Lula’s Unfinished Democracy -

 

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"Democracy will face another test in Brazil’s presidential race next year. One of the central questions in Brazilian politics today—a question that has haunted the country since the end of military rule—is whether the nature of the country’s democratic order itself enables the persistence of authoritarian threats. Built through compromise, the post-authoritarian system prioritized stability over transformation, resulting in institutions that are procedurally democratic but structurally conservative. And while Lula earned unprecedented good will from broad swathes of the population during his first stint in office, a period in which inequality fell and the economy grew, the years that followed were characterized by crisis. Electoral competition took place against the backdrop of rising mistrust in institutions and economic hardship, conditions ripe for the kind of anti-system politics that lifted Bolsonaro to power in 2018.

Assembling a broad front against Bolsonarismo was the central thrust of Lula’s 2022 campaign. This helped him win, but it set up a very difficult framework for governing. As a result, his third term has failed to deliver many major policy innovations, aside from a tax reform that had eluded presidents for years and other relatively minor accomplishments. This administration has been defined by a frustration and defensiveness that stand in stark contrast to the policy dynamism of his first two terms. Lula’s main appeal going into next year’s race will be that he has unequivocally stood up for the rule of law, but he has been unable to win major victories for working people."

 more in the essay by ANDRE PAGLIARINI 

Lula’s Unfinished Democracy - Dissent Magazine