Lula wins election in Brazil - Bolsonaro does not recognize defeat

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been elected for a fourth term, according to the electoral authority. He won the runoff election against Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of right-wing extremist ex-President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest.

Lula got 51.8 percent and Bolsonaro 48.2. The incumbent thus won almost 4.4 million more votes than Bolsonaro, as the Supreme Electoral Court announced. According to pollsters, an unexpectedly high voter turnout helped Lula win.

Bolsonaro wants to have the election annulled

Bolsonaro refused to admit defeat against Lula. “It is impossible to recognize the result,” said the challenger in the capital Brasília. "I will request the annulment of these elections," he added. Bolsonaro justified his demand with the Supreme Court's short-term decision to keep polling stations open two hours longer. The decision was unprecedented, he explained.

However, both candidates had requested that polling stations be kept open longer. The background was problems with local public transport and bad weather in parts of the country. However, Bolsonaro's camp had only called for more time in certain states where heavy rains, floods and power outages were said to have disrupted the election process.

The president of the electoral court, Kassio Nunes Marques, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by Jair Bolsonaro, said that the extension of the voting period had no influence on the result.

Bolsonaro was sent into the race by his father. Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for an attempted coup. The former president is currently under house arrest for health reasons.

Thousands celebrate Lula's victory in the streets

Lula, who turns 81 this week, also described his election victory as a "vote on democracy." Brazilians voted to “secure democracy,” said Lula. Supporters celebrated his victory in the streets.

Polls had predicted a neck-and-neck race between Lula and Bolsonaro in the runoff election. Bolsonaro surprisingly won the first round of elections at the beginning of October with 47 percent of the vote. At that time, Lula got 45 percent.

The election in Latin America's largest economy was seen as a directional decision. Lula and Bolsonaro represent opposing positions in numerous policy areas, such as climate protection, social policy and relations with the USA.

Lula positioned himself against Trump in the election campaign

The left-wing president was able to score points with economic successes. Under his administration, unemployment fell to historic lows, poverty fell, and the minimum wage rose. Parliament also decided to gradually introduce a five-day week with two days off.

At the same time, dissatisfaction with the increased cost of living remained high. The high national debt and Lula's high-spending policies put a strain on the government.

One of the most important issues of the election campaign was public safety. Criminal organizations have significant influence in parts of the country. Lula stated that he intended to create a ministry of public security.

During the election campaign, he also opposed greater political and economic dependence on the USA, which his supporters had criticized under the leadership of Jair Bolsonaro and feared under Flávio. Since Donald Trump became US President again, right-wing governments in Bolivia, Chile and Colombia, among others, have achieved election victories.

Strong right-wing opposition in Brazil

In Brazil, the right-wing camp made significant gains in the parliamentary election three weeks ago: Bolsonaro's Liberal Party (PL), with 121 of the 513 deputies, is the strongest force in the Chamber of Deputies and has 28 of the 81 seats in the Senate. Even more than in his previous term, Lula will have to forge majorities with other parties.

Particularly important is the Centrão, an alliance of predominantly conservative and centrist parties that is held together primarily by political and regional interests.