The Return of Lula and the Judicial Threat to Brazil’s Democracy
Wall Street JournalDec 26, 2022
On Sunday, Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva was sworn in as Brazil's president at the Metropolitan Cathedral in the capital of Brasília. The 76-year-old leftist leader assumed the country's highest office for the third time.
After his swearing-in ceremony, Lula vowed to unite the deeply divided South American country, end the alleged "era of darkness" of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, and usher in a new era of social justice, environmental reform, and reconciliation.
Lula's controversial comeback threatens Brazil's democracy and the rule of law. His return to power is concerning because he intends to increase public spending, stop privatization, and reverse anti-corruption reforms. Moreover, Brazil's increasingly politicized Supreme Court — which arranged his release from prison — is overstepping its authority toward Congress. When the left's hype about the country's self-proclaimed champion of the poor fades, Brazilians could be in for a rude awakening.
Lula owes his return to power to millions of Brazilians who elected him to combat poverty and hunger, resurrect the dwindling political system, and reverse Bolsonaro's unpopular policies that plunged the country into a deep democratic crisis. Though it may be difficult for the leftist government to implement its populist social and environmental policies since the extreme right dominates the National Congress, Lula has the will and the mandate to find solutions to the real-life problems that afflict most Brazilians.