Brazil Presidency: Can Dilma continue Lula’s success story?

The success story of outgoing president has no doubt set the country on a platform of economic growth. Both the people of Brazil and the world at large have acknowledged that tremendous feet. A former factory worker with a fifth grade education, Mr. da Silva — known as Lula inside Brazil — had a long […]

The success story of outgoing president has no doubt set the country on a platform of economic growth. Both the people of Brazil and the world at large have acknowledged that tremendous feet.

A former factory worker with a fifth grade education, Mr. da Silva — known as Lula inside Brazil — had a long political career as a leftist leader before his landslide election as president in 2002.

He has fostered Brazil’s growth through a centrist combination of respect for financial markets and targeted social programs, which have lifted millions out of poverty and narrowed the yawning income gap between rich and poor. Under Mr. da Silva, the economy achieved record growth and long-sought stability with low inflation.

Even though, the common, rural poor in Brazil view his poverty alleviation programme as key to their fortune change, there are so many other positive development strides anchored on the premise of sound and visionary leadership that characterized his regime.
During his presidency, Lula has done many social projects and received many awards. Since being elected, he has put social programs at the top of his to-do list. One of his main project has been to eradicate hunger(poverty in general). This program brings together a series of programs with the goal to end hunger in Brazil.

Some of his systematic projects approach are; The creation of water cisterns in Brazil’s semi-arid region of Sertão, also actions to counter juvenile pregnancy, to strengthen family agriculture, to distribute a minimum amount of cash to the poor, and many others.
In March 2006, The Economist wrote that “Lula has a pragmatic foreign policy, seeing himself as a negotiator, not an ideologue. As a result, he has befriended both Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and former U.S. President George W. Bush.” Leading a large and competitive agricultural state.
During  his administration, Brazilian foreign trade has dramatically increased, changing from deficits to several surpluses since 2003. In 2004 the surplus reached $29 billion due to a substantial increase in global demand for commodities. Brazil has also provided UN peace-keeping troops and leads a peace-keeping mission in Haiti.

Another major goal of Lula’s foreign policy has been for the country to gain a seat as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Though, so far the attempts have been unsuccessful but all hope is not lost. Since Lula has been President of Brazil, he has received numerous medals. Some of these include the Brazilian Order of Merit, the Brazilian Orders of Military, Naval and Aeronautical Merit, the Brazilian Order of Scientific Merit, the Norwegian Order of Royal Merit the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle and the Order of the Southern Cross.

He has also received the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in 2003 and was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebration in 2004. Next, in December 2008, Lula was named the 18th most important person in the world by Newsweek magazine. He was the only Latin American person featured in a list of 50 most influential World leaders. In 2009, Lula was chosen as the Man of the Year by two European newspapers El País and Le Monde. The Financial Times ranks Lula among the 50 faces that shaped the 2000’s.

Already Latin America’s largest economy, by 2007 Brazil was growing by 3.5 percent a year, slower than China and India but a marked improvement over the 1990s. Debt levels and unemployment were down. Reserves were up. Inflation was one-third what it was when Mr. da Silva was elected. Brazil’s bonds were raised to just below investment grade.

Rising incomes have catapulted more than 29 million Brazilians into the middle class during the eight-year presidency of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
For the in-coming president, who happens the first female president in the history of the country, Rousseff, a 62-year-old economist who served as Lula’s cabinet chief before he `handpicked’ her as his successor, swore she would  would make “eradication” of poverty her priority in government as she sought to “honor the trust” voters had shown her. This, she is conscious is one of the out-going president’s core area of interest.

Observers however said that one of her biggest immediate challenge as president is finding solutions to Brazil’s endemic street crime. This they believe will have to be found so that tens of thousands foreign visitors feel safe.
At the same time, Rousseff will have to find a way to deal with fractious currents in the ruling coalition – without the benefit of Lula’s commanding charisma or negotiating skills.

She does not have the same solid support within the Workers Party that Lula had, presaging possible legislative troubles ahead.
Speculation is swirling that he might accept an international post, or stand by as an informal advisor to Rousseff as she runs the country, though he has downplayed those scenarios.

“There is no possibility of an ex-president participating in a government,” Lula was quoted as saying.
Rousseff will have “to form a government in her image. I only hope that she does more than I did,” he said.

If there is one policy that captures the spirit of Lula’s presidency, it is his championing of the Bolsa Família, a scheme whereby poor families are paid monthly by the government for keeping their children in school. That, above all, is laying the foundation for Brazil’s emergence as a global power.
Under Da Silva, the Brazilian foreign policy gradually distanced from institutional grounds topped by the Foreign Ministry and some political experts maintained that Brazil’s diplomacy has practically turned into presidential diplomacy under the influence of Da Silva’s popular and charismatic character. It was the president and his international endeavors that greatly promoted Brazil’s international standing.

As Rouseff Dilma steps in soonest, she will undoubtedly be succeeding the most popular president in recent Brazilian history who will be stepping down next January first with 80% approval;a survey shows that four out of five Brazilians love the charismatic leader.

Furthermore, Dilma must keep up with the expectations of the millions that have emerged from poverty or climbed to the middle class (over a third of the population). According to a recent survey, 19% are planning to buy a home in the next six months; 9.5 million are thinking in a new or second hand car in the next 12 months, while 84% believe they will be in a better economic situation in 12 months time and 50% that they are already living better than the year before. Frustrating or even eroding such high expectations will have its consequences.

Lula da Silva has also been a formidable player in international politics (“the most popular politician in the world”, according to President Obama), making Brazil’s weight felt in world forums and discussions. All of which undoubtedly will demand much work, dedication, wit and imposing respect:The poser here is;can Rouseff Dilma continue the success story?