The governor (New) ends what should be the last full year of his term at the head of . In August, he declared himself a pre-candidate for the 2026 presidential race and will have to leave his position if he is actually going to run for Palácio do Planalto.
While he prioritized becoming a better-known figure nationally by assuming the role of antagonist of the president (PT), in Minas Gerais the governor chose his vice-president, Mateus Simões (PSD), to lead discussions on relevant topics in the state.
The strategy is part of an attempt to popularize the name chosen by Zema for . The two share the same marketer, advertiser Renato Pereira.
It was Simões, for example, who was in charge of the (Program for Full Payment of State Debts), a priority management agenda this year for renegotiating debts with the Union.
Zema’s opponents highlight the month of May as remarkable, when the vice-governor was questioned for hours in the Legislative Assembly about Propag. Zema was in El Salvador with a delegation of his communications team, on a trip to the state coffers.
The ultra-right leader Nayib Bukele’s itinerary in the country resulted in a series of videos for the governor’s social networks, which were republished in October, shortly after the country’s history, on .
In addition to public security, Zema also sought to antagonize the Lula government on economic issues during the year. This was the case with the tariff applied by American President Donald Trump against Brazil, with Minas as one of the most affected states.
The governor also collected other controversies in 2025 with his statements on the networks and in interviews. He military in the country “is a matter of interpretation”.
On a radio program, in prohibited places that must be towed. On social media, to criticize food inflation in the country and to celebrate a victory in court against the PT.
In state politics, the governor ends the year with an important victory in the Legislative Assembly when the state sanitation system was approved.
The privatization of the company was a campaign promise made in the first election he contested, in 2018.
The process only advanced as a result of Propag’s discussions and a better relationship between the government and base deputies, attributed to the new secretary Marcelo Aro, who leads a political group in the state.
Despite progress in the Assembly, the Zema government saw other plans frustrated this year by decisions from the TCE-MG (State Audit Court).
Among them are the project to grant sections of highways in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, which included the route from the capital to the airport, and the civic-military schools program in the state.
On December 17, the court of accounts confirmed the injunction that suspended a government consultation with 728 schools to evaluate the possibility of transforming them into civic-military institutions.
The TCE also ordered the government to halt the adoption of the model, which already exists in nine state schools, on the grounds of a lack of specific law and budget forecast for the program.
In this case, Zema and Mateus took to social media to question the decision. They stated that the court prevents a choice that should be made by the students’ parents and that the government will appeal.
Another setback for the administration was the one that investigated the co-option of public servants by a criminal organization to release authorizations for mining in areas of historical and environmental interest.
The action led to the dismissal of employees who worked in state government environmental agencies. Management said at the time that it does not condone misconduct by employees and that decisions that were based on illegal acts would be reviewed.
