From Foreign Policy · Oliver Stuenkel · · 1m 50s
Lula’s Succession Race Starts Now
Brazil’s 81-year-old president must find a successor before his next term ends.
In brief
Brazil’s 81-year-old president must find a successor before his next term ends. Lula da Silva needs to develop viable left-wing successors as he turns 81 and faces economic challenges. Originally reported by Foreign Policy.
Lula turns 81
Brazil’s 81-year-old president must find a successor before his next term ends.
Lula’s 2026 election win
Lula won his fourth presidential term against flávio bolsonaro by less than 2 points.
Flávio Bolsonaro’s escape
Flávio Bolsonaro fled to the United States after losing the presidential race.
Lula’s political longevity
Lula has been president since 2003 and won four elections.
Lula’s strategy for succession
Lula has contained rivals and brought them back into his coalition.
Fernando Haddad’s failures
Haddad lost four elections in a row after serving as Lula’s finance minister.
Rafael Fonteles’ rise
Fonteles, 41, won re-election with 70.9 percent of the vote as Piauí governor.
Lula’s succession challenges
Lula faces economic constraints and a divided left-wing party.
Lula’s 2010 succession error
Lula chose Rousseff as his successor, leading to economic downturn and her impeachment.
Rafael Fonteles as finance minister
Fonteles could become finance minister to gain national visibility.
Camilo Santana’s role
Santana leads the PT in the Senate and was Lula’s campaign coordinator.
João Campos’ potential
Campos, 32, of the Brazilian Socialist Party, could become Lula’s successor.
Lula’s succession strategy
Lula must let successors grow without immediate political cost.
PT’s voter rejection
27 percent of Brazilians prefer the PT as their party, 37 percent will never vote for it.
Lula’s next steps
Lula must build a successor bench to avoid becoming a lame duck.
The left’s future
The Brazilian left risks becoming underdogs without Lula’s leadership.
What it means
Lula da Silva needs to develop viable left-wing successors as he turns 81 and faces economic challenges.
