MNE insists that “nothing has changed” and speaks of a mature and balanced relationship with former colonies – Politics

The Minister of Foreign Affairs defended, this Monday, that “nothing has changed” compared to previous governments in Portugal’s relationship with the former colonies, speaking of a “mature and balanced vision”, given the discussion about repairing the colonial past.

“The Government’s position is very clear and was expressed in a statement that I think is a very clear, crystal-clear statement that shows a very mature – and I would say at the same time balanced – vision of the relationship that we have to have with the former colonies and the colonial past […] and therefore, obviously there is nothing to add,” said Paulo Rangel, speaking to Portuguese journalists in Brussels.

In statements after participating in the “Annual EU Budget Conference 2024 – Looking ahead: the EU budget of the future” promoted by the European Commission, the government official indicated that “this is the Government’s position” and the Executive “has to speak because of what your position is.”

Refusing to comment on the statements made by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who launched the debate, Paulo Rangel stressed that “nothing has changed about this point of view”.

“I’m not going to comment on the President of the Republic, it’s clear that it’s not my place to do so and I never would, so I’m not going to comment now, [mas] Honestly, our position is clear. This is a free society and a dynamic society and, politically, there is room for different opinions that sometimes are not even that different”, he pointed out.

Even so, the head of Portuguese diplomacy pointed out that “a constant of Portuguese foreign policy is [o facto de] the main lines are highly consensual lines in Portuguese society and also among the political parties that have responsibilities to govern”.

“No debate is untimely in a free society, all debates are relevant now, [mas] then you can have the most different views on them. The Government has a vision that is aligned with the vision of previous governments”, he further said.

Last Saturday, the Government stressed that “there was and is not in question any process or program of specific actions with the purpose” of reparation for the Portuguese colonial past and defended that it will be guided by “the same line” as previous executives.

“Regarding the issue of reparation to these States and their people for the colonial past of the Portuguese State, it is important to emphasize that the current Government is guided by the same line as previous governments. There was and is not at stake any process or program of specific actions for this purpose”, said the Executive, in a statement from the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Previously, the President of the Republic argued that Portugal should lead the process of assuming and repairing the consequences of the period of colonialism and suggested debt forgiveness, cooperation and financing as an example.

At issue are statements made on Tuesday, during a dinner with foreign correspondents in Portugal, in which he stated that the country should “take full responsibility” for what it did in the colonial period and “pay the costs”, which drew criticism from the Enough, IL and CDS-PP.