Flávio Vows to Cut 10 Ministries

BRAZIL · ELECTIONS

Published Friday, 16 October, 11:55 p.m. ET · Source: TV Globo interview, reported by O Tempo and Poder360

Flávio Bolsonaro, senator for Rio de Janeiro and the conservative candidate for president, promised on Friday 16 October to cut at least 10 federal ministries and keep minimum wage rises above inflation. He spoke in an interview on TV Globo, Brazil’s biggest broadcaster, nine days before the Brazil election 2026 runoff.

He faces Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president, in the vote on Sunday 25 October. The pledges tell investors in the United States how a Bolsonaro government might balance the budget in Latin America’s largest economy.

What Flávio Bolsonaro Promised

Flávio said the government now has 39 ministries and that he would cut at least 10, O Tempo reported. He also said he wants to balance public accounts without hurting the people who most need government help.

Asked whether he would keep the policy of raising the minimum wage above inflation, he answered “Yes”, Poder360 reported. He also said he would not unlink pensions from the minimum wage, O Tempo reported.

The presiding table of the Federal Senate chamber in Brasília. File photo. Photo: Boaventuravinicius, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Spending Floors and the Work Week

Flávio said he does not intend to change the Constitution to remove the minimum spending levels for health and education, O Tempo reported. Those questions followed fiscal-adjustment ideas floated by members of his economic team.

He also said he will keep the end of the 6×1 schedule, under which many employees work six days and rest one, Poder360 reported. Congress promulgated the constitutional amendment in a ceremony on the same Friday, 16 October.

How the Plan Compares with His Record

Flávio first opposed the work-week amendment, then voted for it remotely on Wednesday 14 October, Poder360 reported. He told TV Globo he decided to “follow the will of the majority of Brazilian workers”.

He had called the amendment an “opportunistic” attempt by Lula to win reelection before changing his position. He said the change followed what he heard from workers.

What It Means for You

If you hold Brazilian bonds, the real or US-listed shares of Brazilian companies, the interview shows a candidate promising lower costs without cutting the biggest transfers. Markets watch whether such pledges leave room for the budget targets set by the government.

If you follow US politics or trade, nothing here changes the date or the stakes of the vote on Sunday 25 October. Our Brazil election polls page lists every survey so you can see how close the race is.

What Prediction Markets Say

On Polymarket, an online prediction market, bettors give Flávio Bolsonaro a 77.2% chance of winning the 25 October runoff and Lula 23.5% (16 October, 11:49 p.m. ET). The “Brazil Presidential Election” market has drawn about US$185 million in total bets, and the Brazil election odds page tracks it.

Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.

What Is Not Known

It is not known which ministries would go or how much the cut would save, because the interview reported by O Tempo and Poder360 gave no list or costing. Nor is it known how the wage and pension pledges would be financed.

It is also not known whether voters will weigh these pledges when they choose on 25 October. A campaign promise is not a law, and any cut would need the approval of Congress.

More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Flávio Bolsonaro promise on ministries?

He said he would cut at least 10 of the 39 federal ministries if elected. He made the pledge on TV Globo on Friday 16 October.

Will Flávio Bolsonaro keep minimum wage rises above inflation?

He said yes in the same interview. He also said he would not unlink pensions from the minimum wage.

Would he reverse the end of the 6×1 work week?

He said he will not. Congress promulgated the amendment on Friday 16 October.

When is the Brazil runoff?

Brazilians vote on Sunday 25 October. The winner takes office as president for a four-year term.

Who is Flávio Bolsonaro?

He is a senator for Rio de Janeiro and the conservative Liberal Party (PL) candidate. He is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

Sources: O Tempo, 16 October 2026; Poder360, 16 October 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief