Zema backs Flávio Bolsonaro, casting the runoff as a vote against Lula

Zema backs Flávio Bolsonaro, casting the runoff as a vote against Lula
Romeu Zema, the former governor of Minas Gerais and former Novo presidential candidate, has formally endorsed Flávio Bolsonaro for Brazil’s October 25 presidential runoff against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Zema finished the first round in sixth place with 326,488 votes, or 0.27% of valid ballots nationwide.

In coverage from the right, the endorsement is presented as part of a broader effort to defeat Lula and the Workers’ Party, or PT. In a social-media video, Zema said: “The great battle now is to defeat Lula and the PT. I will not omit myself, nor sit on the fence at such an important moment. I vote against the PT; I vote for Flávio Bolsonaro.” He also pointed to the legislative result as evidence of a stronger right in Congress, arguing that it could create conditions for lawmakers to pursue impeachment requests against Supreme Federal Court justices.

A supportive social-media message amplified the same electoral appeal, calling: “Let’s Go Brazil! Vote @FlavioBolsonaro.”

Coverage from the left does not dispute Zema’s decision, but emphasizes its continuity rather than its surprise value. It notes that he had previously said he would support Flávio Bolsonaro in a runoff against Lula and had reiterated his anti-PT position after the first-round count. Zema said Brazil could not withstand “four more years of Lula” or further Supreme Court nominations by the president, adding: “We are together on the 25th. I’m counting on you.”

The two accounts also converge on Minas Gerais’ importance. Flávio Bolsonaro led Lula there in the first round, while Zema’s own result in his political base was 98,407 votes, or 0.82% of valid votes. The difference lies chiefly in emphasis: one portrays the endorsement as part of a wider right-wing congressional advance; the other treats it as the expected conclusion of Zema’s longstanding opposition to the PT.

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