Event Description

Brazil: What can we expect from the new Bolsonaro Government?

Background:
Mr. Jair Bolsonaro of the Partido Social Liberal (PSL) took office on the 1st of January 2019 as President of Brazil. Mr. Bolsonaro is a far-right former army captain, fiercely socially conservative, and a fan of Brazil’s military dictatorship of 1964–85. He has already announced political and economic reforms. For example, he has adopted more free-market views in the aim to revive Brazil’s economy. However, given Mr. Bolsonaro’s statist and nationalist past, it is uncertain how strongly he holds these free-market views. Additionally, his agenda of privatisation and liberalisation will face challenges from a fragmented congress, where the ruling PSL party has just 10% of the seats in the lower house.

The objective of this seminar is to present changes in Brazil’s political and economic landscapes, and discuss their implications for Denmark’s exports.

Programme:
16:15 Welcome
Jacobo Ramirez, LABF & CBS
Charlotte Flindt Pedersen, The Danish Foreign Policy Society

16:20 Keynote Speech: The political course and ability of the Bolsonaro administration to govern                                                      
Nicolai Prytz, Ambassador at Royal Danish Embassy in Brasilia

16:40 Keynote Speech: Right-wing populism in Brazil – Causes and consequences     
Marie Kolling, Anthropologist and Brazil researcher. Postdoc, University of Southern Denmark, Faculty of Social Sciences

17:10 Keynote Speech: Bolsonaro’s Brazil – An opportunity for Danish Businesses?
Peter Bay Kirkegaard, Chief advisor at Confederation of Danish Industry

17:30 Question and answer session
Moderated by: Svend Roed Nielsen, LABF

LATIN AMERICA BUSINESS FORUM (LABF): The Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and CBS have created LABF as an attempt to change the status of Latin America with Danish companies. The objective of the network is not to promote Latin America unreservedly. Rather, our goal is to inform about regional opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses, in an objective and professional manner. We believe that Latin America has tremendous untapped potential for Danish companies but we also acknowledge the challenges.

Brazil
Basic data
Land area: 8,547,400 sq km
Population: 207.7 million (2017 estimate)

Business Environment:
According to different reports, the former Brazilian president, Michel Temer (2016–18), made improvements in Brazil’s business environment, which is expected to be sustained by Mr. Bolsonaro’s government (2019–22). Brazil’s large and diverse economy makes it attractive for investors. However, Mr. Bolsonaro’s political and economic reforms are challenged by poor government effectiveness, a burdensome tax system, poor infrastructure, deficiencies in factor markets, technological readiness, and skills shortages, which will continue to impair business amid limited progress on structural reforms.

Reference:
The Economist. (2018). Brazil Briefing sheet. Retrieved January 7, 2019, from http://country.eiu.com/article.aspx?articleid=1007393084&Country=Brazil&topic=Summary&subtopic=Briefing+sheet

Practical information for the seminar:

Organizer: Latin America Business Forum (LABF)
Copenhagen Business School (CBS)
Auditorium DSC033
Dalgas Have 15
2000 Frederiksberg

The building Dalgas Have 15 can be reached by metro (Lindevang St.). There are a limited number of parking spaces available for guests of CBS at Dalgas Have 15, located at the back of the building. If you are travelling by car, please ask for a free guest-parking ticket at the information desk, which is located at the main entrance of the building. Please note that the Auditorium DSC033 is located on the ground floor, opposite to the information desk.