Translated by: Tiago Jorge
Brazilian politics have been, for years, stained by their polarization and complexity, both of which were on higher display during the 2022 elections. Although the current president’s (Luiz Inácio da Silva) inauguration speech preached the end of poles and hope of union between the Brazilian people, the country’s reality in those last few months have shown to be remarkably different. Lula brought positive expectations to Brazil’s future, but also brought chaos and opposition resistance.
Making a comparison with the tenure of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, Lula’s government has been adopting a much more conciliatory and less polarizing posture, attempting to promote dialogue with the different sectors of society and building consensuses to the implementation of his proposals. For that purpose, he starts a new management with plans facing the promotion of social and environmental policies, like the return of Bolsa Família, with a fresh face of the social subsidy which were, in his first two terms, responsible for rescuing millions of Brazilians from extreme poverty, and resuming the Fundo Amazônia.
Furthermore, he’s been creating a much more interventionist approach to economy, withdrawing Petrobras, Correios and six more companies from the privatization list, and has been attempting to recover the country’s credibility and image in front of the rest of the world. For that, he reopened important communication channels that had been left behind by the previous government, such as the strategic alliance with Germany and the Latin-American integration (Argentina and Uruguay).
Therefore, it becomes undeniable that Lula’s government, in these few months, has pushed for important initiatives to face the economic crisis, the absence of dialogue and ethical management and the social inequality in Brazil.
However, it’s important to recognise that there’s still a lot of room to cover. Lula’s new management has been facing a series of problems and challenges, such as the institutional crisis, the political polarization and corruption. Since taking over, the president has faced strong opposition from conservative sectors of society, that criticise his economical approach and don’t allow the take off of important reforms and projects, which can limit the country’s potential growth.
Unfortunately, Brazil’s political polarization has led to the division of society in increasingly more radical groups, which in turn led to an intolerance environment and rising tension. That phenomenon has made the population even more vulnerable to the devotion for leaders such as Bolsonaro, who has conquered a base of followers willing to defend him acritically and mostly irrationally. With Lula’s victory, not all of them were willing to accept the elections’ result and respect democracy. Roadblocks, protesting in front of quarters and Bolsonaro supporters invading Praça dos Três Poderes, in Brasília, for example, were a clear attempt of destabilizing the government and contribute for a chaotic environment in Brazil.
These acts of violent weaken democracy in the country and must be protected by the State. Therefore, facing those challenges, it’s important that Lula’s governance remains backed by dialogue and the pursuit of consensus. The president must always be willing to listen to the different sectors of society and look for solutions that can unite Brazilians around common goals. In the meantime, it’s essential that democratic institutions are strengthened and the state acts to ensure order and the respect for the law.
Besides that, it’s crucial that Brazilian society remain active and vigilant as it pertains to national politics, demanding transparency, honesty and responsibility from those who govern. Only with active participation from society, the end of corruption and the strengthening of banking institutions is it possible to build a much fairer Brazil, a much more inclusive and prosperous Brazil for all its citizens. And then, look forward to a more promising future for the country.
Bibliography:
Fim de três meses de governo de Lula: Brasil voltou ao Bolsa Família (Publico.pt, March 3, 2023)
As primeiras ações do novo governo de Lula (DW.com, January 2, 2023)
Lula tira Petrobras, Correios e outras 6 estatais da fila de privatização (Veja, January 10, 2023)
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