Minister of Finance presented the data at a ministerial meeting and cited “threats to democracy” in 2022 and 2023
The Minister of Finance, argued this Tuesday (June 3, 2026) that the country has recovered its economic strength while strengthening democratic institutions. Durigan argued that the ability to maintain the growth trajectory and control inflation demonstrates that the current cycle has solid foundations.
During a ministerial meeting with the president (PT), the minister released the economic indicators for the first quarter of 2026. The head of the economic team presented the numbers for the expansion of productive activity and gross fixed capital formation and contextualized the results in light of the external pressures faced by the country.
Durigan is at of Finance since March 2026, when the then minister (PT) left office to run for governor of São Paulo in the 2026 elections.
The minister stated that the Brazilian economy grew 1.1% in the first quarter of 2026, a performance above market estimates.
Gross fixed capital formation increased 3.5% compared to the previous quarter. The indicator measures investment in the country. According to Durigan, the result contradicted forecasts of a drop in investments.
Durigan recalled, without mentioning by name, “threats to democracy” —a reference to the acts of January 8, 2023, when radical supporters of the former president (PL) vandalized the buildings in Praça dos Três Poderes. Both the and the National Congress took measures to investigate those involved. The coup plot was judged by the STF in 2025.
“We had a threat to democracy, attacks on institutions, skepticism in the economy, which I hadn’t seen for a while”he stated.
“This democratic and sovereign country has once again established itself as a strong economy. This gives me and former minister Fernando Haddad enormous pride, because our economy is once again thriving. And see that it is not a simple job that we have, in the face of the various challenges that have appeared over time”stated the minister.
The head of the economic team argued that economic policy must continue to be conducted as an engine to sustain social advances and that macroeconomic success must be measured by the real impact on the population’s daily lives.
“It is not enough to have a strong economy, a sovereign country that defends itself, that respects the world […]. People need to be the biggest beneficiaries of a strong economy […] All of this has to be reflected in concrete terms in people’s lives.”he declared.
