This paper investigates the consequences of the EU public diplomacy practices both externally – to third countries in which the EU is acting – and internally. Through a case study of EU public diplomacy in Brazil and how different segments of Brazilian society - government officials, academic community, business elites, civil society, youth - perceive the EU and its practices, we find that the EU’s attempt to project itself as a normative actor is sometimes seen as perpetuating hierarchical relations. This can potentially harm prospects for cooperation between Brazil and the EU, as the bloc is perceived as arrogant and unable to treat Brazil as an equal partner. Internally, we argue that the EU’s dominant projected self-understanding silences disturbing practices, such as crisis in welfare systems and immigration policies. The paper situates this analysis in the literature about identity discourse and third countries’ perceptions of the EU as an external actor, and inquires the relevance of material and normative factors in shaping the context in which the Brazilian actors consolidate their views. It also inquires the extent to which discursive practices, including those related to EU self-perceptions and their external projections contribute to the understanding of changes and continuities in the images and perceptions about the EU in the Brazilian society.
