The FT’s Daniel Garrahan previews some of the big stories in the week ahead, including Brazil’s general election, the Paris Motor Show and the UK Conservative party conference.
Here are some of the big stories the financial times will be watching in the week ahead brazil’s political class under fire as the country goes to the polls in a general election the spotlight will be on electric vehicles when the world’s big car companies gather at the paris motor show and the uk conservative party holds its annual conference in birmingham
First to brazil which goes to the polls in a presidential election on sunday brazil’s 147 million voters have been bombarded with tales of corruption in recent years and there’s widespread anger at the political class for analysts this is turning out to be the most polarizing vote in brazil’s recent history for markets it’s turning into a nightmare scenario the
Left against the far-right the worry is that brazil will be sentenced to another four years of gruesome political infighting investors are also increasingly nervous that voters could elect a president who’s unwilling or unable to implement necessary the politically thorny economic reforms to fix brazil’s fiscal imbalances after many months of uncertainty opinion
Polls are finally showing that the presidential vote is shaping up to be a two horse race between the far-right jailable son arrow and the leftist workers party candidate fernando a dodgy ball scenario who’s currently recovering in this hospital after being stabbed while on the campaign trail in early september leads the latest polls with around 28 percent but
If six points clear of her dodgy who is the anointed candidate of former president luiz inácio lula da silva who is imprisoned on corruption charges most likely these two leading candidates will have to face each other on what promises to be a highly polarized second round run-off at the end of october and now to france where the world’s car makers are gathering
This week at the paris motor show but the event comes at a time of uncertainty for the global automotive industry trade tensions with the u.s. threaten global production models of many manufacturers while new eu testing rules have forced some cars off the road while manufacturers seek approval for their vehicles under new rules but the upcoming eu rules over co2
Emissions designed in part to spur development and sale of electric vehicles will be at the forefront of most companies minds car makers need to hit the targets of an average of 95 grams of co2 per kilometer in 2020 across their fleets or face crippling fines electric vehicles which gain super credits and help them offset against more polluting vehicles will
Be key to these which is why a deluge of battery models is coming to market in the next two years it’s the first chance many of the public will get a chance to see the new electric mercedes the new electric aldi the first wave of cars from established premium manufacturers that will take on tesla in the pure electric car market now this is incredibly important
For the established manufacturers because many of them have to hit incredibly stringent eu targets that come into force in 2020 and 2021 selling electric cars to the public are crucial for many of those companies to hit those targets because as electric cars get super credits and they can offset them against dirtier vehicles it’s important to know that many
Of the manufacturers have been hoping to use diesel sales to lower their co2 output but appetite across europe for diesel sales has collapsed sales have fallen from around 50% of sales to 30% and for many of them they expect them to carry on falling so diesel is no longer the attractive option it once was for many of the largest car manufacturers and finally
To birmingham where the uk conservative party is meeting this week for its annual conference prime minister theresa may will face growing pressure from ministers mps and grassroot members over her brexit strategy many will be urging her to drop plans for a softer brexit and instead pursue a looser relationship with the eu in turn miz’s may well argue that her
Strategy is the only one that can result in a sensible brexit deal questions about mrs. mays position will also be raised as this could be her last conference as prime minister and party leader given that the opposition labour party enjoyed a successful conference in liverpool last week the pressure has increased on mrs. may to show leadership and prove that
She’s still in control of her party she’ll give her keynote speech on wednesday the final day of the conference and her supporters will hope that it goes better than this time last year when a prankster invaded the stage a persistent cough meant she almost lost her voice and the conference slogan even fell off the wall behind it the conservative party is meeting
For their annual conference in birmingham this week a looks set to be a bumpy one after a successful week for jeremy corbyn in liverpool the conservatives are now under much more pressure to show they are delivering as the party of government theresa may is also under a lot of strain for her exit strategy her so-called checkers plan for a softer brakes it isn’t
Really going anywhere and many of her cabinet and mps want her to junk it plus there are questions about whether this will be her last party conference as prime minister many in her party certainly think it should be so watch out for plenty of succession planning and elbowing to succeed her in downing street and that’s what the week ahead looks like from the financial times in london
Transcribed from video
Brazil election, Paris Motor Show By Financial Times
