Premium mobility in Portugal
Nuno Mendonça
Concerning «Incrementalism»
António Rebelo de Sousa
Strengthen cooperation with Africa and Latin America
José Manuel Fernandes
Portuguese MEP, teacher and politician
The European Union must strengthen - without adopting a paternalistic attitude - cooperation with Latin America and Africa. There is a mutual interest and a result that must be positive and advantageous for all parties. A winning strategy and solid cooperation are urgently needed.
The EU, in view of its wealth, has additional obligations which it has fulfilled with solidarity. It the world’s largest donor and the greatest contributor to development aid. This support does not have the deserved perception and visibility. There are several infrastructures, particularly in Africa, financed by the EU, but executed by Chinese companies. In these cases, the fame and the profit remain with China.
Portugal has special historical and cultural obligations to the Portuguese-speaking African Countries and to Brazil. The Portuguese language is an asset which is not exploited by Portugal and the EU. In this sense, Portugal and Spain - the Iberian Peninsula - should be allies rather than competitors, as they are the EU’s best representatives for Africa and Latin America. Portugal held the rotating Portuguese presidency of the EU in the first half of 2021. Unfortunately, it did not pay enough attention to Africa and Brazil. Spain will take over the EU presidency in the second half of this year and there is an expectation that it will boost this cooperation, notably with Latin America.
The EU needs raw materials, of which there is an abundance in Africa and Latin America, if it is to achieve the strategic autonomy it so desires. This evidence is not always taken into account by European leaders. The Mercosur agreement took 20 years to negotiate, but it is still not in force! The EU and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) represent almost 25% of world GDP and a market of 750 million people.
Within the EU, there are some Member States which, on the back of the deforestation of the Amazon, are blocking the agreement. In reality, the real reasons are purely protectionist and are related to the fear of exporting a small quantity of agricultural products from the Mercosur countries.
In this agreement, sustainability, the fight against climate change, the defence of human rights and social rights are structural elements. It is essential that we share these values and these goals and this does not mean following the same path or priorities, as the realities and circumstances are different. As José Ortega y Gasset once said: «I am myself and my circumstances, and, if I do not save them, I do not save myself». Therefore, it is essential to understand the «other», to respect their reality and their circumstances.
The EU, in view of its wealth, has additional obligations which it has fulfilled with solidarity. It the world’s largest donor and the greatest contributor to development aid. This support does not have the deserved perception and visibility. There are several infrastructures, particularly in Africa, financed by the EU, but executed by Chinese companies. In these cases, the fame and the profit remain with China.
Portugal has special historical and cultural obligations to the Portuguese-speaking African Countries and to Brazil. The Portuguese language is an asset which is not exploited by Portugal and the EU. In this sense, Portugal and Spain - the Iberian Peninsula - should be allies rather than competitors, as they are the EU’s best representatives for Africa and Latin America. Portugal held the rotating Portuguese presidency of the EU in the first half of 2021. Unfortunately, it did not pay enough attention to Africa and Brazil. Spain will take over the EU presidency in the second half of this year and there is an expectation that it will boost this cooperation, notably with Latin America.
The EU needs raw materials, of which there is an abundance in Africa and Latin America, if it is to achieve the strategic autonomy it so desires. This evidence is not always taken into account by European leaders. The Mercosur agreement took 20 years to negotiate, but it is still not in force! The EU and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) represent almost 25% of world GDP and a market of 750 million people.
Within the EU, there are some Member States which, on the back of the deforestation of the Amazon, are blocking the agreement. In reality, the real reasons are purely protectionist and are related to the fear of exporting a small quantity of agricultural products from the Mercosur countries.
In this agreement, sustainability, the fight against climate change, the defence of human rights and social rights are structural elements. It is essential that we share these values and these goals and this does not mean following the same path or priorities, as the realities and circumstances are different. As José Ortega y Gasset once said: «I am myself and my circumstances, and, if I do not save them, I do not save myself». Therefore, it is essential to understand the «other», to respect their reality and their circumstances.
