President Luiz Inácio da Silva (PT) has 31% positive assessment and 39% negative according to Genial/Quaest survey released on Wednesday (20). Another 27% classify the government as regular, and 3% could not answer.
The survey was conducted in the midst of the crisis opened by the tariff of and the government’s efforts to associate the measure with the Bolsonaro family. To face the effects of 50% surcharge on Brazilian products imposed by the President of the Planalto. The government has also been betting on the speech against the American offensive.
In the previous round, made in July, shortly after the announcement of the tariff, Lula recorded 28% of positive evaluation and 40% negative.
Now 46% say they approve the government and 51% disapprove, against 43% and 53%, respectively, in July. The difference between negative and positive evaluations, which in May was 17 points (43% x 26%), fell to 8 points (39% x 31%).
The survey is funded by the Broker Genial Investimentos, controlled by the Genial Bank. There were 12,150 people between 13 and 17 August in eight states (SP, MG, RJ, PR, RS, GO, BA and PE). The global margin of error is two percentage points.
The traditional base of the petista still accumulates the most favorable numbers. In the Northeast, Lula has 60% approval and 37% disapproval; Among people who earn up to two minimum wages, there are 55% approval and 40% disapproval; Among those who attended elementary school, 56% approval and 40% of disapproval. The margin of error for such groups is 4 percentage points.
Among Catholics, there are 54% approval and 44% disapproval, with a margin of 3 percentage points.
Among the women, approval has oscillated two points up and reached 48%, touching the disapproval, today at 49%, and the disapproval remained at 49%. Among men, disapproval retreated from 58% to 53%, while approval rose from 39% to 44%. The margin of error is 3 percentage points for both sexes.
Among Bolsa Familia beneficiaries, approval rose from 50% to 60%, and disapproval fell from 45% to 37%. The margin of error for this group is 5 percentage points.
Lula again had an advantage compared to the management of. For 43%, the petista is better, against 38% who prefer the predecessor. In July, the situation was reverse (40% to 44%). Another 16% say the two are equal, and 3% could not answer.
Among voters who claim to have no political position, 37% consider Lula better, 32% equal and 27% worse than Bolsonaro. In May, 37% said Lula was worse, 25% that was the same and 33% that was better. The margin of error in this group is 5 percentage points.
In the general diagnosis of the country, 36% say Brazil is in the right direction, while 57% believe it goes on the wrong way. They could not answer 7%.
Quaest also investigated the perception of Trump’s tariffs. For 71%, the US President is wrong to impose rates on the grounds of judicial persecution on Bolsonaro; 21% agree, and 8% do not know. The values ranged within the margin of error compared to July.
To 51%, Trump took the measure in defense of his political interests; 23% attribute the decision to commercial interests; 2% to personal reasons; While 22% could not answer and 2% marked “others”.
In the clash between countries, 48% say that Lula and the PT are right, against 28% that evaluate the same about Jair Bolsonaro and his children. The values in the last survey were 44% and 29%, respectively. 15% continue to say that neither side is right, and 9% say they don’t know.
Between voters without political position, those who think Lula and the PT are right from 37% in July to 45% in August. In the first round of the survey that included the question, there were 20% of the same group that gave Bolsonaro and allies right; Today, there are 14%. 27% think neither group is correct.
When asked about Lula’s motivation, 49% say he acts in defense of Brazil, while 41% believe they seek to promote themselves. Already in the case of 69% say that he acts only in defense of his own interests and the family.
Lula is the one that received the most positive assessments of conducting the crisis opened by Trump’s tariffs; Jair and Eduardo Bolsonaro, the ones who received the worst. 44% believe the president is acting well, 46% say otherwise, and 10% do not know.
For Bolsonaro and their son, 24% believe they act well, 21% say they do not know and 55% say the pair acts badly.
Among governors listed for 2026, it also predominated the negative assessment of the positive by acting in the crisis. Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) has 24% x 35%, Junior Mouse (PSD), 19% x 30%, Ronaldo Caiado (Union) 16% x 31% and Romeu Zema (new) 17% x 33%. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad has 31% approval and 43% disapproval in his performance.
