Lulas left

Its difficult not to be reminded of Abraham Lincoln by Luis Inacio Lula da Silva,Brazils outgoing president. Born into a marginalised family in a notoriously unequal society,a metal worker with only a basic education,Lula won the presidency only on his fourth attempt in 2002. When he did,businesses and markets feared a socialist destruction of the Brazilian economy,growing significantly under the reforms of Fernando Henrique Cardoso,Lulas predecessor. But the story of Brazil under Lula has been so remarkable as to turn its president into a legend,especially in the developing world whose cause he passionately advocates. So much so,Barack Obama blurted out,I love this guy! at a G-20 summit.

And how has Brazil changed? Its economy will grow at 7.5 per cent his year. Lulas presidency has catapulted almost 30 million Brazilians into its growing middle class; people have more money and spending power; they are better educated,thus grabbing the new jobs; theyre more aware of their rights in whats still a young democracy; infrastructure has improved; Brazil,always indispensable to climate talks because of the Amazon forest,has slowed deforestation; right now,its sitting on newly discovered offshore oil reserves that could be a gamechanger for its economy. In brief,Lulas Workers Party has demonstrated that the Brazilian Left can be responsible and pragmatic a lesson not only for Cuba or Venezuela but to all leftists who cannot evolve and adapt.

As Brazil elects a new president,whether Lulas protégé Dilma Rousseff or the Social Democratic Partys Jose Serra wins,it is understood therell be policy continuity,something Lula himself can take credit for,given his appropriation of Cardosos legacy. The successors challenges will include further educational and institutional overhaul,high interest and exchange rates that hamper exports,and reconciling the rain forests with offshore drilling and industrialisation. In any case,nobodys questioning Brazils new place in the world order.