In his first speech, Lula says that fighting poverty is his mission

In his first speech after his victory in Brazil's presidential election, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stressed the need for national unification and highlighted the fight against hunger as his main commitment. "Brazil is my cause and fighting misery is the cause I will live for until the end of my life," he declared. He spoke in São Paulo at a hotel in Jardins alongside supporters such as former president Dilma Rousseff, the defeated candidate for the São Paulo state government Fernando Haddad, his vice-president Geraldo Alckmin and Simone Tebet (MDB), who came third in the first round of elections.

Lula was elected with 50.9% of the votes. His opponent, current president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), won 49.1% of the voter's preference. He thanked the votes received, congratulated everyone who exercised their right to vote, including those given to Bolsonaro, as a citizen practice and a civilizing duty. 

"Starting January 1, 2023, I will govern for 215 million Brazilians and not only for those who voted for me. There are not two Brasis. We are a single country, a single people and a great nation," he declared. 

Lula said he is willing to pacify the country. "I have faith in God that with the help of the people we will find a way for this country to live again democratically, harmonically, and that we can reestablish peace among families, among the divergent, so that we can build the world we need, and Brazil," he declared.

Democracy and Economy

Lula argued that today's choice at the polls was a choice for democracy. "This is how I understand democracy, not just a beautiful word written in law, but as something tangible, that we feel in our skin and that we can build day by day. It was this democracy, in the broadest sense of the term, that the Brazilian people chose today at the ballot box," he said.

"It is with this democracy that we will seek each day of our government, with economic growth shared with the entire population, because this is how the economy should work, as an instrument to improve the lives of all, and not to perpetuate inequalities," he added.

The president-elect also committed to the resumption of the economy, with job generation, wage increases, and renegotiation of family debts. "The economic wheel will start turning again, with the poor becoming part of the budget again," he said. He also cited special attention to policies to encourage family agriculture and micro and small entrepreneurs.

Commitments

The president-elect said he is committed to policies to combat violence against women and equal pay for the same job, in addition to fighting racism and all forms of prejudice. He defended the resumption of national conferences to discuss and define federal public policies and the strengthening of the Council for Economic and Social Development. "The major political decisions that impact the lives of Brazilians will not be made in secrecy, but in dialogue with society." Lula said he will resume the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program with a focus on low-income families.

In international politics, he said he will resume dialogue with developed countries, like the United States and the European Union countries, in a position of equality, but that he will also support developing countries. Lula defended the zero deforestation of the Amazon with the resumption of monitoring and surveillance.