It has been a long time since a military man attracted so much attention. Henrique Gouveia e Melo, vice-admiral, submariner, wore his camouflage for months, after taking on the coordination of the Vaccination Plan Against COVID Task Force, promising only to take it off when his mission was over. He did well so, eight months later, he was back in his Navy uniform. The percentage outlined for group immunity was guaranteed, in what he admits was one of the main missions of his life. In the history of Portugal, the owner of the defiant blue eyes will always be remembered as the «vaccine admiral».
If you could choose, which would be the moments that have most marked the country and the world in the last 20 years?
On a national level, I think it would be essential to mention the economic crisis that began in 2010, with the inherent arrival of Troika, which reminded us that there is no such thing as a «free lunch». Only by respecting and having confidence in our capacities – and being aware of the circumstances inherent to our path as a nation, which resulted in some delays and fragilities –, will we be able to participate with some degree of autonomy in alliances, be they regional or global. The demand for maritime spaces, with high natural wealth in its subsoil, is now on the international agenda. The possibility that Portugal may extend its jurisdictional and economic sovereignty over a maritime space that is equivalent to 80% of the European continent may change the future of our nation, and may constitute, depending on our attitude and determination, either a determining geostrategic/economic opportunity or a threat to our future sovereignty/autonomy.On an international level, I believe that the terrorist attacks on the USA, on September 11, 2001 and the COVID-19 pandemic were, without doubt, two moments that altered the world paradigm in a very significant way. Starting with the September 11 attacks, I believe that they brought about the transformation from a bipolar, cold-war world, characteristic of the second half of the 20th century, to another, more mediatised, asymmetric and multipolar world that has marked the last decades. This change with global effects and with concrete effects on the daily life of all of us, affects political systems, especially those referred to as Western ones, a fact that should make us reflect as individuals and as a nation belonging to the «Western» world. As for the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe it has shown us just how fragile the human condition is, alerting us to the much-vaunted need for global policies and more cooperative approaches. It seems easy to relate this phenomenon to others that are already underway and also have a planetary dimension, such as climate change and asymmetric development, which have resulted in outbreaks of violence and regional instability in a world that is increasingly interconnected through globalisation.
Professionally, what was the most decisive moment for you in these two decades and why would you single it out?
In my professional life I am pleased to point out two moments. First, during the process of acquisition and arrival of the submarines of the 5th Squadron to the Portuguese Navy, which was a very significant technological leap, with the inevitable changes at administrative and operational level, during which time I assumed the functions of commander of the Submarine Squadron. Secondly, my functions of Task Force coordinator, where I was in charge of coordinating the complex planning and execution process of the vaccination of the Portuguese population. The success of this mission allowed lives to be saved and contributed to freeing the economy, helping us, at the same time, to return to an almost normal situation in the daily life of the Portuguese.
In your opinion, what would be the most urgent change that the country and the world need to make in the next 20 years?
In Portugal, I think it is important to move from reflection to action and to develop an economic and structural model that allows the country to move up the value scale of the production and commercial chains. This will imply, in my opinion, sustainable development in balance with nature, supported by a society with an expanded middle class, where well-being responds to the natural yearnings of the Portuguese, avoiding the development of extremism, radicalism and utopias that generate chaos, destruction and suffering in some sections of the population. In the same way, there is also the challenge that we are moving towards a society that is ageing too much, jeopardising its own sustainability and capacity for renewal. For this reason, it is essential to rethink the current model and align it in such a way that it allows, through the promotion of birth rates and or, possibly, with the help of controlled immigration based on an open, cosmopolitan, technologically dynamic, attractive and culturally inclusive system of education and development.Internationally, the various states should develop a positive competitiveness, reinforcing the decisive vector of solidarity among themselves, considering that we all sail on the same ocean and how often we cross it in the same boat. As I mentioned before, this pandemic is a good example of solidarity, but also of the lack of it. The rapid development of a vaccine on the positive side and on the negative side the appropriation of vaccines by rich countries, which resulted in very poor availability for the poorer countries. We are therefore faced with a scenario in which most rich countries already have a large percentage of their population vaccinated, only halted by negationist movements of some significance, while the poorer countries have very low percentages of vaccination, around 4 to 5%.A consistent change of action is also becoming necessary in the fight against climate change. The change that will allow the strengthening of solidarity between peoples and cultural and economic spaces will only be possible with a reform of extranational institutions, as well as with the international legal reinforcement of the decisions taken in those forums.
If you could choose, which would be the moments that have most marked the country and the world in the last 20 years?
On a national level, I think it would be essential to mention the economic crisis that began in 2010, with the inherent arrival of Troika, which reminded us that there is no such thing as a «free lunch». Only by respecting and having confidence in our capacities – and being aware of the circumstances inherent to our path as a nation, which resulted in some delays and fragilities –, will we be able to participate with some degree of autonomy in alliances, be they regional or global. The demand for maritime spaces, with high natural wealth in its subsoil, is now on the international agenda. The possibility that Portugal may extend its jurisdictional and economic sovereignty over a maritime space that is equivalent to 80% of the European continent may change the future of our nation, and may constitute, depending on our attitude and determination, either a determining geostrategic/economic opportunity or a threat to our future sovereignty/autonomy.On an international level, I believe that the terrorist attacks on the USA, on September 11, 2001 and the COVID-19 pandemic were, without doubt, two moments that altered the world paradigm in a very significant way. Starting with the September 11 attacks, I believe that they brought about the transformation from a bipolar, cold-war world, characteristic of the second half of the 20th century, to another, more mediatised, asymmetric and multipolar world that has marked the last decades. This change with global effects and with concrete effects on the daily life of all of us, affects political systems, especially those referred to as Western ones, a fact that should make us reflect as individuals and as a nation belonging to the «Western» world. As for the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe it has shown us just how fragile the human condition is, alerting us to the much-vaunted need for global policies and more cooperative approaches. It seems easy to relate this phenomenon to others that are already underway and also have a planetary dimension, such as climate change and asymmetric development, which have resulted in outbreaks of violence and regional instability in a world that is increasingly interconnected through globalisation.
Professionally, what was the most decisive moment for you in these two decades and why would you single it out?
In my professional life I am pleased to point out two moments. First, during the process of acquisition and arrival of the submarines of the 5th Squadron to the Portuguese Navy, which was a very significant technological leap, with the inevitable changes at administrative and operational level, during which time I assumed the functions of commander of the Submarine Squadron. Secondly, my functions of Task Force coordinator, where I was in charge of coordinating the complex planning and execution process of the vaccination of the Portuguese population. The success of this mission allowed lives to be saved and contributed to freeing the economy, helping us, at the same time, to return to an almost normal situation in the daily life of the Portuguese.
In your opinion, what would be the most urgent change that the country and the world need to make in the next 20 years?
In Portugal, I think it is important to move from reflection to action and to develop an economic and structural model that allows the country to move up the value scale of the production and commercial chains. This will imply, in my opinion, sustainable development in balance with nature, supported by a society with an expanded middle class, where well-being responds to the natural yearnings of the Portuguese, avoiding the development of extremism, radicalism and utopias that generate chaos, destruction and suffering in some sections of the population. In the same way, there is also the challenge that we are moving towards a society that is ageing too much, jeopardising its own sustainability and capacity for renewal. For this reason, it is essential to rethink the current model and align it in such a way that it allows, through the promotion of birth rates and or, possibly, with the help of controlled immigration based on an open, cosmopolitan, technologically dynamic, attractive and culturally inclusive system of education and development.Internationally, the various states should develop a positive competitiveness, reinforcing the decisive vector of solidarity among themselves, considering that we all sail on the same ocean and how often we cross it in the same boat. As I mentioned before, this pandemic is a good example of solidarity, but also of the lack of it. The rapid development of a vaccine on the positive side and on the negative side the appropriation of vaccines by rich countries, which resulted in very poor availability for the poorer countries. We are therefore faced with a scenario in which most rich countries already have a large percentage of their population vaccinated, only halted by negationist movements of some significance, while the poorer countries have very low percentages of vaccination, around 4 to 5%.A consistent change of action is also becoming necessary in the fight against climate change. The change that will allow the strengthening of solidarity between peoples and cultural and economic spaces will only be possible with a reform of extranational institutions, as well as with the international legal reinforcement of the decisions taken in those forums.
