Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro during a rally in Juiz de Fora on 6 September 2018
Brazil's energy reform at stake in election showdown
The energy sector will see a reform agenda gain momentum from a Bolsonaro win, but a change in direction if Haddad can pull off an unlikely comeback
Brazil's impending presidential election run-off offers the country's energy industry two very clear alternatives. The poll on Sunday pits a candidate committed to further rolling back the state's involvement against an opponent who advocates undoing much of the cautious progress of the current administration, towards a less state-dominated industry. The only major question mark is whether either candidate—the rightist Jair Bolsonaro, favourite after picking up 46% of the vote in the first round, or the leftist Fernando Haddad, the underdog after garnering less than 30%—pivots away from their staked-out positions towards a more centrist approach to try to ensure victory in the 28 October vot
Also in this section
16 April 2026
Demand for oil is falling because supply cannot meet it, not because it is no longer required
16 April 2026
The continent has an immediate opportunity to make the most of its energy resources by capturing gas that is currently slipping away
15 April 2026
The continent is seeing political pushback to climate plans, corporate reassessment of transition goals and rising supply risk in a fractured global order
15 April 2026
The Middle East energy crisis may turn out to be pivotal to the industry’s long-term expansion, but significant challenges still stand in its way
