Lula congratulates Friedrich Merz on his party’s victory in Germany

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday (Feb. 24) congratulated Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and its leader, Friedrich Merz, who won the national elections on Sunday (23). Merz is now on course to become the country’s next chancellor.

“His election comes at a time of great geopolitical and geoeconomic sensitivity worldwide—but also at a time of great hope and opportunities for joint gains,” the president said in a statement.

The Brazilian leader also highlighted the strong history of joint action between Brazil and Germany on various issues on the global agenda. In his view, the implementation of the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union and the holding of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil will also be “ways of facilitating this process.”

“Germany is both a friend and a key partner of Brazil in the defense of democracy and multilateralism, in the promotion of sustainable development as well as the protection of human rights,” the note reads.

“Our countries have a strong history of working together for reforms in global governance. I am convinced that we will continue to work together to expand convergences and complement each other in favor of an increasingly competitive international integration for both of us,” he added.

The vote took place amid the advance of the far right and a two-year recession in the European nation.