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Download - LSE Theses Online - London School of Economics and ...

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more pragmatic, without losing sight <strong>of</strong> its core constituency on the left, thedispossessed <strong>and</strong> voiceless poor. Because <strong>of</strong> Brazil’s socio-economic challenges,PT’s legitimating power on foreign policy questions that required the allocation <strong>of</strong>financial resources was intricately linked to the party’s domestic successes <strong>and</strong>failures.However, PT’s internationalism is not a concession to purely its constituencies <strong>of</strong>the left. This is for a number <strong>of</strong> reasons: institutional, ideological <strong>and</strong> sociological.Institutionally, PT is such a ‘broad church’, comprising the recognition <strong>of</strong> varioustendencias, that there is perhaps not such a monolithic ‘left’ identity <strong>of</strong> the partyaround which it coheres, <strong>and</strong> to which it feels accountable. Ideologically,internationalism has not formed a fulcrum <strong>of</strong> PT’s left credentials. The internationalsphere is not an arena <strong>of</strong> salient importance for the party’s performance. This islinked to the last point: international relations have not been an issue <strong>of</strong> particularelectoral importance in Brazil, although this situation is slowly changing. This meansthat foreign policy decisions have a very small constituency, comprised <strong>of</strong> theexport industries <strong>and</strong> Brazilian investors in overseas markets, along with the ‘foreignpolicy community’ <strong>of</strong> diplomats, academics, the media, <strong>and</strong> non-governmentalorganisations.Brazil has selected a ‘strategy <strong>of</strong> emergence’ that entails the employment <strong>of</strong>multilateralism, multipolarity, <strong>and</strong> the search for membership <strong>of</strong> key clubs <strong>and</strong>groupings. Also, “(b)y opting for continued market liberalism in 2003, Lula mayhave “saved Brazil for capitalism”…, but this does not mean Brazil has become aneasy or accommodating partner” 706 . Ultimately, the fact that Brazil has becomemore ensconced in the global capitalist system has not led to a dilution <strong>of</strong>nationalism. To the contrary, it has sharpened the Brazilian foreign policymakingelite’s search for international autonomy.Has the ‘swing to the left’ palpably changed Brazil’s foreign policy? It would beexcessive to argue that it has. Brazil has maintained many <strong>of</strong> the hallmarks <strong>of</strong>foreign policy for which it was esteemed prior to the Lula administration, <strong>and</strong> hasundoubtedly raised its international pr<strong>of</strong>ile since PT’s accession to power in 2003.706 Hurrell, “Brazil <strong>and</strong> the New Global Order”, 62-3.288

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