In 2022, left-wing former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won an unprecedented third term in Brazil, defeating far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. While the return of the only working-class president in Brazilian history was celebrated by many, Bolsonaro supporters reacted by attacking the legislature, judiciary, and presidential palace. What explains this violent assault on Brazil's democratic institutions? Why did Lula, who first left office with an approval rating of almost 90 percent, provoke such vehement resistance from a supposedly patriotic mob?
Through the intertwined stories of Lula and modern Brazil, historian Andre Pagliarini illuminates the country's journey over the last eighty years. He examines the processes that forged Lula, his Workers' Party and the contours of the country's current predicament to show that the fight for Brazil's future is far from an historical anomaly. It is rooted in a history of democratic advance and backlash familiar to many pluralistic, multiracial democracies worldwide. Given the intense feelings Lula arouses across the political spectrum, his undeniable historical importance, and his re-election at a critical juncture for Brazil and the world, Lula's life and legacy offers a provocative prism through which to analyze the recent past, present, and contested future of Latin America's largest nation.
By:
Andre Pagliarini
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781509560233
ISBN 10: 1509560238
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 16 July 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Contents Introduction: “Brazil is Back” 1. The Left and Labor in Modern Brazil (1917–1977) 2. Building a Workers’ Party (1978–1989) 3. From Opposition to the Cusp of Power (1990–2001) 4. Brazilian Apotheosis (2002–2010) 5. Agonies of Incumbency (2011–2015) 6. Backlash, Backslide, and Bad Blood Abroad (2016–2020) 7. Breaking the Fever (2021–2025) Conclusion: “This is Our Responsibility” Notes
Andre Pagliarini is Assistant Professor of History and International Studies at Louisiana State University, Fellow at the Washington Brazil Office, and a non-resident expert at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
Reviews for Lula: A People's President and the Fight for Brazil's Future
""By critically examining the political trajectory of Lula, one of Brazil's most consequential political leaders, Pagliarini's innovative book sheds a new light on the recent history of the so-called country of the future, its contradictions, challenges, promises, and hopes."" —Rafael R. Ioris, Professor of Latin American History and Politics, University of Denver ""This eloquently written history about the rise of a metalworker to the Brazilian presidency places Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's personal life and political career within the context of the dramatic changes as Brazil moved from dictatorship to democracy and then struggled to maintain economic and political stability in recent years."" —James N. Green, Professor Emeritus of Brazilian History and Culture, Brown University ""A compelling, intelligent study of an exceptional life. As the forces of political darkness continue to gather, Pagliarini's examination of Lula's tenacity is as timely as it is luminous."" —Greg Grandin, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The End of the Myth ""In this engaging, highly readable book, Andre Pagliarini pulls off a remarkable feat: he provides an illuminating and insightful account of Lula's political career and a lucid analysis of the last 100 years of Brazilian politics. A rare book that should be read by those who know a great deal about Brazilian politics as well as those who are just getting started."" —Barbara Weinstein, New York University
