Portugal: Carnations that brought development

Exactly one year ago, on April 24th, at the Palácio de Queluz, near Lisbon, I had the great joy and privilege of witnessing the awarding of the Camões Prize to Chico Buarque, a moment of magical communion of affection between the two countries. The new president of Brazil, Lula, and the president of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, finally made the expected delivery, which had been postponed throughout the previous Brazilian Presidency.

The ceremony was led jointly by two presidents, who, although they do not share the same ideological spectrum, nevertheless share the democratic field. In the same way as their parties, the PSD (Portugal) and PT (Brazil), which today govern Portugal and Brazil. A breath of civility in difficult times here and there.

The symbolism of refusing to hand over – to one of Brazil’s great artists – the biggest prize in Portuguese literature, established in 1988 – in fact, the year of the Citizen Constitution in Brazil – is a good summary of how our relationship with the Europe, and especially with Portugal, our gateway to the continent and its opportunities.

By revisiting the past to learn from it, we “go back” to 1973, the year in which Chico Buarque released the song “Fado Tropical”. One year before, therefore, the Carnation Revolution. In it, he made a social critique of the current situation in Brazil, which had then entered the most acute phase of its Dictatorship; and Portugal, which had already been under the Salazar regime for decades. We were two sister nations, living under exceptional regimes, and it was the same Chico Buarque, using the brilliance of his art as a bridge of affection between the two countries:

“Alas, this land will still fulfill its ideal.

It will still become the immense Portugal.

Alas, this land will still fulfill its ideal.

It will still become an immense Portugal.

Alas, this land will still fulfill its ideal.

It will still become the Colonial Empire.”

As fate would have it, a year after Chico’s song was released, Portugal emerged from dictatorship with the Carnation Revolution, on April 25, 1974, and what was a criticism became a breath of hope for those who defended Democracy: Brazil needed to get out of its Dictatorship and become an “immense Portugal”. And so, Portugal served as an inspiration and example for Brazil, but the path was long and difficult: we only had free elections for president in 1989, with the promulgation of the aforementioned Citizen Constitution.

After 50 years, Brazil has the auspicious possibility of taking advantage of Portugal’s rebirth, as a hub cultural and global innovation, through the development of an economic ecosystem that gained strength mainly with the Web Summit. A transformation that only a democratic environment could allow.

Democracy made Portugal richer, fairer and more competitive. It is undeniable that there are many challenges, but the improvement of all social indicators needs to be recorded and celebrated as an achievement of Democracy.

In a debate, this Monday, April 22, with veteran Associated Press journalist Dennis Redmont, who came to Portugal in 1965, I asked what the country was like under Salazar and he quickly replied: “sad”. Public kisses were prohibited, and it was only socially acceptable for women to work as nurses or teachers. However, they had to ask the State for permission to marry if they chose this career. Young people went to drink Coca-Cola in Spain. Of course, in this environment, innovation would not dream of flourishing.

Today, free from their respective dictatorships, together, the two countries can better take advantage of this moment in which the global table of forces has opened a window of reorganization: Brazil is one of the countries in the global south with the best capacity to start sitting in the restricted club of global powers. Portugal, on the other hand, has a privileged geopolitical position as a member of the European common market and due to its historical ties with Africa.

Portugal’s opportunity is not in the size of its economy, but in the access it allows: Brazil needs to make better use of this.

This was certainly one of the central themes of the dinner offered yesterday, by the Ambassador of Portugal in Brazil, to President Lula to celebrate April 25th: we hope that the promised opening of Casa Brasil, which brings together APEXBrasil, Embratur and SEBRAE in Lisbon, materialize quickly.

Here’s to the next 50 years of democracy!

The texts in this section reflect the personal opinion of the authors. They do not represent the VISION nor reflect its editorial positioning.