In short
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took 51.79% of the vote in Brazil’s presidential run-off, against 48.21% for Flávio Bolsonaro, the Superior Electoral Court announced.
- Flávio Bolsonaro has refused to recognise the result and said he would seek the annulment of the election, calling the two-hour extension of polling “inexplicable”.
- Lula’s fourth term begins on 5 January 2027; he governed from January 2003 to December 2010 and again from January 2023.
- Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party made the largest gains in the election, and Lula will govern with the most right-wing Congress of Brazil’s democratic era.
- Brazil has 213 million inhabitants and holds the world’s second-largest reserves of rare earth minerals.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won Brazil’s presidential run-off with 51.79% of the vote, against 48.21% for Flávio Bolsonaro, the Superior Electoral Court announced after all ballots were counted. The result gives the left-wing leader a fourth presidential term, due to begin on 5 January 2027.
How did Lula overturn the first round?
Bolsonaro won the first round on 4 October, and few expected Lula to reverse the result in the three weeks before the run-off. Lula’s campaign revived through street demonstrations and a large social media push, and the two candidates later traded personal attacks in a televised debate. Lula has been the dominant figure on Brazil’s left since he first ran for president in 1989.
Why is Flávio Bolsonaro contesting the result?
Flávio Bolsonaro has refused to recognise the result and told supporters in Brasília he would seek the annulment of the election. He called the two-hour extension of polling “inexplicable”, although both his campaign team and Lula’s had asked for polling stations to stay open longer. Lula and his supporters have celebrated what they describe as a “historic victory”.
What obstacles will Lula face in government?
Lula will govern alongside the most right-wing Congress in Brazil’s democratic era, with Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party the biggest gainer in the election. More than 48% of voters backed Bolsonaro, a polarisation also visible in places such as Osasco, where working-class voters have shifted from Lula to Bolsonaro. Lula promised “a new way of governing” to bridge Brazil’s opposing political poles but gave little detail on what it would involve.
How will Washington react to Lula’s win?
Lula also faces animosity from US President Donald Trump. Brazil, with 213 million inhabitants, is the only large South American country not led by a right-wing government, and Lula is largely seen as China-friendly. Brazil is oil-rich and holds the world’s second-largest reserves of rare earth minerals. Lula warned the US not to interfere in the election and said Brazil would “never fit into anyone’s backyard”.
What does the result mean for the Amazon?
Environmentalists who feared a Flávio Bolsonaro victory would give more power to Brazil’s agribusiness and mining sectors welcomed Lula’s win. They had cited record deforestation and forest fires in the Amazon during the presidency of Bolsonaro’s father, Jair Bolsonaro.
When does Lula’s new term begin?
Lula’s fourth term starts on 5 January 2027. He served two terms from January 2003 to December 2010 and returned to office in January 2023, and will be 85 by the end of his fourth term.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Brazil’s presidential run-off?
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won with 51.79% of the vote, against 48.21% for Flávio Bolsonaro, according to the Superior Electoral Court.
Has Flávio Bolsonaro conceded defeat?
No. He has refused to recognise the result and said he would seek its annulment, citing the two-hour extension of polling as “inexplicable”.
When does Lula’s new term begin?
Lula’s fourth term begins on 5 January 2027. He previously governed from January 2003 to December 2010 and from January 2023.
What Congress will Lula face?
Lula will govern with the most right-wing Congress in Brazil’s democratic era. Flávio Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party made the largest gains in the election.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
