European leaders have greeted Lula's re-election in Brazil. "Democracy and multilateralism have won in Brazil," Ursula von der Leyen said.
European leaders have hailed Brazilian President Lula da Silva's re-election for a fourth term, defying predictions of a right-wing surge in Latin America's most populous country and securing a key ally for the EU.
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa were among the first to congratulate Lula, with whom they worked closely to secure the EU-Mercosur trade deal.
The agreement, signed in January with the South American trading bloc comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, was seen as a rebuke to US President Donald Trump's punitive tariffs. Brussels had feared that Lula's right-wing rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, would jeopardise the deal after calling on Brazil to break free of Mercosur's "shackles" and pursue independent trade agreements, including with the US.
"Congratulations to my friend, Lula," von der Leyen said on social media.
"Democracy and multilateralism have won in Brazil. Europe's partnership with Brazil is thriving. We will remain by your side for the years to come," she went on.
"Together we will keep working closely for free and open trade. A rules-based global order. And strong ambitions for our climate."
Costa spoke with Lula on Sunday night to personally congratulate him.
"The Brazilian people have spoken," Costa said.
"We will continue to work together to deepen our ties, tackle global challenges and build a more peaceful and prosperous world."
French President Emmanuel Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro also joined the chorus.
"In the face of the great challenges of our time, let us strengthen our strategic partnership and bring to life the friendship between our two countries in service of a more just world," Macron said.
Pedro Sánchez, the most prominent left-wing leader in Europe, hailed Lula's re-election as a "great victory" and drew a parallel with his country, where the conservative opposition leads the polls ahead of snap elections next month.
"What has happened in Brazil will happen in Spain," Sánchez said. "The comeback of global progressivism has just begun."
The European reactions poured in as the results from Brazil showed Lula with a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes over Bolsonaro, giving him 51.8% of the total vote.
Bolsonaro, whose father, Jair Bolsonaro, is in jail for leading a coup attempt, has contested the tally and said the election should be annulled.
Bolsonaro claimed the order by Brazil's judiciary to extend voting hours due to public transportation delays and torrential rains was a "dirty trick".
A win for Bolsonaro, as many opinion polls had predicted after the first round, would have consolidated Latin America's right-wing turn. The Trump administration has tried to assert dominance in the region under the so-called "Donroe Doctrine".
Trump has been credited with bringing the EU and Brazil closer together, as the two searched for reliable partners in an increasingly volatile world.
The EU and Brazil have found common ground on areas that Trump has challenged, such as free trade, the multilateral order and climate action, with a focus on the Amazon.
Some crucial differences remain, most notably on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Brazil, as a member of the BRICS, maintain close ties with Russia.