Brazil-Germany Relations

Abstract:

This report presents an overview of the public debate around the relationship between Brazil and Germany, focusing on understanding how this relationship is perceived for both countries. The information compiled here is based on a multi-platform analysis performed by FGV Comunicação Rio, taking into account publications and messages on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Telegram. The study begins by outlining the trends and characteristics of the general debate on the topic during the beginning of the Lula administration, that is, the period between January 1st and June 14, 2023. Subsequently, in order to provide more detail on the digital public debate, the analysis focused on specific events and elements: the visit of the German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, to Brazil; the meetings between Lula and the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz; and diplomatic aspects of the relationship between the two countries, expressed in topics such as the environmental agenda and the war between Russia and Ukraine.

 

Keywords:
Brazil-Germany relations; Environmental agenda; War in Ukraine

 

Summary of Results 

 

• The digital debate about the relationship between Brazil and Germany has followed and reflected events and diplomatic situations involving the two countries, particularly the donation made by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to the Amazon Fund, and the declaration of support made by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Lula in an event in Brazil.
  While the visit of the German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, had a lower level of engagement compared to the events mentioned above, it also mobilized actors from different political fields on the networks.
• The relationship between Brazil and Germany is discussed mostly on Twitter, with a less significant presence on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram. The cooperation between the two countries is seen mostly as positive, except in the discussion on Telegram.
• The environmental agenda is a positive highlight among the perceptions raised regarding this relationship. In this context, the left wing is almost unanimous in arguing that the cooperation between Brazil and Germany could be beneficial for advancing the environmental agenda in Brazil.
• In turn, the war between Russia and Ukraine is perceived in the opposite way. The topic is exploited by the opposition to claim there are disagreements between Brazil and Germany. Part of the left has also criticized the relationship, showing dissatisfaction regarding Baerbock’s statements during a visit to Brazil.

1) General Debate

The debate about the relationship between Brazil and Germany on Twitter declined over most of the mapped period, with two major peaks. In the first peak, Lula’s inauguration and the announcement of the donation made by the German President to the Amazon Fund prompted tweets celebrating the cooperation between the two countries. At the end of January, this positive perception returned after Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared his support to Lula in a press conference in the Palácio do Planalto.

On Facebook and Instagram, the discussion was significantly smaller, but still positive. The debate was driven by political figures of the Labor Party (PT) such as Lula, Gleisi Hoffmann and Humberto Costa, as well as traditional media outlets, and focused on the several visits made by the chancellor to Brazil, as well as the support of the German president to Lula. Germany’s participation in the Amazon Fund was also celebrated, but in a secondary part of the debate, while the visit of Minister Annalena Baerbock did not stand out in this general part of the debate.

On both networks, the war between Russia and Ukraine was mentioned by members of the opposition in order to provoke tension in the relationship between Brazil and Germany. In this context, there were claims of disagreements between the two countries, with allegations that Lula denied a request by Scholz for Brazil to send arms and ammunition to Ukraine. However, these comments were not significant in the debate.

 

2) Debate about the visit of German Minister Annalena Baerbock to Brazil

Baerbock’s claim that Brazilians care more about food prices than about the war between Russia and Ukraine was the major topic in the debate about the minister’s visit to Brazil. The statement prompted mostly negative comments and approximated actors in the left and right wings, with both sides criticizing the minister.
Among the left, the discussion was driven by influencers and activists, who stated that Baerbock does now know the context of inequality in Brazil. Progressive profiles also claimed that the minister is interest in “taking Brazilian money for the war”.

In turn, the discussion among the right was driven by hyperpartisan media outlets and had a lower level of participation. Nevertheless, it endorsed the criticism to the minister, stating that Baerbock has confused the official position of the government on the war with the opinion expressed by the citizens in general. In the comment section, some profiles questioned the minister’s intellectual capabilities.

Despite this negative reception, there were also neutral and positive mentions coming from more traditional media outlets and political figures in the government, such as Marina Silva and Geraldo Alckmin, who saw Baerbock’s visit as a potential contribution to further bilateral cooperation between Brazil and Germany, focusing on the environmental agenda and on “neo-industrialization” opportunities.

The minister’s statement about the position of Brazilian citizens regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine was also commented on Telegram. Channels associated with the Brazilian right, as well as channels that criticize Ukraine and the European Union, shared portions of her statement with messages calling her a critic of Brazilians. Criticism of the minister also appeared in right-wing channels.

In turn, there were also messages sharing her statement in a more favorable way, without interpreting it as a direct criticism of Brazilians and emphasizing that she “understands” the reasons for the population’s position on the matter. However, these messages also circulated on channels supporting Russia, resulting in comments criticizing the minister.

Publications made by Brazilian authorities, news outlets and profiles covering geopolitical events stood out on Facebook and Instagram. On the platforms, the visit was seen in a positive light by authorities of the Brazilian government, who emphasized bilateral partnerships, as well as pages such as DW Brasil and Embaixada da Alemanha, which posted about the arrival of the German delegation.

In turn, media outlets associated with the center-right or favorable to Russia stood out with their criticism of Baerbock’s statements about Brazilian citizens and the war between Russia and Ukraine. On the platforms, posts made by Sputnik Brasil and O Antagonista reached a higher number of interactions than those of DW Brasil, which saw the case as a distortion of Baerbock’s statement attributed to “Russian propaganda”.

 

3) Debate about the visits of German Chancelor Olaf Scholz to Brazil

Mentions to the visits of Olaf Scholz to Brazil had a mild, but positive repercussion, with tweets commenting on the cooperation between Brazil and German. In this context, the debate focused on Lula’s official profile and on institutional posts announcing the meetings between the leaders.

Of the several visits of the German chancellor, the last one, during the G7, generated the highest volume of comments, particularly after a publication made by Lula about his schedule with several global leaders in countries beyond Germany, such as Japan, Indonesia and France.

Other moments were also highlighted in the debate. Scholz declaration of support to Lula during the inauguration of the Brazilian president was celebrated among the profiles of progressive activists and influencers. Germany’s participation in the Amazon Fund was also seen in a positive light, especially with the ongoing Yanomami humanitarian crisis. In contrast, the potential agreement between Mercosur and the European Union did not stand out.

Right-wing profiles and pages did not participate in this debate, which was strongly seen in a positive way. In summary, the relationship between Lula and the German chancellor was perceived as an indication of a resumption of foreign policy in Brazil.

This study explored the strengthening of the bilateral relationship between Brazil and Germany, which were mobilized in the public debate by the announcement made by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of the donation to the Amazon Fund and by the declaration of support by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Lula in an event in Brazil. The visit of the German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, was also among the highlighted diplomatic events between the two countries. In addition to this diplomatic relationship, the environmental agenda and the war between Russia and Ukraine were also topics mobilizing the debate on the digital platforms.

 

Regarding the environmental debate, the cooperation between Brazil and Germany is seen in a predominantly positive way, indicating the importance of this relationship for the public debate and its ability to mobilize users positively. In turn, the debate about the war between Russia and Ukraine had a negative repercussion, especially among users opposing the Lula administration, who emphasized the narrative of a weakening in the relationship between the two countries after the Brazilian president denied sending arms to Ukraine and Lula’s statements about the war. Among the president’s supporters, the war between Russia and Ukraine is also seen with dissatisfaction, especially based on a statement made by Minister Baerbock during a visit to Brazil.

Research Coordination
Marco Aurelio Ruediger
Amaro Grassi

Researchers
Letícia Sabbatini
Mariana Carvalho
Lucas Roberto da Silva
Polyana Barbosa
Thaís Rabello
Dalby Dienstbach Hubert
Maria Sirleidy Cordeiro
Neubiana Beilke
Victor Piaia
Sabrina Almeida

Technical Review
Renata Tomaz

Graphic Project
Daniel Almada
Luis Gomes