Abstract

CAETANO, Gerardo. New directions for MERCOSUR. A change in model and the consequences of the Brazilian crisis. Foro int [online]. 2019, vol.59, n.1, pp.47-88. ISSN 0185-013X.  https://doi.org/10.24201/fi.v59i1.2582.

This article examines the current crossroads facing MERCOSUR and the consequences of the recent political changes in Brazil, in terms of a shift from the integrationist paradigm to the adoption of a more “commercial-liberalist” profile. Two research questions are posed in the article. To what extent do the most recent directions taken by the MERCOSUR bloc imply a real change to its integrationist model? How much has the political change effected since 2016 in Brazil affected the course of the regional bloc? To answer these questions, the article undertakes the following analysis: 1) an engagement with the most recent academic discussions on both subjects; 2) a necessarily brief and provisional examination of the turn taken by Brazil’s foreign policy in recent years; 3) an evaluation of the consequences of these changes in Brazil for the evolution of the MERCOSUR process in the short and medium terms.

Keywords : MERCOSUR; Brazil, integration; regionalism; foreign policy.