Marcelo defends advances in women’s roles and criticizes “nostalgic nostalgia.”

This Thursday, the President of the Republic defended the achievements in the role of women in Portugal since April 25, expressing his conviction that they will continue, since they are the subject of a strong consensus, and criticized “nostalgic nostalgia”.

Marcelo Rebelo de Souza took these positions during a lecture on April 25 at the Escola Secundária de Camões in Lisbon, in which he did not want to directly comment on the book “Identity and family – between consciousness of tradition and demands.” modernity”, presented on Monday by former Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho.

In his first speech to about 800 students who filled the gymnasium of this high school, the head of state considered it important to remember the past “so as not to run the risk of wanting to establish a dictatorship.” again,” and called on young Portuguese to mobilize to renew democracy, warning that “dictatorships begin with little woolly feet.”

“It is very important that every time someone comes up with ideas that are unacceptable – that don’t accept gender orientation, or political orientation, or religious orientation, or other philosophical orientation – every time someone comes up wanting to establish an open or hidden censorship, then say: pay attention, this may be fashion in Europe and the world, it may be fashion in Portugal, but it is fashion that cannot jeopardize freedom and democracy,” he urged.

Later, in response to a student who questioned him about the book Identity and the Family and stated that he was afraid of a possible change in rights due to the rapprochement of some moderate right with the more radical right, Marcelo Rebelo de Souza argued that “what was What has been achieved in terms of women’s roles tends to endure and therefore have a future” because it represents “such a strong consensus, so strong, so strong from the point of view of the majority.”

In his opinion, “one of the sectors in which overall there has been systematic progress” since April 25 in Portugal “is the role of women”, although rights have not yet been realized, such as equal pay in relation to men.

“I am convinced that, although in a democracy it is theoretically possible to have a parliamentary majority capable of changing the law in one direction or another, the existing consensus in Portuguese society, which is also a very reasonable society, represents a consensus in favor of a permanent and lasting recognition of the role of women,” he emphasized.

During this conversation, the President of the Republic said that he stands “against xenophobia, racism, discrimination and closures” and advocates for Portugal to remain an “open country.”

Later, in response to a student’s question about the differences between current xenophobia and the situation before April 25, he recalled that in the former colonies “there was the status of the indigenous population,” and asked: “When sometimes nostalgic nostalgic people appear, saying that returning the Past is miracle, but what kind of past? What past? A past based on the exploitation of colonial labor? On the non-recognition of minimal rights for people equal to everyone else?

“Today the problem of xenophobia is that there are people or sectors that do not accept the differences of others: “I think this, you think this, I am a good Portuguese, you are a bad Portuguese, I have this religion, you have no religion.” or you have another, you are a bad Portuguese, I think that if you have one position on the issue of sex or gender, you have another, you are not the person who corresponds to the Portuguese ideal,” he said.

The head of state rejected the idea that “there are good Portuguese, faithful to their roots, history, traditions of the empire, what has come from centuries, and there are bad Portuguese,” saying: “There is no such thing that there is no such thing and there will never be again. I don’t know if you understand. But this is a trend that is spreading in Europe, the United States and the world – hypernationalism.”

“But “we have always lived here,” who? Are there any pure Portuguese among the Portuguese? When humanity came from Africa – this has been proven. Are there pure Europeans? The Portuguese, who are a mixture of everything: Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Phoenicians, Nordics, Africans , Latinos, this and that,” he continued.

“It’s good if you don’t want to resurrect something that never existed, shouldn’t exist, doesn’t exist today and won’t exist in the future,” he concluded.

Marcelo Rebelo de Souza called on young people to fight these ideas so that they do not appear as winners in public opinion. “A lot of people lose track of how things are relative,” he noted.

Another student insisted that he comment specifically on the book presented by Passos Coelho and the words of the former PSD president, but the head of state said that this should not “be taken to the level of party struggle, personal protagonistism, personal or political projects-supporters of the present and future “