Riding on Brazil's strong economy, which has helped boost wages and jobs, support for Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's administration jumped to 58%, its highest level since 2003, according to a public opinion poll released this Thursday, March 27.
The March poll showed that 58% of Brazilians believe the Lula administration was doing a good or excellent job, up from 51% in December according to a survey by Ibope. It is the highest rating since the first Ibope poll of the Lula administration in March 2003, three months after taking office.
The Ibope survey polled 2002 people between March 19 and 23 and has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
"There's been a profound improvement in the feeling of the people," said Marco Antonio Guarita, director of the National Industry Confederation, which published the poll. "There's only one reason for that: the economy," Guarita said in a news conference.
Survey respondents said Lula performed better in all eight areas of government, from employment and inflation to health and education. Even in public security, a big problem in Brazil, his ratings improved.
The strong support for the Brazilian president may help candidates from his governing coalition in October's municipal elections, analysts said, although local politics usually have a greater influence in these local elections.
Brazilian newspapers have charged that Lula da Silva's intense promotion of public works projects was intended to pave the way for a successor in the 2010 presidential elections. But most experts agree it will likely be two years before any politician emerges as viable presidential candidate.
Mercopress
