2026 ELECTION
Lula wants a televised fight. Flávio Bolsonaro is in no hurry to give him one
Lula avoided debates in the first round. He now wants them. Photo: Ricardo Stuckert/PT
Brazil’s presidential runoff is 12 days away, and the two finalists still haven't debated. Both President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro avoided debates in the first round, which produced a single, underwhelming clash among candidates who together won just 7.3% of the vote.
The first-round result reshuffled the incentives. Flávio finished ahead of Lula by roughly 2.2 million votes, and Lula is now the one seeking confrontation.
For the incumbent, debates are now…
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