Inflation in Brazil is expected to ease further this year and near the mid-point of the central bank's 3% target by mid-2026, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in a written message to Congress on Monday.

BRASÍLIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is bracing for another two years of struggle with the nation’s Congress, as lawmakers convene on Saturday to potentially elect leaders to both the House and Senate who have promised to continue exerting tight control of an overstretched federal budget.

Brazil’s House and Senate elected new leaders on Saturday who promised independence from the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during their two-year terms, which will be the final stretch of Lula’s presidency.