Lula Wins Fourth Term
The 81-year-old leader secured 51.79% of the vote in a runoff that saw a historic drop in voter abstention.
By Kaito Sokolov ·
Brazil’s political cycle has returned to its left-wing leader as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claimed a fourth presidential term. He defeated Flávio Bolsonaro in a runoff that concluded on Sunday, October 25.
Lula captured 51.79% of the total vote. His challenger received 48.21%. The margin between the two men was 4.4 million votes. This victory makes Lula the first Brazilian president to secure a fourth term since civilian rule resumed in 1985. His new term is set to begin on January 5 and will run until 2030.
The election process faced unusual procedural hurdles. Supreme Court President Kassio Nunes Marques extended polling hours by two hours on Sunday evening. Both campaigns requested the extension. Lula’s team cited a shortage of buses in São Paulo and Bahia. Bolsonaro’s campaign pointed to heavy rain in southern regions and São Paulo. Some polling stations had already closed and did not reopen. Marques confirmed that the extension did not disrupt the count or the electoral process.
Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, has refused to concede the result. He called the outcome inexplicable and impossible. He has asked for the election to be annulled. Legal experts view that prospect as remote. Fernando Neisser of the Institute of Lawyers of São Paulo noted that the large margin makes annulment legally difficult. Alberto Rollo added that constitutional fixes for election dates complicate any challenge.
The result reversed the first-round outcome from October 4. Flávio Bolsonaro led that vote with 47% against Lula’s 45%. Lula’s campaign focused on increasing turnout before the final round. They targeted the 33 million people who had abstained in the first round. Sunday saw the largest drop in abstention between rounds since 1989. Lula turned 81 on Tuesday, October 27.
Lula addressed supporters in the streets of São Paulo. He stated that this term will be the best in the country's history because he will listen most to the people. Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin told him that he had saved Brazilian democracy for the second time. Lula also addressed his relationship with Washington. He insisted that Brazil will not accept being anyone's backyard, a direct reference to the Donroe Doctrine proposed by US President Donald Trump.
Trump has supported Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence for a coup attempt after losing the 2022 election. Flávio Bolsonaro met with Trump at the White House earlier this year. Lula’s victory bucked a regional trend where voters in Argentina, Chile, and Colombia elected right-wing leaders. World leaders reacted quickly. Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission said democracy and multilateralism won. Pedro Sánchez of Spain called it a great victory for global progressivism. Emmanuel Macron of France said the nations should work for a more just world.
