“The objective and idea was to hold a gathering, reunion, and celebration of the 40th anniversary of the reformist governments led by Professor Cavaco Silva, which we are proud to have been a part of due to its reformist and transformative spirit that was of extreme importance to our country,” explained former minister Fernando Faria de Oliveira.
Faria de Oliveira, the former Minister of Commerce and Tourism in Cavaco Silva’s third government, is one of the organizers of this luncheon, which will take place this Friday in Lisbon.
Faria de Oliveira emphasized that this is not a tribute, but a moment of reunion and “fellowship among all” members of the governments led by Cavaco Silva.
“In some way, it is evident that this could also convey a message, which is that without reforms, without an extreme focus on economic growth, and without ensuring a truly social-democratic experience—where social dialogue, equitable income taxation, equal opportunities, healthcare protection, and a robust market economy are prioritized, alongside the attraction of direct foreign investment and radical changes in communications and transportation infrastructures like bridges—all of these play a significant role in the country’s development, improving quality of life and wages,” he highlighted.
He pointed out that the ten years during which Aníbal Cavaco Silva served as prime minister, from 1985 to 1995, represented “the most significant growth period in our recent history in all aspects, culturally included.”
Nevertheless, he argued that this event “is not intended to send a message” externally.
“It exists intrinsically when we gather, as we feel particularly satisfied that all of us contributed to making it happen,” he indicated.
Faria de Oliveira mentioned that nearly a hundred people would attend, with “the bulk of ministers and state secretaries being present at this celebration,” except for “one or two cases” unable to attend due to illness or “other types of impossibilities.”
“Unfortunately, 43 members of the government—ministers and state secretaries—have passed away. We couldn’t gather contacts for some of them, so they were unaware of this luncheon, but nearly 100 people will be reunited to celebrate the government’s actions, which brings us great satisfaction because we believe we served Portugal very well,” he stated.
Fernando Faria de Oliveira explained that the idea for this meeting came up during another lunch.
“Since 1996, I have always maintained a regular lunch with the people who were part of the governments when I was a minister. During a lunch with Dr. Alexandre Relvas and Dr. Luís Palha, the importance and significance of this date came up, and Dr. Luís Palha suggested organizing a lunch among everyone to cherish old memories, thus the idea was born,” he noted.
Faria de Oliveira mentioned that “November 6 would have been the most appropriate date”—the exact day marking 40 years since Aníbal Cavaco Silva first took office as prime minister—but “it was not possible to arrange the gathering on that day.”
Aníbal Cavaco Silva served as prime minister for ten years. His governments included figures like Luís Marques Mendes, Eduardo Catroga, Durão Barroso, Luís Mira Amaral, and Manuela Ferreira Leite.
