Shifting Sentiments

Approval of the current Brazilian government led by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has seen a slight decline, mirroring a rise in disapproval, as per a recent poll unveiled on Thursday.

The leftist leader, now in the second year of his third non-consecutive term, witnessed a dip in his approval rating to 35%, compared to 38% in December, as revealed in the Datafolha survey conducted from March 19 to 20.

The Numbers Game

The percentage of individuals expressing disapproval inched up from 30% to 33%, whereas a steady 30% remained neutral in the March assessment, keeping the government’s approval and disapproval rates in an almost dead heat.

Datafolha’s poll, sporting a two-percentage-point margin of error, underscored the delicate balance between approval and disapproval sentiments.

Interviewing 2,002 individuals across 147 Brazilian cities, Datafolha shed light on the nuanced perceptions towards the incumbent government.

A Historical Perspective

About a year ago, Lula’s administration enjoyed a slightly higher approval rating of 38%, coupled with a disapproval rate of 29%, signaling a subtle shift in public sentiment over time.

Political Imperatives

Recently, during the initial ministerial gathering of the year, President Lula voiced his expectations for concrete outcomes from his ministers, spurred by a series of polls indicating a waning popularity trend.

(Reporting by Andre Romani; additional insights from Maria Carolina Marcello in Brasilia)

Contact author Andre Romani at Andre.Romani@thomsonreuters.com or call at 11 991314109, 11 56447500.

The opinions articulated here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily align with Nasdaq, Inc.’s viewpoint.