(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The popularity of Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva has increased, according to a poll by Ibope. 58 per cent of respondents think Lula has done a good or very good job leading the country, up seven points since December.

Lula—a member of the Worker’s Party (PT)—won the October 2002 presidential election with 61 per cent of the vote in a run-off against Jose Serra of the Brazilian Party of Social Democracy (PSDB). In October 2006, he earned a new four-year term, defeating PSDB candidate Geraldo Alckmin with 60.8 per cent of the vote in the second round. Lula is ineligible for a third consecutive term in office.

In 2006, Lula’s party was affected by a series of corruption scandals. The socialist-leaning president—also a former union leader—led a strong economy with conservative fiscal policies during his first mandate, and was praised for his poverty-reduction initiatives.

On Jul. 1, as Brazil took over the rotating presidency of Mercosur—a commerce alliance including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela—Lula called for all partners to collaborate with each other in matters beyond commerce, saying, "Trade is an important element for our integration, but integration does not end with trade."

Polling Data

How would you rate the performance of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as president?

Source: Ibope
Methodology: Interviews with 2,002 Brazilian adults, conducted from Jun. 20 to Jun. 23, 2008. Margin of error is 2.2 per cent.

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