Lula Re‑elected; Inauguration Set for January 5 Under New Constitutional Calendar

Overview

• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the Oct. 25, 2026 runoff with about 51.7% of valid votes, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro.
• Under Emenda Constitucional nº 111, the presidential inauguration will take place on January 5, 2027 and governors will be sworn in on January 6, 2027.
• The Superior Electoral Court must diplomate election winners by December 18, 2026 as the formal legal step to certify the result.
• As a re‑elected incumbent, Lula faces no formal transfer of power and can reshape his cabinet and prepare policy moves in the weeks before the January 5 ceremony, while newly elected federal deputies and senators do not take office until February 1, 2027.
• The change breaks the decades‑long January 1 tradition, will affect ceremonial logistics and attendance by state and foreign officials, and will make Lula 81 years old at the start of his fourth term.