Pastelaria Gomes would be closed at 9 pm, as it normally is at night, if it weren’t for the fact that this Thursday, May 9th, Europe Day was celebrated. The Coordination and Development Commission for the Northern Region (CCDR-Norte) scheduled a “Coffee Gathering” for this historic space in Vila Real. The room was full to hear Manuel Pizarro and Gonçalo Lobo Xavier talk about Europe without forgetting April 25, 1974.
Manuel Pizarro was an MEP between 2019 and 2022 and Minister of Health in the previous Government led by António Costa. Gonçalo Lobo Xavier is vice-president of the European Semester Group, general director of the Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies and former vice-president of the European Economic and Social Council.
The atmosphere was really like a get-together, in which the relaxed nature of the conversation did not take away from the seriousness of what was said. The themes generated a lot of agreement, but also some moments of opposing opinions, particularly when the debate extended to those present.
What both guests have no doubt about is that “Portugal is now much better than it was before the 25th of April 1974” and, also, “than it was before joining the then European Economic Community” (EEC), in 1986.
Manuel Pizarro recalled that during the dictatorship, in his parents’ village “people lived like in the Middle Ages”. Many lands like that “didn’t even have electricity”. The illiteracy rate in Portugal was “more than 30%”. The average infant mortality rate was “more than 30 per thousand births and now it is 2.5”. “In all indicators Portugal was a disgraced country”, he emphasized, so now “it is much better in all areas”.
“Could we live better outside Europe today? Maybe not. I have many doubts, as before we lived in another world”, highlighted the former Minister of Health.
In turn, Gonçalo Lobo Xavier highlighted that it is necessary to “value what Europe gives to Portugal”. And this “is not just limited to European funds”. Therefore, “to say that they weren’t worth it is to not know the country. Is there a lot missing? Of course it’s missing. But the current situation is incomparably better”, he stressed.
During the public intervention, there was some dissatisfaction with situations experienced in the country, particularly in the health sector. Despite agreeing that not everything is well, Manuel Pizarro recalled that “Portugal had a brutal evolution after the 25th of April”. When it comes to childhood vaccination, for example, it is the “most developed country in Europe”.
Gonçalo Lobo Xavier said he noticed the “degree of dissatisfaction with the services that the State provides”. And that he understands “that public services should be criticized in the face of the huge tax burden that the Portuguese have to bear”.
Despite this agreement, the vice-president of the European Semester Group was peremptory: “I just don’t think there has been no development. Because that is the speech of the extremists, who are being very clever in taking advantage of this. We can criticize everything, especially in a cafe, but we cannot say that the country has not developed”.
Lobo Xavier also placed emphasis on Portuguese universities, which are “world class” and “have experienced brutal growth with an impact on people’s lives”. The problem is that Portugal “is not a rich country” and people “leave because salaries are very low”.
Looking to the future, Manuel Pizarro admitted that “Europe faces brutal challenges”. And she doesn’t see the problems being resolved “if even more isn’t done for her”. “To be more successful we have to affirm Europe even more”, he reinforced.
The meeting colleague launched a challenge to the Portuguese to vote in the European elections on June 9: “The more people who vote, the risk of extremism drops considerably. Not voting means giving the gold to the criminal and then there is no European money to save us”.
