Emmanuel Macron has been in Brazil since Tuesday March 26 for a two and a half day trip. This is the first bilateral visit of the French head of state to Latin America since 2017. The choice of this destination owes nothing to chance: Lula's return to the head of Brazil offers an opportunity to deepen the relationship between the two countries.
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This visit began with images that were supposed to tell a story: that of Emmanuel Macron and Lula in the Amazon forest in Belém with the cacique Raoni. Hand in hand, in shirt sleeves, accomplices, and on the same wavelength with the desire to make environmental ambition a common fight, describes our special correspondent, Valérie Gas. In a ” brazilian moment », as the Élysée says, because this country will organize several major multilateral meetings in the coming months – from the G20 to the 2025 COP – the idea is to take advantage of this to develop a strategic partnership.
Regarding the fight against climate change, France and Brasil appear on the same wavelength. An investment program across the Brazilian and Guyanese Amazon, intended to raise one billion euros over four years, as part of a roadmap on the bioeconomy and the protection of tropical forests, was announced Tuesday March 26. With the wish for Emmanuel Macron to “ build a new cross-border strategy “.
Celebrate the “ strength » of the bilateral defense partnership
On Wednesday, it was the turn of defense questions. The French and Brazilian presidents celebrated the naval partnership between the two countries, which will thus cooperate on a “ new submarine program », notably nuclear-powered, and who work together on the construction of helicopters. Emmanuel Macron also mentioned the renewal of tanks, while indicating not to exclude the possibility of selling Rafale aircraft to Brazil.
The latter also met Lula at the Itaguai shipyard, near Rio, on Wednesday, for the launching of the third in a series of four French-designed submarines with conventional propulsion, the result of a Franco-Brazilian agreement signed in 2008. In addition to the sale of 50 Caracal helicopters, the defense agreement between Brazil and France includes a 6.7 billion euro contract to develop Brazil's submarine capabilities. The agreement should allow Brazil to design and build its first nuclear attack submarine, the Alvaro Alberto. For the moment, the project is accumulating delays.
The two heads of state underlined the meaning of this strategic partnership in a world tested by wars and crises. Despite the differences, particularly on Ukraine, the French president judged “ that we sometimes need to know how to use the language of firmness to protect peace “. On Wednesday, Macron thus greeted a “ new page » relations with Brazil, evoking a “ a common destiny ” and an ” same view of the world “, whether it is the fight against climate change, the defense industry or even ” space adventures “.
Disagreement on Mercosur
After defense, the economy. A few hours later, on Wednesday, the dissonance between the heads of state was much more acute, on the future of the trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur. This EU-Mercosur treaty “ as it is negotiated today is a very bad agreement, for you and for us », affirmed Emmanuel Macron in front of an audience of Brazilian entrepreneurs in Sao Paulo, the economic capital. “ Let's build a new agreement (…) which is responsible from a development, climate and biodiversity point of view “, he defended.
The draft treaty, discussions of which began in 1999, intends to eliminate the majority of customs duties between the two zones by creating an area of more than 700 million consumers. After a political agreement in 2019, several countries including France blocked its adoption, an opposition which strengthened with the agricultural crisis plaguing Europe. Emmanuel Macron, for example, argued that the rules of this commercial treaty are not “ homogeneous » with European rules. Mercosur heavyweight, Brazil, with Lula in the lead, on the contrary tirelessly defends the agreement.
International politics on the menu for the last day of the visit
For the last day of his visit this Thursday, March 28, the French president will be welcomed in the capital Brasilia by Lula for discussions dominated by major international issues. Emmanuel Macron should recall the importance that the G20, chaired this year by Brazil, must continue to give to the war in Ukraine. Lula, who poses as champion of “ Global South », insists for its part that responsibilities are shared in Ukraine and refuses to take sides against Russia.
Whatever the case, Emmanuel Macron seeks to make “ active bilateralism » with Brazil and to make an ally, strengthening the link between the two countries and trying to obtain convergence on the international scene.
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