Lula wins Brazil's runoff with 51.76 percent, Flávio Bolsonaro does not recognize the result
The margin is more than 4 million votes, and Lula wins a fourth term as president.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the Brazilian presidential runoff on October 25 with 51.76 percent of valid votes, against 48.24 percent for Flávio Bolsonaro, according to Anadolu. The margin is more than 4 million votes, and the Superior Electoral Court published the result with nearly all polling stations counted.
It is Lula's fourth term as president, which CNN and other media described as historic. The result is especially interesting because Bolsonaro led in the first round on October 4: 47.03 percent against 45.16 percent for Lula. Polls before the runoff showed the two almost level, with a slight edge for Bolsonaro, so the outcome is a reversal of those estimates.
Flávio Bolsonaro, according to CNN and France 24, does not recognize the result. What legal or political step he will take is not published in the sources I checked, so I cannot claim more. Lula thanked voters, and I did not check details of his address.
Why does it matter outside Brazil? Brazil is Latin America's largest economy. According to the headline of CNN's analysis, the outcome halts a right-wing wave that aligned countries in the region with Donald Trump. That is the outlet's assessment and does not mean the outcome will automatically change Brazil's relations with the US or the region.
What effect could it have on North Macedonia? Direct effects are not clear. We cite no data on trade with Brazil, so we assume no effect. The only possible influence is through world markets, if the government's policy changes them.
What is not known? The exact number of votes is not known, nor turnout, since the reports do not give them. It is not known whether Bolsonaro will file a lawsuit or appeal, or how his supporters will react. It is also unclear when Lula starts the new term and which priorities he announces.
What does it mean? The narrow win confirms Brazil's polarization. How the dispute over the result is resolved will show how stable democratic acceptance of the outcome is.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 26, 2026
