The name of former minister Fernando Haddad gained strength in the bets of PT members to assume command of the economic area in the government of president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Haddad has been mentioned in the party as someone with the best chance of being nominated as the new incumbent in the area, although Lula continues to remain silent on the subject even among his supporters.
On Lula’s trip to Egypt, Haddad acted as his right-hand man in different meetings, and the reports are that the ties between the two became even closer. There is an expectation that, when he returns from the trip, Haddad will start acting as Lula’s interlocutor, including on economic issues.
The former Minister of Education brings together two important characteristics for Lula: affinity and trust.
Professor of political science at USP (University of São Paulo), Haddad has a degree in law and, in addition to a master’s degree in economics, he has a doctorate in philosophy. He was Minister of Education from 2005 to 2012, in the Lula and Dilma Rousseff governments, and mayor of the city of São Paulo from 2013 to 2016, the year in which he lost the re-election race in the first round to the then-outsider João Doria (PSDB).
Haddad was the substitute for the former president in the 2018 election campaign, when Lula was prevented from being a candidate. Recalling that moment, he said in an interview with the Reuters agency that the former president would have chosen him as Minister of Finance in case of victory in the dispute.
“This is not known, but before I was invited to be Lula’s deputy, I was invited by him to be finance minister. referring to the judgment of the Federal Regional Court of the 4th Region, which convicted Lula in the second instance and led to his arrest.
“I wasn’t supposed to be deputy. He wanted Josué Gomes [atual presidente da Fiesp] as vice and I as finance minister,” he told Reuters.
Among PT members, the perception is that Haddad deserves to be rewarded for his dedication to the elected president and the party. He would be supported in the choice he made.
His name has already been aired to command folders like the Itamaraty, which has visibility and prestige; and Education, which manages one of the largest budgets of the Executive Branch.
Lula went so far as to say that he preferred a “political” minister in strategic areas –such as the Economy, Education and Health–, surrounded by a secretariat of excellence, with technical names and undeniable reputation.
Within the PT, federal deputy Alexandre Padilha (PT-SP) is also mentioned, who is cited for other functions, such as political negotiator with the Presidency or even Minister of Health, and senator-elect Wellington Dias (PT-PI), who has been active in the negotiations on the 2023 Budget.
Meanwhile, liberal names such as Persio Arida remain in the running. Arida is part of the transition team and was economic program coordinator for vice president-elect Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) when he ran for president in 2018.
Arminio Fraga’s name was also aired again, after a signal that he was heard by Lula.
The PT commented in an interview this Friday on the joint letter signed by Fraga, former minister Pedro Malan and Edmar Bacha, one of the fathers of the Real Plan, and published in Sheet🇧🇷
“I was happy to hear about a letter from important people warning me about economic problems and giving suggestions. I know how to listen to advice and, if it makes sense, follow it,” Lula also said in a post on Twitter.
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