Part 2 of the Brazil Elections Event Series

This followed the Presidential run-off, on October 28th, in which Jair Bolsonaro (PSL) won 55.2% of the vote versus 44.8% for Fernando Haddad of the Workers' Party (PT).

The packed audience was addressed by a panel chaired by Richard Lapper, former Latin America editor at the Financial Times. Speakers included Professor Anthony Pereira, Director of the King’s Brazil Institute; Dr Fiona Macaulay, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies at the University of Bradford; Wilber Colmerauër, Founder & Managing Director at EM Funding and Lucas de Aragao, Director at Arko Advice, who joined us remotely from Brasilia.

The speakers outlined the principal factors that led to Jair Bolsonaro’s victory, and the outlook for the incoming government's fiscal and social policy agenda against a backdrop of slow economic growth. They discussed how the President-elect’s campaign pivoted on his promise to shake up Brazilian politics, but suggested that, to succeed, he will have to address some of Brazil’s most complex, deeply-rooted issues.

An animated Q&A session touched on a wide range of issues - including concerns over minority rights, the environment and security, and the increasingly influential role of Chinese direct investment in Brazil’s infrastructure.