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community continually questioned the wisdom <strong>of</strong> the PT government’sinternational stances. This section traces the evolution <strong>of</strong> the foreign policypositions <strong>of</strong> PT, with special reference to its transition from opposition party togoverning party, <strong>and</strong> particular individuals who have played a key role in foreignpolicy decision-making in the two Lula governments.The evolution <strong>of</strong> PT’s foreign policy positionsPartido dos Trabalhadores was established in the forge <strong>of</strong> union politics in theindustrial heartl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> São Paulo in 1980, under a lathe-operator who wouldeventually become president <strong>of</strong> Brazil, Luiz Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva. PT’s foreignpolicy platform during its early years was based on autonomy for Brazil, whichincluded distancing the country from international commitments, such as therepaying <strong>of</strong> debts, along with adherence to certain international agreements such asthe NPT.As noted by Almeida, PT itself gradually became reconciled to greater responsibilityfor Brazil in the international arena, in a long journey from its inception withsocialist undertones in the early 1980s, to its presidential campaign <strong>of</strong> 2002. 511 Thischange was characterised by a perceptible shift from ‘the battle against imperialism<strong>and</strong> global capital’, to an outlook more accommodating <strong>of</strong> the international order<strong>and</strong> international finance. This was clearly necessitated by the dem<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> electoralpolitics (extending the party’s electoral appeal) <strong>and</strong> coalition-building, as well asBrazil’s external economic context at the end <strong>of</strong> the 1990s. PT needed both funds<strong>and</strong> allies to run successful campaigns in the weak Brazilian electoral <strong>and</strong> partysystem. 512In addition, Brazil’s precarious international financial predicament by the early years<strong>of</strong> the 21 st century meant that any Brazilian government would have to be on goodterms with the international financial institutions, <strong>and</strong> take a more accommodatingview <strong>of</strong> global capital. Authors have noted the changes <strong>and</strong> concessions that have511 Almeida, “A Política Internacional do PT”, 88.512 The key text on the nature <strong>of</strong> Brazil’s political party <strong>and</strong> electoral systems is ScottMainwaring, Rethinking Party Systems in the Third Wave <strong>of</strong> Democratization: The Case<strong>of</strong> Brazil. (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1999).209

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