Trump allies suffer defeats in Brazil and Serbia ahead of Israeli election

Brazil's Bolsonaro heir refuses to concede; Serbia's Vucic steps down; Netanyahu faces tight vote on Tuesday

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published26 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Right-wing populists aligned with US President Donald Trump lost elections in Brazil and Serbia on Sunday, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, another Trump ally, prepares for a tight election on Tuesday that analysts see as a referendum on the 2023 security failure.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured a second term, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro, the son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro. The younger Bolsonaro refused to concede and called for the results to be annulled, according to translations. Trump had called the prosecution of the elder Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup, a “WITCH HUNT.” Lula is a vocal Trump critic.

In Serbia, a student-led opposition movement ousted the party of long-serving strongman Aleksandar Vučić, who was seeking to become prime minister. Vučić conceded defeat on Sunday. He had courted Trump’s inner circle, including Donald Trump Jr., and described the president as a “kindred spirit.” The result follows the April ouster of Trump-allied Viktor Orbán in Hungary after 16 years in power.

“Either you have the most powerful ally in the hemisphere, or an antagonist,” Flávio Bolsonaro told the Conservative Political Action Conference in March. Trump did not formally endorse him but met with him earlier this year and imposed significant tariffs on Brazil over the charges against his father.

Netanyahu, who has been prime minister for about 19 years, is running against former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot. He has touted Trump’s endorsement and his “friendship” with the American president. The election is seen as a referendum on the security failure of Oct. 7, 2023, that killed around 1,200 people.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the Brazil result.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

The defeats in Brazil and Serbia break a streak of conservative victories in Latin America and signal that Trump-aligned populists can lose, even with an endorsement or association.
Tuesday’s Israeli election will determine whether Netanyahu stays in power, which could shape US policy toward Iran and the broader Middle East.
The results show that while the global right has gained ground in countries like France and Germany, opposition movements still have electoral strength.

Background

Trump has endorsed candidates abroad, and right-wing parties have made gains in several regions. In Brazil, the Bolsonaro family led a conservative movement until the elder Bolsonaro’s conviction. In Serbia, Vučić held power for years before a student-led challenge. Orbán’s defeat in Hungary earlier this year was another setback for Trump-allied leaders. Meanwhile, far-right parties in France and Germany are gaining popularity ahead of their own elections.

Key Perspectives

Brazil’s Lula: staved off a challenge from Flávio Bolsonaro, continuing his presidency. Flávio Bolsonaro: refused to concede and called for the election results to be annulled. Donald Trump: called the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro a “WITCH HUNT.” Serbia’s Aleksandar Vučić: conceded defeat after a student-led opposition toppled his party. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu: touted Trump’s endorsement and his “friendship” with the American president as he faces a tight election.

What to Watch

Whether Flávio Bolsonaro’s refusal to concede leads to unrest or legal challenges in Brazil.
The outcome of Tuesday’s Israeli election: if Netanyahu wins, the war in Iran could escalate; if Eisenkot wins, a policy shift may follow.
Further gains by far-right parties in France and Germany, which could reshape European politics.

Sources

Trump allies fall in two elections as Netanyahu faces next test · Axios

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedTrump allies suffered defeats in Brazil and Serbia.Axios: “A pair of Trump-friendly right-wing populists took a one-two punch Sunday: Brazil rejected a Bolsonaro comeback, and Serbia toppled a strongman's ruling party.”
SupportedBrazil’s Bolsonaro heir refused to concede.Axios: “The younger Bolsonaro, widely seen as the heir to his father's populist movement, refused to concede and called for the results to be annulled, according to translations.”
Partly supportedAleksandar Vučić stepped down in Serbia.Axios: “Unlike the Bolsonaros, Vučić conceded defeat Sunday.”
SupportedNetanyahu faces a tight election on Tuesday.Axios: “Tuesday's election in Israel is set to be tight for Netanyahu”
SupportedRight-wing populists aligned with Trump lost elections in Brazil and Serbia on Sunday.Axios: “A pair of Trump-friendly right-wing populists took a one-two punch Sunday: Brazil rejected a Bolsonaro comeback, and Serbia toppled a strongman's ruling party.”
Partly supportedLula secured a second term by defeating Flávio Bolsonaro.Axios: “In Brazil, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva staved off a challenge from Flávio Bolsonaro”
SupportedAnalysts see the Israeli election as a referendum on the security failure of October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people.Axios: “Analysts see the election as a referendum on the security failure of Oct. 7, 2023, that killed around 1,200 people.”
SupportedJair Bolsonaro is imprisoned and serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup.Axios: “The elder Bolsonaro is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted of plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 loss.”
SupportedTrump called the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro a “WITCH HUNT.”Axios: “Trump has called the prosecution a "WITCH HUNT."”
SupportedA student-led opposition movement toppled Vučić’s ruling party in Serbia.Axios: “a student-led opposition movement toppled the right-wing party of long-serving strongman Aleksandar Vučić”
SupportedFlávio Bolsonaro told the Conservative Political Action Conference in March, “Either you have the most powerful ally in the hemisphere, or an antagonist.”Axios: “In March, Flávio Bolsonaro told an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference that America faced a "fork in the road" in the election: "Either you have the most powerful ally in the hemisphere, or an antagonist."”
Partly supportedThe White House did not respond to a request for comment on the Brazil result.Axios: “The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on the race.”