By Indianara Goz
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, of the Workers' Party (PT), said on Friday (Nov. 6) that he will personally follow the government's actions and deadlines, and warned that anyone who does not deliver should leave their post. He spoke at an extraordinary meeting of the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) in Brasília, the capital.
Lula's warning: 'Those who don't want to do it, get out'
The threat came with a note of self-praise. “Those who don't want to do it, get out, because Brazil cannot wait,” the president said. In the same speech he cast himself as his own inspector: “besides the Casa Civil, the Lulinha [referring to himself] is going to be an inspector, you know? Of the fulfillment of every single thing we approve.” The Casa Civil is the office of the president's chief of staff, which coordinates government work.
Fossil fuel roadmap approved ahead of COP31
While Lula promised to chase deadlines, the CNPE approved guidelines for the National Roadmap (“Mapa do Caminho Nacional”), a plan meant to gradually reduce Brazil's dependence on fossil fuels. The decision comes just before COP31, the UN climate conference, which starts on Monday (Nov. 9) in Turkey.
'Economic power' and dependence on China or the U.S.
At the same meeting, the president said he wants to take Brazil out of the “developing” stage within the next four years. According to him, the goal is to turn the country into an economic power and keep it from depending on China or the United States. “We want to turn this country into an economic power, we don't want to depend on China or the United States. We want to be equal to them or better than them,” he said.
Polls show a divided country
Lula's push comes at a time when public opinion is split. In a Quaest poll, 48% disapprove of the government and 45% approve. In another survey, by BTG/Nexus, 46% rate the government as bad or terrible, against 37% who call it great or good and 18% who call it fair. The president is demanding results, but voters do not yet see a consensus on what has already been delivered.
Why it matters
The CNPE is the body that sets energy policy for Brazil, one of the world's largest economies and a major energy producer. The roadmap approved on Friday will be Brazil's message on the energy transition abroad, and COP31 will be the first test. At home, the question is whether the announced oversight will go beyond rhetoric and become deadlines actually met.
VDD Analysis
A president who appoints himself inspector of his own measures needs to present results, not just threats. Telling “those who don't want to do it” to get out sounds strong, but the conservative voter wants concrete outcomes: cheaper energy, legal certainty for those who produce, and a State that delivers without bloating the bill. Without that, the promise of economic power stays on the campaign stage.
