The national president of the PSD, Gilberto Kassabtold businesspeople, in a meeting last Tuesday (19), that the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) is not going through a good time and that the current governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) must be a candidate for Palácio do Planalto – but only in 2030.
At the meeting, promoted by the Esfera Brasil group, the former mayor of São Paulo (SP) and former minister demonstrated confidence that Tarcísio will be elected president when he runs for office. “It’s obvious that Tarcísio will be president of the Republic. I’ll bet anything,” he said. “Could it be in 2026? You can, but I find it difficult”, he added.
One of Tarcísio’s main allies, Kassab currently holds the Secretary of Government and Institutional Relations for the state of São Paulo. He also presides over the PSD, one of the victorious parties in this year’s municipal elections (it will command 887 city halls across the country from 2025).
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According to Kassab, Tarcísio should run for another term as governor of São Paulo, in 2026, and only then seek the Planalto.
“He has already defined himself as a candidate for re-election as governor. And this is the best scenario for all of us Brazilians. Because, if things go wrong at the national level, São Paulo will hold Brazil,” said Kassab. “My impression is that Tarcísio will really be a candidate for president in 2030”, continued the PSD president.
“I don’t see an opponent. There is such a great union of forces alongside Tarcísio that I have never seen like it. There has never been a manager as highly rated as him. Tarcísio has no opponent. He just doesn’t say that the PT member is sympathetic to him, because there’s no way. But even so, behind the scenes, [o petista] recognizes that he is being a good governor. Tarcísio is very qualified”, said Kassab.
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In the conversation with businesspeople, Kassab also stated that the PSD could, in 2026, repeat the decision it took in 2022, when it did not launch a candidacy for the Presidency of the Republic and freed its members to support whoever they want.
Criticisms of Lula
Minister of Cities in the former president’s second government Dilma Rousseff (PT)between 2015 and 2016, Gilberto Kassab criticized Lula’s current management in Planalto.
“Lula, today, is heading for re-election with difficulty. The economy is doing well, but I don’t believe this will last for many months”, projected Kassab.
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“Ten days ago, there was that dollar explosion. He got scared and asked the [ministro da Fazenda, Fernando Haddad] not travel [para a Europa, onde tinha compromissos]. The G20 came and stopped. I hope Lula takes this proposal seriously [de corte de gastos]otherwise the instability of 15 days ago will return”, he stated.
“But I like President Lula. It is a trial for Lula to end his career with a bad government. I think he’s getting the economy wrong. Globalized capital does not choose, it has no country. If he doesn’t have confidence, he will leave. THE [capital] Brazilians leave, and foreigners don’t come”, continued Kassab.
“Lula has everything to be a great president again, as he once was. We owe a lot to Lula. But he’s not doing well. When everyone thinks it’s not going well, it’s because it’s not going well. I ran the country, in person and virtually [nas eleições municipais]. Nobody wanted to vote for the PT. It’s a signage. The PT currently exists in three states: in Piauí, Bahia and Ceará”, he analyzed.
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“I would very much like him [Lula] was consecrated. Because the country, when it voted for him, voted in the hope that he could be the president we wanted. To unite the country, to do what needs to be done in the economy. I hope he does, and introduces himself [como candidato em 2026] and deservedly be re-elected”, concluded Kassab.
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