World

Why Brazil's Lula Is Not What Progressive Media Pretends

Wêrom Brazilië's Lula net is wat progressive media pretendearje

June 23, 2026 · Frisian News

Lula returned to Brazil's presidency in 2023 with progressive media celebrating his victory over Bolsonarism. Yet his government has delivered pragmatic centrism rather than the leftist agenda his supporters imagined.

English

Lula returned to Brazil's presidency in January 2023 after a narrow victory that progressive outlets hailed as a historic triumph for the left. International media celebrated the defeat of far-right Bolsonarism. Yet eighteen months into his term, the contradiction between campaign promises and government policy has become hard to ignore. Lula runs a pragmatic centrist administration, not the left-wing government his supporters imagined.

Progressive media focused on three commitments: protecting the Amazon, defending workers, and breaking with past corruption. On the Amazon, results have disappointed. Deforestation initially fell but has stalled. His environment minister, Marina Silva, made enforcement choices that favor agribusiness expansion. On labor, real wages have stagnated as his finance minister pursued orthodox monetary policy. Interest rates climbed while workers lost purchasing power. These outcomes contradict the leftist narrative Western outlets constructed around his candidacy.

The finance ministry went to Fernando Haddad. His appointment signaled Lula's actual priorities: fiscal orthodoxy over stimulus, interest-rate tightening over relief for the poor. Inflation did decline from its peak, but the cost fell on workers. His government spent energy negotiating with the centrist congressional bloc rather than confronting structural inequality. This is recognizable as Brazilian pragmatism, not leftism.

Lula's political survival depends on alliances with corporate interests and the judiciary. His 2023 victory required judicial figures who had opposed Bolsonaro to allow his candidacy. His government now rewards these constituencies through infrastructure contracts and regulatory favors. This is how Brazilian politics functions. Mainstream outlets ignored these ties because they wanted a clean story: democracy versus autocracy, progressive versus fascist. The reality is messier.

Western progressives projected their own politics onto Lula because he opposed Trump and Bolsonaro. They wanted a hero embodying their values. Lula is instead a skillful operator managing a fractious country within real fiscal and political constraints. Admitting this requires abandoning the myth. It also explains why he disappoints those who expected radical change. He never promised it. We did.

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Read this story in Frysk

Frysk

Lula kaam yn jannewaris 2023 werom as president fan Brazilië nei in krappe ferkiezingsoerwinning dy't progressive media as in histoaryske oerwinning foar lofts beskôgen. Ynternasjonale media priizgen de nederlaach fan ekstreem-rjochts Bolsonarismo. Dochs is nei oardeljier fan syn termyn it ferskil tusken ferkiezingsbeloften en regearingsbelied net mear te negearjen. Lula liedt in pragmatyske sintrum-regearing, net de loftse regearing dy't syn oanhingers har foarsteld hiene.

Progressive media rjochten har op trije beloften: beskerming fan it Amazongebiet, ferdigening fan arbeiders, en brek mei korrupsje út it ferline. By it Amazongebiet stelden de resultaten telear. Ûntbosking gie earst omleech, mar is stabilisearre. Syn miljeuminister Marina Silva makke beslissingen oer hânhaving dy't agribusiness-útwreiding begunstigje. By arbeiders stagnearre reële leannen wylst syn finansjeminister ortodokse jeldpolityk tapaste. Rintesteanden gienen omheech wylst arbeiders keapkrêft ferlearen. Dizze útkomsten sprekke tsjin it loftse ferhaal dat westerske media om syn kandidatuur hinne opboude hiene.

It ministearje fan Finansjes gie nei Fernando Haddad. Syn beneaming signalearre Lula's werklike prioriteiten: fiskale ortodoksy boppe stimulearing, rinteferhegingen boppe ferlichting foar de earmen. Ynflaasje daalde yndie fan it hichtepunt ôf, mar arbeiders betellen de priis. Syn regearing bestege enerzjy oan ûnderhannelingen mei de sintrumfaksje yn it kongres ynstee fan op te treden tsjin strukturele ûngelikens. Dit kinst erkenne as Braziljaansk pragmatisme, net as loftse polityk.

Lula's politike oerlibjen hinget ôf fan bûnsgenoatskippen mei bedriuwsbelangen en de rjochterlike macht. Syn ferkiezing yn 2023 fereaste rjochtsfigueren dy't Bolsonaro tsjinwurke hiene om syn kandidatuur ta te stean. Syn regearing jout dizze groepen no kontrakten op ynfrastruktuer en regeljouwing nei harren sin. Dit is hoe't Braziljaanske polityk wurket. Grutte media negearden dizze banden omdat se in skjin ferhaal woene: demokrasy tsjin autokrasy, progressyf tsjin fasisme. De werklikheid is yngewikkelder.

Westerske progressivisten projektearren har eigen polityk op Lula omdat er Trump en Bolsonaro tsjinstie. Se woene in held dy't har wearden belichemme. Lula is yn stee dêrfan in feardig politikus dy't in ferdield lân bestjoert binnen echte fiskale en politike beheiningen. Dit erkenne fereist it opjaan fan de myte. It ferklearret ek wêrom er teloarstellet wa't radikale feroaring ferwachte. Hy beloofde it nea. Wy diene dat.

Published June 23, 2026 · Frisian News