Foreign policy of Portugal
The foreign policy of Portugal includes the foreign policy of the Republic of Portugal . The responsible state body is the Portuguese Foreign Ministry with its seat in the Palácio das Necessidades , a historic palace complex in the capital Lisbon .
In addition to Portugal's official foreign policy and diplomacy , other state and semi-state institutions and private institutions naturally also influence Portugal's foreign policy relations.
Portugal is today, despite its comparatively low political, economic and military weight in the world, internationally as a reliable and mediating actor. This mediating role of Portugal is reflected in the active presence of the country in various multilateral cooperation forums or in the election of Portuguese politicians to international bodies, such as António Guterre's election as ninth UN Secretary-General or the two-time election of José Manuel Barroso as EU Commission President .
Geopolitical orientation
Global basics
The Portuguese Republic pursues a foreign policy that follows the geographical, historical, cultural and global political situation of Portugal. She traditionally avoids hard confrontations. Even during the domestically repressive Estado Novo dictatorship (1932–1974), the country mostly avoided direct confrontations or even aggression in foreign policy.
Despite the alliances and commitments entered into since then, the foreign policy of Portugal, which has been democratic again since 1974 , can be described in a simplified manner with the unofficial maxim of “ having no enemies in the world”. Thanks to the history of Portugal , the country also sees itself as a historical mediator between cultures and as a forerunner of globalization , which enabled Europe's cultural, economic, scientific and military supremacy in the world from the 15th century. For example, Portugal recently announced relations with the neighboring continent of Africa as a priority topic for the period of its regular EU Council Presidency in the first half of 2021, with reference to its geographical proximity and its diverse and long historical ties.
In addition to the legacy of its 500-year colonial history, Portugal's foreign policy today is mainly shaped by its membership in the EU , NATO and the community of Portuguese-speaking countries.Other priorities of Portuguese foreign policy are its involvement in the Ibero-American summit and the Mediterranean forum .
Significant reference points
Portugal naturally has the oldest and closest, but also the most conflictual, relations with its only direct neighbor, Spain , which is much larger in area and population . Most of its historical conflicts therefore had to be resolved by the country even before the independent kingdom of Portugal was founded in 1139 with today's Spain, with which it still shares more common interests than with any other European country.
Portugal's oldest ally is the United Kingdom . The Windsor Treaty was signed in 1386 and is still valid today, making it the oldest existing alliance, at least in Europe, and probably worldwide. The Windsor Treaty also goes back to a first Anglo-Portuguese alliance from 1275. In addition to Great Britain, France can still be regarded as the most important partner in the EU, with whom traditionally there are mainly cultural, but also economic and political ties. Germany , on the other hand, is one of Portugal's most important partners, especially economically, while the USA is one of its most important political allies today.
An essential factor for the foreign policy relations of Portugal is the legacy of the Portuguese colonial empire as the first real world empire in history, which existed from the 15th to the 20th century. The Salazar dictatorship in Portugal, which worked from 1928 to 1974 and adhered strictly to the colonial empire, ensured that connections were at times heavily burdened, but are still particularly close today. Relations with its former colonies in Africa and Asia have developed steadily since the 1974 Carnation Revolution , which largely brought about the end of the Portuguese empire in 1975, and Portugal's subsequent cooperative and friendly foreign policy, and are now mostly considered good to excellent. This colonial history, especially from the 16th to the 18th century, is also a link between Portugal and countries such as China, India, Japan or Iran that is still effective today. The closest relationship exists with Brazil : based on their long common history and traditional, now mutual migration, the two Portuguese-speaking countries have profound economic, cultural and political ties at all levels.
Another factor in Portugal's international relations is its diaspora , the Portuguese abroad . The country has a long history of emigration , so that today the number of overseas Portuguese is much larger than its population of about 10 million, the Portuguese Foreign Ministry was the end of 2017 of about 15 million Portuguese-born people abroad from Other sources speak with the involvement of the grandchildren of well over 30 million. In various countries such as Brazil, Luxembourg, South Africa, Venezuela, the USA or Switzerland, the Portuguese make up some significant minorities, who thus also influence the trade relations and foreign policy of Portugal.
Foreign policy institutions
Diplomacy and foreign policy
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The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the state body responsible for Portuguese foreign policy and, among other things, Portuguese diplomacy . The country has around 70 permanent embassies and a large number of consulates and consulates general around the world . There are also representations at international organizations.
Also of importance in Portuguese foreign policy is membership in a number of multilateral fora, including in the Mediterranean region the Mediterranean Forum , the 5 + 5 Dialogue and the Union for the Mediterranean , within the EU the Arraiolos Group , the Douzelage and the European Charter , or globally the community of Portuguese speaking countries and their various sub-organizations. In addition, Portugal is a founding member of NATO and is actively involved in various NATO initiatives and operations. Portugal is also developing particular activity in the UN sub-organizations, in particular in UNESCO , but also in numerous other UN bodies. Such was António Guterres 1995 to 2002 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , before being elected in 2017 to the UN Secretary General. Also worth mentioning is the election of António Vitorino as Secretary General of the UN migration organization in 2018.
City and community partnerships
In addition to diplomacy at the state level, international contacts at the municipal level are also important. The most important means of expression here are the city and community friendships that Portuguese counties ( Municípios ) and communities ( Freguesias ) maintain with communities in other countries. These partnerships and cooperation agreements serve various purposes, including the exchange of experience and knowledge transfer, cultural exchange, economic development and regional integration, logistical, technological or material aid, joint projects, youth exchange, European integration or the preservation and processing of shared history, among others
Culture
Public institutions
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The state cultural institute Instituto Camões , founded in 1992, is Portugal's cultural ambassador to the world. It is affiliated to the Association of European Cultural Institutes and has its headquarters on Avenida da Liberdade in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon . The Instituto Camões maintains funding programs, cooperations, lectureships and language and cultural centers in over 60 countries on all five continents.
This makes the Instituto Camões an important engine of development in the Portuguese-speaking world . In addition, a number of other initiatives also play a role in bringing the Portuguese-speaking world closer together, such as the international channels of the Portuguese public television service RTP , namely RTP África for the African countries of the Portuguese language and RTP Internacional , whose program is particularly aimed at people of Portuguese origin and those interested in Portugal all over the world. Official support programs and collaborations such as that of the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal with the national libraries of the Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa are also part of Portugal's international cultural policy.
The much-acclaimed World Exhibition in Lisbon in 1998 brought the country a particularly effective international display option, as did the Portuguese European Capitals of Culture Lisbon (1994), Porto (2001) and Guimarães (2012), in 2027 another, not yet announced city in Portugal will become European Capital of Culture.
The tourism authority Turismo de Portugal ( Visit Portugal ) is subordinate to the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Portugal and operates the marketing for the Portuguese tourism , which is economically of increasing importance for the country. This international marketing and the presence of Visit Portugal with offices in 21 countries and at international tourism fairs (such as the ITB in Berlin) is also a factor in the external impact of the country.
Sports
Sport is another link between Portugal and other countries, especially the Portuguese-speaking world. The Jogos da Lusofonia are the most important games of the community of Portuguese-speaking countries, which also organize other sporting events that also take place in different host countries.
The Portuguese football is another, particularly effective link between Portugal and people around the world, especially in the former colonies of Portugal, and elsewhere. There are branch clubs of the most traditional Portuguese clubs such as Sporting Lisbon , Benfica Lisbon , FC Porto and Académica Coimbra scattered on all continents . Even more popular worldwide are well-known Portuguese football personalities such as the multiple World Footballer of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo or the well-known coach José Mourinho .
Hosting the 2004 European Football Championship and winning the 2016 European Football Championship resulted in a particularly large amount of international reporting on Portugal.
By hosting other major events, Portugal was able to further strengthen its public image, including the 2003 Handball World Championship , the 2003 Half Marathon World Championship , the 2018 Canoe World Championship , the 1999 and 2009 Indoor Cycling World Championships , the Les Sables – Les Açores – Les Sables sailing regatta , the Lisbon marathon or numerous three-cushion world cup tournaments and much more. The country has hosted most of the roller hockey world championships so far , including numerous international golf, badminton and fencing events.
Portugal organized various motorsport events such as the Portugal Rally , multiple stages of the Dakar Rally or the long-standing Formula 1 races of the Portuguese Grand Prix , along with many other motorcycle and rally events.
music
Portuguese music is a powerful ambassador for Portuguese culture. Fado and Cante Alentejano , both of which are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites, should be mentioned here in particular .
The opera singer Luísa Todi in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and the tenor Lomelino Silva in the 1920s to 1930s were already internationally known singers from Portugal. But it wasn't until Ercília Costa from the 1930s, but especially from the 1950s, Amália Rodrigues , as highly regarded fado singers, not only carried the name but also the culture of their country into the world.
The international success of the group Madredeus in the 1990s to 2000s, the international guest tours of many fado interpreters such as Mariza , Ana Moura or Carlos do Carmo , but also internationally successful pop and rock musicians such as Buraka Som Sistema , Dead Combo , the folk-pop band OqueStrada , the heavy metal formation Moonspell , the hardcore band Devil in Me or the early reggae formation The Ratazanas , and musicians like the jazz musician Carlos Bica , the rock guitarist The Legendary Tigerman , the jazz pianist Bernardo Sassetti and also world stars like the American rock guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, born on the Portuguese Azores Islands , and the Canadian pop singer Nelly Furtado , Portugal continued to make known among music lovers around the world.
Even Portugal's participation in the Euro Vision Song Contest give some international attention to the country, especially to mention the profit Salvador Sobrals 2017 and the following alignment of the ESC 2018 .
Many international music lovers visit the annual music festivals in Portugal, such as Rock in Rio , the internationally popular NOS Alive! , the Super Bock Super Rock , the traditional Festival de Vilar de Mouros , the world music festival FMM Festival das Musicas do Mundo , the multicultural Boom Festival , the RFM Somnii for electronic dance music, the Festival Intercéltico de Sendim for Celtic music, or the numerous jazz festivals in Portugal . However, the Festa do Avante is still the largest festival in the country ! . All of these festivals attract both musicians and visitors from all over the world and thus contribute to the country's external image.
Personalities
The Nobel Prize for Literature, José Saramago , the important modern poet Fernando Pessoa and well-known authors such as António Lobo Antunes , Lídia Jorge and Gonçalo M. Tavares are internationally acclaimed representatives of Portuguese literature .
The filmmaking of Portugal with actors like the producer Paulo Branco , the cameraman Eduardo Serra , actors like Joaquim de Almeida or Maria de Medeiros , or directors like Manoel de Oliveira or Miguel Gomes brings film lovers around the world closer to the name of Portugal.
Architects such as Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura are also considered to be ambassadors for Portuguese cultural creation in the world.
Joana Vasconcelos is one of the most internationally known representatives of the fine arts from Portugal among contemporary artists .
economy
The economic intermediary is the AICEP , the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce Abroad . It maintains a large number of facilities around the world, some of which are connected to the Portuguese embassies as contact offices and others in independent branches.
Foreign trade has gained great importance for Portugal, especially since the deep crisis that the country got into in the euro crisis in 2010 as a result of the global financial crisis from 2007 onwards. Portugal's efforts to steadily increase its exports are now bearing fruit. The country's exports reached the Portuguese record level of 44.3% of GDP in 2018 , and the government's plans are for a further increase to 50% of GDP around 2025.
Constitutional requirements
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Article 7 of the Portuguese Constitution regulates the principles of international relations in Portugal in seven paragraphs.
- Paragraph 1, calls for national independence, the respect of all for the Portuguese foreign policy as fundamental principles of human rights and equality among all states, the peaceful resolution of international conflicts, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states and cooperation with all other peoples in the sense of emancipation and of human progress .
- Paragraph 2 fully advocates the abolition of imperialism , colonialism and any other form of aggression, domination or exploitation in relations between peoples. It also advocates general, simultaneous and controlled disarmament, the dissolution of politico-military blocs and the establishment of a collective security system, with the aim of creating an international order that ensures peace and justice in relations between peoples.
- In paragraph 3, Portugal recognizes the right of peoples to self-determination , their right to independence and development, and their right to insurrection and resistance to all forms of oppression.
- Paragraph 4 sets out preferential ties of friendship and cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries .
- Paragraph 5 prescribes Portugal's commitment to European identity and to strengthening the efforts of European states for democracy, peace, economic progress and justice in relations between peoples.
- According to paragraph 6, Portugal can generally, in cooperation or with institutions of the Community, agree to take on tasks that are necessary for the construction and deepening of the European Union, subject to reciprocity, respect for constitutional democratic values and the principle of support the objectives of economic, social and territorial cohesion, the creation of an area of freedom, security and justice, and the definition and implementation of a common foreign, security and defense policy.
- Paragraph 7 allows Portugal to recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court to enforce an international law that promotes respect for human rights and international law, in addition to and subject to the other conditions of the Rome Statute .
Military missions abroad
The Portuguese constitution forms the basis for foreign missions by the Portuguese military . In Article 275, it defines the tasks of the armed forces in seven paragraphs. Among other things, they are only intended to defend the Republic (paragraph 1), may only be composed of Portuguese citizens (paragraph 2), obey only the constitutionally and legally competent organs (paragraph 3), serve the people of Portugal, are impartial, and may not use their weapons, post or function for political purposes (paragraph 4). It is their task, in accordance with applicable law, to fulfill the international military obligations of the Portuguese state and to participate in humanitarian and peace missions of international organizations of which Portugal is a member (paragraph 5). The armed forces of Portugal can be instructed to take part in legally compliant civil defense operations , in tasks related to ensuring basic needs and improving the quality of life of the population, and in military-technical cooperation within the framework of domestic political cooperation (Paragraph 6). The current laws on siege and emergency situations regulate the conditions for the use of the armed forces in these situations (paragraph 7).
According to these constitutional provisions, the foreign missions of the Portuguese armed forces are limited to legitimate missions of the United Nations, NATO, the EU and the community of Portuguese-speaking countries .
They were first used in 1991 in the Balkan conflict . Since then, with a total of 36,000 soldiers from all three branches of service, they have participated in 18 military and civilian missions on four continents, primarily in countries in Africa (including Central African Republic, Somalia, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast and Mozambique) and in the Balkans ( especially Bosnia and Kosovo), but also the frequent military deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition to soldiers of the three branches of service, officers from the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) security police are deployed on missions abroad. The GNR is also one of the armed forces.
In June 2017, the Portuguese armed forces recorded their 20th death in military missions abroad when a Sargento adjunto was killed in a terrorist attack in Mali .
Most recently, the extensive relief operations by the Portuguese armed forces after cyclone Idai in Mozambique in March 2019 were the subject of reporting.
Bilateral relations
Africa
America
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Asia
Australia and Oceania
| Country | Beginning of official relations | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
 Australia
|
1960 | → Main article: Australian-Portuguese relations |
 Cook Islands
|
1995 | → Main article: Relations between the Cook Islands and Portugal |
 Fiji
|
1977 | → Main article: Fijian-Portuguese relations |
 Kiribati
|
1983 | → Main article: Kiribati-Portuguese relations |
 Marshall Islands
|
unnamed | → Main article: Marshallese-Portuguese relations |
 Micronesia
|
1996 | → Main article: Micronesian-Portuguese relations |
 Nauru
|
1984 | → Main article: Nauruan-Portuguese relations |
 New Zealand
|
1976 | → Main article: New Zealand-Portuguese relations |
 Palau
|
2000 | → Main article: Palau-Portuguese relations |
 Papua New Guinea
|
1976 | → Main article: Papua-New Guinean-Portuguese relations |
 Solomon Islands
|
1997 | → Main article: Portuguese-Solomonic relations |
 Samoa
|
1995 | → Main article: Portuguese-Samoan relations |
 Tonga
|
1983 | → Main article: Portuguese-Tongan relations |
 Tuvalu
|
no | → Main article: Portuguese-Tuvaluan relations |
 Vanuatu
|
1983 | → Main article: Portuguese-Vanuatu relations |
Europe
Former states
| Country | Duration of the official relationship | Remarks | map |
|---|---|---|---|
 German Democratic Republic
|
1973-1990 | → Main article: Relations between the German Democratic Republic and Portugal |
 |
.svg){kind=small} Yugoslavia
|
1918-2003 | → Main article: Yugoslav-Portuguese relations |
 |
.svg){kind=small} Soviet Union
|
1974-1991 | → Main article: Portuguese-Soviet relations |
 |
 Czechoslovakia
|
1921-1992 | → Main article: Portuguese-Czechoslovak relations |
 |
See also
- Foreign service
- History of Portugal
- List of Portuguese diplomatic missions abroad
- List of diplomatic missions in Portugal
literature
- Augusto Santos Silva : Argumentos Necessários - Contributos para a Política Europeia e Externa de Portugal. Tinta da China 2018 ( ISBN 978-989-67-1429-1 )
- Duarte Bué Alves: Diplomacia Azul - O mar na política externa de Portugal. Caleidoscópio 20017 ( ISBN 978-989-65-8472-6 )
- João Marques Almeida, Rui Ramos: Revoluções, Política Externa e Política de Defesa em Portugal. Edições Cosmos 2008 ( ISBN 978-972-76-2299-3 )
- Various Política Externa e Política de Defesa do Portugal Democratico. Edições Colibri 2001 ( ISBN 978-972-77-2221-1 )
- Fernando Rosa, Maria Fernanda Rollo (coord.): Os Portugueses E Os Desafíos Do Milénio. Assírio & Alvim, Lisbon 1998, ( ISBN 978-972-37-0470-9 )
- Fernando Rosa, Maria Fernanda Rollo (coord.): Língua Portuguesa: A Herança Comum. Assírio & Alvim, Lisbon 1998, ( ISBN 978-972-37-0471-6 )
- Fernando Rosa, Maria Fernanda Rollo (coord.): Valor da Universalidade. Assírio & Alvim, Lisbon 1998, ( ISBN 978-972-37-0472-3 )
Web links
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to the Portuguese Government (Portuguese)
- Diplomatic portal of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs with pages on all diplomatic topics (Portuguese and English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Overview of Portugal's Foreign Policy , Director General Foreign Policy at the Diplomatic Institute, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, accessed on April 12, 2019
- ↑ África será prioridade da presidência portuguesa da União Europeia - “Africa will be the focus of Portugal's EU presidency” , press release of the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs of April 8, 2019, accessed on April 14, 2019
- ↑ Informaçãoertrada é importante para conhecer a realidade dos 15 milhões de portugueses e lusodescendentes - "Prepared information is important to know the reality of the 15 million Portuguese and people of Portuguese origin " , article of December 29, 2017 in the newspaper Diário de Notícias da Madeira , accessed on January 3, 2018
- ↑ Há 31,2 milhões de portugueses no mundo - "There are 31.2 million Portuguese in the world" , article in the news portal of the Portuguese television channel TVI , accessed on January 3, 2018
- ↑ Visit Portugal's own information on the Turismo de Portugal website (German), accessed on May 3, 2019
- ↑ Newsletter of the Embassy of Portugal in Germany No. 164, March 2019 , PDF download, homepage of the Portuguese Embassy in Berlin , accessed on April 12, 2019
- ↑ Projeções do Banco de Portugal: economia abranda e desemprego cai até 2020 - “ Forecast of the Portuguese Central Bank: Economic growth will slow down and unemployment will fall by 2020” , press release of the Portuguese government of March 28, 2018, accessed on April 12, 2019
- ↑ Article 7 of the Constitution of Portugal in the 2005 version , homepage of the Portuguese Parliament , accessed on April 12, 2019
- ↑ Article 275 of the Constitution of Portugal in the version from 2005 , homepage of the Portuguese Parliament, accessed on April 12, 2019
- ^ Website of the General Staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces on international operations (port.), Accessed April 12, 2019
- ↑ Militar morto no Mali é 20.ª baixa em missões no estrangeiro desde 1992 - "Soldier killed in Mali is 20th victim in missions abroad since 1992" , article and contribution from June 19, 2017 of the TSF radio station , accessed on April 12, 2019
- ↑ Governo e militares "orgulhosos" com resultado da missão a Moçambique - "Government and soldiers" proud "of the result of their mission in Mozambique" , article in the newspaper Diário de Notícias of March 31, 2019, accessed on April 12, 2019