Brazil election: Bolsonaro and Lula head to runoff
Populist Flavio Bolsonaro has secured a thin lead over incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, but the next president of Brazil will be decided in the runoff round, according to the country’s electoral court.
Brazil's presidential election on Sunday saw a tight race between leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his right-wing opponent, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who is seeking to continue his father Jair Bolsonaro's populist movement. With over 99% of the votes processed, Bolsonaro holds a narrow 47.2% of the vote, while Lula trails with 45%.
As no candidate achieved an outright victory, a runoff election between these two frontrunners has been announced. Lula, 80, campaigned on his left-leaning Workers Party platform, focusing on welfare, state development, and income redistribution. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro has pushed for hardline security measures and tax cuts, criticizing Lula as "incompetent."
The younger Bolsonaro, who is running for office for the first time, has been portrayed as more moderate than his father despite their shared policies like relaxed gun control and skepticism towards human-caused climate change. The outcome of this election will significantly impact Brazil's political landscape, potentially paving the way for a right-wing takeover in Congress.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 5 other outlets
- Polls close in Brazil as Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro remain neck and neck bbc.co.uk
- Breaking: Bolsonaro defies expectations in Brazil presidential vote to face Lula in run-off abc.net.au
- Lula, Bolsonaro head to run-off after neither secure majority in Brazil election's 1st round cbc.ca
- Brazil election: Bolsonaro and Lula head to runoff dw.com
- Flávio Bolsonaro takes lead in first round of Brazil election ft.com
