A fresh start in the largest country in Latin America: the former shoeshine boy, union leader and head of state Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been sworn in as Brazil’s new president after a political hiatus of several years. “I will govern for 215 million Brazilians and not just for those who voted for me,” he said in his inaugural address to Congress on Sunday. “No one is interested in a country that is constantly at war.”
The left-wing politician prevailed in a runoff election against his right-wing predecessor Jair Bolsonaro at the end of October. The ex-military, whose administration deeply divided the country and earned him the nickname “Donald Trump of the tropics,” never explicitly acknowledged his defeat. For weeks after the election, his supporters blocked country roads and called on the military to stage a coup.
Lula countered his predecessor’s behavior, which was also criticized by the German government, with a forgiving message to the people: “Never again hate, fake news, weapons and bombs. Our people want peace so that they can work, study, take care of their families and to be happy,” said the 77-year-old.
inauguration
More than a dozen heads of state attended the inauguration, including Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. After the celebrations there was a big music festival in the capital Brasília with more than 40 artists.
Lula had already ruled Brazil – which is about 23 times the size of Germany but only has a third of the economic power – from 2003 to 2010. At the time, his government benefited from the commodity boom and was able to lift millions of people out of poverty through large social programs. However, corruption also flourished. Lula was herself sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence in 2018 on charges of corruption and money laundering, spending 580 days in prison. The judgment was later overturned by the Supreme Court for formal reasons.
Now he is the first democratically elected president in Brazil to serve a third term. Contrary to custom, his predecessor did not take part in the swearing-in ceremony. Bolsonaro had already traveled to the USA with his family on Friday. So the presidential sash was handed over by a whole group of people meant to represent the country’s diversity: a student, a singer, a locksmith, an indigenous man, a chef, an artist and an influencer.
Lula’s ideas and opponents
Lula now faces great challenges. After Bolsonaro polarized domestic politics and isolated Brazil on the world stage, the new president wants to unite his country and lead it back onto the international stage. Lula announced a resolute environmental protection and climate policy as well as measures against the increasing hunger in the people. However, he is dealing with a parliament in which supporters of Bolsonaro make up the largest group.
Immediately after being sworn in, Lula signed a series of decrees. He ordered special payments to the poorest families, extended the fuel tax exemption, restarted the fight against deforestation, reactivated the Amazon Fund and banned mining in environmental protection areas.
importance for Germany
Germany is also hoping for a restart of relations after the change of government. “It’s good to know that Brazil is back on the international stage,” said Federal President Steinmeier. He met Lula for a chat on Saturday. “We need a Brazilian political leadership that will play its part – not only in economic cooperation, but also in protecting the world climate.” He was pleased to find that Lula was willing to fulfill exactly this role with Brazil.
The Amazon region, with its huge biodiversity, is of great importance in the fight against climate change. The rainforest binds immense amounts of the greenhouse gas CO2 and plays a major role in the global climate. During Bolsonaro’s tenure, deforestation and slash and burn for profit increased significantly. Lula now wants to better protect the rainforest.
Steinmeier announced that Germany would soon provide 35 million euros for the Amazon Fund to protect the rainforest. This is money that was frozen during the time of right-wing President Bolsonaro. “It is important to all of us that we preserve the green lungs of the earth, the rainforests of the Amazon,” said Steinmeier.
As a major producer of food and renewable energies, Brazil is likely to play an increasingly important role in world trade in the future. A fully negotiated free trade agreement between the EU and the South American confederation of states Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) is currently on hold – partly because critics in Europe fear that the agreement could provide more incentives to expand agriculture and thus deforestation put.
“Following the talks, I also have the impression that confidence is justified as far as the development of trade relations between South America and Europe is concerned,” said Steinmeier on Sunday. Lula made it very clear that he would re-enter negotiations on the Mercosur trade deal.
