Aécio Neves

Who is Aécio Neves?

Aécio Neves da Cunha is a Brazilian economist and politician; he was the Governor of Minas Gerais from 2003 to 2010 and is currently a member of the Brazilian Federal Senate. Born in Belo Horizonte, he is the youngest governor in the state's history. He began his political career working with his grandfather, Tancredo Neves, who was elected President of Brazil in 1985. Aecio Neves served four terms as an elected Deputy in the Brazilian Federal Chamber of Deputies between 1987 and 2002, representing the Brazilian Social Democratic Party. He was the President of the Chamber of Deputies in 2001/02.

As governor, Aecio Neves introduced the "Management Shock": a set of sweeping reforms designed to bring the state budget under control by reducing government expenditure and promoting investment. The policy has been widely perceived as a success nationally and internationally and Aecio Neves has enjoyed high levels of popularity in office. Having been tipped as a potential candidate for the Brazilian Presidential elections in 2010, Neves announced his intention to stand aside from the race at the end of 2009. He ran for the Brazilian Federal Senate instead, and was elected a Senator representing the State of Minas Gerais. He took office as a Senator of the Republic on 1 February 2011.