Award for the Brazilian's struggle.

The awarding of an honorary doctorate to former President Lula by the Institute of Political Studies (SciencesPo), the most important institution of its kind in Europe, is one of those moments—in life and in history—worthy of celebration. This is because it highlights a significant aspect for Lula, the PT (Workers' Party), and Brazil: rewarding the ability and personal commitment to transforming the world into a fairer place with equal opportunities.

In his speech upon receiving the honor (read hereLula did not lose sight of this aspect. He highlighted the crucial role of Education, an area that his government has given the strategic importance it deserves for sustainable development with income distribution, which we have experienced in recent years.

In fact, the Lula government left the country with 14 new universities, 126 university extension programs, the ProUni program, 214 technical schools, the creation of a national minimum wage for teachers, and a budget three times larger for education. This transformation needs continuity to consolidate, but it came accompanied by greater investments in technology and innovation.

These areas of progress are fundamental to the development that Brazil projects for the next decade. We were able to lower the poverty line by 28 million people and integrate another 39 million into the middle class, in a process that has these same people at the heart of the formation of a mass domestic market, on which we based our response to the international crisis and our main growth potential. All this in eight years.

Perhaps that is why Lula alluded to the French Revolution, which inspired so many ideals and values ​​that, with the serious crisis, are somehow being questioned in Europe. But, by recalling the historical importance of France to the world, Lula placed Brazil on an equal footing with other developed nations, highlighting our role as a participant in the new world order.

The director of the SciencesPo institute, Richard Descoings, highlighted the unanimous choice to honor Lula and revealed that the fight against inequality, intellectual curiosity, and the pursuit of giving Brazil an international status "like never before seen" weighed favorably. Lula's popularity and the election of President Dilma Rousseff were also cited as reasons for the choice.

In many ways, the awarding of this honor brings Lula closer once again to the history of our people. That is why the former president was moved when he said he feels a sense of class pride in having proven that a worker without a university degree could achieve as much as, or even more than, other presidents who preceded him.

For a long time, opportunities were scarce for the poorest, perpetuating inequality as Brazil's defining characteristic. It took a working-class man reaching the Presidency of the Republic for us to begin rewriting this history, perhaps because he experienced firsthand—and found resonance in the PT (Workers' Party) with his struggles—the difficulties of an old Brazil, still real, but undergoing transformation.

Moments like this are full of symbolism and a boost of morale, a true reward for the struggles of the Brazilian people. It remains for us to recognize the role of this great mass leader, Lula, and continue changing towards a developed country, free from inequality, and where education, technology, and innovation are the organizing qualities of our progress.

José Dirceu, 65, is a lawyer, former Chief of Staff, and member of the PT's National Directorate.