Introduction
Fernando Haddad (born 25 January 1963) is a Brazilian academic and politician former Mayor of São Paulo, Brazil's largest city. He is of Lebanese Orthodox Christian origin.
He studied Law, economics and philosophy at the University of São Paulo and was the Minister of Education in the cabinet of Presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff.
Career
Haddad holds a master's degree in economics and a doctorate in philosophy from the University of São Paulo. He has devoted much of his career to public service: he has been a consultant for the Fundação Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas — an economics research institute — based at the School of Economics, Business and Accounting of the University of São Paulo, chief of staff to the Finance and Economic Development Secretary of the municipality of São Paulo, and a special advisor to the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management. He is also a professor in the politics department of the University of São Paulo.
Haddad took over the cabinet position of Minister of Education on 29 July 2005, when his predecessor, Tarso Genro, left the position to become the chairman of the Workers' Party.
On 2012, Haddad was a candidate for mayor of São Paulo during the 2012 Brazilian municipal elections. After successfully advancing to the second round, he faced former mayor José Serra (who was the most voted candidate in the first round) and won it with 55.57% of the valid votes.
In June 2013, his administration faced big demonstrations, when São Paulo city hall and the government of the state of São Paulo (which runs the train and metro system of São Paulo) announced the raising of tickets prices from R$3,00 to R$3,20. The demonstrations, known as the 2013 protests in Brazil, were the biggest protest movement since those in 1992 against the Brazilian President in power at the time, Fernando Collor de Mello.
On October 2, 2016, Haddad lost his bid for re-election to Brazilian Social Democracy Party candidate and media mogul João Doria Júnior, taking in only 17% of the vote. He left office on January 1, 2017.