From Saint Paul
Since he was released from prison and regained his political rights, Lula has set out to become president of Brazil again. When he ran as a candidate he installed the motto: “Unity and reconstruction.”
When I first spoke to him after his second presidential term ended, I asked him what else he had learned from his experience as president. He replied: “Emir: you cannot govern without the support of the majority.”
This explains the need for unity in Brazil. Even more so, after having experienced the division of the country promoted by Bolsonaro’s hate speech, that Brazil painfully fragmented and with Lula in prison.
Lula, however, won the elections. But by a slim margin, reflecting how deep that divide still ran. The first weeks of his new term saw his emotional inauguration ceremony and the brutal Bolsonarista action the following Sunday in Brasilia.
Those first two Sundays in government would be enough to show the two faces of the same country. Thus, the first mention of the motto –“unity”– gained a dramatic dimension, before not only the division, but also the opposition of two radically antagonistic faces of the same country.
Lula’s awareness of this problem had already led him to formulate the idea of a Broad Front, an alliance of a group of forces from the left, the center and even the right, united by the objective of defeating Bolsonaro and Bolsonaro.
Lula further improved his ability to dialogue with people from different parts of the political spectrum, seeking to isolate Bolsonarismo. The composition of the government reflected this complex alliance, not only of different forces, but also the broad renewal of issues. This led to the creation of a large number of new ministries, revealing the breadth of the government in addressing new issues.
Lula’s speech and the search for the recovery of the Brazilian flag and its colors in his political image reflect this attitude. She speaks to everyone on behalf of Brazil and its interests and needs.
The reconstruction corresponds to the diagnosis of the Bolsonaro government with its destruction of the country and the need to rescue it. This reconstruction must start from the recovery of economic development –the central theme of the government– radically changing the model.
This plan takes up the model that was successful in previous governments: economic development with income distribution promoting social policies as a fundamental priority; expansion of the internal market for mass consumption; generation of millions of formal jobs and frontal fight against social and territorial inequalities.
As we have already learned in this first month of the “Lula3” government, today it is difficult to project the future from the present. It doesn’t mean that every month will be like this. The balance of this January is to strengthen Lula and weaken Bolsonaro.
Lula’s greatest challenges3 are, first of all, consolidating the climate of tranquility in the country during his government. Second, get the economy to grow again and have successful income redistribution policies. If Brazil gets off the hunger map again, if it stops being the most unequal country on the most unequal continent, Lula3 will have been an even more virtuous version of what his previous governments were.