Uncertain times are ahead for Brazil following the razor-thin victory of former head of state Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the presidential election. On the morning after the election, defeated right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro remained silent on Monday as to whether he would accept his defeat. “I would just like to be happy, but I’m partly worried,” Lula said in front of his supporters in the metropolis of São Paulo. “I need to know if the president we defeated will allow a peaceful transition.”
In the runoff election on Sunday, Lula received 50.9 percent of the votes, Bolsonaro got 49.1 percent, according to the electoral office. Allies tried to speak to him on election night, but he went to sleep, the Brazilian news portal G1 reported. The information could not initially be checked.
Bolsonaro had previously cast doubt on the electoral system and indicated that he might not accept the result. Since the relaxation of gun laws during his tenure, many of his supporters have upgraded. Just on Saturday, a member of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party (PL) pursued a man at gunpoint after an argument. Even before the decision was made, there were fears that violence could ensue if the outcome was close.
Even if Bolsonaro initially ducked out and did not comment on the election result, at least several of his allies, including the powerful speaker of Parliament Artur Lira, recognized the incumbent president’s defeat. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens), Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Joe Biden have already congratulated Lula on his victory.
While supporters of the left-wing Workers’ Party (PT) celebrated the victory, there were also protests from Bolsonaro supporters. Truck drivers set tires on fire and blocked highways. In the city of Belo Horizonte, a Lula supporter was shot dead during a celebration at a bar. Both supporters of Lula and Bolsonaro followed the counting of votes there. It was initially unclear whether the act had a political background.
promise of reconciliation
Lula announced that she wanted to reconcile the extremely divided country. “I will rule for 215 million Brazilians,” said the 77-year-old. “There are no two Brazils, only one people.” Now the moment has come to restore peace. The former trade unionist ruled Brazil from early 2003 to late 2010. He is Brazil’s first democratically elected president to serve a third term. “This is not just my victory, it’s the victory of everyone who loves democracy,” Lula said.
Even if Bolsonaro was voted out, his followers have firmly established themselves in Brazilian politics. The ex-military had managed to unite the fragmented Right and present itself as a defender of traditional family values and a bulwark against the alleged threat of Communism. The members of his Liberal Party (PL) are now the strongest faction in Congress.
Lula’s return to power is an amazing turn of events nonetheless. “They tried to bury me alive but I’m here,” he said. Lula was sentenced to a long prison term in 2018 for corruption and money laundering. He spent 580 days in prison. Last year, a Supreme Court judge overturned the verdict on formal grounds. Lula regained his political rights and returned to the political arena.
Will Bolsonaro acknowledge the result?
The election in the largest economy in Latin America also has enormous international importance. As a huge carbon reservoir, the Amazon region plays an important role in the fight against global climate change. In addition, Brazil is a potentially important trading partner with its natural resources, high proportion of green energy and large agricultural economy. Due to his blockade on climate protection and his idiosyncratic corona policy, Bolsonaro recently isolated Brazil on the world stage. “Brazil is back. It’s too big to be an international pariah,” Lula said.
Many supporters associate the former trade union leader with Brazil’s golden age, when the economy boomed due to high commodity prices and the government lifted millions of people out of abject poverty with the help of social programs. However, the situation today is different. Both on the international stage and at home, Lula will have to deal with new framework conditions after taking office at the beginning of next year. “I am confident that we will find a way for this country to live in harmony again,” Lula said.
