Lula Sees Modest Decline in Popularity by 100-Day Mark

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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s base of support remains firmly intact three and a half months into his latest term, though there has been a steady increase in the share of Brazilians who disapprove of his job performance, Morning Consult survey data shows.

51% of Brazilians approve of Lula’s job performance

• The share of Brazilian adults who approve of Lula’s job performance declined just 2 percentage points between Jan. 1 and April 8 — his first 98 days in office — and he remains among the most popular leaders tracked by Morning Consult. Lula reached his 100th day in office on Monday. 
• However, a decline in the share of undecided Brazilian adults coincided with an uptick in disapproval. More than 2 in 5 Brazilians (43%) now disapprove of Lula’s job performance, up 8 points since the week of his inauguration, while the share of undecided constituents declined from 12% to 6% during that period. 
• Lula’s base remains firmly behind him: Support among members of his Workers’ Party increased 3 points between January and April to 86%.

Lula faces domestic and foreign policy challenges

Though his first days in office were dominated by the assault on government facilities in Brasilia and fears about former President Jair Bolsonaro’s ability to rally unrest in the streets, Lula’s job approval rating has remained stable. That said, as the upheaval in January faded into memory, some of those who may have reserved judgment on Lula are apparently becoming dissatisfied. Lula has struggled to cobble together a consistent majority coalition in Congress, making the passage of even simple bills an arduous task at times. 

On the international scene, Lula’s return to office was widely hailed as a triumph for Brazilian democracy, but since his ascendance Brasilia has sometimes struggled to find its niche in global affairs. He’s faced criticism in the West for attempting to maintain Brazil’s traditional foreign policy of nonalignment in a rapidly polarizing geopolitical environment, allowing Iranian warships to dock in Rio de Janeiro, rebuffing calls for military aid to Ukraine and buoying Beijing’s controversial peace plan to end the war.