Idiossincrasias do presidente na política externa: liderança do processo decisório, ideias e diplomacia presidencial de Lula

Abstract

Recent Brazilian foreign policy saw itself strongly influenced by the figure of two successive presidents: FHC and Lula. However, the presidential activism in this field, which seemed to be a tendency, was not confirmed during Dilma Rousseff s mandate. This indicates that the understanding of the presidents idiosyncrasies is not a mere detail and it has relevance in the explanation of certain dynamics of foreign policy. In this context and making use of political psychology, discourse analysis, and Foreign Policy Analysis, we have investigated systematically President Lula s figure and his relation with foreign policy in the period of his government. The intent involved the examination of features of his leadership profile in the decision-making process, of his ideas, and of his foreign policy experience prior to the presidency. These elements combine and influence foreign policy, passing by the formation of the inner circle of advisers and by his behavior in the execution of his foreign policy through presidential diplomacy.