Simone Tebet

Simone Nassar Tebet (Portuguese pronunciation: [siˈmoni naˈsaʁ ˈtɛbetʃi]; born 22 February 1970) is a Brazilian lawyer, professor, and politician who served as Minister of Planning and Budget from 2023 to 2026. A member of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), she previously served as Senator for Mato Grosso do Sul from 2015 to 2023, vice-governor of the same state from 2011 to 2014, and mayor of Três Lagoas from 2005 to 2010, becoming the first woman to hold the latter two posts. The daughter of Ramez Tebet, a former President of the Federal Senate, she built her career in Mato Grosso do Sul before entering national politics in 2015. In the Senate she led the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB) caucus, presided over the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Commission, and stood for the Senate presidency. Holding socially liberal and pro-market positions, she has been active on gender equality and agribusiness policy. Tebet was the MDB's candidate in the 2022 presidential election, campaigning on a centrist Third Way platform and finishing third in the first round with 4.16% of the vote. She endorsed Lula ahead of the runoff, which he won narrowly, and joined his cabinet the following year. As minister, she was a leading advocate of fiscal discipline and institutional stability, often acting as a bridge between the government's left-leaning bloc and business sectors. In 2026, Tebet left the MDB for the PSB to run for the Senate in the 2026 São Paulo general election with Lula's support.