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Received — 26 October 2026 ⏭ France 24 - Americas

'Lula accustomed to negotiating tough bargains': Campaign promises collide with right-wing Congress

26 October 2026 at 16:54
Erin Ogunkeye is pleased to welcome Christopher Sabatini, Director of Chatham House's Latin America Programme. Sabatini examines how Lula's campaign reinvention, youth mobilisation, and the changing dynamics of Bolsonarismo are reshaping Brazil's political landscape. By embracing social media, mobilising younger voters, and shifting attention from his historical achievements to the economic anxieties of ordinary Brazilians, Lula managed to transform the electoral contest. As Sabatini explains, voters were no longer satisfied with hearing about the past. They wanted an answer to a more immediate question: "What are you going to do for us now?

US Midterms 2026: A history of gerrymandering

26 October 2026 at 14:48
What does a salamander have to do with US elections? Dating back centuries, gerrymandering continues to play a role in American elections today. Used more often by Republicans in the modern era of voting, Democrats have also resorted to the tactic in the past decade. But what is gerrymandering, and why is it called that? FRANCE 24's Tanishk Saha explains.

US midterms: Obama blasts Trump's 'chaos and cruelty' while campaigning for Democrats

26 October 2026 at 14:28
Ten days out from the elections that will determine control of the closely divided Congress, Barack Obama took to the campaign trail to accuse the Republican president of corruption, deride his strategy for Iran and skewer the gilded aesthetic he has applied ‌to White House renovations. FRANCE 24's Fraser Jackson tells us more.

Bolsonaro's refusal to concede underscores ‘serious’ challenges to Brazil's democratic institutions

26 October 2026 at 13:53
Annette Young is pleased to welcome Dr Pedro Perfeito da Silva, Latin American specialist at the University of Exeter. For Dr Perfeito da Silva, Lula's stunning success reflects the convergence of digital organizing, grassroots mobilization, targeted socioeconomic appeals and an effective effort to mobilise opposition to the Bolsonaro political project. As he explains, Lula assembled a coalition that "not only energized his supporters but also attracted voters from groups that had been somewhat skeptical of the government in the first round."

Lula beats Bolsonaro in Brazil runoff: What does it mean for Donald Trump?

26 October 2026 at 11:50
Lula defeated on Sunday (October 25) Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil’s presidential election. But rather than conceding, Bolsonaro called for the result to be annulled. As the US midterms approach, the result raises questions about Trump’s influence and how his political allies respond when voters reject them. FRANCE 24's International Affairs Editor, Douglas Herbert, gives us his analysis.

Brazil's Lula wins historic fourth term

26 October 2026 at 09:44
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, nearly 81 years old, clinched a fourth term in a tight runoff against Flavio Bolsonaro on Sunday (October 26). The leftist leader won 51.7% of the vote, compared to 48.2% for the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, official results showed. Bolsonaro has refused to accept the loss and said he would seek to annul the vote.

Lula's 'extraordinary victory' faces growing middle class, deeply-entrenched bolsonarismo & Big Tech

26 October 2026 at 08:41
Oliver Farry is pleased to welcome Dr Felipe Krause, Political Scientist, former Diplomat and Departmental Lecturer in Latin American Studies at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies.  Beneath Lula's electoral triumph lies a more complex political reality: the Brazilian hard right has consolidated its influence across state governments and legislative institutions, raising fundamental questions about the balance of power and the future of progressive governance. Lula will be focusing more on "working to keep things from eroding" rather than advancing his progressive agenda, explains Dr. Krause. 'There is more need for economic measures that support the growing middle class."

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