Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro clash over policy in final runoff debate
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro met in a final televised debate before Sunday's runoff, focusing on the economy, infrastructure and regional development. Polls show the race is close. The candidates also traded personal jabs, including over government spending and experience.
The Rio de Janeiro debate, carried by TV Globo, was calmer than the candidates’ earlier meeting but still included sharp exchanges. Bolsonaro finished the first round with 47 percent to Lula’s 45 percent; a Datafolha poll released Thursday showed them tied at 50 percent each, after Bolsonaro had led by four points two weeks earlier.
Lula criticized Bolsonaro’s spending-cut proposal, comparing it to Argentina’s Javier Milei approach. Bolsonaro accused the incumbent over crime, household debt and living costs. The two also clashed over a pejorative nickname, alleged paramilitary ties and a police shooting case in which Bolsonaro had represented the officer.
The tight contest may keep public attention fixed on prices, public spending and safety, issues that could shape how households and communities assess the next government. Because the candidates present sharply different approaches to spending and crime, the result may affect trust in institutions and perceptions of state protection, especially in Rio de Janeiro and other urban areas. The debate’s personal clashes could also deepen polarization, influencing how supporters and undecided voters view campaign conduct and social cohesion.