In mid-December, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff made her first official visit to France amid speculation that the French-made Rafale might beat out competition from the U.S. and Sweden for a Brazilian fighter jet tender. In an email interview, Antonio Ramalho, an expert on Brazil-European Union relations at Brasilia University, explained the obstacles and opportunities facing the France-Brazil bilateral relationship.
WPR: With new presidents in office in both countries, what are the main opportunities and obstacles facing the bilateral relationship?
Antonio Ramalho: The main opportunities relate to their common views regarding the role of government in actively promoting economic growth through public investment and inducements to the private sector. The two presidents are seeking possible joint ventures in the sectors of energy, defense and infrastructure, mainly based on public financing, besides working on the vitalization of the long border between Brazil and French Guyana -- France’s longest, in fact. Among the obstacles, three deserve greater attention: first, the extremely limited margin for maneuver in domestic politics, particularly for the French government; second, the rigidities inherent in Brazil’s economy, which the government is working on, but which will not fade in the short term; and third, the perception of stagnation in France, as a result of the worsening of the European Union crisis and of France’s fiscal constraints.