The European Union's (EU) Strategic Partnerships (SP) are the dimension of the Common Foreign Security Policy (CFSP) geared towards ten countries considered fundamental to increase the EU’s global actorness. Although Brazil was not initially in Brussels' sights, the Brazil Country Strategy Paper (2005) and the signing of the SP (2007) would eventually place the country among the EU's main partners.

The creation of this partnership stems from a recognition of the global role that Brazil had been acquiring, evident in its diplomatic activism in forums such as the BRICS. It was also a way of exploring trade relations with Brazil, given the difficulties of reaching an agreement with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). It was also a way of associating two actors with values based on the defense of multilateralism and human rights.

These factors are linked to the important leadership role that Brazil has taken on in South American regional integration processes, especially since the beginning of the century. As this European recognition has not been awarded to any other country in the region, questions arise about the potential imbalances caused in the relations built by Brazil around its three regional foreign policy circles: the one that takes shape on the Buenos Aires-Brasilia axis and which is the basis of South American regional integration; the one constituted by the Southern Common Market (Mercosur); and the one that corresponds to South America as a de facto region, which until recently functioned de jure in the context of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

That said, the Brazilian case is a relevant case study since among the ten SPs established by the EU so far, it is paradigmatic in the use of regional leadership with global objectives. From this point of view, although the SPs were created as an instrument to empower the EU in a changing international scenario, this aspect could reveal the existence of unexpected consequences in some regions of the world.

Given the important recent changes in relations between the EU and Brazil, especially regarding the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur, this research aims to understand whether the singularization of Brazil as the EU's preferred partner in South America has had consequences for Brazil's regional positioning. It is a contribution to the general study of the European Union's external action and the potential unforeseen consequences of its Strategic Partnership policy.

The proposed paper discusses the evolving impact of the European Union on global governance, focusing on the air transport sector as a critical case study. Drawing from the intersection of literature on the EU's influence on third countries and international organisations, and the architecture of the rule-making processes, the study explores the presence of an experimentalist turn in the EU's external governance activities. Embedding the economic, environmental, and political dimensions of the aviation sector, the study delves into the blending or clashing of governance elements and assesses the coherence of the EU's approach. Thus, the paper contributes to the substantive understanding of the EU's actions in the domain of international aviation. Additionally, it adds to theoretical discussions on the forms of governance proposed by the EU in response to new societal pressures and challenges.

In the realm of territorial politics, the allocation of distributive politics shapes local welfare and policy provision. Yet the focus has primarily been on the supply side. In this paper, I aim to shift the spotlight to the demand side by analysing how brokers (local intermediaries) mediate the needs and preferences of the electorate in distributive politics. Despite congresspeople's awareness of the number of votes they cast in the districts, they lack information on individual or group needs within their jurisdictions. This gap is bridged by brokers, who act as channels between voters and legislators. To tackle this problem, I propose an analysis that triangulates qualitative and quantitative approaches to test this relationship by comparing two distinct political contexts: England and Brazil. These different institutional structures, particularly regarding territorial decentralisation and the political systems within the lower house, allow a nuanced exploration of the territorial dynamics of distributive politics. Quantitatively, I combine data on voting behaviour, political alignment, ideology, and socioeconomic features of constituencies to understand the dynamics of multilevel actos while the qualitative approach involves in-depth interviews with brokers in each country, providing insights into how the electorate's desires are organized, processed, and transmitted to legislators. By examining the demand side of distributive politics through the lens of brokers, this research aims to contribute valuable insights into understanding the mechanisms through which local needs are met and shed light on the evolving role of brokers in shaping distributive policies across diverse territorial landscapes.