Fernando Haddad

Fernando Haddad, born on January twenty-fifth, nineteen sixty-three, is a prominent Brazilian politician, lawyer, and economist. He has held significant positions in the Brazilian government, including serving as the Minister of Finance from twenty twenty-three to twenty twenty-six. His political journey also includes a tenure as the mayor of São Paulo from twenty thirteen to twenty seventeen and as the Minister of Education from two thousand five to two thousand twelve under the administrations of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff.

A distinguished academic, Haddad is a professor of political science at the University of São Paulo (USP), where he earned his bachelor's degree in law, a master's degree in economics, and a doctorate in philosophy. His early career included work as an investment analyst at Unibanco, and he served as the Undersecretary of Finance and Economic Development for São Paulo between two thousand one and two thousand three during Marta Suplicy's administration. He also contributed to the Ministry of Planning during the Lula government, where he authored the bill that established public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Brazil.

Haddad's impact as Minister of Education was profound, introducing key initiatives such as the Institutional Teaching Initiation Scholarship Programme (PIBID) and the Unified Selection System (SiSU). He was instrumental in the establishment of the Open University of Brazil and the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, and played a crucial role in the University for All Programme (ProUni) and the reformulation of the Higher Education Student Financing Fund (FIES).

In two thousand twelve, he was elected mayor of São Paulo, focusing on enhancing public transportation, improving road safety, and promoting social initiatives. Despite facing political challenges and public criticism, he ran for re-election in two thousand sixteen but was defeated. In the two thousand eighteen presidential election, he represented the Workers' Party, stepping in for Lula, and faced Jair Bolsonaro in the runoff, securing forty-four point eighty-seven percent of the votes. His political journey continued with a bid for governor of São Paulo in two thousand twenty-two, where he achieved the best performance for the Workers’ Party in the state but ultimately lost.

In December two thousand twenty-two, President-elect Lula appointed Haddad as Minister of Finance. On March nineteenth, twenty twenty-six, he announced his intention to step down from this role to run for Governor in the upcoming São Paulo election.