Senator Flavio Bolsonaro (PL), the eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro and a candidate in Brazil's October presidential election, said in an interview with TV Globo on Friday (28) that he plans to reduce the number of ministries and political appointee positions to cut public spending if elected. In the same interview, conducted by journalists Renata Vasconcellos and Cesar Tralli, he announced physician Claudio Lottenberg, former president of Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, as his pick to lead the Health Ministry, according to g1.
Fiscal adjustment without a defined target
Asked how he intends to stabilize and reduce public debt, Flavio defended a "strong fiscal adjustment" and a leaner government. "I will cut ministries. I will take heavy scissors to appointed positions as well", he said. The candidate gave no figure for the cut, in reais or GDP points, and set no deadline. He also said he plans to reduce bureaucracy and revoke more than a thousand regulatory acts at the start of his term.
Flavio blamed the fiscal situation and the level of interest rates on spending by the Lula administration. In his view, cutting expenses would create conditions for the central bank's benchmark Selic rate to fall, which would lower debt interest payments. He also linked household indebtedness to the current government's economic policy. "You who are watching me are probably in debt or know someone who is in debt, but it is not your fault. It is this current government's fault", he said.
On the minimum wage, Flavio did not say whether he would keep or change the current adjustment formula, based on inflation and real GDP growth. "I will not cut costs at the expense of Brazil's most struggling people", he said, without explicitly committing to the rule in force. He also did not clarify whether he would keep pensions pegged to the minimum wage, saying only that he would not cut costs "on the backs of retirees". According to the candidate, the money would come from fighting fraud and corruption at the INSS, Brazil's social security agency, and from technology tools to control spending.
Einstein hospital physician for Health
An ophthalmologist, Lottenberg presided over the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital and now chairs its deliberative council, as well as the Brazilian Israelite Confederation (Conib) and the Health Coalition Institute (Icos). He holds a master's and a doctorate from the Federal University of Sao Paulo (Unifesp) and has served as an advisory board member for Unicef. "I will turn public health into quality health care, the SUS will be modern", Flavio promised, calling the sector a priority of a future administration. The SUS is Brazil's universal public health system.
The interview was the fifth in Globo's series with presidential candidates, after Romeu Zema (Novo), Ronaldo Caiado (PSD), Renan Santos (Missao) and President Lula, who is seeking reelection. On Saturday (29), the interviewee will be Augusto Cury (Avante). The first round of the election takes place on October 4.