Lula’s Public Opinion Mirrors Bolsonaro’s in First Nine Months
A recent PoderData survey reveals that President Lula’s 35% disapproval rate in Brazil closely mirrors his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro’s 34% disapproval.
However, Lula gains 5% more in positive ratings.
Compared to his earlier terms, Lula’s ratings are lower now. In 2003, he had a 43% positive rate; it was 48% in 2007.
Lula and Bolsonaro hold record disapprovals for new-term presidents. They outperform Collor and Cardoso in this regard.
Dilma Rousseff holds the all-time disapproval record at 69%. She later faced impeachment.
These insights come from various sources like Poder360. Methodologies differ, but the data remains useful.
Background
Brazil has a history of fluctuating public opinions on presidents. Regional issues like corruption and economic performance often play roles.
In contrast, Bolsonaro faced disapproval mainly for his handling of the pandemic.
Interestingly, Lula’s high positive ratings in the past were quite stable. This could reflect a honeymoon period that many leaders experience.
For example, Barack Obama had high initial approval in the United States.
On a global level, leaders like Emmanuel Macron in France also face volatile approval ratings.
Issues such as protests and economic reforms can trigger these fluctuations. Similarly, UK’s Boris Johnson saw shifts in approval based on Brexit negotiations.
Moreover, public opinion in democracies globally is increasingly polarized. Many attribute this to the impact of social media.
Conversations are either strongly for or against leaders, with little middle ground.
Worldwide, there’s a trend of leaders facing significant declines in approval in their second or subsequent terms.
In Canada, Justin Trudeau faced this despite a promising start. This points to the general impatience of the electorate, not just in Brazil but globally.
In summary, Lula and Bolsonaro’s similar disapproval ratings aren’t unique to Brazil.
Leaders globally face the challenge of sustaining public approval amid a climate of rapidly changing opinions.
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This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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