Even with possible resistance, Prates may take over Petrobras this month

Petrobras’ Board of Directors will meet on January 26th. The meeting could seal the change in command of the state-owned company. Senator Jean Paul Prates, who will be nominated to assume the presidency, would replace João Henrique Rittershaussen, director of Production Development, who took over the state-owned company on an interim basis with the departure of Caio Mário Paes de Andrade this Wednesday (4).

If Paes de Andrade had not asked to leave, it would have been necessary to call an Assembly to promote changes in the Council. The minimum period for this process is one month. The documentation of the new candidate for the position also needs to be submitted to the oil company’s Compliance department.

Prates has training in the area and a curriculum compatible with the technical requirements to run one of the largest companies in the world. However, the department responsible for analyzing candidates must address a specific section of the State-Owned Companies Law that prohibits the appointment of people who have worked in the last 36 months in “the decision-making structure of a political party or in work linked to the organization, structuring and conduct of an election campaign”.

Prates’ interlocutors understand that it cannot be associated with this – because it effectively did not have the role of ordering expenses in electoral campaigns – but, even if it were, the Council has already gone over Compliance’s reservations to appoint part of the group itself and , with the precedent set, could do it again.

There is, however, another possible obstacle to the exchange this month. With the departure of Paes de Andrade, ten members remained on Petrobras’ Board of Directors. Five were appointed during the management of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). Another three have a liberal profile and represent shareholders, having established some kind of relationship with Bolsonaro in the past.

Persons linked to the collegiate told the CNN that the current directors who should leave the chair with the change of government, appointed by the Union, will either return to their positions in the public administration or, in some way, will work close to the government, in entities and companies or even as sectorial representatives.

In this sense, it is unlikely, according to these same sources, that these advisers will resist Prates’ name, running the risk of alienating the government to, in practice, postpone the arrival of the new president by days or weeks.