Romeu Zema

Romeu Zema Neto (born 28 October 1964) is a Brazilian businessman, administrator, and politician affiliated with the NOVO party. The Governor of the state of Minas Gerais until he resigned to run for the presidency, Zema served as the head of the Zema Group, an industrial conglomerate, from 1990 to 2016. First elected in 2018, he won 42.73% of the valid votes, qualifying for a second round against Antônio Anastasia. Winning with 72.80% of the votes, he was inaugurated in 2019. In 2022, he won a decisive re-election against sports commentator and mayor of Belo Horizonte, Alexandre Kalil, with 56.18% in the first round. Zema has been touted by some as a possible presidential candidate for the 2026 Brazilian presidential election, given his alliance with Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 and 2022 Brazilian presidential elections. He is also considered one of the fiercest critics of current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as he has accused Lula of harming and sabotaging Minas Gerais on several occasions, which has led to public clashes between the two, with accusations being exchanged on both sides. The political views of Zema have been described as economically liberal and politically a pragmatic conservative.