DOMINANT ANGLE
Copenhagen notes the political upset: Lula, defeated in the first round, wins in the second and enters Brazilian history with a fourth term.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Lula wins the runoff with 51.8% of the vote against 48.2% for Flávio Bolsonaro, according to DR Nyheder citing Reuters.
- 02
According to DR correspondent Kristian Almblad, this is the first time a candidate who lost in the first round has won the second round since the fall of the military dictatorship.
- 03
Jair Bolsonaro, sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempted coup, is serving his sentence under house arrest (DR Nyheder).
ANALYSIS
Copenhagen, October 26, 2026. For the Danish press, the Brazilian election is first and foremost a reversal of the situation. DR Nyheder, citing Reuters and the electoral authority, announces that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva beats Flávio Bolsonaro in the second round with 51.8% of the vote against 48.2%, thus securing a fourth term as president. The public media outlet emphasizes that this result is the opposite of the first round, held three weeks earlier, where Flávio Bolsonaro had obtained more votes than Lula.
It is DR's correspondent in South America, Kristian Almblad, who sets the tone. According to him, "the election was close, but Lula's victory is relatively clear." He finds it "very striking" that Lula has reversed the situation: "He managed to turn the ship around." He recalls that if Lula completes his term, he will have been president for 16 years as a left-wing head of state, and describes him as "a man who is inscribed in Brazilian history in every way." Also according to him, this is the first time a candidate who lost in the first round has won the second, which has not happened since the fall of the military dictatorship.
DR also provides context about the Bolsonaro family: the father, Jair Bolsonaro, who led the country from 2019 to 2022, was sentenced last year to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup and for projects aimed at killing Lula. He is serving his sentence under house arrest.
Berlingske, in a text published on the day of the vote, describes a close election: the polls give "a narrow lead to Bolsonaro or a near-tie" with Lula. Flávio Bolsonaro, 45, calls for "time for real change" and claims that Brazil "cannot bear four more years like these." He promises a tough line against crime and a reduction in public spending. A 67-year-old retiree cited by AFP mentions the cost of living: "people can't even go to the supermarket anymore."
Lula, 80, opposes a Brazilian flag to an American flag: "The right wants to govern with the American flag," he says according to AFP. The two Danish articles provided focus on the personal and historical dimension of the election; they do not address, in the available excerpts, Flávio Bolsonaro's contestation of the result or the reaction of the markets.
