Lula in charge

A stalling economy will challenge his welfarism

At a time when peaceful transitions of power in democracies can be open to doubt, Brazil must celebrate the fact that 77-year-old Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, popularly known as Lula, could be sworn in without disruption for a third presidential term on new year’s Day. His accession after a fiercely fought election, which saw him win in a run-off by a wafer-thin margin, was by no means assured. Incumbent Jair Bolsonaro had contested the result in court and he and his supporters sought to mobilise the military to back him. Remarkably, both institutions declined to entertain these demands, with