BRASILIA — Michel Temer used to be known in Brazil as a behind-the-scenes operator. That was before he triggered a bid to topple his boss, Dilma Rousseff, and took her job as president.After months of playing his cards close to his chest, Rousseff’s vice-president took over as acting head of state in May ahead of the impeachment trial which finally saw her removed from office on Wednesday.After 13 years of leftist government, Rousseff’s 75-year-old running mate-turned-nemesis has already started to push through market-friendly policies during his three months as acting president.He is due to hold office until the current mandate expires in 2018, with the task of getting the ailing South American giant’s economy out of recession. But with popularity ratings as dismal as Rousseff’s and many of his allies implicated in corruption, Temer faces a tough task restoring stability in Brazil.Temer had long been a backroom wheeler-dealer. The son of Lebanese immigrants was perhaps best known t...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.