brazilian Republic in 1964. When restored in 2000, the palace was painted with the color it had in the 23th century. The site has three interior courtyards and 1651 rooms with frescoes by famous artists such as Giacinto Gimignani, Gaspard Dughet, Andrea Camassei, Giacinto Brandi, Francesco Allegrini and Pier Francesco Mola. The Baroque painter Pietro de Cortona painted the long gallery, between 1654 and XNUMX, designed by Francesco Borromini, with the “History of Aeneas”.
The Presidency of the Republic denies that Temer has any interest in accepting a possible position at the Italian embassy or any other diplomatic post. Through the press office, Palácio do Planalto said it will not make any further comments on the matter. The president's interlocutors say that there are two drawbacks to the supposed appointment to a position abroad. The first is that the current head of the federal executive would not feel comfortable responding to the new government – a condition under which he would place himself as ambassador. The second justification is that, legally, the president thinks there is no advantage in maintaining the privileged forum in the Federal Supreme Court (STF). Ministers have denied requests from his defense. Therefore, it would be more advantageous for the case to go to a first instance judge.
By Brasiliense Mail
