Brazil after the runoff election: What awaits Lula now

Brazil after the runoff election What awaits Lula now As of: October 27, 2026 • 4:06 a.m

After the runoff election, Bolsonaro's party has now also acknowledged defeat. But the challenges Lula faces are great. The costs of essential goods such as food are high. The fourth term could be his most difficult.

Célia Silva has been selling hot dogs in the center of Rio de Janeiro for 23 years. Business has been slow recently and food prices are high. Célia actually wanted change, and she voted for Flávio Bolsonaro in the first round of voting.

In the runoff, she voted for Lula: "Yesterday my daughter dressed completely in red, stuck a lot of Lula stickers on her clothes and kept telling me: Mommy, vote for Lula, okay! I said: 'Ok. For you.'"

Lula was able to win more than ten million votes compared to the first round of elections - thanks to unprecedented mobilization, especially among young people. Lula's rejection of his challenger may also have helped.

Flávio Bolsonaro was able to unite the right behind him, but his family name and his aggressive demeanor in the TV debate also deterred many. On election night, Lula told a celebrating crowd in central São Paulo: "This election was a defeat of denialism. It was a defeat of lies."

But his historic victory is threatened with repercussions. Flávio Bolsonaro initially did not recognize the election. Because of the extension of voting times by two hours, which favored Lula, he would contest the election - but then he probably withdrew.

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Yesterday evening, his Liberal Party issued a communiqué: They recognized Lula's election victory, but still called for the events on election day to be clarified - with transparency and respect for the institutions.

The whole back and forth was a political maneuver, says journalist and political analyst João Paulo Charleaux: "I interpret this as the inheritance of 'coupist DNA' - it comes from someone whose father attempted a coup and whose most important government proposal was amnesty for his father," says Charleaux.

"In addition, his team also asked for an extension. Therefore, his complaint arouses deep mistrust." The numbers also speak against it: Lula's lead was around 4.4 million votes. Nevertheless, uncertainty remains, also because doubts continue to be sowed on social media.

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US President Donald Trump, whose allies the Bolsonaros are considered, had already sowed doubts about the election: "I think it made a terrible impression. I'm not taking sides, but to be honest it seemed like another manipulated election."

He did not provide any evidence. At the same time, he dodged journalists' questions about whether he was planning to take steps to challenge the Brazilian election results. "I'm not running in Brazil, I'm running in the United States."

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Meanwhile, countries including Germany and the EU had already recognized the election. And while there were no reactions from Argentina's President Javier Milei or Abelardo de la Espriella from Colombia, other right-wing allies of Trump in the region have already recognized Lula's election victory - including José Antonio Kast from Chile, Daniel Noboa from Ecuador and Keiko Fujimori in Peru.

This is of great importance, says Charleaux, as it provides regional support and shows a certain limit to Trump's interventionist stance. "His interventionism in Brazil may be very powerful, but it also has limits," says Charleaux. "One of these limits is the level of acceptance by the countries in the region."

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But Lula also faces major challenges in domestic politics: the left-wing parties have lost weight in Congress, especially in the Senate. It will be difficult to find majorities capable of governing. And Lula will need that to implement his election promises. A few weeks ago he issued a decree increasing the “Bolsa Família” social assistance.

Despite low unemployment and increased incomes, eight out of ten households are now living on credit, food prices are rising and with them dissatisfaction.

That's how hot dog seller Célia feels: "It's very expensive. I hope the prices get better, don't you? The things on the market, everything - everything is very expensive. And the health care, the education, the safety on the streets, that's getting worse and worse. I hope it gets better."

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But Lula's financial leeway is limited; he inherited a high level of national debt. The stock market reacted very nervously to his election victory. Prices collapsed on Monday.

On Sunday evening, Lula, who turns 81 this Tuesday, dared to make an optimistic prediction: This fourth term in office would be his best, he told supporters in the center of São Paulo. It could also be his hardest.

This topic in the program: tagesschau.de | Brazil after the runoff election: What lies ahead for Lula | Oct 26, 2026 | 02:44