British Outlets Diverge on Lula’s 2026 Prospects as PT Allies Reject Age-Based Plea

Overview

• The Economist published an editorial urging President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva not to run in 2026 due to age, warning that “charisma is no shield against cognitive decline” and drawing a comparison to Joe Biden.
• PT figures Gleisi Hoffmann, Humberto Costa and party president Edinho Silva condemned the editorial as biased, asserting Lula’s vitality and defending his government’s economic record.
• The Financial Times’ year-ahead predictions list forecasts Lula’s re-election in October 2026, citing recent economic performance and opposition missteps, while qualifying the call as dependent on no late health setback.
• The Economist also called Senator Flávio Bolsonaro “unpopular and ineffective” and floated Governor Tarcísio de Freitas as a stronger right-of-center option, though Tarcísio has said he will not run and has endorsed Flávio.
• Lula has declared his candidacy as the right remains fractured after Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction and imprisonment, leaving the opposition’s 2026 lineup unsettled.