Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva eked out a slim victory last Sunday over Jair Bolsonaro in a runoff election for president of Brazil.
The progressive candidate’s success and his return to office is a remarkable comeback, a win for democracy in one of the global South’s largest and most important countries, and a genuine fillip for efforts to protect the environment.
Da Silva, more popularly known as just Lula, will have little time to celebrate. He must govern a deeply divided country, one in which the opposition controls important levers of power. The economy is sluggish, battered by geopolitical winds and a decade of mismanagement. The former president has the skills and the experience to restore faith in and stability to Brazil’s political system. The world needs him to succeed.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.