Alemanha (chanceler e ministro do trabalho) vem ao Brasil com menos entusiasmo do que da 1a vez: querem enfermeiras brasileiras - David Sadler (Globe Echo)

Os alemães estão um pouco decepcionados com o Brasil, pelo fato de Lula não ter querido aderir ao "Clube do Clima", proposto por Scholz, e pelo fato de Scholz não gostar do "Clube da Paz" de Lula, e também porque Lula tem insistindo no apoio ao Putin. (PRA)

Baerbock And Heil In South America: Double Charm Offensive

By David Sadler Globe Echo, Jun 5, 2023

Https://Globeecho.com/News/Europe/Germany/Baerbock-And-Heil-In-South-America-Double-Charm-Offensive/

Foreign Minister Baerbock and Labor Minister Heil travel to Brazil and Colombia. In addition to dealing with China and Russia, it will also be about skilled workers. But the visit is not only met with approval.

At the beginning there was still a lot of optimism: Brazil is back on the world political stage, the Chancellor rejoiced at the beginning of the year. “You were missing,” said Scholz most recently during his visit to Brazil. With the victory of Lula da Silva in the presidential election against the right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro, Germany thought it had an important partner at its side again. Especially within the SPD, the 77-year-old Lula was seen as a “brother in spirit”.

But when Scholz met Lula, this “brother” gave him the cold shoulder. In the Ukraine conflict, Lula disagreed with the chancellor, who blames Russia for the war. The Brazilian President made it clear that Ukraine was also to blame for the war. Brazil does not want any involvement in the war – not even indirectly. Lula does not want to join the Chancellor’s heart project, the climate club, and he also rejected the German supply chain law. According to this, products from Brazil may only be imported into Germany if it can be proven that no rainforest was cut down for their production.

Chancellor Scholz and Brazil’s President Lula have promised faster progress on the Mercosur free trade agreement.

Brazil is not an easy partner

Under these omens, Foreign Minister Baerbock and Labor Minister Heil are now traveling to the region and know very well how difficult some talks can be. It is the Foreign Minister’s first trip to Latin America and there will be a number of topics that will require a great deal of sensitivity in the talks. The Foreign Minister will be particularly concerned with dealing with China and Russia. Compared to Chancellor Scholz, she is tougher on China – knowing that China is also an important trading partner.

Brazil, on the other hand, is getting closer and closer to China. Lula recently traveled to Beijing with a large business delegation and claims to have concluded 15 agreements in the areas of trade, finance, science and space travel. The Brazilian President also sees China as an important partner in mediating in the Ukraine war. Both countries have each presented their own initiatives to end the violence. Brazil is striving to form a group of states that will mediate in the conflict.

Both countries concluded a series of agreements. Lula stressed the “special importance” of relationships.

Looking for skilled workers for Germany

All the more Baerbock will have to manage the balancing act – between diplomacy and clear positions. Above all, she wants to achieve this with positive stories, such as the federal government’s skilled labor strategy and how the region can benefit from it. “Brazilian nurses and Colombian electricians are already finding open arms in Germany,” said Baerbock before departure. “We want to expand this partnership.”

The federal government believes that the labor force potential in Brazil is great, but so are the hurdles. In her role as Foreign Minister, Baerbock will explain how these skilled workers can more easily come to Germany with visas and how many need to take away the fear of German bureaucracy. “As the federal government, we have decided to turn immigration policy upside down because our economy urgently needs more skilled workers,” she said.

Minister of Labor Heil will promote why it is worth coming to Germany – far away from language barriers and from home. “Here we can create a classic win-win situation in which everyone benefits,” said the SPD politician in the run-up to the trip tagesschau.de. “Germany gets qualified specialists, also in sectors that are particularly affected by the shortage of skilled workers, such as nursing. Brazil benefits, for example because we are involved in local training, and the people who come to us can practice their learned profession.”

But locally, in Brazil, there are definitely reservations. Many trade unions complain that they are not involved in such negotiations. Many questions are open. The fear of a brain drain, i.e. the emigration of qualified workers, cannot be downplayed.

In view of the shortage of skilled workers in nursing, the federal government is relying on young people from abroad.

Visit to the rainforest

The Foreign Minister wants to send another signal with a visit to Bélem, on the edge of the Amazon. A visit to the rainforest could show once again how much the federal government supports Brazil’s climate protection plans to prevent further deforestation of the rainforest. Most recently, Development Aid Minister Svenja Schulze promised 200 million euros in emergency aid for the rainforest in the first 100 days of the Lula government. But how realistic is the Brazilian government’s promised “zero deforestation strategy” by 2030? How does it look in reality? Questions that Foreign Minister Baerbock will ask on site.

“Without Latin America, we will not contain the climate crisis,” she said before departure, at the same time making it clear: “In the Amazon rainforest, an area the size of three soccer fields goes up in smoke or falls victim to chainsaws every minute. That has consequences for all of us .” That’s why the federal government shares “the ambitions of the Brazilian government to offer those living near the forest economic prospects – not against the forest, but with it.”

From Brazil, Baerbock will travel on to Colombia and Panama, then without Labor Minister Heil. Baerbock wants to intensify relations with both countries – especially with a view to further trade relations with the region.