SAO PAULO, Dec 11 (Reuters) – Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad could leave his role to work on Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s 2026 presidential campaign, he told the newspaper O Globo in an interview published on Thursday.
“I intend to collaborate with President Lula’s campaign, and I told him that I do not intend to run for office in 2026, but I want to contribute to thinking about the government program, to thinking about how to structure his campaign,” he said.
Asked whether his exit from the finance ministry had been defined, he said, “It could be. It’s a possibility.”
Haddad said Lula responded amicably to the prospect and would respect his decision, though they still need to discuss it.
Leftist Lula, 80, has confirmed his intention to seek a fourth non-consecutive term, but his main challenger remains unclear.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro – who is barred from running and is serving a 27-year sentence – announced last week he would run, rattling markets. Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, viewed as more market-friendly, endorsed him.
POLITICAL CLIMATE
Haddad said the government has delayed key nominations due to the “political climate,” citing pending appointments to the central bank, the securities regulator CVM, and the lag in the latest Supreme Court vacancy.
The choice of central bank directors “will be technical,” he said, adding Lula “is already listening to people.”
Reuters previously reported that Lula was not expected to submit his next two nominees for the central bank’s rate-setting board until next year, leaving only seven of the nine seats filled for the eagerly awaited January interest rate decision.
The central bank on Wednesday held interest rates at a nearly two-decade high of 15% for the fourth straight meeting and gave no indication of when cuts might begin, with some expecting that in January, but most now pointing to March.
(Reporting by Isabel Teles; Editing by Chris Reese and Aurora Ellis)
