Weekly Report - 23 January 2025 (WR-25-03)

Even though the next presidential election is not until October next year, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged his ministers during a cabinet meeting on 20 January to step up their performance and delivery on policy objectives, saying that “2026 has already begun”. The latest cabinet meeting also saw a rise in prominence of Lula’s new communications secretary, Sidônio Palmeira, who will take on more authority over the public relations of cabinet ministers, in what appears to be an effort to prepare the government for campaign mode.