The Élysée, lyrically, speaks of a “Franco-Brazilian moment”.
The real reunion between two nations which had fought cold under the reign of the far-right populist Jair Bolsonaro, until the end of 2022. This Tuesday, March 27, on the Amazonian island of Combu, presidents Macron and Lula da Silva sealed this pact, against a backdrop of spectacular images of primary forests and indigenous peoples, culminating in the presentation of the Legion of Honor to Cacique Raoni, a century-old icon of the fight against global warming.
The two leaders pose as champions of biodiversity and the energy transition... even if the Frenchman has a contested record in this area, and if the Brazilian is far from having stopped the deforestation of the green lung of the planet.
This first highlight of a three-day state visit, where Lula's personal marks of attention will be numerous, allows Macron to consolidate his stature as an influential leader among the BRICS, these ever more powerful countries (India, China , South Africa, etc.) … and ever more critical of the West.
And more reluctant to embrace his causes, like a Lula who puts Putin and Zelensky on the same level, or denounces the Israeli “genocide” in Gaza.
The Brazilian leader sees in Macron an ally in the reform of international institutions (World Bank, IMF, UN, etc.)
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