Brazzil
November 2001
Politics
Unlike Brazil's top tennis star, Guga, who flopped in Paris recently against a little-known opponent, President Fernando Henrique Cardoso was a sensational success in the French capital. He is now back in Brasília after a triumphant visit to Europe during which he addressed the French National Assembly, spent a cozy weekend with the UK prime minister, Tony Blair, at his country retreat along with Bill Clinton, and met the Spanish prime minister.
A trip abroad is always a welcome relief for a political leader and in the past Cardoso has been criticized for leaving Brazil at moments of trouble. This visit though has been acclaimed as the most successful in his seven years in power and could strengthen his position at home. What a pity he had to mar it by playing to the gallery and criticizing, who else, the United States.
In an address to the National Assembly in Paris, Cardoso complimented his hosts and, instead of attacking the European Union's scandalous French-inspired agricultural policies, which are harming countries like Brazil, he made a veiled attack on the US. Although he did not mention the US by name in his speech he did so in a press conference beforehand. According to Cardoso, while the Americans are right to react against terrorism, they should be as equally determined to confront the problems of conflict, instability and inequality.
"Barbarity is not only the cowardliness of terrorism but also the intolerance or the imposition of unilateral policies on a global scale," he said. This means that the US should stop throwing its weight around and accept deals like the Kyoto gas emissions treaty just because every other country does. Will Brazil one day agree to an international treaty to safeguard the Amazon because the rest of the world thinks Brazil has failed to do so? If terrorists crashed planes into the statue of Christ the Redeemer and the Rio Carnaval parade would Brazil start doing what the rest of the world thinks it should do to safeguard the Amazon?
Cardoso was given a standing ovation by the French deputies and, caught up in the emotion, shouted, "Vive la France!". President Jacques Chirac said he could not remember any head of state being as well received as Cardoso. Chirac also had the effrontery to claim that France would be on Brazil's side in forthcoming trade talks between the EU and the Mercosul. However, as the French are pretty shrewd at getting their own way over foreigners one cannot help but feel that Chirac's remarks were "para brasileiro ouvir". *
Tony Blair said more or less the same thing when he was in Brazil at the end of July and Cardoso is not so naïve as to believe that French or British support will be forthcoming. However, one wonders if, when he meets George Bush later this month at the United Nations in New York, Cardoso will compliment the US, bleat about the EU's protectionist policies and shout "Long live America!". One doubts it. Blaming the Americans for the world's problems will always win applause, especially in France, a country which was twice rescued by the Americans in the 20th century.
Back home things were different and Cardoso was feted by the Brazilian media and the man in the street. In their eyes Brazil was finally receiving the kind of first-class treatment on the world stage which it is due but rarely gets. One must admire Cardoso for the clever way in which he planned this visit. He made sure he took along leaders from the main parties in his governing coalition—PSDB, PFL and PMDB—all of whom basked in the French adulation. This showed strong political unity to foreign political leaders, and more importantly to nervous businessmen, overseas and at home.
On their return the party leaders queued up to comment on the visit's success. They were probably right to do so and the government now intends using the unity brought about by the visit as a foundation stone for next year's presidential elections. At the moment the front-running potential candidates are from Cardoso's own PSDB but the PMDB and PFL also have strong contenders. There is still a long way to go and the anti-government wing of the PMDB will be a thorn in Cardoso's side for a few months more, but for the moment Cardoso's star is rising. Although he will be unable to stand for re-election himself he will be a good position to nominate his successor.
The main opposition party, the left-wing PT, was incensed by Cardoso's success for two reasons: Cardoso was lauded by the French left-wing parties and his visit overshadowed a trip to France made earlier in October by its leader, Lula. Compared with the eloquence and grandeur of the Cardoso visit, Lula's trip was a disaster highlighted by comments which implied that Lula supported the agricultural protectionism practiced by France and the European Union. While Cardoso was still basking in the acclaim Lula was trying to forge a local alliance with a former PMDB state governor of São Paulo who has been accused of corruption. So, no statesmanlike comment from Lula. What did we get instead? One of the PT's deputies complained that Cardoso had spoken to the French National Assembly in French instead of Portuguese. "He has surrendered his citizenship because he doesn't like Brazil", was the inane comment made by this deputy who once attempted to introduce a law banning foreign words.
The feeble response of the PT is really worrying for the future of Brazil. Lula is still in a good position in the opinion polls for next year's elections and he can point to many failures of the Cardoso years but the PT is offering no positive alternatives. By trying to team up with discredited PMDB politicians Lula may be weaving a web of support for a possible second round of voting in the election. He cannot, therefore, be criticized for doing what virtually every politician is doing. However, he is the leader of the only big nationally organized party, which has a real ideological difference with the coalition parties and he should be more effective in getting his message over.
He should be trying to put himself on the same level as Cardoso but this is not happening and does not look as if it will happen. One swallow does not make a summer and Cardoso's French triumph may soon be forgotten by other international events such as the Afghanistan war or the situation in Argentina, but for the moment he is enjoying la vie en rose or, if our PT readers prefer, um mar de rosas.
* A variation on the Brazilian phrase "para inglês ver", literally "for the English to see," which means pretending to go along with the rules of the game while conning your opponent into trusting you. The explanation goes back to the 19th century when the British navy used to stop ships to check there were no slaves aboard. Brazil still imported slaves and slavers used to make cosmetic changes to the ships to fool the British inspectors into thinking the unfortunate blacks were not slaves.
This material was originally published in the E-zine Infobrazil www.infobrazil.com
John Fitzpatrick, the author, is a Scottish journalist who has been based in São Paulo since 1995. His career in journalism that started in 1974 includes stints as a reporter in Scotland and England, deputy editor of an English-language daily newspaper in Cyprus, news editor of a radio station in Switzerland, financial correspondent in Zurich and São Paulo, and editor of a magazine published by one of Switzerland's largest banks. He currently runs Celtic Comunicações, a São Paulo company which specializes in editorial and translation services. You can reach him at Johnfitz@osite.com.br