Lula part two: Brazil’s role on the international stage

Lula part two: Brazil’s role on the international stage
13
July 2023 — 6:00PM TO 7:00PM
Anonymous (not verified)
22 May 2023
Chatham House and Online

Following the election of President Lula da Silva, how will Brazil now engage with the global community?

After President Lula was elected Brazil’s president for a second time in October 2022, his victory speech claimed ‘today we say to the world that Brazil is back’. Like President Biden in the US, the ‘we are back’ mantra followed four years of populism under former president Jair Bolsonaro.

Lula’s election win suggested the rejection of isolationism, protectionist economics, and divisive politics. However, the second Lula administration is not the same as the first, and neither is the world in which it operates. 

Relations with China, peace plans for Russia’s war on Ukraine, and integration with the global economy means that, although environmentalism is at the heart of Lula’s administration alongside further social reforms, the president must navigate great divisions at home after four years of polarizing politics. 

Lula’s task today is as much a repair job after years of damaging governance as it is to propel Brazil forward. Can his global ambitions for Brazil match up?

Key questions to be discussed by the panel of experts include:

  • How has Brazil responded domestically to Lula’s election win?
  • Can Brazil realistically act as another non-aligned power on the global stage? If so, how will it manage this strategy?
  • Where will Brazil be most effective on the international stage under Lula?
  • How can Lula boost Brazil’s presence in a more divided geopolitical environment?

As with all member events, questions from the audience drive the conversation.

Source: Chathamhouse Events