Tough political environment for re-election, deepening divisions, twists in Congress - Brazilian presidential election

[São Paulo Current Affairs] Left-wing President Lula (80) narrowly defeated right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro (45) in Brazil's presidential election runoff on the 25th. Society and politics have moved further to the right than they did four years ago, when he defeated his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro. The division is deep, and his fourth term in office will be faced with a harsh political environment unlike anything he has ever experienced before.

Mr. Lula unexpectedly came in runner-up in the first round of voting on the 4th, when he was expected to come out on top. As for the reason for the reversal in the run-off, the economic magazine Ezami analyzes that, ``A major factor was that the party improved its voter turnout and support rate in the northeast, its traditional base of support.'' It is believed that one factor in his victory was that he conducted an election campaign in keeping with the SNS era, including the use of influencers.

Lula was fortunate to be able to regain support at the last minute, including among the poor, who feared a return to Bolsonarism, which fuels division and hatred among the nation through extremist words and actions. However, his approval rating has been declining with each term, and some voters are saying they are tired of Lula. Anxiety about aging is only increasing.

In the federal parliamentary elections held at the same time as the presidential election, the right-wing opposition Liberal Party, which supported Bolsonaro, made great strides and became the largest party in both houses of Congress. In his speech, Mr. Lula expressed an auspicious attitude, saying, ``I will cooperate with the parliament elected by the people,'' but it seems that the parliamentary management will be difficult.

On the day of the final election, it was suddenly announced that voting hours would be extended by two hours nationwide due to congestion on public transportation and other reasons. Bolsonaro is suing for the election to be invalidated, claiming, ``This is unprecedented in Brazil's history.Equality among the people has been undermined.''

In Brazil, in January 2023, after the last presidential election, supporters of defeated Jair Bolsonaro attacked the country's central institutions, including the federal parliament, causing social chaos. If Mr. Lula is unable to resolve his dissatisfaction with the extension of time, there is a risk that there will be even more turmoil than last time.