Elections in Brazil, runoff: Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of Lula in the polls

The right-wing candidate for the presidency of Brazil, Flavio Bolsonaro, collects 53% of the valid votes in the first poll in view of the run-off on 25 October against the outgoing left-wing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who instead stands at 47% of the preferences. This is what emerges from the latest survey by the PoderData institute.

The supporters

The eldest son of former president Jair Bolsonaro has meanwhile obtained the support of the conservative parties Republicanos and Novo. In recent days he had also received the endorsement of former presidential candidate Ronaldo Caiado, leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), who in the first round had obtained 2.6 million votes, equal to approximately 2.18%, coming fifth. While it remains unknown where the votes cast by supporters of the writer Augusto Cury will be channeled, who finished the first round in third place with 2.89% of the vote, obtaining the support of 3.4 million Brazilians.

The political program

In any case, Bolsonaro Jr. has already gathered the support of almost the entire 'Centrão' in just a few days, a bloc of centrist parties that often determines the outcome of congressional votes. The senator from the Liberal Party, who ended last Sunday's first round in the lead with almost 47% of the votes, has also declared his intention to promote constitutional amendments aimed at modifying the functioning of the judiciary, eliminating presidential re-election, lowering the age of criminal responsibility and reviewing some aspects of the tax reform supported by Lula.

The most controversial point is his proposal to change the judicial system. Bolsonaro Jr. criticizes the current functioning of the Supreme Court, arguing that Brazil is not experiencing a period of "full" democracy and proposing greater institutional oversight of the country's highest court.