Lula Is Losing His Touch With Brazil's Working Class
The Brazilian president is becoming more unpopular, a sign of dissatisfaction with his passé governing style and a serious warning ahead of next year’s election.
You mean I’m the problem?
Photographer: Andressa Anholete/Getty Images South AmericaThe polls are clear: This is the worst moment for Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in his three terms as Brazil’s president.
Just 24% approved of Lula’s job in February compared with 35% in December, his lowest rating in office, according to Datafolha. Worse for Lula, the survey signals he’s losing support with the working class and voters in Brazil’s northeast, two of his main constituencies, and he can’t connect with an emerging entrepreneurial class that’s growing in influence. A separate poll by AtlasIntel published last week also shows a steady deterioration in support for the former union leader, with more than 50% now saying his government is bad or terrible.