Romeu Zema campaigns on privatization, labour reform and criticism of Bolsonaro allies

Romeu Zema, former governor of Minas Gerais and pre‑candidate for the Brazilian presidency, used a CNI event in Brasília to outline his platform. He pledged to privatise all state‑owned companies, saying “there is no holy cow when it comes to statals”. Zema called for a flexible hourly‑work contract as an alternative to the CLT and condemned the proposal to end the 6×1 work‑scale, calling it a belief “still held by many Brazilians”. He announced plans to overhaul federal social programmes, proposing a R$ 5 000 prize for beneficiaries who leave Bolsa Família after finding formal employment and demanding that male recipients study up to high‑school while excluding women. Zema repeatedly attacked Flávio Bolsonaro for his relationship with banker Daniel Vorcaro, labeling Vorcaro a “banker bandit”, and accused Senator Jaques Wagner of involvement in the Banco Master investigation. He also produced an AI‑generated video satirising President Lula and Wagner, drawing rebuke from Supreme Court judges. The campaign remarks were made as Zema positioned himself as a liberal‑right alternative in the 2026 presidential race.