Today, Aníbal Cavaco Silva is being honored at the Palácio de São Bento, marking 40 years since his first election as Prime Minister of Portugal.
In his speech, Cavaco Silva, reflecting on his time governing Portugal, emphasized that he took over the country’s leadership to “overcome the financial emergency Portugal was facing.” He noted that he left behind “a career as a researcher and university professor,” a decision he admitted “radically changed my life.”
Cavaco acknowledged that he was a “little experienced” politician at the time but benefited from a period when there was greater civility among politicians.
“When I became Prime Minister, I had an obvious lack of parliamentary experience and quickly adopted a pedagogical tone that irritated the deputies,” he recalled, before admitting: “I lacked experience, but I benefited from a time when good manners prevailed in relations between politicians.”
He remarked that historically “debates in the Assembly were lively” but conducted with civility.
“There was an absence of bad manners, denunciatory language, insult, and slander, and the shouting seen in modern times was absent,” he commented.
Aníbal Cavaco Silva also warned that it’s “impossible” to govern “without mistakes and errors,” but argued that while making mistakes is human, such errors “cannot be hidden.”
“Theory is one thing, political practice is another. No matter how hard a government works and strives, it’s impossible to avoid mistakes. As I often say, ‘nobody is perfect.’ In politics, the mistakes made by a government, even if human, cannot be hidden, and sometimes errors are even invented to make sensational news,” he stated.
The former head of government argued that a “good government of an EU country” is one that considers “external constraints,” consists of a true team with a defined strategy to achieve set objectives, where various policy tools are used in the right doses and at the right times, ensuring good coordination and harmony in language among ministries.
“This succinct definition, different from what is given by ChatGPT, was what guided me but was obviously not fully met,” he declared.
The former Prime Minister and President of the Republic, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, was speaking at a ceremony at the official residence of São Bento, commemorating 40 years since his first inauguration as head of the government on November 6, 1985.
The current Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, is paying tribute to the social-democrat Aníbal Cavaco Silva, marking 40 years since his first swearing-in as head of the executive in 1985.
Before giving the floor to the honoree, Luís Montenegro stated that “it is fair to recognize that there is a Portugal before and a Portugal after Aníbal Cavaco Silva.”
The Prime Minister acknowledged that Cavaco Silva is his reference and inspiration for government action, declaring that, like the former head of the government, he feels the responsibility of being “a beacon for the country.”
“I want to say here, without any problem, on the contrary, with great pleasure, that in terms of governmental inspiration, in the way of being, dealing, and executing the task of coordinating the government, our and my reference and inspiration is precisely Aníbal Cavaco Silva,” he declared.
He added: “Like him, today we feel the responsibility of being a beacon to guide the country towards the path we want to follow, as Cavaco Silva did 40 years ago, with the intention of leaving no Portuguese behind, with the aim of giving everyone the same opportunities,” said Montenegro, noting several similarities between his governments and Cavaco’s executives.
Aníbal Cavaco Silva was Prime Minister for 10 years, from 1985 to 1995, achieving two absolute majorities in legislative elections.
His governments included figures such as Luís Marques Mendes, Eduardo Catroga, Durão Barroso, Luís Mira Amaral, and Manuela Ferreira Leite.
From 2006 to 2016, he served as President of the Republic.
