In a 40-minute speech at the School of the Sea in the Azores, on the island of Faial, the President of the Republic emphasized the importance of national sovereignty, arguing that a “society that cannot assert its sovereignty is a society full of internal tensions and weaknesses.”
“We look at the states and see that those which are failed or weaker states are precisely those that cannot find a way to affirm their national sovereignty,” stated Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Marcelo also addressed the maritime area under national jurisdiction, stating that the Portuguese are unaware of its size and advocated that Portugal should “continue to fight for the extension of the continental shelf.”
The President of the Republic mentioned that a strategy for the Portuguese sea exists only “in the minds of many specialists,” noting that there hasn’t been a “continuous line, government after government, authority after authority,” and that the “importance and organic relationship of those in charge of sea policy” changes between administrations.
“Sometimes it’s the head of the Government, other times Foreign Affairs, sometimes it’s a government member dedicated to this, other times it’s a reality included in a portfolio that also changes over time. We need to stabilize this matter, to know who’s in charge,” he urged.
Marcelo also argued, at a time when “attention has been focused on the land,” that it makes sense to “view the sea as a national priority” because Portugal’s geographical position in Europe “comes precisely from the archipelagic location,” allowing the country “to be a bridge between oceans and continents.”
Regarding the Azores, the President described it as a region with a “fundamental geopolitical strategic importance” for Portugal, Europe, the United States, and “for the balance of powers in the world.”
In the same speech, the President of the Republic advocated for a greater investment in new industries such as technological innovation, cybersecurity, or defense, stating that such investment requires “a large political coalition” and that universities, research centers, and the Portuguese must understand the importance of these investments for the country’s affirmation.
“Look, other countries have already demonstrated that it is a factor of employment. And increasingly qualified employment. And companies with increasingly greater added value. That’s what we need,” he argued.
Prior to Marcelo, the president of the Azores regional government, José Manuel Bolieiro, spoke, advocating for a new mindset that transforms the archipelago into a “region of opportunities” and not one of needs, based on investment in scientific research and enhancement of the sea.
