Top EU officials hail Lula's reelection, vow to deepen ties with Brazil

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Top EU officials congratulated Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on his reelection Monday, pledging to strengthen cooperation between the EU and Brazil.

"Democracy and multilateralism have won in Brazil," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on US social media platform X, congratulating Lula on his electoral victory.

She described the EU-Brazil partnership as "thriving" and said the bloc would continue standing alongside Brazil in the coming years.

Von der Leyen also emphasized the importance of closer cooperation on free and open trade, a rules-based global order and ambitious climate action.

In a separate post on X, European Council President Antonio Costa congratulated Lula, saying the Brazilian people had made their choice.

"The European Union and Brazil are solid partners... We will continue to work together to deepen our ties, tackle global challenges, and build a more peaceful and prosperous world," Costa wrote.

Lula defeated Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro in a presidential runoff, securing 51.79% of valid votes, or more than 60 million ballots, compared with Bolsonaro's 48.21%.