Monday, European political leaders congratulate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on winning Brazil’s presidential election, and urge cooperation in mitigating climate change.

In Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sends Lula a salute, signaling eagerness to work together on trade and climate protection.

German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock says Lula’s victory is a win for democracy and safeguarding the world’s climate.

”The biggest winner is Brazilian democracy because the elections, which were very close, were transparent and fair,” Baerbock tells reporters while visiting Astana, Kazakhstan:

”Another big winner is the world’s climate,” she adds referencing rainforest protection.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak writes on Twitter that the UK looks forward to collaborating with Brazil to strengthen the global economy, to protect planetary resources, and bolstering democratic values.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchéz applauds Lula’s triumph, urging reinforced cooperation to fight climate change.

”Congratulations Lula on your victory... Let’s work together for social justice, equality and against climate change,” Sanchez tweeted:

”Your success will be the success of the Brazilian people.”

Norwegian Minister of Climate and the Environment Espen Barth Eide says the Scandinavian nation will contact Lula about resuming joint efforts to preserve the Amazon rainforest.

Lula da Silva will take office on Jan. 1, replacing the highly controversial president, Jair Bolsonaro, who as the country’s president has permitted massive deforestation in the Brazilian part of the Amazon.

”We note that during the campaign he (Lula) emphasized the conservation of the Amazon forest and the protection of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon,” Eide tells AFP:

”This is why we are eager to make contact with his teams, as quickly as possible, to prepare for a resumption of the historically good collaboration between Brazil and Norway.”

Bolsonaro has stymied many environmental protections in efforts to promote agriculture and other commercial activities in areas presently rainforest.

The deposed far-right leader’s priorities prompted countries including Norway and Germany to retract environmental support in the summer of 2019.

”We had a good and very close collaboration with the government before Bolsonaro and deforestation in Brazil declined greatly under Lula da Silva’s [previous] presidency,” Eide tells the French news agency:

”Then we had a head-on collision with Bolsonaro, whose approach was diametrically opposed when it came to deforestation.”

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