Mercosur, Changes at the Top, Lula is the New President

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will become the new President of MERCOSUR, the South American trade union that includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela (Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador are “associated states”).

Lula will replace Argentine President Alberto Fernandez; the transfer will take place on Tuesday during the summit in Puerto Iguazu (Argentina).

Thus, the President of Brazil is returning to the helm of the “common South American market” at a particularly important moment, as it is necessary to complete the trade agreement with the European Union that has slowed down in recent weeks in part due to guarantees of stability required by Brussels.

In recent days, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal, produced a statement on this situation, “It is important that the European Union and MERCOSUR sign an agreement and do it soon.  If possible, during the Spanish presidency of the European Union, before the end of the year.  If the European Union loses this opportunity due to the country’s blindness or for economic reasons, it will miss the chance to play a global role in the dialogue among the world’s great powers”.