Brazil First, Climate Last: Bolsonaro's Foreign Policy

Abstract

In September 2019 German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will officially launch the Alliance for Multilateralism at the United Nations, which Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro regards as a "useless institution." Since the right-wing extremist took office in January 2019, Brazil and Germany have been positioned in opposing camps on climate change, migration, and human rights policies. Bolsonaro's rhetorical fanning of the flames in Amazonia is only the tip of the iceberg. Brazilian-German relations have not been more distant since the Brazilian military dictatorship. Similar to President Donald Trump's populist modus operandi, Bolsonaro's foreign policy aims at pleasing his political base. Domestic interests are more important than global responsibilities such as the protection of the Amazon. Climate change has been called a "Marxist conspiracy" by Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo. Traditional principles of Brazilian diplomacy such as democratic multilateralism have taken a back seat. National development in technology, infrastructure, and trade is the priority goal. The highly competitive agribusiness is a key sector in this approach. Bolsonaro's election promise to move the Brazilian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was addressed to his powerful evangelical base. Cabinet members from the military warned that Brazil might become a target of Islamist terrorism, while the liberal agricultural lobby is afraid of losing its Middle Eastern markets. Brazilian foreign policy will depend on the outcome of the struggle between economic liberals, religious ideologists, and the military. However, the Brazilian government has already transformed itself from an advocate for into a violator of indigenous, LGBT, and other minorities' rights. Shared Brazilian-German goals are limited to the peaceful re-democratisation of Venezuela and soft balancing China's New Silk Road project. Brazil is on the edge of becoming an illiberal democracy. Germany and the European Union should start using their economic leverage to side with Brazilian minorities and human right defenders. With the recent signing of the EU–Mercosur trade agreement, Europeans should seek to enforce social and labour rights standards as well as binding and verifiable regulations on agricultural goods linked to deforestation and violations of indigenous rights.