Lula’s Freefall: How Socialist Policies Are Dragging Brazil Down Under This Clueless President
By Hotspotnews -November 12, 2025
Folks, if you’re wondering why Brazil feels stuck in the mud while President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva jets off to fancy climate parties, look no further than his latest poll numbers. A Genial/Quaest survey from November 6 to 9 shows approval for his government scraping by at 47%—that’s a drop from last month, with 53% now giving him the thumbs down. This isn’t some blip; it’s the end of a fake “recovery” that fooled no one paying attention. As Lula plays global hero at COP30 in Belém, real Brazilians are fed up with sky-high prices, out-of-control crime, and a leader whose big-government ideas are making everything worse. Time to call it like it is: Lula’s left-wing experiment is failing hard.
## The Poll Truth: No More Hiding Behind Fake Wins
Lula kicked off his third term in January 2023 like a man out of touch with the real world. By February, his approval tanked to a pathetic 24%, per Datafolha—thanks to botched economics and ignoring the streets. April was no better; even with some GDP growth and jobs at 5.8%, people saw through the spin. Families weren’t feeling richer—they were scraping by.
Sure, there was a summer bump. Approval climbed to 46% in August from 40% in May, propped up by handouts and show trials like the one against Jair Bolsonaro, the guy who actually tried to fix things. September hit 33%, his yearly peak, boosted by UN photo-ops. Women even polled at 52% approval in October. But guess what? It’s crumbling now. Nearly half say the economy’s worse than last year. Lula’s “miracle” was just hot air.
## Economy in Tatters: Blame the Big Spenders
Let’s cut to the chase—the economy is the killer here. Brazil might grow 2.4% this year, jobs are “low,” and inflation’s tamed on paper. But who cares when food prices are through the roof, hammering working families? That’s not progress; that’s pain for the little guy.
Lula poured gas on the fire with his February gem: “Just don’t buy expensive stuff.” Yeah, right—like that’s an option when kids are hungry. Then came the scandal: welfare cash funneled to gamblers instead of the needy. The real’s tanking against the dollar, jacking up costs on everything imported. Sound familiar? It’s the same old socialist playbook that wrecked Brazil before Bolsonaro stepped in to clean house.
To keep Wall Street happy, Lula’s playing austerity lite—slashing real help while pretending to care. No bold tax cuts or deregulation like free-marketers want. Just enough to steady the ship but not enough to sail it. His base—the hardworking folks in factories and farms—is ditching him. Support’s down across the board. As one sharp observer put it, Lula’s lost his mojo for the people who built this country, chasing woke dreams in a digital age.
## Crime Wave: Weak Leadership Lets Thugs Run Wild
And don’t get me started on safety. That bloodbath police raid in Rio—one of the deadliest ever—left bodies piling up and the world shaking its head at Brazil’s chaos. Lula’s crew? They shrugged it off, but voters didn’t. Crime’s as big a worry as groceries, yet his “hug-a-thug” approach hasn’t touched the favelas.
Promises of community cops and feel-good programs? Mostly talk. Real results? Zilch. This hands-off nonsense lets cartels thrive, scaring off families and businesses. No wonder conservatives pine for Bolsonaro’s tough stance—zero tolerance that actually worked. Lula’s softness is bleeding support from the middle class, the backbone of Brazil.
## COP30 Farce: Green Hypocrisy While Brazil Burns
Lula’s big COP30 moment? It’s a joke. Sure, he bashed “deniers” on November 10 and launched some forest fund to pat himself on the back. Brazil’s supposed to lead on saving the Amazon—great, if you ignore the drill-baby-drill oil push to fund it all. Environmentalists scream sellout; taxpayers scream waste. Why chase global applause when Belém’s locals deal with summit gridlock and rain?
This eco-elite obsession is peak Lula: flashy abroad, forgetful at home. Climate chats won’t pay bills or stop bullets. It’s virtue-signaling for the Davos crowd, not solutions for everyday heroes grinding it out.
## Wake-Up Call: Ditch the Left, Get Back to Basics
Lula’s slump isn’t bad luck—it’s bad ideas. Socialist spending sprees, tone-deaf quips, crime coddling, and phony green stunts have alienated everyone from factory workers to farm families. With midterms on the horizon and Bolsonaro’s common-sense legacy still fresh, the president’s on thin ice.
He could pivot: slash red tape, arm the cops, pump real cash into pockets via tax relief—not more bureaucracy. But will he? Doubt it. This once-“popular” guy risks fading into irrelevance, leaving Brazil begging for the conservative reset it desperately needs.
As COP30 spotlights fade, remember: True leadership fixes the home front first. Lula’s not cutting it. Time for change.