Under the Zero Hunger Project, the government provided free or cheap food for the poor. Due to the government's financial difficulties, the project has not yet reached Lula's goal—every Brazilian has food to eat three times a day, but it has eased hunger issues in the country.

The Family Allowance program is a type of conditional cash transfer program currently popular in many Latin American countries. In this program, a family whose monthly per-capita income is less than 120 reals (about $70) can get a cash subsidy of up to 95 reals ($56) per month. The subsidy is granted on the condition that the family send their children to school and utilize free health care immunization services provided by the government.

In the short term, cash subsidies can improve the life of impoverished families. In the long term, the program can improve the quality of human resources in Brazil by educating children and increasing overall wellness. It is estimated that one quarter of the Brazilian population have obtained subsidies under the program.

Brazilians hope Rousseff will care for low-income citizens as much as Lula has; they hope for improved income distribution and greater achievements for the Zero Hunger Project. This is no simple task.

In addition, the new president will be faced with complex external relations. As the largest developing country in the Western Hemisphere, Brazil has always pursued a more powerful voice in the international arena. Many international media said that during Lula's reign, Brazil's international status increased on an unprecedented scale.

For instance, in June 2003, Brazil, India and South Africa established a trilateral dialogue forum to coordinate their stances on major international issues. Under the initiatives of Brazil, the first Summit of South American-Arab Countries was held in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, in May 2005. Brazil also actively participated in activities under the framework of the BRIC group (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and regarded BRIC as yet another tool to enhance its international status. In April 2010, the second BRIC Summit was held in Brasilia, and the host country's extensive preparations paved the way for the summit's complete success.

Smooth transition

In the diplomatic arena, the transition from Lula to Rousseff should be a smooth one. But Brazil has its sights set on becoming a great international power and Rousseff should consider the next steps seriously. She should continue relationships with the United States, China, the EU, Russia, India and Iran, while further promoting relations with Venezuela, Argentina and other Latin American countries. For Rousseff, who has seldom traveled abroad, the difficulty is evident.

Rousseff was born in Brazil on December 18, 1947. The daughter of a Bulgarian immigrant lawyer and a Brazilian mother, she was raised in an upper-middle class household. Despite her privileged upbringing, she became fascinated with the ideas of leftist radicals at a young age. After the military coup in 1964, Rousseff became a member of a left-wing guerrilla group, hoping to use force to overthrow the military regime and create a new life for the Brazilians. From 1970 to 1972, she served jail time for the affiliation.

After her release, Rousseff continued her economics studies, obtaining a bachelor's degree in 1977. In 1985 Rousseff made her political debut, receiving her first executive branch appointment: municipal secretary of treasury in Porto Alegre. When Lula took office in 2003, she was appointed as minister of energy.

Two years later, in June 2005, she was named President Lula's chief of staff. The Brazilian media said her performance in this position made her one of Lula's favorite assistants and led to her selection as his successor.

Lula spared no effort in helping Rousseff win the presidential election and admitted he spent more time traveling across the country campaigning for her than for his own 2006 campaign. The Brazilian media, as well as some international media, attributed Rousseff's victory to Lula's charisma.

The author is a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences