Haddad in Davos: fiscal and social responsibilities go hand in hand
Brazil Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, said upon his arrival on Monday (Jan. 16) in Davos, Switzerland, that he has taken three messages to the international community in the political, economic, and environmental sectors, namely: respect for democracy, fiscal sustainability with social justice, and reindustrialization with environmental sustainability.
"The political message is a democratic issue, Brazil's commitment to support these democratic days that the world is experiencing, especially in South America, and reinforcing Brazil's commitment to fight all kinds of extremism," Haddad said upon his arrival at the World Economic Forum.
Haddad stated that "the economic model we defend" includes inseparable fiscal and social responsibilities. Regarding the environmental agenda, Haddad pointed out he intends to carry out many plans with Environment and Climate Change Minister Marina Silva that go beyond resuming the commitment to reducing deforestation and investing in renewable energy.
"With respect to the development agenda, we can think about Brazil`s reindustrialization based on environmental sustainability," the minister explained. He also stressed the symbolic impact of the acts of vandalism occurred in Brasilia on January 8, when the headquarters of the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary were partially destroyed. For Haddad, the quick response to the events has given the country credibility.
"My impression is that Brazilian institutions have given a very immediate response. Next day an intervention in the security of the Federal District was declared, the governor was removed, and all 27 governors came over to Brasilia," said the minister. A very quick response, within 24 hours everything was under control."
The reaction of the institutions was "a clear demonstration that Brazil is committed to the electoral result, to democratic rules, to individual freedom, while respecting constitutional guarantees," he added.
Haddad and Marina Silva will have an intense agenda during the World Economic Forum, an event that brings together heads of state, ministers, and the business community from the world's richest countries. They will participate in two main panels and they have more than 50 invitations for bilateral meetings with political and financial leaders. A meeting with the international media is scheduled for Wednesday (18).
This year, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was invited to occupy the main stage of the event, but he declined the invitation. As the ministry of Foreign Relations informed, the president's first international trip will be to Argentina, where he intends to launch his own symbolic message of appreciation for Latin American integration.
