Why Brazil's Lula Is Not What Progressive Media Pretends
June 18, 2026 · Frisian News
Lula returned to power as a progressive hero, but his centrist economic policies and pro-business environmental record reveal he represents establishment politics with a different tone.
Lula took office in January 2023 and progressive outlets celebrated him as a counterweight to Bolsonaro's chaotic right-wing politics. The New York Times ran headlines about democracy returning. CNN called his election a turning point. But beneath the coverage lies a simpler truth: Brazil swapped one establishment politician for another. Lula offers a different tone, not a different system.
His economic policy proves this. He appointed orthodox economists to run finance and monetary policy. Brazil's central bank kept interest rates among the world's highest, squeezing wages and small business to protect creditors and large corporations. His government froze public spending and pursued budget cuts while the poor paid the price. This is not the socialism progressives imagine they see in Lula.
Environmental promises tell the same story. During the campaign, Lula pledged to stop Amazon deforestation. The Western press believed him. But agribusiness controls Brazil's parliament, and Lula needs its votes. Deforestation rates dropped from Bolsonaro's worst years, but remain high. Indigenous communities report government inaction on illegal mining and land grabs. Lula speaks green when cameras run. His actual policies protect the ranchers and loggers who fund his coalition.
This is who Lula is. He built his career inside the PT, Brazil's Workers Party, which governed and left office tangled in corruption scandals. Lula himself faced trial for alleged bribery (a court later annulled the charges on procedural grounds, not exonerating him). He represents continuity with that era, not a break from it. His coalition includes centrist and right-wing parties. His cabinet includes agribusiness allies. He is no outsider.
So what did the left actually win? The right to replace a loud populist with a quiet one. Bolsonaro governed through chaos and spectacle. Lula governs through the usual backroom dealing, corporate capture, and media-friendly speeches. Progressive media got the surface change it wanted. Brazil got business as usual.
Published June 18, 2026 · Frisian News