Valdemar Costa Neto, national president of the Partido Liberal (PL), said the party should not replace Michelle Bolsonaro as head of PL Mulher [1].
The statement signals a strategic consolidation of power around the former first lady within the party's women's wing. By asserting that no other woman in the organization possesses the necessary stature to lead, Costa Neto reinforces the central role of the Bolsonaro family in the PL's political identity.
Speaking Wednesday [1], Costa Neto said that while the party has other names available, they are not suitable replacements. "We have no one at her level," he said [2]. He questioned the feasibility of appointing another woman, adding, "If we put one in, you know how a woman is, right?" [3]
Beyond the leadership of Michelle Bolsonaro, Costa Neto detailed plans to overhaul the structure of PL Mulher. He said he wants to extinguish the national presidency of the women's wing entirely [1]. Under this proposed restructuring, the party would maintain only state-level presidencies, removing the centralized national head position.
The party president also addressed internal dynamics regarding other family members. He said Michelle Bolsonaro was not consulted about the candidacy of Flávio Bolsonaro and is still adjusting to the situation [4].
Other prominent figures in the party, including deputies Bia Kicis and Júlia Zanatta, were mentioned in the context of the party's leadership, and the specific role held by the former first lady [1].
“"We have no one at her level."”
This move indicates a shift toward a more decentralized state-level structure for the PL's women's wing, while simultaneously ensuring that Michelle Bolsonaro remains the primary symbolic and political figurehead. By eliminating the national presidency but keeping Bolsonaro in her role, the party avoids a potential power struggle between other high-ranking female deputies while cementing the Bolsonaro brand as the sole peak of the party's hierarchy.
