Lula's Brazil election win draws reactions from Tsipras, SYRIZA, von der Leyen and Macron

European leaders congratulate Lula

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was re-elected president of Brazil after defeating far-right candidate Flávio Bolsonaro in the second round, according to reactions published on 26 October. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Lula, whom she called a friend, and said democracy and multilateralism had prevailed in Brazil. In a post on X she wrote that the partnership between Europe and Brazil was going very well and that the EU would stand by Brazil in the years ahead. She listed free and open trade, a rules-based global order and strong climate ambitions as areas for joint work. French President Emmanuel Macron also congratulated Lula, writing from Paris that France and Brazil have a great deal to build together. He urged the two countries to put their friendship in the service of a fairer world.

Tsipras frames the result as a defeat for the far right

Alexis Tsipras, the former prime minister who leads the Greek Left Alliance, marked the result in a Facebook post. He cast the win as a contest between democracy and authoritarianism, hope and fear, and social justice and the politics of hatred.

“The victory of Lula over Bolsonaro is a great victory for democracy over authoritarianism, of hope over fear, of social justice over the politics of hatred and inequalities.”

He argued that the rise of the far right can be halted when the left defends democracy, tackles inequality and turns social protection and the fight against poverty into practice. Tsipras also linked the result to the international order, saying it strengthens those who work for peace, cooperation and respect for international law. He added that peoples should decide their future sovereignly, without the guardianship of the powerful.

SYRIZA and the Serbian election

SYRIZA-PS issued its own statement describing Lula's win as a victory whose importance reaches beyond Brazil and Latin America. It called Bolsonaro a far-right representative of Trumpism and said the result came as far-right forces seek wider influence and neoliberalism holds sway.

“Lula gave a titanic battle against the economic oligarchy, American imperialism and their representatives.”

The statement argued that the outcome showed peoples always have the last word. In the same statement SYRIZA welcomed the win of the Student List in Serbia over the ruling party of Aleksandar Vučić. It tied that list to the student and university movement that formed after the tragedy at the Novi Sad railway station, and said the list focused on transparency, the rule of law and labour rights.

Sakellaridis and the New Left

Gavriil Sakellaridis, leader of the New Left, called Lula's win "tremendous" in a post. He wrote that two worlds had clashed in Brazil, one of work, toil, social justice, democracy and dignity, and the other of corruption, inequality, authoritarianism and hatred of the poor. He said the first had won.

“History is written by the peoples. Not by their henchmen.”

He added that Lula's side had prevailed over the Bolsonaro camp and that Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, would send far-right networks in Brazil, Latin America and the United States a simple message.