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Honourable Mayor
Honourable Speaker of the Municipal Assembly
Honourable Professor Doctor Barbosa de Melo,

I am extremely pleased to be in Figueira da Foz today, on the occasion of the celebration of the 125th anniversary of this lovely city.

There are some who say, but it is probably a legend, that the first Portuguese Head of State, King Afonso Henriques, will have been advised by his physician to go to the Figueira beach. The current Head of State, even without medical advice, visits Figueira, not just with great pleasure, as I said, but also with some emotion.

The people of Figueira know that their city was, variously, of great importance in my life. I recall two occasions, in particular: it was here that, in 1985, I started on a path which led me to take up great responsibilities in the political leadership of our Country; and it was equally in Figueira da Foz that I presented, in 2002, the first volume of my political autobiography, in which, at the distance and with the quietude that time permits, I recounted how I fared when exercising those functions.

Leaving aside this personal note, I would say that these celebrations are the perfect occasion to remember those which, by their presence, their example and their words, knew how to service the memory of the people of Figueira and give testimony of patriotic unity.

I find such patriotism in men like Manuel Fernandes Tomás, an illustrious native of Figueira, born in 1771, curiously the same year the village of Figueira da Foz do Mondego was raised by royal decree dated March 12, to the status of a Town.

Manuel Fernandes Tomás was the Champion of Liberty and the Patriarch of Portuguese Regeneration. As such was he described by Almeida Garrett and as such he was admired by his contemporaries. Defender of national unity and independence, Manuel Fernandes Tomás proclaimed, shortly before dying and as if it were his political testament what had always been his fundamental principle: “the saving of the Nation must always be the primary Law of the State”.

I equally find such patriotism patent in João de Barros, another great native of Figueira. As one of the greatest pedagogues of the Republic he defended a national educational project that made the assertion of patriotic values both a need and a priority. That assertion of patriotic values, believed João de Barros, is fundamental, because it brings to new generations a consciousness of the land where they live, deepens the civic spirit and strengthens national unity.

For João de Barros, the two symbols associated with patriotic values were, primarily, the national flag and the national anthem. But allow me today, in Figueira da Foz, to praise a person who has recently become very popular in our Country, and for the best of reasons. I speak of another native of Figueira, Rui Cordeiro, a veterinary doctor and, in his spare time, rugby player. He, the author of the perennially praiseworthy try that the “Lobos” (Wolves), that indomitable Lusitanian pack, was able to score against the all powerful and very professional New Zealand. At the moment when Rui Cordeiro touched the ball on the ground, we won our private World Cup. It is obvious that the respectable 140 kilos of our Rui Cordeiro greatly helped in overcoming the barrier of the antipodean rugby players.

Above all, at the moment when we see and hear our rugby team players – and, especially, Rui Cordeiro, whose emotion is transparent and contagious – singing our national anthem (“A Portuguesa”), in front of our flag, we feel that, in fact, there are values which unite and identify us as a People. I believe that all Portuguese can feel such an emotion.

Cities such as Figueira may be inspired by the past, but they must find in it the strengths to follow new paths and defeat the challenges of the future. The city that became known by its notable “Beach of Light” has to see clearly as regards the future.

Figueira has unique conditions, provided by the estuary of the longest exclusively Portuguese river, by the fertile agricultural land and by its salt-pans, by the beautiful Boa Viagem Hills with its singular landscape, by its fishing industry and its port, by its tourist attractions, by the cultural offers it has available, by the tradition it always knew how to compel, by the capability for enterprise it was capable of attracting. But it must know how to take advantage of all these conditions through innovation.

Medium sized cities, such as Figueira da Foz, have much to gain by opting for a new city policy. A city policy means that the city must organize itself in order to extract from its civic authorities the best they can provide.

Today I had the opportunity to check that Figueira da Foz is a city that knew how to establish durable institutions, in which the people of Figueira can associate to pursue the common good and defend social cohesion. All the institutions that have stood out in this city deserve public recognition for their work on behalf of the community. I praise, particularly, the centenary institutions I visited, for all they have done for the city and for having found an innovatory formula for association which, I am certain, will continue very fruitful.

Their example leads me to believe that the people of Figueira possess the vital energy required to give an even greater impulse to the life of this city. My thoughts are with the entrepreneurs, the young people, and the civil society organizations, with all those who wish for the good of their land and of all the people of Figueira. Real urban development grows out of this congregation of efforts, which is only possible when the city dwellers have a strong feeling of belonging and for the assertion of their own identity.

The Figueira da Foz local authorities have already proven that they know the way for development and quality of life. I particularly salute the participation of Figueira da Foz in the Conference of the Atlantic Arc Cities. And I point out that, in this forum, the search for a policy of cohesion and of cities is consistent. A policy which assumes the creation partnerships between cities on the Atlantic shores and which has very closely tried to follow the European cohesion policy.

The Conference of the Atlantic Arc Cities gives special regard to the “Europe on the Sea” project and expects much from the New European Maritime Policy. Allow me to tell you that this brings a world of opportunities for a city such as Figueira da Foz and for a country such as Portugal.

I will only underline the fact that our collective identity, that is, the way in how we commonly define our reality and our future, is intimately connected with our relationship with the sea. This unites us, symbolically, as an historical and cultural reference. It gives us sense. Sophia singularly expresses it when she says: “...half of my soul is made of sea breeze”.

Due to our geographical location, our culture and our history, all that refers to the objective of reasserting the maritime identity of Europe is of prime importance. Now is the time to act, because the New European Maritime Policy is now being determined.

We cannot waste the opportunity to promote a community action with respect to maritime activities. It is a strategic opportunity which we must take advantage of, in a Europe whose nerve-centre is ever further away from the Atlantic.

Figueira da Foz is one of the pillars of the Portuguese maritime identity. I believe that, with the common efforts of cities such as Figueira da Foz, the efforts of its people, of its institutions and of its authorities, it will be possible to build a Maritime Policy of the Union which will strengthen the maritime identities of the Europeans. And that will, as such, contribute towards the sustainable development of the Country and to the defence of our national identity. This, I repeat, must be the strategic objective of all of us.

Figueira da Foz will know how to rise to the responsibility it was left by its heritage and from its unique conditions. I have no doubts that the people of Figueira are conscious of this responsibility.

This is a day for celebration. A day to evoke the past but to reflect upon the future as well. It is thus with pride and exhilaration that we commemorate the one hundred and twenty five years of this city of Figueira da Foz, which, as President of the Republic, I CONGRATULATE.