After the Amazon, Emmanuel Macron and Lula celebrate the Franco-Brazilian partnership in submarines

Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: Filipe Bispo / ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP 10:05 a.m., March 27, 2024

After the Amazon, submarines and the economy: French President Emmanuel Macron continues a state visit to Brazil on Wednesday aimed at marking rapprochement with this Latin American giant, a driving force among emerging countries. Tuesday evening, on the first day of the visit, the Head of State and his counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced, in the lush setting of the Amazon forest, a program aimed at raising "one billion euros of investments "greens for the Brazilian Amazon and French Guyana side.

This involves combining environmental protection and economic development and placing "indigenous peoples" at the heart of "decision-making", according to a common roadmap presented during the Brazilian presidency of the G20 and in view of the COP30 in 2025 in Brazil. Another strong moment, Emmanuel Macron decorated the cacique Raoni Metuktire, global icon of the defense of the Amazon, with the Legion of Honor, in a warm atmosphere in the heart of the Amazon forest in Belém, a city in northern Brazil which will host the COP30.

“I consider Lula as my brother, Macron as my son,” said Raoni, calling on the two leaders to support him “for the Nobel Peace Prize” and to continue the fight for the Amazon. Wednesday morning, the two presidents meet near Rio de Janeiro, at the Itaguaí shipyard, for the launching of the third in a series of four French-designed submarines with conventional propulsion.

Brazil, “not up to par” in terms of investments in France

The ceremony refers to December 2008 and the signing with great fanfare by the then French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and already Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of a vast strategic agreement also covering the sale of 50 helicopters. Brasilia could also call on Paris to help it develop nuclear propulsion on a fifth submarine. France has until now remained very reluctant to any technology transfer in this area, due to the challenges of nuclear proliferation.

This nuclear attack submarine project is accumulating delays, in particular due to budgetary difficulties, and the submarine is now planned for 2036-2037, according to the Brazilian Navy. The French president will then travel to the economic capital, Sao Paulo, to extol the merits of French companies in Brazil and promote France to Brazilian investors. France is the fourth largest investor in Brazil, with more than 40 billion in direct investment stocks in the country. “Brazil is not up to par in terms of investment in France (two billion euros) when we see the size and expertise of Brazilian conglomerates,” notes the Élysée on the other hand.

Stumbling blocks

Emmanuel Macron will also announce a "health package", with French commitments in Brazil and Latin America, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Pasteur Institute in Sao Paulo. On Thursday, the French president will be welcomed in the capital Brasilia by Lula at the Planalto presidential palace for discussions dominated by major international issues. If the two men want to push the ecological transition and the reform of international governance, there is no shortage of angry subjects.

Starting with the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia), a sea serpent that Paris is blocking against the backdrop of the agricultural crisis in Europe. Emmanuel Macron should also recall the importance that the G20, chaired this year by Brazil, must continue to give to the war in Ukraine. Lula, who poses as champion of the "global South", insists for his part that responsibilities are shared in Ukraine and refuses to take sides against Russia.