Six months before the Brazilian presidential election, and while he is not yet an official candidate, the left-wing ex-president Lula has already chosen his teammate, the former governor of Sao Paulo with a center-left tradition. A choice of reason rather than heart.
The alliance between the icon of the left in Latin America and the centrist leader was an open secret. Last night, the two former political rivals officially announced their intention to form a “presidential ticket”.
Geraldo Alckmin, an anesthesiologist, governed the region around the economic capital for sixteen years. Long a member of the centre-right PSDB party before recently moving to the more left-wing PSB, Geraldo Alckmin has a reputation as a solid manager. It should allow Lula to widen his electoral base to the conservatives and to reassure business circles which are traditionally wary of the Workers’ Party.
The former president who beat Geraldo Alckmin in 2006 in the second round of the presidential election is full of praise for his new ally. ” We need his experience and mine to get Brazil back on its feet “said the former trade unionist after the announcement of the electoral agreement.
Lula is still the big favorite in the October 2022 ballot against outgoing far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, but the gap between the two contenders has been closing for a few weeks.
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