SAO PAULO, Brazil: Brazilian right-wing ​Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has followed his imprisoned father's lead by refusing to concede defeat to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who ‌won a historic fourth term in the presidential election on October 25.

Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, questioned a decision late on October 25 by a Lula-appointed Supreme Court justice that extended voting by two hours over alleged voter transport irregularities. He said he would ask the court to annul the result.

"It is impossible to recognize the election results, given the circumstances under which things unfolded," Bolsonaro told journalists.

While the lawmaker moved to contest the result, world leaders quickly rallied behind Lula's victory, with congratulations pouring in from the European Union, Mexico, France, Canada, India, and Russia. The Trump administration, however, remained silent.

Investors reacted nervously, sending Brazilian assets sharply lower as markets reassessed the country's fiscal outlook under Lula.

The ⁠scale of Bolsonaro's loss, with the senator trailing Lula by over four million votes, makes it unlikely his efforts to annul the vote will succeed, analysts said.

His petition is also undermined by the fact that his campaign also sought a voting extension due to heavy rains in the conservative-leaning south.

Still, Bolsonaro's refusal to concede could spark a wave of protests in a country where faith in the electoral system and judicial independence has been strained in recent years, observers say.

Several foreign leaders welcomed Lula's victory, while former president Jair Bolsonaro rejected the election result. Bolsonaro plunged Brazil into a serious democratic crisis after the 2022 election, when his supporters stormed government buildings to protest against his defeat. He was later sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France and Brazil had much to build together. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said democracy and multilateralism had won. The Kremlin welcomed Lula's re-election and praised his contribution to relations between the two countries and to the BRICS group.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also congratulated Lula on his election result and expressed hope for closer cooperation between their countries.

However, the White House and the U.S. State Department did not immediately comment on the result. Argentine President Javier Milei was also among the notable absences from the early reactions.

Lula's victory is expected to disappoint the Trump administration, whose State Department had led efforts to return the Bolsonaro family to power.

Lula Defies Expectations

The result defied opinion polls, historical expectations, and a broader trend of voters turning against incumbent leaders. Lula's win also interrupted a series of victories for right-wing presidential candidates across Latin America.

Although Lula finished behind Bolsonaro in the first round, he attracted enough support in the runoff to win. His campaign focused on his record of reducing poverty and inequality during his earlier periods in office.

Lula also highlighted record-low unemployment and illiteracy, as well as reduced deforestation, during his political career. However, his fourth, non-consecutive term is expected to bring major challenges.

Financial markets reacted with concern to the unexpected result. Investors began reversing positions they had built around expectations of a Bolsonaro victory, creating uncertainty over Brazil's economic direction.

Speaking at a hotel in São Paulo, Lula adopted a conciliatory tone and acknowledged that not every Brazilian had supported his candidacy.

"I won't speak of national unity, because that doesn't always fit the reality of this country. No one is obliged to like the elected president, but he was put in place to govern for everyone," Lula said.