Romeu Zema

Last updated
Romeu Zema
Pacto federativo e prioridade dos estados e DF em encontro com presidente (cropped).jpg
Zema in 2023
Governor of Minas Gerais
Assumed office
1 January 2019
Political party NOVO (since 2018)
Other political
affiliations
PR (2000–2018)
Spouse
Ivana Scarpellini
(divorced)
Children2
Alma mater Getúlio Vargas Foundation

Romeu Zema Neto (born 28 October 1964) is a Brazilian businessman, administrator, and politician affiliated with the NOVO party. [1] The current Governor of the state of Minas Gerais, Zema served as the head of the Zema Group, an industrial conglomerate, from 1990 to 2016. [2] [3] [4] 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. [5]

Contents

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. [6] 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. [7]

Business career

Zema was born in Araxá, Minas Gerais, to Romeu Zema Neto and Maria Lúcia Zema. His paternal great-grandfather, Domingos Zema, was an immigrant from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies; Zema lived in considerable wealth due to the Zema Group, a conglomerate set up by Domingos. [8] He worked as a gas station attendant, clerk, stock clerk, cashier, buyer, seller, marketing analyst, commercial analyst and manager at various points in his life. [9] After 26 years at the head of the company, Zema stepped down in 2016. [4] Zema has a degree from the Getúlio Vargas Foundation in business administration. [10]

2018 election

First round

Map of the first round results (Zema in orange) Mapa da Eleicao estadual em Minas Gerais em 2018 por municipio (1.o turno).svg
Map of the first round results (Zema in orange)

Zema was a member of the Liberal Party for all of his political affiliation but changed to run for NOVO in the 2018 Minas Gerais gubernatorial election. [11] He polled low, given NOVO's relatively low profile, initially with 3%, tying with the REDE candidate. His main opponents in PSDB and incumbent governor Fernando Pimentel, of the Worker's Party, held 10 point leads. However, Zema began to gain traction. [12]

In the closing remarks of the Globo debate, Romeu Zema stated that "those who want change, of course, can vote for the different candidates, which are Amoêdo and Bolsonaro." [11] NOVO's national directory saw this statement as partisan infidelity on the part of Zema, because of his defense of the Bolsonaro campaign. However, the state directorate put this as a misunderstanding, highlighting the party's inexperience in matters of political relevance, such as large-scale debates. Some analysts attributed Romeu Zema's unexpected success in the first round to this statement. Romeu Zema officially declared support for Jair Bolsonaro during the campaign in the second round, [13] a factor that led him to suffer criticism from the population, being booed and called an "opportunist" when participating in a campaign act in favor of Bolsonaro. [11] On 7 October 2018, the first round of the general elections was held in Brazil, and Romeu Zema reached the mark of 42.73% of valid votes against 29.06% for Antônio Anastasia and 23.12% for Fernando Pimentel. [14]

Second round

Antonio Anastasia (PSDB) and Zema in the second round Deabte on TV Globo Antonio Anastasia com Romeu Zema no debate da Rede Globo.jpg
Antônio Anastasia (PSDB) and Zema in the second round Deabte on TV Globo

In the second round of the elections, Zema received the support of João Batista dos Mares Guia (REDE). [15] PSL, the party of presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, decided not to support the candidacy of Romeu Zema in Minas Gerais. [16] After being asked about accepting support from governor Fernando Pimentel, Zema initially stated that he would not refuse the defeated governor's support as long as he did not ask for secretariats in return. On social media, Antônio Anastasia criticized Zema's position stating that "he wanted PT on his side", even though the Workers' Party candidate was not part of the second round of the election. [17] On social media, Zema said that Anatasia's video was "fake news" and that he would not make a deal with PT. Later, Pimentel and his party declared neutrality in the second round. [18]

Zema was elected in the second round of the 2018 elections as the 39th Governor of Minas Gerais, [19] being driven by the search for renewal in politics and the anti-PT movement, mixed with Bolsonaro's growth in the 2018 elections. Some analysts pointed out that Zema's victory in the elections was the result of a polarized political attrition between PT and PSDB, responsible for the state for the last 16 years. In this sense, Zema would have taken advantage of the wave of renewal and the population's will to change in the face of the economic crises of the period. [20]

First term

Inauguration

Zema with his vice-governor Paulo Brant and Marcos Pontes, Minister of Science Romeu Zema, Marcos Pontes e Paulo Brant.jpg
Zema with his vice-governor Paulo Brant and Marcos Pontes, Minister of Science

Zema was inaugurated on 19 December 2018, along with vice governor Paulo Brant (elected for NOVO and later changed to PSDB), an engineering professor, in the Palácio das Artes in Belo Horizonte. The ceremony also installed two senators elected in the same elections, Carlos Viana (elected for PHS and later changed to PL) and Rodrigo Pacheco (DEM), and the 77 state deputies elected in the same election. Zema did not attend Jair Bolsonaro's inauguration, even though he had various forms of transportation at his disposal, largely bough in his predecessor term. Zema had heavily campaigned against what he deemed "frivolous government spending" like the transportation in the election. [21] [22]

Government spending

Zema had campaigned on cutting government spending and returning taxes to voters. He struggled however, because his party only had 5 state deputies.

Secretariat overhaul

After taking office, Zema sought to approve the new organization of the Minas Gerais' secretariat that would reduce the number of secretariats from 21 to 12 and eliminate 3,600 commissioned positions, stating that he would save 1 billion reais during his 4 years in government. [23] [24] [25] After 4 months of negotiations, in May, the reform was approved by the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais, but Zema vetoed the ban on "jetons", something that increased the salaries of state secretaries that he had criticized in the electoral campaign; defending his change of opinion, Zema argued that "after verifying the effective reality of the state, he attested to its usefulness". [26]

Civil servant spending

In 2020, due to pressure from the Military Police of Minas Gerais, Zema sent a bill that gave a 41% salary readjustment for public security servants in 3 years, but PT's parliamentary bench was successful in expanding the readjustment for all employees, something that would significantly increase the state's public deficit. After approval by the assembly, Zema almost entirely vetoed the text, maintaining the 13% readjustment only for public security servants. [27] Zema suffered harsh criticism for his performance, with the media commenting that it would be the "biggest political crisis of the government", the national NOVO recommending the complete veto of the project, the government secretary Olavo Bilac Pinto Neto asked for his resignation due to considering the government's articulation unfeasible, and vice governor Paulo Brant announcing his switch from NOVO to PSDB for considering that the party had "chosen to remain on the sidelines of coalitions" rather than its ideals. [28] [29] [30] [31]

Pension reform

Zema with governors Joao Doria and Eduardo Leite (both PSDB) at an infrastructure integration conference in 2019 Romeu Zema, Joao Doria e Eduardo Leite em abril de 2019 (1).jpg
Zema with governors João Doria and Eduardo Leite (both PSDB) at an infrastructure integration conference in 2019

Still in 2020, even after the crises left by the readjustment of public security servants' salary and in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Zema government had the goal of approving the reform of the state pension, with the aim of improving, in the long term, the situation of public accounts in Minas Gerais; the state has one of the worst fiscal deficits in the country. [32] [33] For this, Zema made some changes in his political allies, passing Igor Eto, who was the Secretary-General to the Secretary of Government, and bringing Mateus Simões to the Secretary-General of the State, who was until then City Councilor of Belo Horizonte. Both Mateus Simões and Igor Eto are members of NOVO. Governor Zema also brought in a new government leader, state deputy Raul Belém (PSC). [34] Despite the original proposal sent by the government having been modified by the Legislative Assembly, the Zema government was successful in passing the pension reform with a minimum age of 65 for men and 62 for women. [35]

COVID-19

Zema on a speech during a visit to a Usiminas factory in Ipatinga, in August 2020 26 08 2020 Cerimonia de Retomada do Alto-forno 1 da Usina de Ipatinga Usiminas (50271776466).jpg
Zema on a speech during a visit to a Usiminas factory in Ipatinga, in August 2020

After the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zema issued lockdown orders that were criticised by NOVO's national directory, who claimed that the measures "negatively affected business". [36]

In later 2020, the underreporting of COVID cases in Minas Gerais was criticized by the press. Zema stated that tests for COVID-19 were "just to satisfy the curiosity of researchers, while not assisting in public health". Despite the presence of underreporting, this was a trend throughout Brazil due to an increase in cases of Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). In September 2020, Minas Gerais was considered the state with the lowest rate of deaths per inhabitant in Brazil. [37]

In 2021 it was reported that Zema's government was under investigation by Augusto Aras, the Attorney General of Brazil, for its handling of state PPE purchases that may have benefited certain companies rather than achieving the lowest price. Zema denied any wrongdoing. [38]

Damage after the collapse of the Brumadinho Dam in 2019 Brumadinho, Minas Gerais (40109064403).jpg
Damage after the collapse of the Brumadinho Dam in 2019

Response to the Brumadinho dam disaster

On 25 January 2019, a dam operated by Vale S.A. in the municipality of Brumadinho collapsed, killing at least 259 people.

In 2021, the Zema government closed an agreement with Vale S.A. for the damage caused by the dam's rupture, in which the company will pay the State 37.68 billion reais; [39] the money was set to be used in infrastructure works for the affected region. The Movement of People Affected by Dams organized a protest against the agreement, which the group considered unfair, [40] while other actors welcomed the speed of the process. [41]

2022 election

Campaign

Platform

Before the election, Zema Released the following platform. [9]

  • Construction and operation of regional hospitals through concession and public-private partnerships
  • Expansion of the free offer of technical and integral education courses
  • Reform of state schools, with the acquisition of equipment and furniture
  • Integration actions between the police and integration of public security information bases
  • Expansion of the digital duty to ensure full-time police assistance
  • Expansion of concession programs and public-private partnerships, including for the operation of highways, airports and metropolitan transport, and privatization of state-owned companies
  • Creation of a state fund for the granting of credits to family farmers
  • Incentives for clean energy and the use of non-fossil fuels
  • Expansion of the concessions program for managing parks and conservation units
  • Providing vocational education courses for youth and adults in poverty
  • Granting of credit, paid for by the state, to cover urgent housing demands

Victory

Zema retained high levels of popularity throughout his first term, never dipping below 40% while much of the population. This led to a tough challenge that his two main opponents Alexandre Kalil and Carlos Viana failed to meet. [42]

Zema only attended some of the debates and pointed to differing forms of misinformation in his campaign while maintaining a form of neutrality in the first round of the presidential elections, barely interacting with his party's nominee Felipe D'Avila, given one of his opponents was from Bolsonaro's party. [43] [44]

Zema with Bolsonaro at the Usiminas factory in Ipatinga in 2020 26 08 2020 Cerimonia de Retomada do Alto-forno 1 da Usina de Ipatinga Usiminas (50271776206).jpg
Zema with Bolsonaro at the Usiminas factory in Ipatinga in 2020

Kalil's alliance with the PT, did little to sway Lulazema voters, who split their ballots between the right and left. [45]

Zema was reelected in the first round, avoiding a distracting second round, but failed to achieve the landslide he had achieved in 2018, winning 56.18% of the vote, for the first time forming a coalition for his re-election.

Support for Bolsonaro

While Zema officially supported Felipe D'Avila, his party's nominee in the first round, he made no secret his support for Bolsonaro in the second, endorsing him just days after the first vote.

While he promised to corral support, along with Claudio Castro, he seemed to be making lackluster efforts, more trying to build a national profile in 2026. While he got some mayors, he has already begun distancing himself according to some, who think that Zema expects Bolsonaro to lose. [46]

Controversies

Comments on domestic violence

On March 9, 2020, during the launch of a state government program to support victims of domestic violence, Zema referred to domestic violence as “a natural instinct of human beings.” [47]

Comments on Brazil's regions

On August 6, 2023, Zema discussed the divide between Brazil's North and Northeast with its South, Southeast, and West with the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo. In the interview, Zema said:

Other regions of Brazil, with states that are much smaller in terms of economy and population, unite and manage to vote and approve a series of projects in Brasília. And we, who represent 56% of Brazilians, but who are always on our own, looking only your backyard, we lost. It was clear in this tax reform that we have already started to show our weight ... We also need social actions. So will the South and Southeast continue to collect much more than they receive in return? This cannot be intensified, year by year, decade by decade. If not, you will fall into that story, the rural producer who only starts giving good treatment to the cows that produce little and leaves aside those that are producing a lot. Soon the ones that produce a lot will start to demand the same treatment. It is necessary to treat everyone the same way.

Romeu Zema, O Estado de S.Paulo

Zema was denounced by left-wing politicians across Brazil and even by allies from the Northeast. Gilson Machado, a minister in the Bolsonaro cabinet, said that he "vehemently repudiate[s] any speech that even ventilates the separation of our country." [48]

Marina Silva, the Minister of the Environment said that "without the Amazon, there is no way to have agriculture, there is no way to have industry, there is no way for Brazil to even have life in the South, Southeast and Midwest, because science says it would be a desert like the Atacama or Sahara deserts. Therefore, it is not a matter of quantity in terms of population weight, it is a matter of working with the principle of environmental justice and the GDP of the ecosystem services that are generated by this region." [48]

Others took a stronger stance, like Flávio Dino, the Minister of Justice, who said that Zema is "a traitor to the Constitution [and thus] is a traitor to the homeland." [48]

Other politicians like Eduardo Leite, the Governor of Rio Grande do Sul, initially supported Zema, who after critiscm stated "We will all be stronger the more we are one Brazil. I do not believe that Governor Zema has said anything different from that. If he said it, he does not represent me. We never thought until today that the states of the North and Northeast had united against the other states of the country. On the contrary, the union of these states around the agenda that is of common interest to them served as a inspiration so that we can finally do the same. It has nothing to do with a front of States against States or region against region." [48]

Zema himself said after the outcry that "the union of the South and Southeast will never be to diminish other regions. It is not to be against anyone, but in favor of joining efforts. Dialogue and management are fundamental for the country to have more opportunities. The distortion of facts causes division, but the strength of the Brazil is at work in unity." [48]

Alleged government impropriety

As part of its lawsuit calling for the invalidation of Zema's candidacy, the Brazilian Woman's Party accused Zema of using the government secretariat to invite the party to join his electoral coalition. [49]

Charles Soares de Sousa, the Zema-appointed superintendent of the Minas Gerais Supram, intervened to cancel a fine against Gute Schit, a mining company linked to a consulting firm Sousa had provided services for. [50]

Personal life

Zema was married to Ivana Scarpellini and had two children, Catharina and Domenico. They are divorced. [14]

Romeu Zema also has Italian citizenship, [51] however, in 2019, his Italian passport was revoked amid an investigation that revealed fraud in the issuance of documents by several Brazilians. Finally, the citizenship, having been finalized and reapproved, was granted, amid critisicms of dual loyalties. [52]

Election history

YearElectionPartyOfficeCoalitionPartnerPartyVotes%ResultRef.
2018 Minas Gerais State Elections NOVO Governor NonePaulo Brant NOVO 4,138,96742.73%Second Round
6,963,80671.80%Elected
2022 Minas on the Tracks

(NOVO, Avante, PP, SD, PODE, Patriota, PMN, MDB, DC, Agir)

Mateus Simões6,094,13656.20%Elected

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geraldo Alckmin</span> Vice president of Brazil since 2023

Geraldo José Rodrigues Alckmin Filho is a Brazilian physician and politician currently serving as 26th vice president of Brazil. He previously was the Governor of São Paulo for two nonconsecutive terms, the longest serving since democratization, 2001 to 2006 and 2011 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ciro Gomes</span> Brazilian politician (born 1957)

Ciro Ferreira Gomes, known mononymously as Ciro, is a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and academic. Ciro is currently affiliated with and vice-president of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republicans (Brazil)</span> Political party in Brazil

The Republicans, formerly the Brazilian Republican Party and originally formed as the Municipalist Renewal Party, is a Brazilian political party. Its electoral number, the numerical assignment for Brazilian political parties, is 10.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Party (Brazil)</span> Political party in Brazil

The New Party is a classical liberal, libertarian party in Brazil founded on 12 February 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rui Costa (politician)</span> Brazilian politician

Rui Costa dos Santos is a Brazilian economist and politician who has served as the Chief of Staff of the Presidency since 1 January 2023. He previously served as governor of Bahia from January 2015 to December 2022. He is affiliated with the Workers' Party (PT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jair Bolsonaro 2018 presidential campaign</span> Brazilian presidential campaign

The 2018 presidential campaign of Jair Bolsonaro was announced on 3 March 2016. Brazilian federal deputy and former military officer Jair Bolsonaro became the official nominee of the Social Liberal Party during their convention on 22 July 2018. The running mate decision came later on 8 August, when General Hamilton Mourão was chosen to compose the ticket with Bolsonaro. By choosing Mourão as running mate Bolsonaro secured a coalition with the Brazilian Labour Renewal Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson Witzel</span> Brazilian politician

Wilson José Witzel is a Brazilian politician and lawyer who was the 63rd Governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro. A member of the Social Christian Party, Witzel is a former federal judge and is an ex-marine. On 28 October 2018, he was elected Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro with a four-year term beginning in January 2019, replacing Luiz Fernando Pezão, until his impeachment in April 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 in Brazil</span>

Events in the year 2020 in Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Brazilian floods and mudslides</span> Floods in Brazil

From 17 to 29 January 2020, heavy rainstorms in the Southeast Region of Brazil caused widespread flooding and landslides in the states of Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro, being associated with Subtropical Storm Kurumí.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Minas Gerais gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 state elections in Minas Gerais were held on 7 October, as part of the general elections in the Federal District and in 26 states, to elect one Governor and Vice Governor, two Senators and four substitutes for Senator, 53 Federal Deputies, and 77 State Deputies. In the election for Governor, entrepreneur Romeu Zema (NOVO) finished in first place with 42.73% of the valid votes, followed by Senator Antonio Anastasia (PSDB) with 29.06%. Incumbent Governor Fernando Pimentel (PT) couldn't re-elect, placing third place with 23.12% of the votes. As the first place didn't reach 50% of the votes, a second round took place on 28 October. Zema was elect Governor with 71.80% of the votes, and Anastasia placed second with 28.20%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 São Paulo gubernatorial election</span> Gubernatorial election held in Brazil

The 2022 São Paulo state election took place in the state of São Paulo, Brazil on 2 October 2022 and 30 October 2022. Voters elected a Governor, Vice Governor, one Senator, 70 representatives for the Chamber of Deputies, and 94 Legislative Assembly members. The incumbent Governor, Rodrigo Garcia, of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), was eligible for a second term and ran for reelection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 in Brazil</span>

Events in the year 2021 in Brazil.

Gubernatorial elections were held in Brazil on 2 October 2022 as part of the nationwide general elections to elect tickets with state governors and their vice governors. A second round was held on 30 October for states where no candidate was able to secure more than half of the votes in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capitólio rockfall</span> Natural disaster in Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2022

On 8 January 2022, a rockfall occurred in a canyon of Furnas Lake in Capitólio, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A cliff face collapsed onto tourist pleasure boats on the lake, killing 10 people and leaving 32 others injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 in Brazil</span> Overview of the events of 2022 in Brazil

Events in the year 2022 in Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Viana</span> Brazilian journalist and politician

Carlos Alberto Dias Viana is a Brazilian journalist and politician, affiliated with Podemos (PODE) and currently a senator for Minas Gerais.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Minas Gerais gubernatorial election</span>


The 2022 Minas Gerais state elections took place in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil on 2 October 2022. Voters elected a governor, vice governor, one senator, 53 representatives for the Chamber of Deputies, and 77 Legislative Assembly members. The incumbent governor, Romeu Zema, a member of the New Party, was eligible for a second term, and intended to run for reelection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 in Brazil</span> Overview of the events of 2023 in Brazil

Events in the year 2023 in Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Santa Catarina gubernatorial election</span> Gubernatorial election held in Brazil

The 2022 Santa Catarina state election took place in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil on 2 October 2022 and 30 October 2022. Voters elected a Governor, Vice Governor, one Senator, 16 representatives for the Chamber of Deputies and 40 Legislative Assembly members. The incumbent Governor, Carlos Moisés, of the Republicans, was eligible for a second term and ran for reelection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuad Noman</span>

Fuad Jorge Noman Filho is a Brazilian writer, economist, and politician who is the current mayor of the city of Belo Horizonte, having taken office since 2022. He came into office after the resignation of former mayor Alexandre Kalil, to whom he had been the vice-mayor of from 2021 to 2022. He is currently affiliated with the Social Democratic Party (PSD).

References

  1. ingridoliveira. "Bolsonaro diz que vai virar eleição em Minas com apoio de Romeu Zema". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  2. "Com comitê na garagem da tia, Zema tem 84% de votos em sua cidade natal". UOL Eleições 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  3. "Saiba quem é Romeu Zema, pré-candidato que pretende ser governador de Minas Gerais". DiviNews.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2018-06-10. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  4. 1 2 "Empresário do Partido Novo Romeu Zema é eleito governador de MG". Folha de S.Paulo. 28 October 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  5. "Zema aproveita onda Bolsonaro, ganha em MG e garante 1º estado para o Novo". UOL Eleições 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  6. "Resultados – TSE". resultados.tse.jus.br. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  7. "Vamos falar sobre o Novo? Futuro de Zema passa longe do partido; que pena". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  8. "Ricardo Zema conta a história da sua família e do Grupo Zema - Diário de Araxá" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2014-05-16. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  9. 1 2 "Romeu Zema (Novo) é reeleito governador de Minas Gerais". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  10. "Governador". www.agenciaminas.mg.gov.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  11. 1 2 3 "Anastasia e Zema trocam farpas sobre possível apoio de Pimentel - Política". Estadão (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  12. "Pesquisa Ibope em Minas Gerais: Anastasia, 24%; Pimentel, 14%". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  13. "Candidato ao governo de Minas, Romeu Zema declara apoio a Bolsonaro em rede social". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  14. 1 2 "Mineiros do Ano - Romeu Zema". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2019-01-02. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  15. "João Batista dos Mares Guia anuncia apoio a Romeu Zema no segundo turno em Minas". oldportal.itatiaia.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  16. "Partido de Bolsonaro anuncia neutralidade em Minas e frustra Zema". Eleições 2018 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  17. ""Pediria apoio até ao Pimentel", diz Romeu Zema - Politica". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  18. "PT e Pimentel não vão apoiar nem Zema, nem Anastasia no 2º turno em Minas". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  19. "Romeu Zema, do Novo, é eleito governador de Minas Gerais". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  20. "Governador eleito de Minas cancela ida à posse de Bolsonaro". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2018-12-30. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  21. "Zema vai extinguir a 'força aérea' de Pimentel?". O Antagonista (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  22. "Zema anuncia futuros chefes das polícias Militar e Civil e dos Bombeiros em Minas". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  23. www.diariodeuberlandia.com.br; www.diariodeuberlandia.com.br (2019-02-06). "Zema prevê redução de 21 para 12 secretarias em MG". Diário de Uberlândia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  24. "Governador Romeu Zema anuncia corte de secretarias, mas salário de servidores continua atrasado". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  25. "Zema envia projeto à ALMG para extinguir secretarias e cargos comissionados". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2019-02-05. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  26. "Romeu Zema sanciona reforma administrativa com veto à proibição de 'jetons'". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  27. "Zema reduz de 41% para 13% reajuste de servidores da Segurança em Minas". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  28. "Sob pressão de aliados, opositores e policiais, Zema enfrenta sua pior crise em MG". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-03-13. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  29. "Vice de Zema se desfilia do Novo e acirra crise política no governo de Minas". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-03-11. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  30. "Secretário de Governo pede demissão do cargo". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-03-11. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  31. "Notícia". Rádio Itatiaia. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  32. "Após ensaios, Zema finalmente envia reforma da Previdência do funcionalismo à Assembleia". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-06-19. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  33. "Seis Estados quebrados reduzirão rombo em 2020". Valor Econômico (in Brazilian Portuguese). 17 October 2019. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  34. Gabriel, Sávio (2020-06-24). "Raul Belém (PSC) será o novo líder de governo na Assembleia Legislativa". www.otempo.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  35. Gabriel, Sávio (2020-09-04). "Reforma da Previdência de MG é aprovada em caráter definitivo pela ALMG". www.otempo.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  36. "COVID-19: Zema avisa que 'não é hora de relaxar'". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  37. "O Brasil não fez um trabalho tão ruim, diz Zema sobre pandemia da COVID-19". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  38. Conteúdo, Estadão (2021-05-17). "CPI da Covid: Aras envia lista de investigações contra Zema e mais governadores". www.otempo.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  39. "Brumadinho: governo de Minas e Vale fecham acordo de R$ 37 bilhões". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-02-04. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  40. "Verba de acordo entre Vale e governo não será gasta na folha de MG". Estado de Minas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-02-08. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  41. Peixoto, Luis Fernando (2021-02-04). "No acordo com a Vale, Zema faz '70 anos em seis'". BrazilJournal (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  42. "A difícil missão de Kalil para tentar bater Zema em MG". VEJA (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  43. "O recado policial de Romeu Zema para Lula e Alexandre Kalil". VEJA (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  44. "Zema falta a debate e vira alvo de dobradinha entre Kalil e Viana". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2022-08-07. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  45. "Voto 'Luzema' será mais um obstáculo para Bolsonaro em Minas Gerais". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 9 October 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
  46. "Antes grande trunfo para o 2º turno, Zema frustra campanha de Bolsonaro com mobilização abaixo do esperado". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 28 October 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  47. Brasil 247, Redação (2020-03-10). "Romeu Zema desrespeita mulheres e diz que violência contra elas é "instinto natural"". Brasil 247 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-03-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  48. 1 2 3 4 5 "'Muro já': grupos separatistas aplaudem falas de Zema sobre frente Sul-Sudeste". BBC News Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2023-08-07. Retrieved 2023-08-08.
  49. Pedra, Luana Pedra (2022-09-12). "PMB pede cassação da candidatura de Romeu Zema ao governo de Minas". Política (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  50. "Governo Zema é denunciado ao MPMG por favorecimento ilegal de mineradoras". Brasil de Fato - Minas Gerais (in Brazilian Portuguese). 28 September 2022. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  51. Mattos, Litza (2019-04-02). "Cerca de 300 mineiros têm a cidadania italiana cassada". www.otempo.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2022-10-07.
  52. "Após ter passaporte italiano cassado em investigação por fraude, Zema regulariza situação, diz advogado". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 3 April 2019. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Minas Gerais
2019−present
Incumbent