Lula’s political godson

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Brazil entered a new political phase after Luis Inácio "Lula" da Silva defeated his conservative opponent, Jair Bolsonaro, in the recent presidential election.

Economists argue that the country will face enormous challenges in the coming months. Rising inflation and the ill-advised public spending of the previous administration could send the country into a downward spiral.?

The man entrusted with the herculean task of managing Brazil’s economic affairs is Fernando Haddad, who has been serving as Minister of Finance since January 2023.?

Mr Haddad has had a long relationship with the ruling Brazilian Worker’s Party. He first became a member in 1985 and has held high-profile positions throughout his political career which spans over two decades.?

Born on January 25, 1963, the Brazilian minister comes from a migratory background. His father, Khalil Haddad, emigrated from Lebanon and settled in Brazil as a wholesale trader in the textile sector in 1947. His mother, Norma Thereza Goussain, was born in Brazil to a Lebanese family.?

Mr Haddad’s avid interest in politics surfaced early on. In 1985, he graduated with a bachelor’s in political science from the University of S?o Paulo. He obtained a Master’s degree in Economics (1990) and a PhD in Philosophy at the same university, concluding his studies in 1996.?

His alma mater also became his first professional home. Mr Haddad has been teaching at the University of S?o Paulo since 1997. In 2017, he continued his career as a professor with the S?o Paulo-based Institute of Education and Research. He reportedly still collaborates with both institutions.

Fernando Haddad took up his first political role as the Undersecretary of Finance and Economic Development for the Municipality of S?o Paulo in 2001. Between 2005 and 2012, he held the position of the Minister of Education. In 2012, Haddad was elected Mayor of S?o Paulo for a four-year term.?

Mr Haddad is considered one of Lula’s most loyal political allies and a close friend. In 2018, he stepped in to replace Lula as the presidential candidate after the latter received a 12-year prison sentence for corruption and money laundering and could no longer run. He was defeated by Bolsonaro.?

Mr Haddad is not the only member of his family to have worked under the Brazilian President. His wife, Ana Estela Haddad, a doctor of dentistry and a professor at the University of S?o Paulo, served as an advisor at the Ministry of Education and Information and the Digital Health Secretary of the Ministry of Health.?

During her husband’s tenure as S?o Paulo mayor, she coordinated the children’s health program S?o Paulo Carinhosa. Mr and Mrs Haddad share a daughter, Ana Carolina Haddad, and a son, Frederico Haddad, a lawyer, researcher and PhD candidate at the University of S?o Paulo.?

Fernando Haddad’s time in office has not been without controversy. In 2015, the Public Ministry filed against him a lawsuit for misusing revenues from traffic fines. According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, the funds should have been used for educational purposes and traffic safety, however, almost 70% of revenues was instead used to cover various expenses of the Traffic Engineering Company.

In 2016, Mr Haddad was again investigated - this time for embezzling public money by a Municipal Theatre in S?o Paulo. The head of the theatre accepted the charges, but denied Haddad’s participation in any wrongdoings.?

After the end of his tenure as mayor of S?o Paulo, Mr Haddad was charged in August 2018 with “passive corruption” for receiving alleged benefits from the construction company UTC Engenharia. The company had allegedly paid a printing company to print materials for Haddad’s 2012 elections campaign.?

In August 2019, the Electoral Court of Brazil charged Fernando Haddad for 258 false declarations of printing expenses during the same electoral campaign.?

Interestingly, charges in all cases were dropped due to lack of evidence. Given his recent appointment to the Ministry of Finance, Fernando Haddad’s career seems not to have suffered because of the allegations.