Amid the ongoing political polarization in the country, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is facing two concerns: ensuring economic growth surpasses market predictions and improving communication to overcome the current barriers the government faces in reaching part of the population ahead of the municipal elections in October, according to government sources cited by Reuters.
The president is concerned about the slowdown in economic growth predicted by economists this year — from 3.0% in 2023 to around 1.5% in 2024 — as well as the government’s struggle to overcome the polarization, according to one of the sources.
“What he is very clear about is that he needs to improve the well-being of the population. Only that has the power to reduce polarization,” said the source. To achieve this, the president believes that growth, employment, credit, and more money circulating are necessary.
Lula is in a rush. Since his first term, the president has constantly urged his ministers for more projects, more deliveries, and more ideas. Until mid-2023, the focus was on resuming successful programs from his previous mandates, such as Minha Casa, Minha Vida, Farmácia Popular, Fies, among others that were practically abandoned during Jair Bolsonaro’s term.
This year, with the municipal elections, the government faces its first test in reaching the interior of the country.
Now, Lula wants deliveries, inaugurations, and credit, according to the sources interviewed by Reuters. The legislative agenda this year should especially focus on programs and ways to release credit. Like in his previous mandates, Lula’s bet is on putting resources in the hands of the population to keep the economy moving.
However, one other central concern for Lula in his second term is the government’s difficulty in overcoming communication barriers on social media and, especially, among evangelicals.
During the electoral campaign, Lula experienced a boom in support on social media, where influential people worked in favor of Lula and against Bolsonaro. However, upon assuming the government, he lost space. While the other side has not regained dominance in discourse, the government also lacks significant influence.
Specifically among evangelicals, Lula’s approval, although higher than during the campaign, was at 41% according to the latest Quaest survey from December, while disapproval stood at 54%.
The president analyzes that the difficulty in getting the government’s message across to certain segments of the population hinders the perception that life is improving, according to the sources.
With the upcoming municipal elections in October, Lula promised last year that in 2024 he would start traveling the country instead of dedicating so much time to international trips. And he has been keeping that promise.
Last Friday, he held two events in São Paulo; on Tuesday, he held three in Rio de Janeiro, and on Wednesday, two more. Without even returning to Brasília, the president is heading to Minas Gerais, where he has two more events scheduled.
Ministers confirm that Lula has been demanding deliveries, events, and inaugurations in the states. Last year, he complained that too much was being done in Brasília and wanted to travel more.
In addition, he also asked ministers to participate in events outside their own areas but happening in their electoral bases, in order to attract more people and spread more information about what the government has been doing.
For example, last week, the Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, participated in housing deliveries for the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program in Mato Grosso do Sul. Alexandre Padilha, from Institutional Relations, also went to the interior of São Paulo to make deliveries.
“The president wants volume, wants a strong presence of ministers to showcase what the government has been doing,” said one of the sources.”
