Brazil: Bolsonaro wins numerous supporters before runoff election against Lula

Sao Paulo. Brazilian presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro has rallied key supporters behind him ahead of the runoff election at the end of the month. There are now commitments from several center-right and right-wing parties. If Bolsonaro wins the presidency, he could forge a coalition with comfortable majorities in both chambers of Congress.

The right-wing politician and eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro won the first round of elections with a slight lead over incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, despite consistently trailing in the polls. The runoff election is scheduled for October 25th.

The Brazilian parliament is highly fragmented. More than twenty parties are currently represented in Congress. The election winner has to form several alliances in order to pass laws.

Bolsonaro's new supporters include PP, Uniao Brasil, Republicanos and Podemos, parties that were neutral during the first round election campaign. Some MPs from these ranks previously held influential positions in Lula's government, even ministerial posts.

In addition, the presidential candidates Romeu Zema, Ronaldo Caiado and Augusto Cury, who were defeated in the first round, supported Bolsonaro. "I am very happy about this official support. In this way we will rebuild Brazil," Bolsonaro said last week during a press conference with MPs and representatives of allied parties.

Investors demand reforms

Combined, Bolsonaro's Liberal Party (PL) and its allies would control more than 280 seats in the House of Representatives and up to 50 seats in the Senate, enough for secure majorities in both chambers. This would allow the politician to implement market reforms demanded by investors and reshape the Supreme Court.

This support could also be crucial for another of Bolsonaro's plans: an amnesty for his father. Former President Jair Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after his 2022 election defeat.

As Flavio Bolsonaro gathers more allies, Brazil's incumbent President Lula is struggling to attract new supporters. He had already united most of the left and center-left parties behind him before the first round of voting. According to insiders from his campaign team, Lula now wants to appeal to millions of Brazilians who did not go to the polls in the first round of voting.