“Lula is the consensus in the PT for 2026, but he has to prepare for the transition”, says Haddad

The Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, stated this Tuesday (2) that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) will be the PT candidate in the 2026 elections, despite him being one of the names floated by the party to run in the next presidential election.

“I believe that there is consensus within the PT and the allied base regarding President Lula’s candidacy in 2026. In my opinion, it is something that is well pacified. It cannot be discussed,” declared Haddad, in an interview published in the newspaper The globe.

Regarding a possible successor to Lula, Haddad denied the possibility of being nominated and said that the party needs to be “certainly concerned” about this after the 2026 elections.

“Lula was president three times. It will probably be a fourth. While it is an asset to have a political figure of this stature for 50 years at the PT’s disposal, it is also a very big challenge to think about the day after. I don’t participate in internal meetings about this. But, excluding 2026, the fact is that the question will arise”, he declared.

Haddad also commented on the criticism he receives within the PT and said that he maintains a “reconcilable” relationship with the Civil House, despite the “heated debates”. According to the minister, the party cannot celebrate the results achieved by the economy and think that everything is wrong.

“Look, it’s curious to see the cards that are being released by my critics about the economy, now on the occasion of Christmas. My name does not appear. What appears like this: ‘Inflation fell, employment rose. Long live Lula!’ And Haddad is an austericide. So, either everything is wrong or everything is right. There is an issue that needs to be resolved, which I am not the one who needs to resolve,” he stated.

Criticisms of Haddad were made during the PT national directory meeting, where the document condemning the “austericide”, a term used to refer to economic suicide due to spending-cutting policies. In the resolution, the party led by federal deputy Gleisi Hoffmann (PR) stated that it is necessary to get rid of the “fiscal austerity” and from “dictatorship of the independent Central Bank” to respond to the country’s needs.