Lula's foreign policy and the quest for autonomy through diversification

Foreign policy of the New Left: explaining Brazil's Southern partnerships

“…Soares de Lima and Hirst (2006) have also suggested that there is a path dependency at work in Itamaraty in that, once ideas gain legitimacy, they are very difficult to dispel thereafter. This would explain the continued resonance of earlier foreign policy paradigms; even Lula's assertive policy turn is reminiscent of the emphasis on South-South ties under Ernesto Geisel, president from 1974 to 1979 (Vigevani and Cepaluni 2007).…”

“…In the 1990s, the MRE played an increasingly prominent role as changes such as regional integration and increasingly complex multilateral negotiations demanded skilled diplomacy (Vigevani and Cepaluni 2007). Itamaraty has historically exercised a significant degree of autonomy, maintaining its separation from other ministries and agencies (Cason and Power 2009 (Daudelin 2010).…”

“…One problem with raising aspirations about Brazil's leadership is that it can lead to frustrated expectations, and generate resistance (Vigevani and Cepaluni 2007). In Haiti, Brazil had the opportunity to test its principles around security and multilateralism, especially its concern with reconceptualising peacekeeping and enforcement, inter alia by emphasising the economic roots of insecurity (Soares de Lima and Hirst 2006).…”

“…Moreover, global governance reform seemed more likely following the rise of new powers, notably China. These countries looked to pursue what Vigevani and Cepaluni (2007) refer to as 'autonomy through diversification': an 'adherence to international norms and principles by means of South-South alliances, including regional alliances, and through agreements with non-traditional partners … trying to reduce asymmetries in external relations with powerful countries' (Vigevani andCepaluni 2007:1313). In various ways, the external context and key characteristics of Brazil favoured more active foreign policy.…”

“…However, while there do appear to be key differences between the PT government's domestic and foreign conduct, the notion of 'talking left' abroad is also problematised by the extremely pragmatic course taken by foreign policy, which the PT government has explicitly recognised. For instance, in 2006, the then secretary-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Pinheiro Guimarães, declared: 'Brazil has to articulate political, economic and technological alliances with peripheral states of the international system to protect its interests' (quoted in Vigevani andCepaluni 2007: 1314-5). This article seeks to explore more systematically how the rise to power of the New Left in Brazil 1 has influenced its foreign conduct by examining its relations with other countries in the global South.…”