Overview

• Decree No. 12.604, signed on Aug. 28, 2025 by President Lula, Rui Costa, and Esther Dweck, expands First Lady Janja’s access to the Presidential Personal Office.
• The measure amends 2023 rules to require the office to support the president’s spouse in activities deemed of public interest.
• According to the AGU’s April 2025 guidance, the spouse may represent the president in cultural, social, or ceremonial contexts, must not assume commitments for the government, and must act on a voluntary, unpaid basis with proper accounting.
• The Presidential Personal Office manages agenda, protocol, correspondence, speech drafting, the presidential art collection, and the upkeep of official residences, in a 189‑post structure led by Marco Aurélio “Marcola” Ribeiro.
• The change renews scrutiny of Janja’s role following reports of an informal team and earlier concerns about nepotism that led Lula to halt a dedicated office plan in 2023.