World leaders congratulate Lula on re-election in Brazil's presidential runoff

Summary

International leaders congratulated Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday, October 26, 2026, after his re-election as Brazil's president in a runoff against right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro. French President Emmanuel Macron was among those who hailed the result, and European leaders also welcomed it, with Ursula von der Leyen saying "Democracy and multilateralism have won in Brazil." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez celebrated what he called a "progressive comeback", and France 24 reports that the region's left-leaning leaders reacted quickly as Brazil staved off a conservative wave in many countries. DW describes Lula's win as a surprise over Flavio Bolsonaro, and reports that Bolsonaro's party recognizes the election result.

Timeline

1. Al Jazeera

   26 Oct 2026, 03:50 UTCSource ↗

   Al Jazeera reports that international leaders and politicians congratulated Brazilian President Lula on his re-election.

2. RFI

   26 Oct 2026, 08:18 UTCSource ↗

   RFI reports that French President Emmanuel Macron was among the world leaders who on Monday hailed Lula da Silva's re-election as Brazil's president.

3. France 24

   26 Oct 2026, 09:31 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that the international community congratulated Lula after his re-election in a runoff against right-wing candidate Flavio Bolsonaro, and that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez celebrated a "progressive comeback".

4. Euronews

   26 Oct 2026, 09:33 UTCSource ↗

   Euronews reports that European leaders greeted Lula's re-election, with Ursula von der Leyen saying "Democracy and multilateralism have won in Brazil."

5. DW

   27 Oct 2026, 04:46 UTCSource ↗

   DW reports that Lula secured a surprise win over far-right challenger Flavio Bolsonaro, whose party recognizes the election result, and its headline says Merz and world leaders congratulated Lula on his win.