President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) has not yet confirmed his presence at the debate scheduled for next Thursday, the 1st, on TV Globo. According to sociologist Marcos Coimbra, director of Vox Populi, there is no reason for the PT member to accept the invitation.
Specialist Assessment
Coimbra argues that participation would turn the meeting into a platform for names with low political expression. “He would only be disrespected by people without education and without adherence to democratic values,” he said in an interview with CartaCapital.
The sociologist acknowledges that, in theory, debates serve to demand proposals. In Brazilian practice, however, he considers that the dynamic boils down to attacks without real weight.
Who was invited
In addition to Lula, the network invited Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), Augusto Cury (Avante) and Ronaldo Caiado (PSD). The rule requires the presence of candidates from parties with more than five federal deputies elected in 2022.
Until Tuesday afternoon, the 29th, the president had not made a decision. He has already refused other meetings organized by Band, SBT and Record in recent months.
Trajectory of presidential confrontations
Since the end of the dictatorship, the debate format has varied according to the political moment. In 1989, Fernando Collor avoided the first round and faced Lula only in the final stretch. In 1998, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, favorite for re-election, did not attend and the programs were canceled.
Lula, in 2006, skipped the first round and competed only in the second round against Geraldo Alckmin. The record of 13 confrontations occurred in 2010. In 2018, both Jair Bolsonaro and Lula stayed out.
In 2022, Lula and Bolsonaro crossed paths in three debates in the first round and two in the second. Now, the current president's calculation seems to repeat the logic of those leading the polls: avoiding platforms for opponents with no real chance of victory.