The president-elect, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, defended democracy today (12) and reaffirmed his commitment to make Brazil a “more developed and fairer” country. 
Lula spoke after being certified by the president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Minister Alexandre de Moraes, as an elected candidate. The elected vice-president, Geraldo Alckmin, also received the document.
After receiving the diploma, Lula made an emotional speech in defense of democracy and the electoral system. According to the president-elect, during the elections, the nation was “poisoned with lies” produced on social networks, sowing “lies and hatred”.
Watch the ceremony in full:
‘I want to say that much more than the graduation ceremony of an elected president, this is the celebration of democracy. Rarely in the recent history of this country has democracy been so threatened. Few times in our history has the popular will been so put to the test, and had to overcome so many obstacles in order to finally be heard,” he said.
The president-elect also guaranteed the commitment to make a “more developed and fair” country during the four years of his mandate”.
“I reaffirm today that I will make every effort to, together with my deputy Geraldo Alckmin, fulfill the commitment I assumed not only during the campaign, but throughout my entire life – to make Brazil a more developed and fairer country, with the guarantee of dignity and quality of life for all Brazilians, especially those most in need,” he said.
Upon receiving the diploma of being elected for the third time, Lula recalled the questions he received throughout his public life for not having a university degree.
“I want to thank the Brazilian people for the honor of chairing Brazil for the third time,” he concluded.
The president-elect, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, speaks during the graduation ceremony at the TSE – Fabio Rodrigues-Pozzebom/Agência Brasil
Graduation
The diplomation is a ceremony organized by the Electoral Justice to formalize the choice of those elected in the elections and marks the end of the electoral process. With the electoral diploma in hand, those elected can take office on January 1, 2023.
The TSE is responsible for qualifying candidates for the Presidency of the Republic. Deputies, senators and governors are certified by the Regional Electoral Courts (TREs) by December 19th.
President of the TSE, Minister Alexandre de Moraes, during the graduation ceremony of the vice president-elect, Geraldo Alckmin, at the headquarters of the TSE – Fabio Rodrigues-Pozzebom/Agência Brasil
Read the full speech:
First of all, I want to thank the Brazilian people for the honor of chairing Brazil for the third time.
In my first diploma, in 2002, I remembered the boldness of the Brazilian people in granting – to someone so often questioned for not having a university degree – the diploma of President of the Republic.
I reaffirm today that I will make every effort to, together with my deputy Geraldo Alckmin, fulfill the commitment I assumed not only during the campaign, but throughout my entire life: to make Brazil a more developed and fairer country, with the guarantee of dignity and quality of life for all Brazilians, especially those most in need.
I want to say that much more than the graduation ceremony of an elected president, this is the celebration of democracy.
Rarely in the recent history of this country has democracy been so threatened.
Few times in our history has the popular will been so put to the test, and had to overcome so many obstacles in order to finally be heard.
Democracy is not born by spontaneous generation. It needs to be sown, cultivated, cared for with great affection by each one, every day, so that the harvest is generous for all.
But in addition to being sown, cultivated and cared for with great affection, democracy needs to be defended every day from those who try, at any cost, to subject it to their financial interests and power ambitions.
Fortunately, there was no lack of those who defended her at this very serious moment in our history.
In addition to the wisdom of the Brazilian people, who chose love over hate, truth over lies and democracy over discretion, I want to highlight the courage of the Federal Supreme Court and the Superior Electoral Court, which faced all sorts of offenses , threats and aggressions to assert the sovereignty of the popular vote.
I congratulate each minister and each minister of the STF and TSE for their firmness in defending democracy and the fairness of the electoral process in these very difficult times.
History will recognize its coherence and fidelity to the Constitution.
This was not an election between candidates from political parties with different programs. It was the dispute between two visions of the world and of government.
On the one hand, the country’s reconstruction project, with broad popular participation. On the other hand, a project of destruction of the country anchored in economic power and in an industry of lies and slander never seen throughout our history.
There were many attempts to stifle the voice of the people.
Enemies of democracy cast doubt on electronic voting machines, whose reliability is recognized around the world.
They threatened the institutions. They created last-minute obstacles to prevent voters from reaching their polling places. They tried to buy the voters’ votes, with false promises and plenty of money, diverted from the public budget.
They intimidated the most vulnerable with threats of suspension of benefits, and workers with the risk of summary dismissal if they went against the interests of their employers.
When a democratic political debate was expected, the Nation was poisoned with lies produced in the underworld of social networks.
They sowed lies and hatred, and the country reaped a political violence that has only been seen in the saddest pages of our history.
And yet, democracy won.
The result of these elections was not just the victory of a candidate or a party. I had the privilege of being supported by a front of 12 parties in the first round, to which two more were added in the second round.
A true broad front against authoritarianism, which today, in the transition of government, expands to other parties, and strengthens the protagonism of workers, businessmen, artists, intellectuals, scientists and leaders of the most diverse and combative popular movements in this country.
I am aware that this front was formed around a firm commitment: the defense of democracy, which is the origin of my struggle and the destiny of Brazil.
In these weeks in which the Transition Cabinet has been scrutinizing the country’s current reality, we have become aware of the deliberate process of dismantling public policies and development instruments, carried out by a government of national destruction.
Added to this perverse legacy, which falls mainly on the most needy population, is the systematic attack on democratic institutions.
But the threats to democracy that we face and will still face are not unique to our country.
Democracy faces an immense challenge around the planet, perhaps greater than during the Second World War period.
In Latin America, Europe and the United States, the enemies of democracy organize and move. They use and abuse mechanisms of manipulation and lies, made available by digital platforms that act greedily and absolutely irresponsibly.
The machine that attacks democracy has no homeland or borders.
The fight, therefore, needs to take place in the trenches of global governance, through advanced technologies and tougher and more efficient international legislation.
Let it be very clear: we will never renounce the intransigent defense of freedom of expression, but we will defend until the end free access to quality information, without lies and manipulations that lead to hatred and political violence.
Our mission is to strengthen democracy – among ourselves, in Brazil, and in our multilateral relationships.
Brazil’s importance in this global scenario is undeniable, and it was for this reason that the eyes of the world turned to our electoral process.
We need strong and representative institutions. We need harmony between the Powers, with an efficient system of checks and balances that inhibits authoritarian adventures.
We need courage.
It is necessary to draw a lesson from this recent period in our country and from the abuses committed in the electoral process. So that we never forget. So that it never happens again.
Democracy, by definition, is the government of the people, through the election of their representatives. But we need to go beyond dictionaries. The people want more than simply electing their representatives, the people want active participation in government decisions.
It is necessary to understand that democracy is much more than the right to freely demonstrate against hunger, unemployment, lack of health, education, security, housing. Democracy is having quality food, employment, health, education, security, housing.
The greater the popular participation, the greater the understanding of the need to defend democracy from those who use it as a shortcut to reach power and establish authoritarianism.
Democracy only makes sense, and will be defended by the people, to the extent that it actually promotes equal rights and opportunities for everyone, regardless of social class, color, religious belief or sexual orientation.
It is with the commitment to build a true democratic State, guarantee institutional normality and fight against all forms of injustice, that I receive for the third time this diploma as president-elect of Brazil – in the name of the freedom, dignity and happiness of the Brazilian people .
Thank you very much.
Article updated at 4:28 pm to include the full speech of the president-elect
