Oct 30, 2026 16:45 pm IST

Opinion | The Global Right Had A Problem. Israel And Brazil Just Made It Bigger

Harsh V Pant Harsh V Pant Columnist

Harsh V Pant Columnist

Brazil's presidential runoff has delivered a consequential verdict on the country's political trajectory. Incumbent President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva of the Workers' Party secured a historic fourth, non-consecutive term, defeating far-right Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Lula won 51.79% of the vote, approximately 64.3 million ballots, against Bolsonaro's 48.21%, or around 59.8 million. With turnout at approximately 80.8%, the result underscores the depth of political mobilisation in Latin America's largest democracy.

The outcome is significant not merely because Lula has prevailed, but because he overturned the first-round verdict, in which he had trailed Bolsonaro 45.16% to 47.03%. The reversal illustrates the capacity of Brazil's electoral system to generate unexpected outcomes in a deeply polarised political environment. It also demonstrates that the recent momentum enjoyed by the political right across parts of Latin America is neither irreversible nor uniform. Yet the larger challenge for Lula will be translating an electoral mandate into effective governance. A conservative-leaning Congress is likely to constrain his legislative ambitions, forcing the president to negotiate with political forces that do not necessarily share his domestic priorities or international outlook.

Lula's fourth term, beginning January 5, 2027, will therefore be defined by a familiar paradox: considerable symbolic authority accompanied by limited room for manoeuvre. His victory provides continuity in Brazil's independent foreign policy, its commitment to BRICS, and its advocacy of a more multipolar international order. But domestic political fragmentation could limit the resources available to sustain these ambitions.

Israel: Electoral Deadlock and the Politics of Coalition-Building

Israel's Knesset election has produced a fragmented political landscape, with neither of the principal Jewish political blocs approaching the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. With most regular ballots counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing and religious coalition was projected to secure around 53-56 seats. The principal anti-Netanyahu opposition grouping, led by former Israel Defense Forces chief Gadi Eisenkot and his Yashar movement and allies, was estimated at 47-49 seats. Arab-led parties, including the Joint........

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