Lula: “Reconstruction, unity, affordable food on workers' tables”

President Lula met with ministers on Monday, January 20, at Granja do Torto, in Brasília, to align strategies and assess the progress of key public policies underway in the country. He stated that 2025 is the year to reap what has been sown. "Everything we have already announced to society will come to fruition now. We must understand that 2025 is the year of the great harvest of everything we promised the Brazilian people — and we cannot fail," he declared.

Lula emphasized the commitment to the goals agreed upon with the population, highlighting the importance of ensuring more affordable food prices that align with workers' purchasing power. "We have focused on reconstruction and unity, and now we will work on reconstruction, unity, and affordable food for workers because food prices are high. It is our task to ensure that food reaches the tables of working people, homemakers, and the Brazilian people at prices that match their wages," he stressed.

The President highlighted the significance of addressing the needs of Brazilian workers, even amidst a thriving economy, declining unemployment, and real wage growth, while recognizing the labor market’s significant adjustments in recent decades.

“It is important for us to understand that the people we are working with today are not the same as in the 1980s. These are not people who only want a factory job with a formal contract. They are becoming entrepreneurs and enjoy this role. We need to learn to work with this characteristic. That is why we must be held to high standards. I will never complain about the people holding us accountable. I will complain if we fail to deliver everything we have committed to,” he said.

We have focused on reconstruction and unity, and now we will work on reconstruction, unity, and affordable food for workers, because food prices are high. It is our task to ensure that food reaches the tables of working people, homemakers, and the Brazilian people at prices that match their wages"

President of the Republic Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

FOREIGN POLICY — Lula underscored Brazil's pivotal role in international geopolitics in 2025, a year when the country holds the BRICS presidency and will host the climate conference, COP30, in Belém (PA). "We will have a challenge now with BRICS in July and another with COP30 in November. And we know that this will always represent Brazil's image abroad. I want to thank those who worked to make an extraordinary G20, certainly the best G20 ever held in the world," the president remarked. He also wished luck to Donald Trump, who assumes the presidency of the United States this Monday. "I hope he has a fruitful administration, so that the Brazilian and American people can improve, and for the Americans to continue being a historical partner of Brazil,” he added.

TAX REFORM — The regulation of the tax reform, the first carried out in a democratic context in the country's history, was also discussed. The legislation eliminates tax cumulativeness, simplifies rules, provides predictability to revenue collection, and removes taxes on items from the national basic food hamper. "Everyone knows the effort made to approve a tax reform that will only bear fruit in terms of meeting the people's interests in 2027, but will quickly benefit those who want to invest in Brazil, those who want to believe in Brazil, those who want to come here to help Brazil develop," he pointed out.

DEMOCRACY — Lula also noted that democracy will prevail in the country and that he will continue to honor the commitment to meet the needs of the most vulnerable populations. "To serve the poorest, the small business owners, entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesspeople, educators, and all those who want to work for the good of Brazil," he pointed out. "I want you to know my vigor, my willingness, and my dedication so that we keep working to make democracy stronger and to make the Brazilian people happy again."

CELL PHONES IN SCHOOLS — The President also referred to the importance of advancements in the field of education and mentioned the law signed on January 13 that restricts the use of cell phones in public and private basic education institutions during class hours. "We want to deliver a country with a lot of education, with happier children, now that we have passed the law where children cannot use cellphones in school, because it is a protection system for the children and the teachers. This is us clearly stating that we are privileging humanism, not algorithms," he said.