São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas Faces Opposition Criticism Over Education, Police Pay and Privatizations

State legislators and opposition candidates have intensified criticism of Governor Tarcísio de Freitas. Councilwoman Luna Zarattini (PT‑SP) denounced the governor’s education policies as a “complete disaster,” alleging lack of school infrastructure, teacher illness and a broader “dismantling” of the sector. She also attacked recent concessions, including the privatization of water utility Sabesp and the transfer of metropolitan rail and metro lines to private operators, and blamed the governor for transport‑related tolls.

Former Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, a pre‑candidate for the São Paulo governorship, faulted the administration’s handling of public security, calling police salaries the lowest in Brazil’s richest state. Haddad linked the low pay to broader governance issues and condemned the chaotic performance of the newly privatized CPTM train lines, which suffered power failures and a fire, prompting calls to review the contracts for CPTM, Sabesp and the new administrative center. Both critics framed these issues as central to their electoral platform ahead of the 2026 state election.