‘Historic Victory’: World Leaders Celebrate Lula’s Re-Election

Brazil's left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won re-election, securing an unprecedented fourth term. Punch reports he won with 51.8 per cent of the vote, while Dawn states he received 51.7 per cent in the Sunday runoff, defeating right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro, who received 48.2 per cent. The Olive Press notes that Lula was the first person to come from behind on the first ballot to defeat Bolsonaro, who had been considered the favorite.

World leaders have congratulated the president on his victory. Euronews reports that European leaders greeted the news, with Ursula von der Leyen stating that democracy and multilateralism have won in Brazil.

Lula, who is nearly 81 years old, faces several challenges during his next mandate. France 24 and Dawn both note he must contend with a divided Brazil, an unfriendly Congress, and feeble public finances. Dawn further describes a "Donald Trump-shaped menace" as a challenge he will have to wrestle with. According to Dawn, legislative elections earlier this month bolstered the right, leaving the Liberal Party as a leading force in Congress.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, The Olive Press, France 24, Dawn, Euronews — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.