Abstract
In the last few years, we assisted at the considerable development of Brazil. In fact, its economy is now considered as the ninth most powerful economy of the world and Brazil is now the leader in South America. It is now playing an important role in the international trade of goods and services. Brazil belongs to MERCOSUR; it is one of the countries who strongly supported the creation of the G-20. In 2008, Guido Mantega, Minister of Finance, Brazil, was the chairperson of this group, which denotes the international recognition of the Brazil's importance in the world. Moreover, Brazil was chosen by the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) to host the World Cup 2014 and by the International Olympic Committee to organize the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. We may wonder how Brazil managed such a development with economic, politic and socio-cultural factors. Reviewing the political history in Brazil in the last fifteen years: 1994: New president Itamar Franco nominated Senator Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Minister of Finance; the Real Plan is created in an attempt to stabilize the currency. In the elections of that year, which were once again decided in the second round, the confrontation was between Luíz Inácio da Silva of the PT and Fernando Henrique Cardoso (FHC). 1995-1998: In order to consolidate economic stability and put a stop to the State's fiscal crisis, brought about by internal and foreign debt, constitutional reforms were carried out. At the same time, monopolies were brought to an end in various sectors, such as oil, telecommunications, gas pipelines and coastwise shipping. 2002: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a former trade union leader and factory worker of the Labor Party (PT), was elected with 52.79 million votes (61.2% of valid votes), in the second round of the elections. On taking office, he was faced with evasion of capital, increasing inflation and a public debt rate corresponding to 63% of Gross Domestic Product, factors which compromised the efforts to stabilize the Brazilian currency, the Real.
