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On Sunday, January 1, the historic leader of the left was proclaimed president of Brazil for the third time. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva swore in his position and immediately invested his ministers to put the team to work. Expectations are high, explains Pascal Drouhaud, a political analyst and specialist in Brazil.
Among his first actions as president on Sunday, Lula swore in all 37 of his ministers, 14 more than under Jair Bolsonaro, and a record 11 women. And, as he had promised, the new president signed several decrees to reverse the right-wing measures of his predecessor, which facilitated access to weapons, and to strengthen environmental institutions in the Amazon.
Expectations are high, especially on social issues, which were the main theme of Lula da Silva’s campaign. “This will be a common thread, since the main priority of the new President is to rebuild Brazilian unity”, explains Pascal Drouhaud. “Unity on the home front: tackling inequalities in particular, and trying to recover what has been deconstructed in the last four years, be it in terms of culture, health or the environment, but also on the foreign front, that is, reintegrating Brazil, the world’s leading Latin American economy.”
Lula returns after having led the country between 2003 and 2010, but times have changed and so has the international economic context.
“It is evident that times have changed. He was president for two terms, in the years 2003-2010, in which he experienced sustained growth. On the one hand, the world was not the same as today. And he had allies and majorities that already He hasn’t. But today, Lula is a symbol. He is a symbol, he is an experience and that is what he is betting on. He trusts in the strength of this symbolism to move the lines. And for this he can count on some allies, in particular its vice president, Geraldo Alckmin, whom we saw a lot during the inauguration.” Geraldo Alckmin, of the PSDB, is a centrist guarantee for the new president of the Workers’ Party.
Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been elected this Sunday, October 30, at the head of Brazil with 50.90% of the votes, according to the final results, compared to 49.10% for the outgoing head of state, the far-right Jair Bolsonaro . A narrow victory, in a very divided country. Therefore, it will have to deal with a Congress and states with a conservative majority. “Lula will have to deal with it,” confirmed Pascal Drouhaud, but during his inauguration speech, “the accusations against Jair Bolsonaro were very strong. He recalled that he had exhausted health resources, dismantled education and culture in particular ”.
Now, “Lula can try to maneuver, discuss far beyond his field. In any case, that’s what she’s going to be working on for the next four years.”
The inauguration ceremonies took place calmly, under high security for fear of incidents caused by ultra supporters of Jair Bolsonaro. Will they give up? “Let’s not underestimate Lula’s experience, his political intelligence and his sense of maneuver, and his willingness to finally appeal to national pride to restore Brazil’s position in Latin America and in the world, and to be able to serve as a ‘model’, as he himself said. In addition, 53 foreign delegations attended, heads of state from Africa, but also from Latin America, the Argentine president, the vice president of El Salvador, for example,” the political scientist underlines.
