GOVERNMENT
A bucket list shaped by the ballot
Lula has an ambitious agenda for this year — but will need to build bridges with an uncooperative Congress. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/PR
Brazil is entering the final year of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s third term with the familiar choreography of an election cycle.
As October approaches, the government’s focus is clear: to deliver visible economic gains, protect income and employment, and assemble a legislative showcase that can be sold to voters as proof that Lula deserves re-election.
👉 Why it matters. Congressional activity will slow significantly after midyear, as of when every bill will be read through the prism of the election campaign. As such, the government is concentrating on checking off a bucket list of measures that combine economic stimuli, social appeal and administrative housekeeping, while accepting that more controversial or fiscally restrictive reforms are likely to be postponed.
Last year, lawmakers approved an expansion of income tax exemptions to workers earning up to BRL 5,000 (USD 929) a month and a broader tariff discount on electricity bills, both flagship promises from Lula’s 2022 campaign. Other initiatives, however, remain stuck in the mud.
At the top of the list are proposals believed to have immediate resonance among voters — even if they have little chance of passing in Congress. These pending items include…
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