I await his definitions, his orientations
In the corridors of São Paulo's political life, a familiar human drama unfolds: one leader waits upon another before committing to his own path. Gilberto Kassab, president of the PSD and a seasoned navigator of Brazilian politics, has publicly deferred his 2026 ambitions to the will of Governor Tarcísio de Freitas, whose gaze appears increasingly fixed on the national horizon. The fate of Brazil's most populous state — who governs it, and in whose name — hangs suspended in the space between one man's loyalty and another's decision.
- Tarcísio de Freitas is sending unmistakable signals of presidential ambition, invoking JK's development legacy and sketching visions of center-right national governance at public events.
- His potential departure for a 2026 presidential run would leave São Paulo's governorship vacant, triggering a succession contest within the coalition.
- Kassab, holding both party leadership and a senior state post, is the most visible figure waiting in that succession line — but he refuses to move first.
- By framing Tarcísio as a national leader and pledging to follow his 'definitions and orientations,' Kassab is simultaneously performing loyalty and protecting his own strategic flexibility.
- The entire political calculus of São Paulo's 2026 race remains frozen until Tarcísio declares his intentions, leaving allies and rivals alike in a state of calculated suspension.
Gilberto Kassab, who leads the PSD and serves as São Paulo's secretary of government and institutional relations, sat down with CNN to address the question shaping the state's political future: will Governor Tarcísio de Freitas run for president in 2026, and if so, who fills his place?
Kassab's answer was a study in deliberate deference. He said he is waiting for Tarcísio to clarify his intentions before making any moves of his own. "I await his definitions, his orientations," Kassab said, making clear that whether he pursues the governorship or supports another candidate depends entirely on what the governor decides. It is the language of loyalty, but also of strategy — keeping options open while ceding the initiative to someone else.
The context gives Kassab's caution added weight. Just a day before the interview, Tarcísio had spoken at a state event in terms that sounded less like a governor and more like a presidential candidate in formation. He outlined what center-right governance should look like nationally, and when prompted by Progressistas president Senator Ciro Nogueira, even floated a slogan echoing Juscelino Kubitschek's famous development promise — '40 years in four.' These are not the words of a man whose ambitions stop at the state border.
Kassab acknowledged the shift openly, describing Tarcísio as having grown into not only a great state leader but a national one. Beneath the diplomatic framing, the message is plain: São Paulo's political future is Tarcísio's to shape, and everyone else — Kassab included — is waiting for him to decide.
Gilberto Kassab, who leads the PSD and serves as São Paulo's secretary of government and institutional relations, sat down with CNN to discuss the political calculus facing Brazil's most populous state. The question hanging over São Paulo politics is straightforward but consequential: will Governor Tarcísio de Freitas run for president in 2026, and if so, who steps into his shoes?
Kassab's answer, delivered with the careful precision of a man who knows he is being listened to, was to defer. He said he is waiting for Tarcísio to make his intentions clear. "I am integrated into my project and Tarcísio's project," Kassab explained. "I await his definitions, his orientations. He has built this leadership in São Paulo state, and therefore we will await the direction he gives here in the state as well." The message was unmistakable: Kassab's own political future—whether he runs for governor himself or supports someone else—depends entirely on what Tarcísio decides to do.
The timing of this conversation matters. Just a day earlier, Tarcísio had spoken in language that sounded unmistakably like a man testing the waters for a national campaign. At an event in São Paulo, he discussed what a center-right government should look like. When pressed by Senator Ciro Nogueira, the president of the Progressistas party, Tarcísio even floated a slogan borrowed from the legacy of Juscelino Kubitschek: "40 years in four"—a reference to JK's famous promise to deliver fifty years of progress in five years of his presidency. These are not the words of a man thinking only about state politics.
Kassab's framing of Tarcísio has shifted accordingly. The governor is no longer merely a state leader, in Kassab's telling, but a national one. "He has evidently become not only a great leader in the state but also in the country," Kassab said. This is the language of someone acknowledging a shift in the political center of gravity, and positioning himself within it.
What Kassab is really saying, beneath the diplomatic language, is this: I will not move until Tarcísio moves. If Tarcísio runs for president, the São Paulo governorship opens up, and Kassab may pursue it. If Tarcísio stays put, Kassab will remain in his current role. The PSD president is essentially on standby, waiting for the governor to "analyze the situation, understand his responsibility, and at the right moment make his definitions," as Kassab put it. In Brazilian politics, this kind of deference is both a show of loyalty and a strategic hedge. Kassab is keeping his options open while signaling that he is not the one driving the decision. The real power to shape what happens next in São Paulo rests with Tarcísio, and everyone involved knows it.
Citações Notáveis
I am integrated into my project and Tarcísio's project. I await his definitions, his orientations.— Gilberto Kassab, PSD president
He has evidently become not only a great leader in the state but also in the country.— Gilberto Kassab, describing Tarcísio de Freitas
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Kassab keep saying he's waiting for Tarcísio's decision? Why not just say what he wants to do?
Because in Brazilian politics, saying you want something before the person above you has decided is a way of losing leverage. Kassab is the PSD president, but Tarcísio is the governor—the one with actual power and popularity. If Kassab declares his ambitions before Tarcísio moves, he looks presumptuous.
So Kassab is being strategic, not deferential?
Both. They're the same thing. He's genuinely part of Tarcísio's coalition, but he's also protecting himself. If Tarcísio runs for president, Kassab can credibly say he was always ready to step up. If Tarcísio stays, Kassab stays too, and no one can say he abandoned ship.
What does Tarcísio's talk about center-right governance and JK's slogan actually signal?
It signals he's serious about running for president. You don't invoke Juscelino Kubitschek and talk about national governance models unless you're testing how those ideas land with the political class. He's auditioning for a bigger stage.
And Kassab knows this?
Of course. That's why he's suddenly calling Tarcísio a national leader, not just a state leader. He's acknowledging the shift and positioning himself as someone who saw it coming.
What happens if Tarcísio decides not to run?
Then Kassab probably stays where he is, and the question of who runs for São Paulo governor gets pushed down the road. But Kassab has already made clear he won't move without Tarcísio's signal. He's locked himself in.