Trump cheers Bolsonaro Jr’s advance on Lula in Brazil, but EU fears for Mercosur alliance
by https://euobserver.com/author/tomas-corej/ · EUobserverBrazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff election on 25 October. (Source: EPA/ANDRE BORGES)
Unlock article and share
By Tomáš Čorej,
Bratislava
,
Flávio Bolsonaro surprisingly topped the polls in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday (4 October), making him the favourite to topple President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the run-off in three weeks.
The result is the latest in a series of strong performances by far-right candidates in Latin America. US president Donald Trump has been particularly invested in Brazil.
Despite lagging behind in most pre-election polls, senator Flávio Bolsonaro (45), the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, won around 47 percent of the vote, with votes from more than 99.9 percent of districts counted. Bolsonaro was strongest in the country’s southern states.
President Lula took 45 percent, after performing strongest in Brazil’s north-east, and advanced to the second round, to be held on 25 October.
Latin American experts believe that Bolsonaro will likely win the second round as most of the candidates who failed to reach the runoff are ideologically closer to him than Lula.
Although voting is compulsory in Brazil, one in five of eligible voters did not take part in the first round.
This year’s election has been widely described as one of the most significant in modern Brazilian history, its outcome exceptionally important for the United States and Europe. It is also key for the rest of the planet, given the global impact of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
Conservative forces aligned with Bolsonaro also made gains in the elections to Congress. Jair Bolsonaro’s wife Michelle won a senate seat. She had previously fallen out with Flávio but the two have since publicly reconciled. And the former president’s son Carlos Bolsonaro also won a seat, while another son, Jair Renan, was elected to the lower house of congress.
Trump's stake in Brazil
Though the campaign focused primarily on domestic issues, particularly the economy, security and corruption, Trump's influence loomed large.
Trump criticised Brazil’s judiciary when Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years following an unsuccessful attempted coup after he narrowly lost the 2022 election to Lula. The former Brazilian president is under house arrest due to health problems, and a court ruled he could not stand.
The US president described the trial of Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt”. Although Trump did not openly endorse Flávio Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro played up his ideological proximity to him.
In contrast, Lula sharply criticised Trump and built a reputation as a leader unafraid to stand up to Trump. Americas Quarterly editor Brian Winter said some in Brazil joke that Lula’s most effective surrogate is Trump.
Lula is known for his multipolar foreign policy. He seeks “pragmatic relations" with the US, China, Russia and others. Lula maintains friendly relations with Vladimir Putin, although he recently spoke out against the invasion of Ukraine.
If Bolsonaro were to win the second round, Brazil would probably join a coalition of countries conducting military operations against drug cartels alongside the Pentagon. It is a controversial initiative, and like other left leaders in the region, Lula has rejected it.
To read this story, log in or subscribe
Enjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a subscriber for as low as €1,75 per week.
Read without limits
Already a subscriber? Login
Unlock article and share
Latest from Brazil
Brazil’s cliff‑hanger election could rob EU of key ally in Latin America
EU-made facial recognition ended up scanning schoolchildren in Brazil
Latest from Elections
Latvian PM holds onto power as Russia-Ukraine war shapes election
French far-right leader Bardella denies writing antisemitic messages
Latest from EU and the World
[Interview] ‘Putin understands only strength’: EU envoy in Kyiv urges stronger air defences and hybrid-war response
From the Netherlands to Sierra Leone: EU aid, a president’s daughter and Europe’s most‑wanted cocaine boss
Brazilian senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff election on 25 October. (Source: EPA/ANDRE BORGES)
Topics
Author Bio
Tomáš Čorej is a reporter at the Slovak daily newspaper Denník N from 2019. At first, he was a member of the sports editorial staff, since 2022, he focuses primarily on foreign policy, mainly covering events in the United States and Ukraine. He is currently studying comparative politics in London.
+ Follow author by email