MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Blair splits Brazilian Labor

Although leading in the polls and rapidly moving to the middle ground, the Brazilian Labor Party, (Partido Trabalhista, PT), still is split about the “third way” and its social commitment.

The recent visit to Brazil of possibly the most successful world Labor leader, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, contributed to expose the gap between the more moderate middle class PT followers and the radicals who have in former union chief Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva their natural leader.

Marta Suplicy, Mayor of the leading Brazilian city, Sao Paulo, and a possible candidate for the Brazilian presidential ticket in November 2002 described Tony Blair as "brilliant", while Lula, who has unsuccessfully bid three times for the Brazilian presidency stated, "he's a fake and the third way only makes laborers slaves of foreign companies".

However, member of Congress Aloiso Mercadante, who is signaled as Finance or Planning Minister if PT wins the Brazilian presidency praised Blair's policies, and anticipated that "we're committed to economic stability and balanced budgets".

Lula, a metal industry worker, became famous in the eighties when he organized labor unions and helped with the return of democracy to Brazil.

But in spite of his popularity, dressed and making speeches as a union leader only led him to three successive defeats in his bid for office. Now he wears Armani suits, and even manages to quote some writers, academics and philosophers.

The latest polls show Lula's standing at 34%, by far the highest, and the support for the PT at 30%. However 40% still reject him, the highest among potential candidates to lead Brazil beginning January 2003.