“We are in a sad moment for our democracy,” stated a minister at a conference on the 80th anniversary of the United Nations held today in Lisbon.
The minister, a key figure in Portuguese foreign policy, emphasized that Francisco Pinto Balsemão had always been a staunch advocate of NATO membership, European integration, and relations with Portuguese-speaking countries.
Paulo Rangel noted that Pinto Balsemão’s most significant legacy is his defense of freedom of expression, particularly through the creation of the newspaper Expresso and the first private television station in Portugal, SIC.
“He was on the ground, as part of civil society, working on values he believed in as a political figure,” he remarked.
“His contribution extends beyond foreign policy or international dimensions to the realization of basic human rights, and that is a legacy we owe to him,” he concluded.
Francisco Pinto Balsemão, former PSD leader, ex-prime minister, and founder of Expresso and SIC, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 88.
