Coronavirus

Approval rises for Bolsonaro’s pandemic response, says survey

Campinas SP 21 10 2020- O presidente Jair Bolsonaro durante “Cerimônia de Abertura da Primeira Linha de Luz Sirius”.Foto: Marcos Corrêa/PR

According to an opinion poll from the National Transport Confederation, 57.1 percent of the Brazilian population approve of the Jair Bolsonaro government’s Covid-19 pandemic response — a rate that increased by over five percentage points since May.

Mr. Bolsonaro’s general approval ratings have seen an even bigger surge, with the percentage of respondents who rate the government as “great/good” rising from 32 percent to 41 percent in the space of five months. The president’s rejection rate has fallen to 27 percent in comparison with the study’s last measurement.

Simultaneously, the approval of state governors’ pandemic response fell to 57.8 percent — still higher than President Bolsonaro’s, but significantly lower than the 69.2 percent recorded in May.

Regarding the economy, 79 percent of Brazilians believe that the government’s emergency aid program was crucial for the population and economy during the pandemic, while 72.2 percent expect the aid to continue during the early months of 2021. As the program is particularly expensive for the federal government, this could be a point of concern for the Bolsonaro administration, amid a wealth of positive polling numbers.