Lula wins fourth term but faces a more right-leaning Congress from 2027

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth term but will face a more right-leaning Congress starting in 2027, with the PL party securing the largest benches in both chambers. The PL will hold 121 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 28 in the Senate, while the PT-led coalition has 88 deputies and nine senators. Lula will need to negotiate with centrist parties to pass legislation, as the right occupies 303 of 513 lower-house seats. Constitutional amendments require 308 deputy votes and 49 Senate votes, making coalition-building essential. The Senate's role in approving Supreme Court nominations and potential impeachment proceedings adds further challenges for the new mandate.