Welcome to the Official page of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic

Mister Speaker,
Prime Minister,
Members of Parliament,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are again meeting to celebrate the anniversary of the Revolution of April 25 1974, this year in a chamber which has been recently refurbished, and for this my congratulations are due. Members of Parliament are now in a much better condition to exercise the high office conferred upon them by the People of Portugal.

This ceremony is being held on a very particular occasion in the life of the nation. We are living difficult times, very difficult times indeed. The word «crisis», which had not been mentioned in political discourse for a few months, is now an accepted fact.

The crisis which we are going through cannot be disguised and, on a day such as this, there will surely be many Portuguese who are asking themselves if this is the country with which we dreamed of in April 1974.

It is true that we must not forget what was achieved in the last 35 years. We live in freedom, we are integrated in a united Europe, and the progress registered in education, health and in the well being of the people is undeniable.

But, in spite of the efforts to combat the crisis, Portugal is today overwhelmed by news of closures of industries and businesses. Hundreds of workers are thrown into unemployment, people who until a short time ago lived with some ease now belong to the group of the new poor, and there are families who are unable to pay the instalments on their homes or bear the cost of their children’s education.

The economic forecasts published by national and international institutions are in everybody’s sight and cannot be denied.
Many Portuguese feel they lived in the illusion that they could enjoy standards of living identical to those of the richest countries in Europe, sustained by continued growing indebtedness.
We must thus understand that this crisis has led many Portuguese to ask themselves what we have in store for the future.

These queries are as pertinent as the crisis which we are living clearly shows the structural weaknesses the Country still suffers from.

There is thus no certainty that this is merely a transitional moment of recession in economic activity, which will be followed by better days in the short or medium term.

Members of Parliament,

The leaders of the more industrialized countries and of the largest emerging economies met in London in the beginning of the current month to find a global response to the crisis. We all hope that the decisions taken there contribute towards international financial stability and to restore the climate of confidence and economic growth.

We must not forget, however, that the absence of ethical values and principles in the financial markets was one of the main causes of the economic crisis which the world is crossing.

Injudicious or incompetent financial managers and others with lack of scruples or dominated by the greed for short term profits, abused the freedom of the markets and the confidence of the people, with grievous consequences for the living conditions of millions.

We may only be certain that such a situation will not be repeated if ethical dimension and social responsibility occupy a focal position in the design of the new rules for the control and supervision of the financial institutions and markets.

It would be heinous and immoral if the poorer countries were obliged to bear the costs of a crisis towards which they did not contribute.

Should it be correct that international financial stability is a global public asset, which we all must defend, no doubts remain as to who were those that took advantage of other people’s savings and were responsible for the collapse of the system.

Members of Parliament,

The year in which we commemorate the 35th anniversary of April 25 is also a year when the Portuguese will be called to the polls to take part in three electoral acts.

Suffrage is surely the best tribute we can pay to the freedom conquered 35 years ago.

It is essential that the Portuguese, especially the younger people, understand how much it cost to win the right they now have to choose their representatives through free and transparent elections.

It was exactly thinking of the younger generations that, precisely one year ago, I briefed Members of Parliament on a research study concerning youth and political participation, carried out at my request.

Following this work, I promoted a conference to which I invited representatives of many youth organizations, with whom I discussed the issue of young people distancing themselves from politics, and I equally included the topic of civic participation in the Routes to Youth.

I have, in effect, endeavoured to fight absenteeism, especially among the younger people.

Today, I am especially appealing to all the people to take an active part in the three elections which will be held this year. Abstention is not a remedy. Those who abstain from voting are abdicating their right to contribute to the building of a better Portugal.

Election campaigns must be informative and enlightening. Each and every one of us has a very important role to accomplish.

The media must provide objective and impartial information to the people regarding the contents of the proposals of the various political parties.

These proposals, in their turn, must be made very clear so that, once presented to the electorate, the latter also assume their responsibilities.

Voting is a public duty and a responsible act. Whoever votes on an electoral programme, which contains clear proposals in all the various fields covered, must be aware that it is backing such proposals.

Those who vote for a determined political party must be aware that they are selecting a programme of action in all possible fields, from economy to justice or security, and including other issues which span and split our society.

A stance and a behaviour that musters the people for the need to vote are demanded from politicians and specifically from the political parties.

The occurrence of high levels of electoral absenteeism will be a sign that our Republic may be facing a very serious issue of democratic legitimacy.

I consider it essential that the coming elections have all of Portugal as their horizon. The campaign must take place calmly and with great regard, and the Portuguese expect that, in difficult times such as these, politicians will know how to give a good example.

That the real issues concerning the people and the Country are discussed. That no time is wasted with artificialities, that costs are kept to a minimum, that the taxpayers’ money is not spent in too costly publicity campaigns, considering the moment we are going through.

A campaign, in which political adversaries respect each other, without excessive language or resentment, will be a contribution towards bringing dignity to our democracy and will open the field for deepening the inter-party dialogue which is required for the resolution of the nation’s problems. Political parties must be aware that they have the responsibility to find governance solutions, and that this responsibility is particularly emphasized in the difficult days the Country is going through.

Mister Speaker,
Members of Parliament,

It is important that the electoral debate is concentrated on the resolution of the important issues the Country is facing, looking towards the future, without loss of time or energy with recriminations over the past.

Policies which were chosen earlier may have been correct within the then environment, but may not be so today, as likewise policies now adopted would not be adequate in the past.

It is sufficient to know that the adequate economic policy for a country depends upon multiple factors which vary with time, such as the priorities determined in line with the diagnosis of the situation, the available tools and their effectiveness, the restrictions faced by the decision makers, the uncertainty as to the future, the external environment, the degree of integration with other economies.

On the other hand, the proposals that the several parties will present to their electorate must be realistic and authentic.

What is promised must take into account the reality we are now going through and what that will be in the future. To tell the Portuguese that it won’t be difficult will be hiding the truth. Whoever promises what objectively may not be accomplished will be deluding the people.

It is only natural that parties put forward to the electorate their proposals and their remedies for the Country’s problems.

But this is certainly not the time for illusory proposals. This is not the time for easy promises, which will later not be kept. The crisis brings the increased duty to solely promise what can be achieved, with our resources and in the Country we have now and will then be.

We must not, especially at this stage, nourish a speech systematically criticizing the politicians, nor can we yield to populist contradictions of the system without coming up with consistent alternatives.

Whoever criticizes must participate. It is easy to keep out of the way and condemn politicians or entrepreneurs. What is difficult is make an effort to take an active part in public life, contributing to clarification and to the debate and endeavouring to carefully assess the differing governance proposals.

Governments are assessed by the people, by their attitudes, by what they have achieved and by what they have not accomplished. This is the natural logic of democracy. This is what distinguishes the regime in which we live from that which fell in 1974.

For this purpose, it is essential that campaigns clarify the electors, instead of becoming moments of mere verbal collision around accessory issues which little or nothing have to say to those who are trying to keep their jobs, who wish to live in safety, who want faster access to health care, who are anxious for quicker and more effective justice, who want a quality education for their children.

These are the real problems of the people. It is where to find the remedies for these issues that the electors have to place their choice.

Employment, security, justice, health, education, social protection, fighting corruption, are basic issues which must stamp the political agenda and around which it should be possible to establish consensus between the structuring parties of our democracy.

The Portuguese are weary of party political quarrels which do not resolve the difficulties they have to face in their day-to-day lives. It is especially in this stage of the nation’s life that a concentration of efforts must be placed on the resolution of the people’s real problems.

This is a year of great options. We lived in a time of crisis 35 years ago and knew how to make the right choice. This is why we are meeting here today, in this refurbished chamber, to celebrate the option we made for democracy and freedom. These are the values which lead me to believe that the Portuguese do not submit, do not abstain, do not conform.

The worst way to deal with the present would be to lose hope in the future. I have not lost hope in the future. I believe that if we all assemble, if the correct decisions are taken, the crisis will be vanquished. Then we will be worthy of those that, more than three decades ago, had the courage to rise because they believed in a new Country and in a better future.