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Brazilian Elections – The Pivot Word Is Restoration.

clarazimban
9 juil. 20222 min de lecture

Dernière mise à jour : 21 août 2023

by Clara Zimban

Brazilian society, as it is now, is impossible to reform. Too many basic urgent claims need to be addressed in the first place. "First you do with restoring, and then with reformation” argues Fernanda Esteves, a Brazilian student in Politics and International relations at the University of Bristol.

If in the first decade of this century, Brazil was designated as part of the BRICS, a set of emerging countries presupposed to shape global growth in the coming years - today, the country is experiencing numerous crises in almost all fronts of its economic and social development.



The recent murders of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous advocate Bruno Pereira, both activists for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest, are two illustrations of Brazil’s overlapping challenges. These acts of violence which took place on the highly conflictual stage of Amazonia, are common and recurrent, and successive governments have failed to address their roots causes. Although the world is outraged by these murders, no long-term changes have occurred in the past for similar cases, and we have no reason to believe that this time will be any different.

High levels of violence and impunity, conflicts over land and resources, environmental dangers, and failures in the efficacity of judicial and political institutions, are, the most concerning issues highlighted by these events.

According to Fernanda Esteves, other key issues remain at the centre of the country’s worries. Brazil’s economy is spiralling into recession, wages are trending down while prices of commodities are going up. Yet, the definite failure of politics to inspire faith in people, represents to her the most significant.

As such, Lula, she argues, is an interesting proposal, compared to Bolsonaro. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is a former president. In function from 2003 to 2010, he presided over the golden years of Brazil. Under his presidency, the Brazilian stock market’s value quintupled, Brazil’s middle class expanded to some 30 million people, the gap between poor and rich narrowed and the rate of deforestation in the Amazon jungle fell sharply. Whether these past successes depended of the economic context of the period or on Lula’s leadership, is left to determine. Yet, to many, he is a symbol of Brazil’s past greatness, and an open door to a better future.

“I wouldn’t say he’s a figure of salvation, but he’s a political figure that represents the past, a little bit of the present and some perspectives for a different future” says Fernanda, “it’s more about him opening the door to other progressive politicians, (…), to a new leadership, and a new momentum in Brazil”. Right now, the agenda should be restoration. Restoration of political legitimacy and of the many rights that have been violated. Brazilians need to recover from economic, sanitary and social crises, and they need to find faith in Brazil and their elected representatives. As much as Fernanda hopes to see Brazil change, she has no illusions on the fact that building Brazil back up will take time.


Written and edited by Clara Zimban.


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