On TV, Lula promises fiscal responsibility, sends an indirect message to Flávio and demands an ethical and impartial judiciary

President Lula (PT) stated this Sunday (8) that he is committed to fiscal responsibility and promised that his government will create the conditions for a fall in interest rates, but did not announce concrete measures.

In his first TV address since his re-election, he also threw a hint at the defeated candidate Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), who left Brazil for the United States two days after the second round. "I never abandoned my country," said the PT member.

Lula sent messages to the Judiciary by arguing that "the judiciary needs judges who are impartial, ethical and free from conflicts of interest and enrichment projects." The speech, broadcast on Sunday night, lasted 7 minutes and 44 seconds.

In the economy, Lula said he was concerned about the trajectory of public debt and high interest rates. The statements mark a course correction by the PT member, who, during the campaign, stated that the debt did not worry him and that creating a surplus (revenues greater than expenses) was "nonsense".

"The trajectory of public debt and high interest rates worry me. Therefore, I reaffirm my commitment to fiscal responsibility to enable sustainable social policies and the much-needed expansion of investment. All this effort will be made while preserving fiscal rules", said Lula in the speech.

In another section, the PT member highlighted the mobilization in the streets, which pushed him to an unprecedented turn in the second round, after finishing the first vote behind Flávio Bolsonaro. He promised that, in the new mandate, he will expand listening and dialogue with the population.

The president thanked voters for the 64 million votes received in the second round and said that, once the elections are over, he will govern for all Brazilians. "As I have always done, we need to build bridges instead of walls," he said.

He accused big techs of trying to interfere in Brazilian elections. "Like what has been happening in some countries around the world, the so-called big techs tried to interfere in the Brazilian electoral process, giving millions of views to information content and fake news. But, with popular participation, the truth won over the lie", he said.

In relation to the Judiciary, Lula's speech comes after the revelation of ties between ministers Alexandre de Moraes, Dias Toffoli, Kassio Nunes Marques and Luiz Fux, from the STF (Supreme Federal Court), and former banker Daniel Vorcaro, who owned Banco Master, liquidated by the Central Bank amid suspicion of billion-dollar fraud.

The president stated that Brazil needs to "urgently" debate political and judicial reform. The PT member did not detail his proposals, although he has already defended the provision of fixed terms of office for STF ministers on other occasions.

"The time has come for Brazilian Justice to regain its credibility. The activity of the judiciary needs judges who are impartial, ethical and free from conflicts of interest and enrichment projects. With effective justice, we will be able to take a more rigorous approach to corruption, organized crime and tax evaders, the fight against criminal factions, militias, criminal tycoons, aggressors of women and girls", he said.

The PT member also cited the approval of the PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) for Public Security and committed to the publication of an MP (Provisional Measure) to create the Ministry of Public Security.

The messages about the economy and fiscal policy come after increasing pressure from the financial market for Lula to announce adjustment measures to control the trajectory of public debt.

As Folha showed, the power of the fiscal adjustment measures opened an impasse within the government, as the head of the Executive shows resistance to proposing more robust actions that could constitute electoral fraud.

Since the day after Lula's re-election, Finance and Planning have been working on a menu of actions, ranging from more specific adjustments to structural measures. Pursuing the center of the fiscal target is a consensus within the team, and there are proposals to allow a reduction in spending limits in the event of a funding freeze due to frustration in revenue collection.

The mobilization of supporters in the final stretch of the election has weighed on the equation. Lula has always demonstrated concern about maintaining social rights, and the results of the polls reinforced this position, especially after the PT campaign used Flávio Bolsonaro's cut plan to wear him down among the electorate.

Despite market pressure, the measures should only be presented in the second half of November, after the president's trip to Asia. Lula will participate in COP31, in Turkey, and the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit, in the Philippines, starting on Monday (9).