Why are the European elections affecting Brazil?

The expected advancement of the far right in the European Parliament should have impacts in Brazil on issues such as migratory rights, the regulation of social networks, environmental laws and economic protectionism. If in the last elections to the European Parliament, in 2019, the news IS There has been progress on the part of less traditional parties – including the Greens, linked to environmental issues – this year the expectation is that the far right will consolidate and increase the number of representatives in the legislative body. The elections, which began Thursday and end this Sunday (09/06), mobilize around 350 million voters in 27 countries on issues such as mass immigration, the war in Ukraine and the rising cost of living.

Polls indicate a strengthening of parties such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which was not tolerated even by the far right in parliament. The party was excluded from the group due to the position of some members to relativize the history of a former Nazi organisation, the SS – a paramilitary organization of the Nazi regime (1933-1945) which played a central role in the police apparatus of Third Reich and in the execution of the Holocaust.

The German party has also been at the center of controversies such as a secret plan with extremists to deport immigrants and the involvement of party candidates in Russian and Chinese espionage scandals.

The polls also show the victory of the party of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, of Marine Le Pen’s party in France and of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Far-right acronyms are also expected to perform well at the polls in Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria, with the potential to occupy a quarter of the 720 seats in parliament.

According to Sérgio Costa, a sociologist at the Free University of Berlin, the growth of the far right should not completely change the composition of the forces in parliament. The most important decisions must remain in the hands of the two large blocs that currently hold the majority: the Group of the European People’s Party and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. Ursula von der Leyen, from the centre-right, is also expected to be reconfirmed as president of the European Commission.

However, the fact that a party like the AfD is legitimized by the popular vote in the European elections raises alarm bells. “Although there is no radical change in politics, these elections can have an important impact through this mechanism of legitimization of forces that were previously viewed with greater resistance and skepticism,” Costa underlines.

Tendency towards economic protectionism

The European Union is Brazil’s second largest trading partner, behind China. The country mainly exports agricultural products, being one of the main breadbaskets in the region.

The increased representation of right-wing parties in the European Parliament will mean greater pressure for protectionist measures in the countryside, such as higher taxes on the import of products from non-European countries and a further obstacle to free trade agreements, such as the one under construction between European Union and Mercosur, underlines Costa.

Recent protests by rural producers in countries such as France and Germany, who have blocked roads and ports against issues such as environmental regulation and competition with imported products, show the noise that this sector, largely linked to far-right parties, can do.

Could the European Green Deal be in danger?

With the “green wave” which brought more representatives of parties linked to environmental causes into Parliament, a set of policies, called the European Green Deal, which aim to modernize the European economy with a view to climate impacts, has consolidated as a priority. the last legislature.

Within this package, the Anti-Deforestation Law, which will come into force on December 30 this year, is one of those that has the greatest impact in Brazil. It prohibits the importation of products from deforested tropical forest areas or that violate laws on human, labor, land and indigenous rights.

“Parties further to the right have greater resistance to policies to fight the climate crisis, so there may be a reduction in the level of ambition of these plans,” highlights Mariana Rezende, a business and human rights consultant working in Germany.

He explains that there is pressure from some sectors, both in Europe and in raw material supplying countries, to postpone the implementation of the law, citing difficulties in investment and preparation, as well as loss of competitiveness. This is because supplier companies must take measures not only to ensure compliance with the standard, but also its traceability.

“With a parliament further to the right, we keep an eye on a possible exacerbation of this rhetorical dispute between the climate change agenda and economic growth, as if one excludes the other,” Rezende underlines.

Digital rights and regulations

European legislation is a reference in discussions on digital rights and the regulation of social networks around the world. In Brazil he led the discussion around the bill dealing with the topic, the so-called PL das Fake News. After shelving the text, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira, announced the formation of a working group that will return to the topic.

The Digital Service Act (DSA), the European legislation that presents rules for tech giants, such as Meta and Google, determines measures against the promotion of hate speech and disinformation on their online platforms.

The DSA came into force in August 2023 and takes an innovative approach to regulating digital platforms. Instead of dealing only with civil liability, we also talk more generally about the responsibility of these companies for their business model.

In practice, it is not enough for big technologies to simply remove or not remove harmful content: it is necessary to have more active responsibility, be transparent, respect obligations and court decisions, recognize potential risks within its system and have mechanisms in place to mitigate them. risks when necessary.

Right-wing movements are, in most cases, against a regulated digital environment, and these groups tend to shift the debate to a field of values, such as family and freedom, points out Bruna Santos, head of global campaigns at the Digital Action organization. “The time has come to reaffirm a minimum agenda on fundamental rights”, she underlines.

Strengthen anti-immigration ideas

The advance of the far right in Europe could also have the effect of imposing greater restrictions on immigration. Brazilians may be affected by a more xenophobic climate when they plan to emigrate to Europe, for example, but anti-migration ideas may also become stronger in Brazil.

Professor Sérgio Costa recalls that prejudices against immigrants, especially from Haiti and Venezuela, grew following the 2018 elections, which elected Jair Bolsonaro president.

“The most obvious case, given the very strong presence of Brazilians, is that of Portugal, where the Chega party makes direct reference to Brazilian immigration, obviously wanting restrictions. This is also reflected in the treatment that Brazilians receive on a daily basis there,” he explained . Costa highlighted.

Source: Terra

Rose

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