Big surprise on Sunday in Brazil.

If former left-wing president Lula came out on top in the first round of the presidential election, outgoing president Jair Bolsonaro held up better than expected.

A second round will therefore take place to decide between them.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, icon of the Brazilian left, won 47.97% of the vote, ahead of the president, at 43.60%, announced in the evening the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), on the basis of the counting of 97 .69% of polling stations.

A disappointing result for Lula

This narrow victory is disappointing for Lula, to whom the polls promised a large lead, even a triumph in the first round, which he wanted to celebrate on the great Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo.

He will therefore have to face his sworn enemy in a second round, provided for by electoral law on October 30.

Populist leader Jair Bolsonaro therefore escaped a humiliating defeat in the first round, these four weeks can be an opportunity for him and his supporters to find new momentum.

A second round means above all another month of a deleterious campaign which has tired millions of Brazilians since August.

The candidates exchanged plenty of personal insults and presented few plans for the future of Brazil, a deeply fractured country with immense challenges.

"It adds uncertainty," said Michael Shifter of Georgetown University, "it would not be surprising to see more unrest or violent incidents."

Bolsonaro congratulates himself on having "defeated the lies" of the polls

In addition, many Bolsonarist candidates, including former government ministers, have been elected to Congress and as governors.

Because all day, Brazilians had rushed en masse to choose their president, but also the deputies, a third of the senators and the governors of the 27 states, with long queues.

The ballot, to which 156 million voters were called, apparently took place without violence in the largest country in Latin America.

While waiting for the vote on October 30, the two candidates galvanized their troops on Sunday evening with the aim of winning in the second round.

"The fight continues until the final victory", declared Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Jair Bolsonaro for his part congratulated himself on having "defeated the lies" of the polls

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