Lulism

The word Lulism was coined by André Singer, a political scientist and Lula's press secretary from 2003 to 2005 and spokesperson during his presidency from 2002 to 2007.[23][28][29][30] Originating in the 2002 presidential campaign, Lulism departed from the left-wing politics of the Workers Party until late 2001[22] and abandoned the concepts of organization and mobilization. Since Lulism is a model of enforced change within order, mobilization is unnecessary and conflict is eliminated.[29]

A 2009 article written for the Instituto Millenium said that "liberals are cornered" after "more than six years of Lulism". Patrícia Carlos de Andrade adopted that view: "According to her, the term 'liberal' is mistranslated in Brazil as 'rightist' or 'supportive of military dictatorships'. In the war for public opinion, the so-called left always got the better, Singer says".[31] Lula da Silva has also been described in media and books as a "liberal" in the sense of social rather than classical.[4][32][33]

Lulism sought reconciliation between Lula and the large Brazilian conservative sector.[29][34] Ironically,[35] it is a conservative social pact combining the economic policy of Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995–2003) with the distributive policies of Lula's government (2002–2010).[28]

Under the auspices of conciliation,[36] Lulism represents an "appeasement of social conflicts, of which the bourgeoisie has always [been] too afraid, especially in a country of great inequality as is the case of Brazil" because it envisions a "reduction-agenda poverty and inequality, but under the aegis of a weak reformism".[35] This social change model is explained as a "conservative variant of modernization" in which the state has a "prominent role in leveraging the poorest", ensuring that Brazilian social structural problems will not be touched (in other words, without conflicting with the financial interests of the conservative elite).[36] Lulism "concocted new ideological, under-union banners that seemed to combine" continuity of the Lula and Cardoso governments in macroeconomic policy based on three pillars, namely inflation control, a floating exchange rate and a budgetary surplus.[22]

Another feature distinguishing Lulism as a political movement is its nonpartisan character. It overlaps the political parties, including the Workers Party founded by Lula.[37] Although the movement was anchored in Lula's charisma, Lulism differs from other movements surrounding political leaders (such as Peronism in Argentina) in its lack of a cult of personality around the former Brazilian President.

With later events in Brazilian politics, such as the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, the arrest of Lula on 7 April 2018 and President Michel Temer's reform of labour laws,[38] some political commentators are arguing for a second phase of Lulism, now more radical and more left orientated.[39]

Several Latin American politicians such as Ollanta Humala, José Mujica, Mauricio Funes, and Fernando Lugo have cited Lulism and Chavism as political models and alternatives to the Washington Consensus.[40]

• Faz o L
• Free Lula movement
• Liberalism in Brazil
• History of the socialist movement in Brazil
• BRICS
• Chavismo
• Kirchnerism
• Bolsonarism

• Casanova, Lourdes; Kassum, Julian (4 June 2014). The Political Economy of an Emerging Global Power: In Search of the Brazil Dream. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-35236-1. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
• Ricci, Rudá (1 January 2010). Lulismo: da era dos movimentos sociais à ascensão da nova classe média brasileira : de como o discurso anti-institucionalista dos anos 80 deu lugar ao líder da conclusão da modernização conservadora em nosso país. Fundação Astrojildo Pereira. ISBN 978-85-89216-28-9. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
• Singer, André (30 August 2012). Os sentidos do lulismo. Companhia das Letras. ISBN 978-85-8086-358-1. Retrieved 12 August 2015.