In a significant shift, Catholic voters in Brazil have dramatically cooled their support for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government throughout 2024. This change could reshape the political landscape and challenge Lula’s ability to govern effectively.
At the start of 2024, 59% of Catholic voters believed Lula’s administration outperformed that of his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. By December, this figure had fallen to just 44%. This 15-point drop represents the lowest level of Catholic support for Lula since he took office.
Evangelical voters maintain a more critical stance towards Lula’s government. Half of the evangelical respondents deemed Lula’s administration “worse” than Bolsonaro’s, showing only a slight improvement from 55% in January 2023.
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The erosion of support among Catholic voters poses a significant challenge for Lula’s administration. The 25-point advantage Lula enjoyed among Catholics at his inauguration has shrunk to just 9 points. This trend suggests growing disillusionment with Lula’s policies among a traditionally supportive demographic.
As Lula navigates the complexities of governing Brazil, these survey results highlight the need for strategies to regain support among religious voters. The coming months will prove crucial in determining whether this trend continues or if Lula can reverse the tide of declining approval.
The PoderData survey, conducted from December 14-16, 2024, interviewed 2,500 people across 192 municipalities in all 27 Brazilian states, providing a reliable snapshot of shifting public opinion.
Catholic Disillusionment: Lula’s Support Plummets in 2024
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