October 2022
The first round of voting in the Brazilian Presidential Election, which took place on 2nd October 2022, proved inconclusive as neither of the main candidates achieved the necessary 50% of the vote to take an outright victory. Current President Jair Bolsonaro polled 43.2% of the vote, while challenger and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – affectionately known as just Lula to his supporters – polled 48.4%, with the remaining votes being spread across a number of minor candidates. The second and final round of voting will take place on 30th October 2022 when the new president will be chosen. Recent opinion polls show that Lula will sweep up the majority of the remaining vote and currently give him an 8% lead. However, polling remains close and there are still a number of undecided voters.
The eventual result is not expected to have any material effect on the My House, My Life programme as both candidates are strongly in favour of its continuation. Bolsonaro has recently expanded and modified the programme, rebranding it in the process, while Lula was the original architect of the My House My Life programme which began under his presidency in 2009. Update Following the run off on the 30th October 2022, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been proclaimed the winner in a very tight vote by 50.9% to 49.1%. President Bolsonaro has accepted the result and Lula will be installed for his third term as President. Given that the My House My Life programme was his original idea and that he was renowned for his fight against poverty in Brazil during his first two terms in office, this result is seen as a positive for the programme and we anticipate continued government support through his presidency.