Brazil's first woman president won after a tough and, at times, ugly campaign. Ms Rousseff was made of sterner stuff, and her election is first and foremost a sign that Brazil wants “Lulismo” to continue through her. Inevitably, she will disappoint, said the Guardian in an editorial published Tuesday. Excerpts: After two terms, Lula has the status of a divine entity at home. A born negotiator who presided over an economic boom, Lula pulled more than 20 million Brazilians out of extreme poverty while 30 million joined the middle class. Per capita income grew by just under a fifth from 2002 to 2010 and unemployment reduced to a record low. It was change that Brazilians could feel. Ms Rousseff comes to power in different circumstances and with very different skills. She is a no-nonsense technocrat with a quick temper. Flattering and cajoling is not her strong suit, although she arrives in power with majorities in both upper and lower houses. The economic boom that Brazil has enjoyed also presents different challenges. It is set to be the world's fifth largest economy by the time it hosts the Olympic Games in 2016, and will not be immune to growing pains. Not unlike Russia, another member of the “Bric” countries, its export boom comes from primary products such as iron ore, crude oil, soya beans and wood pulp. China, Brazil's largest trading partner, is hoovering it all up. But exports in cars, shoes or textiles are a different matter. Like Russia, Brazil faces deindustrialisation if it fails to compete as a manufacturer. But for that it needs to tackle the more intractable problems – like salaries, pensions, the tax system, and public debt – which Lula showed little desire to reform. Ms Rousseff has her work cut out, and may face a shorter honeymoon than her creator enjoyed. The important thing is that the vision of a nation that pulls millions from poverty as its economy grows is kept alive. __
