Guilherme Casarões, assistant professor at the São Paulo School of Business Administration of the Fundação Getulio Vargas: “Despite the atmosphere of optimism surrounding Lula da Silva’s candidacy, which sits comfortably at over 40 percent, Bolsonaro has seen his name rise in recent polls. The president seems to have benefited from the growing sense of post-pandemic normalcy, boosted by blatant early campaigning and wide use of populist economic policies to consolidate support among the retired and unemployed. Recent changes in Brazil’s political landscape may also favor the incumbent. His main contender in the right-wing camp, former Justice Minister Sérgio Moro, has apparently dropped out of the presidential race. As negotiations among center-right parties to offer an alternative candidate stall, Bolsonaro will be able to direct his disinformation-based attacks at Lula, his political nemesis. But last-minute fiscally irresponsible policies are not sufficient to revert the administration’s double-digit nightmare, as inflation, unemployment and interest rates soar…”