\n<\/p>\n
Supported by<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/section>\n
Insights from Le Monde and Politico<\/p>\n
The presidents of France and Brazil launched a submarine made in the South American nation using French technology, as the two nations strengthen their defense ties.<\/p>\n
Emmanuel Macron is the first French president to visit Brazil in 11 years<\/a> after ties between Paris and Bras\u00edlia deteriorated during Jair Bolsonaro\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n The submarine launch follows Macron and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announcing a $1.1 billion plan to protect the Amazon. Other more \u201cthorny subjects<\/a>\u201d such as regional trade deals and Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine are also expected to feature in talks during the French leader\u2019s trip this week.<\/p>\n The meetings between Macron and Lula send a signal to politicians in France, Brazil, and beyond: By meeting with Macron, a left-leaning European, Lula is sending a message to right-leaning and centrist politicians in his coalition government, French newspaper Le Monde noted. Meanwhile, Macron \u201cis hoping to pull the rug out<\/a> from under his own opposition by standing with one of the world\u2019s most popular left-wing figures, just over two months before the European elections,\u201d the paper noted.<\/p>\n For months, Macron has opposed Brazilian beef exports and blocked a trade deal between Mercosur, South America\u2019s biggest trading body \u2014 of which Brazil is a member \u2014, and the EU in an attempt to placate angry French farmers who feel their products are being undermined. Paris is hoping to avoid conversations about the deal during Macron\u2019s trip, but diplomats familiar with the meetings believe that talks about beef exports will inevitably come up, Politico reported. The nations don\u2019t just diverge on trade<\/a>: Lula has so far said he would remain neutral on the Russia-Ukraine war, while Macron has pushed for Western nations to up their commitments to Ukraine. Separately, Lula has described Israel\u2019s military campaign in Gaza as a genocide, a marked shift from many Western countries. \u201cMacron and Lula have a vision of the world that is not necessarily the same, but they are each taking steps towards each other,\u201d one political scientist told Politico.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nSIGNALS<\/h3>\n
Presidents look to signal political alignment<\/h3>\n
France and Brazil diverge on key issues<\/h3>\n