Lula says that forming a majority in Congress will be crucial in the 2026 elections.
"In order for us to approve everything we want, we need to have a majority in the National Congress," the president stated.
247 - During the opening of the 60th Congress of the National Union of Students (UNE), this Thursday (17), in Goiânia (GO), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) highlighted the strategic importance of electing a solid parliamentary base in the 2026 elections. The event brought together student leaders from all over the country and served as a stage for a critical analysis of the challenges facing the Brazilian left in the legislative process.
Lula warned about the current numerical weakness of progressive parties in the National Congress and pointed out that this compromises their ability to approve proposals aligned with popular interests. "You need to remember that the entire left that is here has no more than 140 deputies in the National Congress, out of 513. You have to remember that we have 12 senators out of 81," the president stated.
By emphasizing the urgency of a more effective electoral strategy, the Workers' Party member questioned the disparity between the number of votes left-wing parties receive in presidential elections and their poor performance in legislative elections. "The Workers' Party needs to ask itself, 'Why is the Workers' Party capable of electing a president five times – Lula and Dilma – and only electing 70 federal deputies?'" he inquired.
Lula cited the recent example of Mexico, where the broad victory of the left allowed for structural reforms, including in the judiciary. "They achieved such a great victory that they even decided that the judiciary should be elected by direct vote. It is the people who choose the judges of the first instance, the second instance, and the Supreme Court," he reported, proposing reflection on the possibility of institutional advancements in Brazil through greater representation in Congress.
The president also addressed the young people present, encouraging them to build a more conscious and articulate political action. "We need to transform our dreams into action," he stated. And he added: "Soon we'll be entering an election year, and we need to know how many representatives and senators we want to have when the ballot boxes open."
In a pedagogical tone, Lula emphasized that politics is present in all dimensions of life and criticized those who declare themselves "apolitical." "There's nothing more ignorant than saying you're not political. There's nothing poorer. We are political from the day we are born. When you cry, you are engaging in politics. When you want to eat, you are engaging in politics," he explained.
At the end of his speech, Lula emphasized that overcoming institutional obstacles requires political organization at all levels of public power. "If we don't develop a strategy for how we're going to achieve a majority in city halls and state governments, we'll continue to make demands and we'll always face difficulties."
