The PT member said that he will only think about 2026 in 2 years and that he will be a candidate if there is no other name against the extreme right
The president (PT) said this Friday (8. Nov. 2024) that governing is not the same as playing football and that, therefore, youth will not solve the problem of a government. The PT member responded to a question from Christiane Amanpour, a journalist from CNN Internationalabout him being 81 years old in 2026 and still seeking re-election.
“Govercoming is not playing football governing is not play sports, i.e.it’s not the problem of youth that will solve the governance problem. What will solve the governance problem It is the competence of the ruler is the commitment, is the head, is health and commitments of the ruler”he stated.
Lula stated that not a candidate yet for re-election and that he will only think about it in 2026. According to him, the idea is to deliver a better country than he received and he will only compete if the political forces in 2 years’ time decide that only he can beat the right in the country.
“So, if the time comes, the parties understand that there is no other candidate to face a person, you know far-right who is a denialist, who does not believe in medicine, who does not believe in science Obviously I’ll be ready to face, but I hope it’s not necessary, I hope we have other candidates and what we can do a great political renewal in the country and the world”he declared.
The scares that the president has recently experienced and the PT’s poor performance in the municipal elections have reignited discussions about the lack of a natural successor to the PT member. The status of supreme leader over his own party and the lack of renewal of the party’s historical framework make it difficult for an heir to rise.
In October, the presidential plane in which the president was returning from Mexico to Brazil had to fly over Mexico City for almost 5 hours before being able to land. In the same month, the PT member hit his head and suffered a head injury, which prevented him from traveling.
Whether allies or opponents, no one points to an obvious name that could replace the president in the 2026 elections, if he decides not to run for re-election, or in subsequent elections. Although members of Palácio do Planalto estimate that Lula will be a candidate in the next election, when he will be 80 years old in the electoral campaign, they admit that there is currently no defined plan B.
Lula is seen as the only name on the left capable of facing and, eventually, beating the former president (PL). The PT member could also unseat the governor of São Paulo, (Republicans). Bolsonaro is currently ineligible and Tarcísio says he wants to run for re-election in the state. The scenario shows that the opposition may also have difficulty deciding on a competitive name for 2026.
