Less than six months from the country assuming, for the fourth time, the presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Minister of Foreign Affairs affirms that Portugal’s role in European construction “is no longer that of a good student”, but “that of protagonist”. Not top-notch, because it advocates that “there are no first or second-tier protagonists”, because everything depends on the areas.
In an interview with TSF, this Friday, Augusto Santos Silva maintains that, if the subject is the enlargement of the EU to the Balkans, Portugal will not be in the front line, like Croatia, Slovenia or Germany: “We are in the front line when it comes to Schengen or the Eurozone, links with Latin America, European security policy, migration or humanitarian issues ”. In relation to Africa, the minister even guarantees that Portugal “is one of the main protagonists”.
In Portuguese foreign policy, for Santos Silva it is clear that there are two other priorities: “multilateralism and internationalization, not only in the economy, but in the higher education and science system, as well as in culture and our language”. On the day he spoke of his new book – ‘Evolve: New Contributions to European and Foreign Policy in Portugal’ -, the holder of the diplomatic portfolio admitted that passions also play a role in foreign policy, despite recognizing that, in his case, being a “Cartesian rationalist”, he tries to make them not “an essential element”. Although it admits exceptions, for example when connecting to Brazil, where, in addition to interests, there is emotion and affection.
In the book, Augusto Santos Silva points out that the main threats to the physical and social existence of the present times are “terrorism, the collapse of states in the neighborhood and climate change”.
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