Chancellor Carlos França must change Brazil’s approach to China, but keep the conservative agenda of Bolonarism on the customs agenda. The assessment is made by relatives of the new minister, chosen Monday (29) by Jair Bolsonaro to replace Ernesto Araújo.
According to its allies, France must abandon the harshness and bellicose speech of its predecessor.
A discreet diplomat, he must also remove from the daily routine of Itamaraty references to the writer Olavo de Carvalho and to so-called globalism, a political slogan used by right-wing populist movements to denounce a supposed loss of national identity in the countries. They need to send a signal to strategic partners that there is a new dialogue in Itamaraty.
The biggest target of the rhetoric reorganization, however, is China, which is often treated as an enemy by Ernesto. The constant feuds with the Asian country were one of the main reasons that led to the rebellion of Congress – primarily the Senate – against the current former chancellor.
With the Chinese, the bet is that France will reorient the Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards a policy that was in force even before the last administration. A pragmatic approach, centered on trade relations and which does not associate the Chinese regime with the spread of the coronavirus.
Another area that should be a priority for the new foreign minister is the bilateral agenda with the United States. Figures from the far left wing of the Democratic Party, under President Joe Biden, never swallowed Ernesto’s expressions of sympathy for the Capitol invaders.
France, until then a diplomat of little expression at the Foreign Ministry, takes office without the weight of history of public declarations of appreciation to Donald Trump. Also according to his allies, he also knows that the most important item on the agenda with the United States is the environment, as the Biden government expects greater commitments from Brazil with reduction targets. CO emissions.
Anyone who expects a full return to the pre-Ernesto Itamaraty, however, tends to be frustrated. The interlocutors affirm that France is aware that, in order to remain in power, it will have to wink at the ideological wing of the government. After all, MP Eduardo Bolsonaro (PSL-SP), son of President Jair Bolsonaro and spearhead of this group, intends to maintain his influence on the Chancellery.
Even so, the conservative agenda must remain in areas which are not considered critical for the country’s international relations, that is to say which do not affect the dialogue with priority partners.
In this sense, Brazil is expected to continue to align with the UN (United Nations Organizations) for countries that advocate restrictions on reproductive and women’s rights, for example.
In July last year, the Brazilian delegation abstained from voting on a United Nations Human Rights Council report on discrimination against women and girls. On another occasion, the Bolsonaro government opposed, in a UN document, references to universal access to reproductive health services, considering that these expressions gave rise to the promotion of abortion.
These themes are costly to Bolsonaro’s support base, mainly to evangelicals.
The appointment of France was published Tuesday morning (30) in the Federal Official Journal, he has not yet taken office. During the morning he normally left his office in the Planalto Palace, where he headed the President’s Special Council.