Lula wins Brazil election but faces uphill battle to govern

“Even if you're not a Lula supporter, what was at stake was democracy versus the far right.” In Rio de Janeiro's beachfront Botafogo neighbourhood, Katia celebrated Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's re-election on Sunday, as supporters took to the streets. “I couldn't just sit on the sidelines,” she told FRANCE 24. At nearly 81, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defied expectations by defeating far-right challenger Flavio Bolsonaro with 51.7 percent of the vote against 48.2 percent. Read moreBrazil's Lula beats odds and seals re-election, rival Bolsonaro demands annulment After trailing in the first round, Lula's campaign stepped up its efforts to reach young and undecided voters. “The sense of urgency created by coming second in the first round triggered this fairly massive mobilisation in the second round, particularly on social media,” said Bruno Ronchi, a doctoral researcher in political science at the University of Rennes who specialises in far-right movements, particularly in Brazil. The result does not, however, signal the end of Bolsonarism, the political movement built around former president Jair Bolsonaro and his ideas. “Bolsonarism remains a major political force among conservative v...