On Tuesday, November 13th, the Brazil Institute hosted a half-day conference on what Brazil’s undeniable economic and political realities mean for President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, his administration, and the country.
In the first session, the International Monetary Fund will discuss its finding from the latest Article IV consultation with Brazil and the prospects for economic and fiscal reform. The second session will take a broader look at the current challenges facing the Brazilian economy, including an analysis of its structural characteristics and key sectors, with editors and contributors of the Oxford Handbook of the Brazilian Economy (2018). In the third and final session, panelists will discuss the capacity of the new administration to navigate Brazil’s changing political landscape.
Opening Remarks
Paulo Sotero, Director, Brazil Institute, Wilson Center
9:00am – 10:15am
Session I: IMF Outlook for Brazil and the Political Economy of Reform
Overview
Antonio Spilimbergo, Assistant Director and Mission Chief for Brazil, IMF
Public Sector Wages
Damiano Sandri, Senior Economist, IMF
Political Economy of Reforms
Iza Karpowicz, Senior Economist, IMF
10:30am – 11:45am
Session II: Key Sectors of the Brazilian Economy, with the editors of the Oxford Handbook on the Brazilian Economy
Introduction to the Handbook & Key Policy Findings and their Relevance to the New Administration
Edmund Amman, Professor of Brazilian Studies, Leiden University
Carlos Azzoni, Professor of Economics, University of São Paulo (USP)
Innovation, Life Sciences, and the Agricultural Sector
Geraldo Martha, Researcher, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa)
11:45am – 1:00pm
Session III: Navigating Brazil’s Changing Political Landscape
Paulo Sotero, Director, Brazil Institute
David Fleischer, Professor Emeritus, University of Brasilia
Christopher Garman, Managing Director for the Americas, Eurasia Group
