Election wins in four countries renew confidence in democracy

Elections in Brazil, Serbia, Israel and the US produced setbacks for leaders accused of weakening democracy.

In Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a fourth presidential term with nearly 52% of the vote, after a strong second-round turnout.

In Serbia, a student-led movement defeated a regime that had held power for 14 years, with a margin large enough to deter efforts to overturn the result.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost his majority, but it remains unclear whether opposition parties will work with Arab Israeli parties to form a government.

In the US, Democrats won clear majorities in both houses of Congress, weakening Donald Trump and dividing his Republican party.

Across the four countries, grassroots activism helped produce unexpected results and offered fresh evidence that democratic institutions can withstand pressure.

The US Democratic majorities face the difficult task of restoring democratic health, while Israel’s opposition still has to decide whether it can build a governing coalition.