General elections were held in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
on 3 October 2010 to elect the president, National Congress and state governors. As no presidential candidate received more than 50% in the first round of voting, a second round was held on 31 October to choose a successor to
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (; born Luiz Inácio da Silva; 27 October 1945), known mononymously as Lula, is a Brazilian politician, trade unionist, and former metalworker who is the president-elect of Brazil. A member of the Workers' Party, ...
of the
Workers' Party (PT), who was constitutionally ineligible to run for a third term as he has already served two terms after winning the
elections in 2002 and being
re-elected in 2006.
[Barrionuevo, Alexei]
"The Health of a Likely Presidential Candidate Comes Under Brazil's Microscope"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', May 23, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
With the support of Lula, the ruling PT nominated
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff (; born 14 December 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil, holding the position from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the first w ...
, a former member and co-founder of the
Democratic Labour Party, who joined Lula's administration as
Ministry of Mines and Energy and later served as presidential
Chief of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
. For her vice presidential
running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint Ticket (election), ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate ...
, Dilma chose
Michel Temer
Michel Miguel Elias Temer Lulia (; born 23 September 1940) is a Brazilian politician, lawyer and writer who served as the 37th president of Brazil from 31 August 2016 to 31 December 2018. He took office after the impeachment and removal from off ...
, a member of the centre-right
Brazilian Democratic Movement
The Brazilian Democratic Movement ( pt, Movimento Democrático Brasileiro, MDB) is a Brazilian political party. It is considered a " big tent party" and it is one of the parties with the greatest representation throughout the national territory, ...
, who served as
President of the Chamber of Deputies President of the Chamber of Deputies may refer to:
* List of presidents of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
* List of presidents of the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia
* President of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil)
* President of the Chamber of Dep ...
and previously considered a presidential run in his own right.
The centre-right
Brazilian Social Democracy Party
The Brazilian Social Democracy Party ( pt, Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira, PSDB), also known as the Brazilian Social Democratic Party or the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy,. is a political party in Brazil
Brazil has a multi-pa ...
(PSDB) nominated
José Serra
José Serra Chirico (; born 19 March 1942) is a Brazilian politician who has served as a Congressman, Senator, Minister of Planning, Minister of Health, Mayor of São Paulo, Governor of São Paulo state, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bra ...
, who resigned as
Governor of São Paulo
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
to mount his presidential campaign. A former
Mayor of São Paulo
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
who had served as
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
during the
Cardoso Administration, Serra had previously been the presidential nominee of his party in
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
. For his vice presidential running mate, Serra chose
Indio da Costa, a conservative
Federal Deputy
The Chamber of Deputies ( pt, Câmara dos Deputados) is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil. The chamber comprises 513 deputies, who are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year ...
from
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
who was a member of the right-wing
Democrats party. Da Costa, who became embroiled in controversy over his suggestion that the Workers' Party was linked to the international drug trade, received international comparisons to American politician
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...
.
Marina Silva
Maria Osmarina da Silva Vaz de Lima (born 8 February 1958) is a Brazilian politician and environmentalist. She is the founder and former spokeswoman for the Sustainability Network Party (REDE). During her political career, Silva served as a sen ...
, a
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
from the northwestern state of
Acre
The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imp ...
and former
Minister of the Environment
An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of the environment) is a cabinet position charged with protecting the natural environment and promoting wildlife conservation. The areas associated with the duties of an ...
under Lula, left the PT to mount a candidacy as part of the
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
. Silva criticized the environmental policies of the Lula Administration and ran a campaign in support of
sustainable development
Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The des ...
, ending corruption, and decriminalizing marijuana.
Silva, who would've been the first
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
woman to serve as President, saw support from younger voters and managed to win almost 20% of the vote in the first round, well exceeding initial expectations.
In the first round, Dilma received 47% of the vote, Serra 33% and Silva 19%. Dilma went on to defeat Serra in the second round, becoming the first (and to date only) female President of Brazil. The elections were the first since
1989 (after the
military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a dictatorship in which the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority, and the dictator is often a high-ranked military officer.
The reverse situation is to have civilian control of the m ...
) that Lula did not run for the presidency.
[Colitt, Raymond]
"Positions of Brazil's leading candidates"
Reuters. January 11, 2010.
In the parliamentary elections, a "red wave" saw the PT become the largest party in the Chamber for the first time ever with 88 deputies, and elected
Marco Maia as President of the lower house. Collectively, its coalition, ''
For Brazil to keep on changing
With the Strength of the People ( pt, Coligação Com a Força do Povo), until 2014 named For Brazil to Keep on Changing ( pt, Para o Brasil Seguir Mudando, standard/colloquial ~ ), was a left-wing electoral coalition formed around the democratic ...
'', elected 311 deputies.
["Saiba a nova composição da Câmara"]
G1. October 4, 2010. Four parties in the coalition lost seats; the
Brazilian Democratic Movement Party
The Brazilian Democratic Movement ( pt, Movimento Democrático Brasileiro, MDB) is a Brazilian political party. It is considered a " big tent party" and it is one of the parties with the greatest representation throughout the national territory, ...
(PMDB),
Brazilian Republican Party
Republicans (), formerly known as Brazilian Republican Party ( pt, Partido Republicano Brasileiro) and formed as Renovator Municipalist Party ( pt, Partido Municipalista Renovador) is a Brazilian political party. Its electoral number is 10 and ...
(PRB),
Democratic Labour Party (PDT), and the
Christian Labour Party (PTC). However, only the PTC failed to gain seats in either house. The
Republic Party
The Liberal Party ( pt, Partido Liberal, PL) is a conservative and national liberal political party in Brazil. From its foundation in 2006 until 2019, it was called the Party of the Republic ( pt, Partido da República, PR).
The party was found ...
(RP) had the biggest gain, electing 16 deputies more than in 2006.
In the Senate, the centre-left coalition was able to elect 39 seats, against 10 won by the opposition.
["Partidos aliados de Dilma elegem mais senadores que a oposição"]
. R7. October 4, 2010. PT reached an all-time high in the upper house, electing 12 senators and becoming the second largest party in the Senate, behind only the PMDB.
The other parties in the coalition did not have any significant gains, with the exception being the
Communist Party of Brazil
The Communist Party of Brazil ( pt-BR, Partido Comunista do Brasil, PCdoB) is a political party in Brazil. The PCdoB officially adheres to Marxist–Leninist theory. It has national reach and deep penetration in the trade union and student m ...
(PCdoB), which was able to elect the first female Communist Senator in Brazilian history (
Vanessa Grazziotin
Vanessa Grazziotin Bezerra (born June 29, 1961) is a Brazilian politician from the Communist Party of Brazil (PC do B). Although born in Videira, Santa Catarina, Grazziotin based her political career in the state of Amazonas. Twice elected to ...
, from
Amazonas).
The anti-
Lula bloc suffered substantial losses in both houses. The
Democrats (DEM), which had been the second largest party in the Senate during the previous 2007-2011 legislature, was the fourth largest, and managed to elect only 2 seats, reducing their total to 6 seats, tied with the
Brazilian Labour Party (PTB) from the same coalition.
It also had the largest loss in the Chamber, losing 22 seats, and was closely followed by its ally, the
Brazilian Social Democratic Party
The Brazilian Social Democracy Party ( pt, Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira, PSDB), also known as the Brazilian Social Democratic Party or the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy,. is a political party in Brazil. As the third largest par ...
(PSDB), which lost 13 seats.
Overall, the ''
Brazil can do more'' coalition lost control of 44 seats in the Chamber
and 11 in the Senate.
Influential members of the opposition during the Lula administration, such as Arthur Virgílio, Heráclito Fortes,
Marco Maciel
Marco Antônio de Oliveira Maciel (21 July 1940 – 12 June 2021) was a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and law school professor who served as the 22nd vice president of Brazil from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2002, twice elected on the same ti ...
, and
Tasso Jereissati
Tasso Ribeiro Jereissati (born 15 December 1948) is federal senator of Brazil. He is a former governor of Ceará
Ceará (, pronounced locally as or ) is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the ...
, were not able to obtain re-election and will no longer serve in the National Congress.
Other opposition members were more successful than the centre-right ''Brazil can do more'' coalition. The
Socialism and Liberty Party
The Socialism and Liberty Party ( pt-BR, Partido Socialismo e Liberdade , PSOL ) is a left-wing political party in Brazil. The party describes itself as socialist and democratic.
The party leader is Juliano Medeiros and the federal deputies I ...
(PSOL) was able to elect two senators, gaining an extra seat when compared to the previous legislature.
It also kept its three seats in the Chamber.
The
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
(PV) gained two extra seats in the Chamber,
in spite of losing its only seat in the Senate.
Electoral system
The president was elected using the
two-round system
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
; if no candidate received a majority in the first round of voting, a second round would be held.
According to the Constitution, each state is represented by three senators elected by a majority of the votes. They are directly elected to an eight-year term, and there is no limit on the number of terms a senator may serve. Alternating, one third and then two thirds of the seats are up for election every four years. In 2006, one third of the seats were up for election and thus in 2010 two thirds of the seats were up for election, corresponding to two of the senators elected by each one of the 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District.
The members of the Chamber of Deputies are elected by a system of proportional representation for a four-year term.
Presidential candidates
The candidates of the two major political groups of the country were Lula's former
Chief of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
,
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff (; born 14 December 1947) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the 36th president of Brazil, holding the position from 2011 until her impeachment and removal from office on 31 August 2016. She is the first w ...
, of the ruling
centre-left
Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The c ...
democratic socialist
Democratic socialism is a left-wing political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self-management within a ...
/
social democratic
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...
Workers' Party (PT), and
São Paulo State
SAO or Sao may refer to:
Places
* Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD
* Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso
* Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U.S ...
former governor,
José Serra
José Serra Chirico (; born 19 March 1942) is a Brazilian politician who has served as a Congressman, Senator, Minister of Planning, Minister of Health, Mayor of São Paulo, Governor of São Paulo state, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bra ...
, from the
centre-right
Centre-right politics lean to the Right-wing politics, right of the Left–right politics, political spectrum, but are closer to the Centrism, centre. From the 1780s to the 1880s, there was a shift in the Western world of social class structure a ...
opposition coalition formed mainly by the
[Colitt, Raymond]
"Key names in Brazil's 2010 presidential race"
Reuters. December 17, 2010. Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
Fo ...
(PSDB), and the
right-wing
Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, authorit ...
Democrats (DEM).
Another main candidate was
Marina Silva
Maria Osmarina da Silva Vaz de Lima (born 8 February 1958) is a Brazilian politician and environmentalist. She is the founder and former spokeswoman for the Sustainability Network Party (REDE). During her political career, Silva served as a sen ...
, Lula's former
Minister of Environment. She is the candidate for the
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
(PV), which she joined on late 2009 after leaving the PT, which she helped establishing in the 1980s. She has obtained international recognition as a defender of the
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...
, but is less known in her native Brazil, being unable to obtain more support than the other two major candidates in opinion polls.
[Uol.com, synthesis of late-2010 opinion poll result]
last viewed October 3, 2010
Lula's potential successors
As Lula was ineligible to run for a third consecutive term due to term limits established by the
Constitution of Brazil, Brazilian constitution, speculation mounted in the years prior to the election around who might take the mantle of the
Workers' Party in his absence. Though Lula was widely popular, many commentators speculated that his likely successors in the PT would fail to generate his populist touch.
Polling conducted in Lula's second term found that a slim majority favored amending the constitution to allow Lula to run for a third term, but he opposed such efforts. Two of Lula's key allies tipped as potential successors, former
Minister of Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
Antonio Palocci
Antonio Palocci Filho (born 4 October 1960) is a Brazilian physician and politician, and formerly Chief of Staff of Brazil under President Dilma Rousseff. He was the finance minister of the Brazilian federal government from 1 January 2003 to 27 ...
and former presidential
Chief of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
José Dirceu
José Dirceu (; born March 16, 1946), in full José Dirceu de Oliveira e Silva, is a former Brazilians, Brazilian politician. His political rights were suspended by the Brazilian House of Representatives and he was found guilty by the Brazilian S ...
, were harmed by their involvement in the 2005
Mensalão scandal
The Mensalão scandal ( pt, Escândalo do Mensalão, ) was a major parliamentary vote-buying scandal by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration that threatened to bring down his government in 2005. ''Mensalão'' is a neologism, a variant of ...
.
![Dilma Rousseff e Marta Suplicy em abril de 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Dilma_Rousseff_e_Marta_Suplicy_em_abril_de_2010.jpg)
In 2008, Lula announced that he wanted a woman to succeed him in the presidency. Former
Mayor of São Paulo
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
Marta Suplicy
Marta Teresa Smith de Vasconcellos Suplicy (; born 18 March 1945) is a Brazilian politician and psychologist. She was Mayor of São Paulo from 2001 to 2004. She later served as the Brazilian Minister of Tourism between 14 March 2007, and 4 Jun ...
, who served at the helm of Brazil's largest city from 2001 to 2005, was considered to be, along with Dilma, the most likely candidate to lead the PT in the 2010 presidential election.
Polling conducted in 2008 found her to be a more popular potential presidential candidate than Dilma. After losing her bid for reelection in 2004, Suplicy was appointed by Lula to the position of
Minister of Tourism The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that specializes in tourism, recreation and/or culture.
The position exists in many different countries under several names:
*Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Albania)
* Minist ...
, which was speculated to be an attempt at elevating her profile for a 2010 presidential bid. In 2008, Suplicy mounted another bid was for Mayor of São Paulo, which was seen as a precursor to a potential presidential bid in 2010; Suplicy lost the election, damaging her political fortunes.
Ciro Gomes
Ciro Ferreira Gomes (; born 6 November 1957), known mononymously as Ciro, is a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and academic. Ciro is currently affiliated with and vice-president of the Democratic Labour Party (PDT).
Born in São Paulo but rais ...
, former governor of
Ceará
Ceará (, pronounced locally as or ) is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the northeastern part of the country, on the Atlantic coast. It is the eighth-largest Brazilian State by population and the 17th by area. It is also one of the ...
and Minister for National Integration during Lula's first cabinet, was a possible candidate for the
Brazilian Socialist Party
The Brazilian Socialist Party ( pt-BR, Partido Socialista Brasileiro, PSB) is a political party in Brazil. It was founded in 1947, before being abolished by the military regime in 1965 and re-organised in 1989 after the re-democratisation of Bra ...
(PSB). In the years prior to the election, there was some speculation that Lula would support Ciro, a formal rival of his, in the 2010 election if no potential PT candidates appeared viable.
Following the selection of Dilma as the candidate of the PT, the ruling centre-left group was worried that Ciro's bid could take votes from Rousseff,
and thus, on April 27, PSB declined to launch his candidacy in order to support her. Gomes, a populist who had appeared on third place in polls from May 2009 to April 2010, had been a presidential candidate in 1998 and 2002, when he had a poor result after making sexist remarks and struggling to control his temper.
In addition to Dilma, Suplicy, and Gomes, other PT members or allies were mentioned as being potentially tapped by Lula to run in his absence.
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Aloízio Mercadante
Aloízio Mercadante Oliva (born 13 May 1954 in Santos, São Paulo) is a Brazilian economist and politician who served as the Chief of Staff of Brazil between 2014 and 2015. He was a founder of the Workers' Party in February 1980 and vice-chair ...
of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
, a key power-player in the PT who helped found the party and served as Lula's vice presidential running-mate in the
1994 presidential election, was also mentioned as a possible successor.
PSDB nomination
![José Serra e Aécio Neves em 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Jos%C3%A9_Serra_e_A%C3%A9cio_Neves_em_2010.jpg)
José Serra
José Serra Chirico (; born 19 March 1942) is a Brazilian politician who has served as a Congressman, Senator, Minister of Planning, Minister of Health, Mayor of São Paulo, Governor of São Paulo state, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bra ...
, the
Governor of São Paulo
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
, resigned from the position to mount a bid for the presidency as a member of the dominant centre-right
Brazilian Social Democratic Party
The Brazilian Social Democracy Party ( pt, Partido da Social Democracia Brasileira, PSDB), also known as the Brazilian Social Democratic Party or the Party of Brazilian Social Democracy,. is a political party in Brazil. As the third largest par ...
(PSDB). Serra previously served as the party's candidate in the
2002 presidential election, where he lost to Lula.
Aécio Neves
Aécio Neves da Cunha (; born 10 March 1960) is a Brazilian economist, politician and former president of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). He was the 17th Governor of Minas Gerais from 1 January 2003 to 31 March 2010, and is curren ...
, the popular
Governor of Minas Gerais
, the number of governors of Minas Gerais, Brazil, since the Proclamation of the Republic in November 15, 1889, reached 50. Until 1930 the governors were called presidents. The current governor is Romeu Zema (NOVO).
Governors in the republican ...
, was considered another potential candidate for the party, and later served as the party's nominee in the
2014 presidential election. During the campaign, Serra sought to challenge the perception of the PSDB as an elitist party. Serra's moderate positions on social issues such as
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
and religious issues, where he took a
secularist
Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations.
Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a sim ...
approach compared to many conservative politicians, was noted.
Efforts by PSOL
Heloísa Helena, a prominent former
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
from
Alagoas
Alagoas (, ) is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil and is situated in the eastern part of the Northeast Region. It borders: Pernambuco (N and NW); Sergipe (S); Bahia (SW); and the Atlantic Ocean (E). Its capital is the city of Maceió. It ...
, considered a presidential candidacy on the
Socialism and Liberty Party
The Socialism and Liberty Party ( pt-BR, Partido Socialismo e Liberdade , PSOL ) is a left-wing political party in Brazil. The party describes itself as socialist and democratic.
The party leader is Juliano Medeiros and the federal deputies I ...
(PSOL) ticket.
Formerly a member of the dominant Workers' Party (PT), Helena was expelled from the PT in 2003 for criticizing the party's move to the centre under the Lula presidency. In the run-up to the election, Helena was considered a serious prospective candidate, being described as the only viable candidate who could potentially abandon the country's
market-friendly economic policies.
However, she declined to run for president in order to win back her Senate seat; she lost her race for Senate.
[ Faria, Tales]
"PSol aprova resolução para se afastar de Marina Silva"
. ''Último Segundo''. December 8, 2009. On June 30, 2010,
Plínio de Arruda Sampaio
Plínio Soares de Arruda Sampaio (26 July 1930 – 8 July 2014) was a Brazilian intellectual and political activist, who was affiliated with the Partido Socialismo e Liberdade (PSOL). He ran as a candidate for the presidency of the Federative ...
, a longtime politician who was formerly a senior PT official, was chosen to serve as PSOL's presidential nominee at the 2010 convention.
There were speculations that PSOL would form a broad coalition with
Marina Silva
Maria Osmarina da Silva Vaz de Lima (born 8 February 1958) is a Brazilian politician and environmentalist. She is the founder and former spokeswoman for the Sustainability Network Party (REDE). During her political career, Silva served as a sen ...
. As the media printed such news, the United Socialist Workers' Party announced that if this coalition was formed, it would launch the candidacy of its president José Maria de Almeida. However, a resolution approved by members of PSOL determined that the coalition would be formed if PV gave up its alliances with the Lula administration, PSDB, DEM, and
neoliberal
Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent fa ...
stances.
This resolution would make it very hard for the two parties to ally, since PV is led by
José Sarney
José Sarney de Araújo Costa (; born José Ribamar Ferreira de Araújo Costa; 24 April 1930) is a Brazilian politician, lawyer, and writer who served as 31st president of Brazil from 1985 to 1990. He briefly served as the 20th vice president of ...
's son Sarney Filho and Silva herself has said that her candidacy could not be perceived as opposing Lula.
Another faction of PV, led by
Fernando Gabeira
Fernando Paulo Nagle Gabeira (; born February 17, 1941) is a Brazilian politician, author and journalist. He was a federal deputy for the State of Rio de Janeiro from 1995 to 2011.
He is best known for his book ''O que é isso, companheiro?'' ...
, is explicitly in favor of an alliance with PSDB, which left very few people in the party able to accept the proposal.
As ''Rede Brasil Atual'' reported, "the coalition move
more by the desire of Green Party pre-candidate, Marina Silva, and Socialism and Liberty Party President, Heloísa Helena, than by aspirations of both parties".
Other candidacies
The election also featured five candidates from smaller parties, bringing the number of presidential candidates to a total of nine.
["Saiba quem são os candidatos à Presidência"]
R7. July 1, 2010 They are Ivan Pinheiro from the
Brazilian Communist Party
The Brazilian Communist Party ( pt-BR, Partido Comunista Brasileiro), originally the Communist Party of Brazil (), is a communist party in Brazil founded on 25 March 1922 which makes the disputed claim of being the oldest political party stil ...
(PCB), José Maria de Almeida from the
United Socialist Workers' Party
The United Socialist Workers' Party ( pt, Partido Socialista dos Trabalhadores Unificado, PSTU) is a Trotskyist party in Brazil. It is the largest section of the International Workers' League (Fourth International) (LIT), an international body ...
(PSTU),
Rui Costa Pimenta from the
Workers' Cause Party
Workers' Cause Party ( pt, Partido da Causa Operária, PCO) is a political party in Brazil. Its origins can be traced back to 1978. On that year, several Trotskyist activists who were not satisfied with the socialist international united under ...
(PCO),
José Maria Eymael
José Maria Eymael (born 2 November 1939) is a Brazilian politician, lawyer, businessman, and founder of the Democracia Cristã (DC), known in English as the Christian Democracy (Brazil), Christian Democracy.
Political Biography
Eymael joined ...
from the
Christian Social Democratic Party
The Christian Democracy (, DC) is a christian democracy, Christian democratic political party in Brazil. It was founded on March 30, 1995 as the Christian Social Democratic Party (, PSDC), elected mayors and council members in 1996, and was offic ...
(PSDC), and Levy Fidélix from the
Brazilian Labour Renewal Party (PRTB).
According to the
Superior Electoral Court
The Superior Electoral Court ( pt-BR, Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, TSE) is the highest body of the Brazilian Electoral Justice, which also comprises one Regional Electoral Court ( pt-BR, Tribunal Regional Eleitoral, TRE) in each of the 26 states ...
's guidelines, they were not able to participate in televised debates, since their parties were not represented in the
lower house of the National Congress.
[ Agência Estado]
"Cinco 'nanicos' ficam de fora dos debates na TV"
. ''O Estado de S. Paulo''. August 5, 2010.
Candidates in the runoff
Candidates failing to make the runoff
Campaign
The official campaign began on July 6, 2010.
''Jornal da Globo''. July 7, 2010. The Superior Electoral Court has accepted the candidacies of all nine applicant candidates. According to the Superior Electoral Court's guidelines, once the official campaign began the candidates are allowed to participate on marches, motorcades, and use sound trucks to ask for votes and distributing leaflets.
But they are forbidden to distribute shirts, hats, and gifts such as keyrings and pens.
Rallies are allowed, but music concerts are prohibited.
The candidates are not allowed to advertise on streetlights, bridges, clubs and other places of common use.
Billboard ads are also prohibited, as well as attendance in inauguration of public premises.
Issues
Both candidates offered little threat to the economic stability of the country, but they differed significantly on issues such as
fiscal discipline
A balanced budget (particularly that of a government) is a budget in which revenues are equal to expenditures. Thus, neither a budget deficit nor a budget surplus exists (the accounts "balance"). More generally, it is a budget that has no budge ...
,
foreign policy
A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...
and
state intervention.
They were both likely to maintain a primary budget surplus to make
public debt
A country's gross government debt (also called public debt, or sovereign debt) is the financial liabilities of the government sector. Changes in government debt over time reflect primarily borrowing due to past government deficits. A deficit oc ...
payments and reduce the ratio of debt to
GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...
. Some analysts believe Serra would have contained expenditure more effectively.
Rousseff, in the other hand, favors a bigger role for state enterprises in the economy, which could reduce participation by private firms in sectors such as banking, oil and gas.
Serra, who authorized the sale of
Nossa Caixa bank in 2008, is seen as more open to privatization, as well as cuts in the public sector payroll.
While past elections brought economic instability, in 2010 neither candidate was expected to stray far from current economic policies.
[Prada, Paulo]
"For Brazil, It's Finally Tomorrow"
''The Wall Street Journal''. March 29, 2010.
Rousseff was expected to continue Lula's foreign policy, boosting ties with developing nations, pushing for reform of multilateral bodies and lobbying for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.
Serra would likely have cooled ties with Lula's left-wing allies in Latin America, which could affect energy investments in both Bolivia and Venezuela.
He could also take a harder line in trade disputes with Argentina and Mercosur.
According to Mark Weisbrot, in an op-ed published by ''The Guardian Unlimited'' on January 29, 2010, if the centre-right candidate wins the race, it "would really be a huge win for the [U.S.] U.S. State Department, State Department." He argues that "while U.S. officials under both George W. Bush, Bush and Barack Obama, Obama have maintained a friendly posture toward Brazil, it is obvious that they deeply resent the changes in Brazilian foreign policy [...] and its independent stances with regard to the Middle East, Iran and elsewhere."
Public health
One of the main public health issues debated so far in the election, raised by Rousseff's campaign, is the addiction to crack cocaine. As a response to her campaign, Serra said he will establish clinics to treat addicts.
["Veja as principais propostas dos presidenciáveis Dilma, Marina e Serra para cinco áreas"]
. R7. July 7, 2010. He also said he will hand over 150 medical specialties clinics in two years.
Rousseff said she will expand measures currently implemented by the Lula government.
She has also advocated the need for national production and distribution of medicines, through increased public investment.
Silva has advocated the focus on disease prevention.
Education
Serra has pledged to invest in the infrastructure of primary school, primary public schools, while Rousseff said that eradicating illiteracy is her top priority.
She has also proposed the creation of a National Articulated System of Education to redesign the mechanisms employed in managing the sector.
Silva said her focus is to invest intensively in all levels of formal education. She has also advocated the expansion of technologies access and the adoption of central lines to be addressed by educators.
Welfare
Serra has compromised to retain ''Bolsa Família'', claiming it will be expanded through aids to young people that take vocational education courses.
Dilma also said that she will expand the program, defending the "institutional strengthening" of the Ministry of Social Development and Action Against Hunger, which means that the ministry will be responsible for integrating all social policies of the government.
Silva defends a "third generation of social welfare", which would be achieved through partnerships with the private sector and the structuring of more educational projects.
Employment
Serra has committed to expand technical schools in order to create more jobs.
He has also said that improving the infrastructure of public services will be a tool for creating new jobs.
Rousseff has defended the maintenance of the economic policies of the Lula government, but has also promised to hold a tax reform in order to alleviate the expenses of workers.
Silva has proposed the creation of green jobs through tax incentives for environmentally friendly businesses, in order to reduce the emission and consumption of carbon dioxide.
Public safety
Although it was not included on his government plan, Serra's main proposal for public safety is the creation of a Ministry of Public Safety.
On the other hand, Rousseff has promised to expand the current National Public Security and Citizenship Program to the whole country.
She has also proposed the creation of a Constitutional Fund for Public Security, which would give aids in the wages of police officers nationwide.
Silva defended the creation of a "new institutional structure for public safety", which would combine the police work with investments in preventive policies.
Debates
For the 2010 presidential election, the Superior Electoral Court has approved three televised debates, in addition to an unprecedented internet debate, which will be held by Universo Online, UOL and ''Folha de S.Paulo'' on August 18.
[ EFE]
"Final da Libertadores teve audiência maior que debate dos presidenciáveis"
European Pressphoto Agency. August 6, 2010.
According to the Superior Electoral Court's guidelines, the candidates whose parties are not represented in the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil, lower chamber of the National Congress are not able to participate in televised debates.
Such candidates are challenging this decision in order to be able to participate on the debates.
The first presidential debate took place on August 5, held by Rede Bandeirantes.
The second debate was held on August 18, 2010 by internet portal UOL and newspaper ''Folha de S.Paulo''. It was the first presidential debate broadcast exclusively through internet in the history of the country.
Electoral programme
![Debate presidencia 2010 CNI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Debate_presidencia_2010_CNI.jpg)
According to the electoral law, all free-to-air television and radio networks must carry two 50-minute time slots a day
["Brazil candidates begin daily election broadcasts"](_blank)
BBC. August 18, 2010. from August 17 until September 30, 2010.
[Dáu, Priscila]
"Começa amanhã horário eleitoral gratuito no rádio e na televisão"
''Correio''. September 16, 2010. The time allocated to each candidate is based on the number of seats held by the parties comprising their coalition in the Chamber of Deputies.
The electoral programs are considered a key campaign tool in Brazil, where TV and radio are the main sources of information for most voters.
The free air time on radio and TV also includes candidates contesting races for Governors, Legislative Assemblies, and both houses of the Congress.
Parties are also allowed to run six 30-second advertisements per day.
Serra's electoral programs on TV were criticized for focusing too much on public health issues, with ''Financial Times'' correspondent Jonathan Wheatley saying that "[one] would think he was running for health minister".
[Wheatley, Jonathan]
"Brazil's election: who's your choice?"
''Financial Times''. August 18, 2010. In the other hand, Rousseff's programs have been noted for their professionalism and production quality,
while Marina Silva's programs were criticized for their lack of cohesion.
[ Noblat, Ricardo]
"Deu a louca no programa de Marina"
''O Globo''. August 19, 2010. Journalist Ricardo Noblat commented on his blog that her first TV program seemed more like "a BBC documentary on the environment" than an electoral program.
Serra was also the target of criticism by Silva on the UOL/''Folha'' debate for the use of a scenic favela in his program, while São Paulo still has many slums. After the airing of Serra's second program, singer Elba Ramalho, which had one of her songs featured in it, released a note stating that she did not recorded the jingle used by the candidate, and that is not her voice featured in the program.
["Elba Ramalho esclarece que não gravou jingle para Serra"]
. Terra. August 18, 2010. Although she publicly supported Serra in 2002, she stated she would maintain her neutrality in this election.
In spite of this declaration, Ramalho decided to support Rousseff on the second round.
Serra's first television program was also the target of ridicule by Twitter users over the unintended double entendre of a phrase he said.
[""Serra comedor" se espalha nas redes sociais"]
. Terra Eleições. August 18, 2010. In the video, which has been posted over 24 times on Google Video, he cites examples of people which benefited from his former public office experiences.
However, in order to exemplify it, he used the preposition ''como'', which can be used as both "as" and the first person inflection of the verb "to eat", that has a negative connotation for "to have sex with".
According to a poll conducted by Census Institute on August 20–22, 42.9% of voters claimed they are watching or listening to the electoral programs on either radio or TV.
[ Campanerut, Camila]
"Pesquisa CNT/Sensus: Dilma tem 46% das intenções de voto; Serra, 28,1%"
BOL. August 24, 2010. Dilma had the best electoral programs for 56% of them, while Serra's programs were preferred by 34%.
Silva's programs were chosen as the best by only 7.5% of them.
Second round alliances
On October 20, after PSOL instructed its members to vote for either PT's Dilma Rousseff or blank/null in the second round,
[ Pasini, Mariana]
G1. October 15, 2010. Heloísa Helena decided to leave the presidency of the party.
[ Agência Brasil]
"Heloísa Helena deixa presidência do PSol por causa do apoio à Dilma"
. ''Correio Braziliense''. October 20, 2010. She felt that the party "lacked identity" with the support to Rousseff.
The party's presidential candidate declared that he would vote null, while PSOL's congressmen declared their "critical vote" on Rousseff.
Party members were oriented "not to give any votes to Serra".
PCB took a similar stance, saying they will "defeat Serra on the ballots and Dilma on the streets". PSTU, in the other hand, advocated the null voting on the second round. PV held a convention, where most of the 92 voting members decided that the party should stay neutral in the second round.
[ Rodrigo Rodrigues]
Último Segundo. October 17, 2010. Party members were free to support either of the two candidates, but they were forbidden to use flags or other party symbols.
If they did so, they could have been punished with disaffiliation.
On October 14, the Progressive Party (Brazil), Progressive Party, a member of the ''Lulista'' coalition bloc in the National Congress which had remained neutral in the first round, decided to support Dilma.
[ Mestieri, Gabriel]
"PP formaliza apoio a Dilma no 2º turno"
. R7. October 14, 2010. Most of its directories and candidates had already supported Rousseff on the first round.
The Brazilian Labour Renewal Party also supported Rousseff in the second round. Levy Fidélix posted a photo on his Flickr account where he is accompanied by supporters holding flags of Rousseff's campaign.
Opinion polls
From January 1, 2010 up to the day preceding the election, all polls had to be registered with the Superior Electoral Court (Brazil), Superior Electoral Court.
![Graph-umfragen-wahlen-brasilien-2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Graph-umfragen-wahlen-brasilien-2010.gif)
According to polls, Rousseff was most likely to have won the race in the first round with over 50% of the valid voting intentions. She had a rapid increase in her popularity since mid-2009, and thus consolidated her lead against Serra, who had led the polls for over two years. She was given a further boost when incumbent President Lula campaigned on her behalf on her television programmes.
Marina Silva was not able to reach more than 10% in the polls, but at the end of the campaign she experienced a rapid boost, and achieved 14% at the last poll. The other candidates had been unable to reach more than 2%. The number of undecided voters and those who declared an intention to vote blank or null was at about 12% according to the last poll.
Results
President
Chamber of Deputies
Senate
International reactions
* : President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso congratulated Rousseff for her victory in the presidential elections, and highlighted the historical significance of a woman to assume these functions for the first time in Brazil. "Allow me to highlight and congratulate you with the historical significance of the first election of a woman as President of the Federative Republic of Brazil," read the message sent by José Manuel Barroso to the new President of Brazil. The European leader recalled that "Brazil is a strategic partner of prime importance for the EU, sharing values and common strategic objectives" and advocated the continuation of Brazil's role in world affairs, a country "stronger, able to contribute to the resolution of global problems, to the stability and prosperity of Latin America and the intensification of bilateral relations with the European Union". According to Barroso, "The European Commission is confident that it will continue to work with Your Excellency and your Government in deepening the strategic partnership between the EU and Brazil, established in July 2007, and that it will further strengthen in the coming years".
* : The Foreign Ministry issued a statement wishing success to Rousseff. "This victory affirms the continuity of policies that have been developed, both in Mercosur and Unasur, for the well-being of our peoples and the entire Latin American community."The statement also stressed the importance of the Brazilian election in consolidating democracy on the continent.
[Líderes internacionais parabenizam Dilma pela vitória](_blank)
G1.com.br. Retrieved on 2010-11-01. .
* : President Evo Morales issued a statement calling Rousseff's victory as a "triumph of democracy." According to Morales, Rousseff with the support for Lula, has re-imposed democracy in a "united Latin America that invests in change."
* : President Georgi Parvanov called the elected president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, inviting her to visit Bulgaria, the country of origin of her father. Parvanov said in his congratulatory message, that the campaign and the elections in Brazil were accompanied with "a huge interest in Bulgaria". "The victory of Rousseff filled the Bulgarian people with pride" he said. She eventually visited Bulgaria in October 2011.
* : Vice President Angelino Garzon stated that Colombia will maintain "a level of understanding" with Brazil following the election of the country's new president. "With the new Brazilian government, Colombia will maintain the excellent relations we have been having with President [Luiz Inácio] Lula [da Silva]," Garzon said. He added that Colombia intends to strengthen its relationship with the neighboring country and maintain cooperation between them.
* : The Foreign Ministry expressed "their warm appreciation" to the government and people of Brazil for the second round of the presidential elections held the previous day which resulted in the election of Dilma Rousseff. "Costa Rica offers its warmest appreciation to the Brazilian people that once again demonstrated their proven talent for democratic freedom."
* : An unnamed Salvadoran government agency issued a congratulatory message to Dilma Rousseff and published a photo of the president of El Salvador, Mauricio Funes, with a flag of the Worker's Party of Brazil. "Brazil is now the world leader of a new democratic order, popular, progressive and humanist." Funes is married to Brazilian Vanda Pignato. "On my behalf, and the first lady of the republic, my dear wife Wanda, and my son Gabriel, who is also a Brazilian citizen, as well as on behalf of the people and government of El Salvador, I extend our congratulations and shows affection of the elected president of Brazil", said Funes.
* : President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his "very warm congratulations" to Dilma Rousseff in a statement issued shortly after the announcement of official results. For Sarkozy, the election reflects the "recognition of the Brazilian people for the considerable work done by President Lula to make Brazil a modern and fairer country." "France and Brazil share the same values and a common vision of the world," said the French president. In addition, Sarkozy reiterated that the two countries "are convinced that it is urgent to climate change mitigation, combat climate change" and "believe in a renewed multilateralism to organize the multipolar world, taking into account the realities of the twenty-first century." He said Dilma Rousseff "can continue to count on the friendship and unfailing support of France."
* : The president's office congratulated Dilma Rousseff for her victory in Brazil's presidential elections. "The government of President Alvaro Colom and the people of Guatemala congratulate the brotherly people of Brazil for the democratic party held this Sunday in their country."
* : President Bharrat Jagdeo sent a congratulatory message to Dilma Rousseff, expressing his "best wishes in preparing to assume the leadership of the country that has become one of the most progressive and influential of our hemisphere." He noted that both countries enjoy "excellent relations" and expressed confidence that Rousseff's policies for Brazil will allow the "continuation of political stability and a great economic and social progress."
* : President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a message of congratulations to Dilma, stating that he is "sure that in your term in office, Brazil will move faster in the path of progress and development...and Iran-Brazil ties have considerably expanded in the recent years and I am sure that this trend will continue in your term in office." He also said Brazil has "eye-catching progress which I am certain will continue and consolidate under your leadership," while adding that relations between Iran and Brazil had borne "valuable results on bilateral, regional and international."
* : President Felipe Calderón contacted Rousseff by telephone and expressed his willingness to "continue the strengthening of bilateral relations," and conveyed his approval "for his exemplary civic and democratic exercise" of the election.
* : King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Mohammed VI sent a congratulatory message to Rousseff. In this message, the Monarch expressed to Rousseff his best wishes for good health, happiness and success in her high office and in her endeavours to lead the Brazilian people towards further progress and prosperity. "The democratic choice expressed by the people of Brazil is a tribute to your lofty human qualities and vast political experience. It attests to the Brazilian people's trust in your ability to lead your country towards further social and economic accomplishments and enhance its standing at regional and international levels," the King said.
* : President Daniel Ortega sent an enthusiastic greeting to Dilma Rousseff, for her victory in the presidential elections, "What a joy and blessing the triumph of a woman as president of immense Brazil, that integrates cultures and proposals; Brazil that has grown amongst the world, with a worthy policy demanding recognition and participation of the [nations of the] South, against the rich arrogant powers of the North," reads the message.
* : President Fernando Lugo spoke by telephone with the president-elect of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, to congratulate her electoral victory, said the Paraguayan Minister of Justice and Labour, Humberto Blasco. Miguel Lopez Perito, Chief of Staff, said that Rousseff's election "represents a favorable position" to Paraguay.
* : President Alan Garcia Perez, Alan Garcia expressed his most sincere congratulations and best wishes on behalf of the people and Government of Peru. He expressed interest and commitment of his Government to further strengthen and deepen the strategic ties between Peru and Brazil, said the report issued by the Presidency.
* : President Aníbal Cavaco Silva signed an official statement that says he is confident that the mandate of Dilma Rousseff "[will] provide a renewed opportunity to deepen our relationship and our strategic cooperation. You can, Your Excellency, have my strong personal commitment accordingly." Silva invited the President-elect to visit Portugal soon. "I ask you to accept my hope for the personal happiness of Your Excellency and the continued prosperity and progress of the brotherly people of Brazil" concluded the president. Prime Minister Jose Socrates has also congratulated the president-elect.
* : President Dmitry Medvedev congratulated the new president of Brazil, Rousseff, for her "convincing" victory: "Accept my sincere congratulations on the occasion of her convincing victory in presidential elections," said Medvedev in a message addressed to Dilma Rousseff. The Russian president praised the "important achievements in the development of friendly relations and cooperation between Russia and Brazil" and was "ready" to continue with this association, according to the Kremlin statement. "I wish you success in this high office and wish happiness and prosperity to the Brazilian people" he added.
* : Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero sent a telegram of congratulations to Dilma Rousseff that highlights that he will continue to work to maintain good relations between the two countries.
* : President Barack Obama spoke by telephone with the president-elect of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, to congratulate her and wish good luck on her government. Obama invited Dilma Rousseff to visit the United States and expressed interest in continuing the strategic projects with the Brazilian government, like those established in the energy area. The State Department also separately congratulated Rousseff on her win. "The exemplary electoral process again illustrates Brazil's long-standing respect for democratic governance, civil rights and individual liberties, values that we share in common," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a statement. "We look forward to working with president-elect Dilma Rousseff to deepen our partnership and advance common goals for the benefit of our two peoples and the Americas."
* : President José Mujica spoke by telephone with President-elect Dilma Rousseff and expressed his satisfaction with her electoral success.
* : President Hugo Chávez congratulated Dilma at the end of his TV show "Aló Presidente," saying: "Sister, friend, welcome to the club. I send you a kiss, a hug. Viva Lula!"
Analysis
One of the important outcomes of the election was seen as the role of new media. ''Al Jazeera English'' also analysed the difference between the Brazil and 2010 Burmese general election, Myanmar elections where the former was a "defeat for big media" and the latter saw a media clampdown in the run-up to the election.
References
External links
Picking Lula's Replacement: Brazil's Presidential Race Heads to Runoff– video report by ''Democracy Now!''
{{Brazilian elections
2010 elections in South America, Brazil
2010 elections in Brazil, General
Presidential elections in Brazil
October 2010 events in South America