Vaccine, customization and delays: Doria aims for innovation but repeats mistakes

João Doria (PSDB) left the São Paulo government last Thursday (31) to dedicate himself to the preliminary candidacy of Palácio do Planalto. Three years and three months later, toucan, which has branded its actions to combat the covid-19 pandemic, offers an entrepreneurship-oriented management that is close to startup models, insisting on performance and fast results.

However, the innovation initiative has not solved the old problems of other Tucano administrations – there have been several improvements in infrastructure in recent years, for example, with delays and lack of delivery on important works such as the subway.

Doria, who is currently the PSDB lead candidate for the presidential candidacy, has reinforced criticism from critics of the state administration, who say she’s putting her image in the position, with high-end advertising pieces and pompous names for each programme.

Back and forth, marked by stalemate, internal disagreements, and allied pressure, became the center of attention on the last day of government: he threatened to abandon the conflict and stay at the Palácio dos Bandeirantes, but in the end, the post was handed over to Rodrigo Garcia, his vice-president and back-to-back candidate in the state. (PSDB) handed over.

Now, Doria has to negotiate alliances and political support as she tries to show voters outside of São Paulo what she finds positive in her administration:

• Economic stability in turbulent years,
• privatization processes and
• Your pupil — vaccine against covid-19, CoronaVac.

The first goal is to oppose President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), one of the likely opponents in the electoral dispute and an ally in the 2018 campaign.

vaccine race

His plan to run for president is not new—Doria came to Palácio dos Bandeirantes spying on Planalto. It established a ministry-like secretariat with former members of former president Michel Temer’s (MDB) administration. Some were:

• Henrique Meirelles (PSD) in the Finance and Planning portfolio;
• Rossieli Soares, In Education; and
• Gilberto Kassab (PSD) of the Civil Assembly was sacked after being the target of corruption allegations.

At the beginning of the epidemic, the governor of the time took measures contrary to the speeches made in Brazil by positioning himself as an opponent of Bolsonaro.

In February 2020, before the WHO (World Health Organization) declared a pandemic, it had already assembled a group of doctors to form the Coronavirus Emergency Committee, which assisted the government in making decisions for two years. He decided to quarantine in March of the same year and to make the use of masks mandatory two months later.

Soon the main point of contention between Doria and Bolsonaro was the vaccine bargain.

The arrival of CoronaVac, produced by the Butantan Institute in partnership with Sinovac of China, was the starting point for vaccination in Brazil on January 17, 2021. With an office opening in Shanghai at the end of 2019, the government of São Paulo and the USP (University of São Paulo) affiliated institute were able to close deals for the purchase and manufacture of immunizers when the federal government hesitated and criticized the immunizer race.

he is [Doria] He fought with the Butantan Institute for the vaccine. Politically or not, in a time of need, he brought and did it to save lives, especially the elderly. This struggle, in open opposition to the federal government, becomes its main asset and brand.”
Rodrigo Prand, political scientist at Mackenzie

In constant disagreement with Bolsonaro – including in public debates – he sought to advance the application of the vaccine in all age groups and sought to demonstrate this. He also spurred the production of a new vaccine, ButanVac, which, along with Butantan, was initially sold (and mistakenly) as 100% Brazilian.

With more than 84% of the population fully vaccinated, São Paulo has among the highest vaccination rates at all stages, including childhood immunization, third dose and booster dose. Doria likes to show off her state vaccine at the end of each weekly press conference. In Brazil, the immunization rate reaches about 75%.

However, despite the good results, allies believe that with the progress of vaccination and the recovery of the pandemic, the appeal to voters has lost its strength. It remains to be seen if the memory will hold up until October.

economy on the rise

When Doria ran for her first public office for the City of São Paulo in 2016, she used her performance in the private sector as her campaign slogan. “I’m not a politician, I’m a manager,” he said as he surfed the anti-system wave that will take over the country in 2018.

The mood in the election for governor followed, but in a different way: He was not just a manager, but a manager who managed to combine private and public initiative.

Within a year and a half in the municipality – he left to run for the state – his administration was far from achieving the promised goals, but it sowed the seeds of PPP (Public-Private Partnerships) processes such as concession. Complex from Interlagos Circuit and Anhembi.

In state government, the recommendations went even further. There were 12 concessions and PPPs with a total investment of R$45 billion, according to the Economic Development Secretariat. All presented with great enthusiasm by Doria, always ready to name companies and show off with her executives.

Last week, it announced the administration’s last major project: the conversion of Usina São Paulo, west of the city of São Paulo, into a kind of open-air mall on the Pinheiros River. “An example of the effectiveness of the union between public and private,” he announced. As a trump card, he cited the progress of pollution of the river, an ancient promise that began to progress under the orders of toucan rulers.

If vaccines are less talked about as the pandemic recedes, there will be good economic results that the administration – and the future campaign – can rely on.

According to the Seade Foundation (Government Data Analysis System), the government’s GDP is:

• Growth by 7.5% between January 2019 and the third quarter of 2021,
• In the country, the increase was only 1.5%.

According to the foundation, it is the first time since monitoring began in 1995 that the state has grown more than the country for three consecutive years.

To raise money, Doria promoted a pension reform, fiscal regulation with tax increases in some areas, and sold state-owned companies.

The so-called “Pacotão do Doria”, voted on by the Alesp (São Paulo State Legislature) in October last year, included sweeping changes in management in many sectors and was delayed until the government gave support, canceled and handed over some of the proposals.

The main criticism for the opposition was that his government was more concerned with numbers than the social impact of the package.

Maybe that’s the point. Doria management shows a well-resolved situation, but seems to lack empathy regarding certain issues of the company name, in addition to a few issues. It’s not just planning by numbers, you have to think about how public policy is done.”
Vera Chaia, USP Professor of Social Sciences

Economic Development Minister Patricia Ellen argues that she can return to social life by taking care of the economy. “The logic here is to grow, create jobs, inclusion and innovate. Entrepreneurship is the trend of the world, not a government trend,” says Ellen.

In 2021, between official jobs and the opening of new companies, the secretariat emphasizes that nearly one million (954 thousand) people who fell into a fragile financial situation during the pandemic were “qualified”.

Old defects with pending works

As partnerships with the private sector have increased and the economy has continued to grow, some of the work of the Doria administration, like other Tucano administrations, remains shaky.

In a survey conducted by Folha de S. Paulo at the end of March this year, the government:

• Completed and progressed on 28% of 2018 commitments,
• 28% while continuing and
• 20% at the initial stage;
• Not even 24%.

Metro Line 18-Bronze, which will connect the ABC district in Greater São Paulo to the capital’s metro system, has been abandoned and converted into a BRT, which began construction this year.

The promise for the 15-Silver line was that it would reach Cidade Tiradentes on the east bank this year, but work has been postponed to 2024. It was in Orange on line 6, where the accident with the crater at Marginal Tietê occurred, and the result was for 2025.

“These are some of the same issues, which isn’t exactly a novelty of the Doria administration. We’re following this closely and we know that non-delivery is an old Tucano issue,” Prand assesses.

A stranger in the nest

Doria also faced Alep, the most distant of all toucan holdings. The government of São Paulo was ruling comfortably in the Assembly, but with the addition of the traditional opposition of the left to the newly elected Bolsonarist bank, the governor had a hard time, even managing to elect two consecutive presidents of the party: Cauê Macris (PSDB) and Carlão Pignatari (PSDB). ).

Common sense among lawmakers in the halls of the Assembly and in the São Paulo City Council during his short rule is that Doria commands much and speaks little. If businessmen, national politicians and mayors are often seen in the halls of the Palácio dos Bandeirantes, the governor is rarely seen in the meeting rooms.

First of all, I think his main problem was political, not management. He could not express himself most of the time. I don’t know if it’s because of the lack of dialogue or the very strong marketing of you and your government, but there is a clear political flaw in your administration.”
Maria Teresa Kerbauy, Unesp Professor of Political Science

On the other hand, if in parliament this distance is taking him away from the lawmakers on his team, Doria is praised for knowing exactly how to delegate.

At the secretariat meetings he held every Monday in Palácio dos Bandeirantes, he asked his secretaries to keep all the details of the week’s agenda on the tip of their tongues. It wasn’t uncommon for him to ask questions while trying to test them.

Now, the expectation from Garcia is that the government will be a little more cautious, with fewer press conferences and without too much demonstration or public praise.