Main focus of Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Brazilians elect female president

Dilma Rousseff won Brazil's presidential elections on Sunday. She is considered a pragmatist in the country's leftist Workers' Party. The press is delighted that a woman now leads Brazil and expects rigorous economic reform against the background of a balanced policy mix.

Blog A Vida de Saltos Altos - Portugal

Dilma Rousseff is the first woman to be elected to lead the largest country in Latin America. This is progress for Brazil and the whole world, writes Sofia Rijo in the Blog A Vida de Saltos Altos for the weekly Expresso: "What brings me to talk about Dilma and her victory has nothing to do with her political predecessors or her social background. It is always good news when a woman is elected to such a prestigious political post. ... I'm curious after this victory, and will watch closely how a country full of possibilities like Brazil develops under its new president. ... According to the Brazilians she's not as charismatic as Lula da Silva, but the people don't doubt her leadership qualities. We need more people like this. ... Who knows? Perhaps a world led by women would be considerably fairer, more balanced and more peaceful." (01/11/2010)

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Blog Standard.ro - Romania

With the 62-year-old Dilma Rousseff yet another woman has managed to climb to the pinnacle of state politics. That will do Brazil good, writes Mircea Martin in the blog portal standard.money.ro: "The world powers and large economies are gradually becoming more feminine. Women are breaking up the male monopoly over top spots at the highest decision-making levels - as heads of state and government like German Chancellor Angela Merkel or as top diplomats like Hillary Clinton. ... The special thing about Dilma Rousseff's victory is that a woman can win such elections in a 'macho' country. The idea that her gender could work to her disadvantage in politics has turned out to be a prejudice. Dilma Rousseff is now top dog in a country that is known for how badly women fare in it - from the under-age prostitutes in Rio ... to the millions of female clandestine workers. For all of them Dilma Rousseff will become the mother of the nation." (02/11/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Elections, » Latin Amerika, » Global, » Romania, » Brazil
All available articles from » Mircea Martin

Financial Times Deutschland - Germany

Brazil's new President Dilma Rousseff wants to stimulate the economy with a rigorous reform policy. She has no choice if Brazil wants to become one of the world's five largest economic powers, writes the economic daily Financial Times Deutschland: "Indeed, Rousseff must slow down public spending without choking growth. That alone will not be enough to maintain the dynamism of the Brazilian economy on the long term, however. Rousseff must lessen Brazil's dependence on its raw materials and boost exports of processed goods. These are suffering immensely because the boom has considerably raised the value of the Brazilian real. In addition the country is lacking private investment in infrastructure. The airports and harbours are currently bottlenecks for Brazil's foreign trade. An improved infrastructure would also help the country face the challenges to come. In 2014 it will host the FIFA World Cup, and in 2016 the Summer Olympics. If the country cuts a good figure here, voters will accept even more rigorous reforms from Rousseff." (02/11/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Infrastructure / Travel and Transport, » Economic Policy, » Elections, » Brazil

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland

Things won't be easy for Brazil's new President Dilma Rousseff because she will have to measure up to her charismatic predecessor Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the liberal-conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung notes: "If Rousseff can't maintain the same success rate it won't be as easy for her as it was for her mentor to gloss this over with charisma. Rousseff, an economist who has tended to come across as arrogant, really needs to work on this quality so vital for politicians, otherwise she could quickly be crushed by the unprecedented popularity of the outgoing Lula da Silva. Rousseff will have to rapidly develop her own profile. If she doesn't  her government could turn into a South American version of the Medvedev-Putin duo, or worse still, a caricature of the Peróns and the Kirchners in the neighbouring countries. Lula can do his bit to aid the profile of the first female president of the largest state in Latin America by making it clear from the start that he didn't nominate Rousseff just to hold his place so he can take power again in four years' time." (02/11/2010)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Brazil
All available articles from » Oswald Iten

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