ME insists that “nothing has changed” and speaks of a mature and balanced relationship with the former colonies.

This Monday, the Foreign Minister said that “nothing has changed” compared to previous governments in Portugal’s relations with its former colonies, speaking of a “mature and balanced vision” given the debate on the restoration of the colonial past.

“The Government’s position is very clear and expressed in a statement that I think is a very clear, crystal clear statement that shows a very mature – and I would say at the same time balanced – vision of the relationship that we should have with the former colonies and colonial past […] and therefore, obviously, there is nothing to add,” said Paulo Rangel, speaking to Portuguese journalists in Brussels.

In statements after attending the “EU Annual Budget Conference 2024 – Looking Ahead: The Future EU Budget”, promoted by the European Commission, the government official indicated that “this is the government’s position” and the executive “must speak out on what your position is.”

Refusing to comment on the statements of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who began the debate, Paulo Rangel stressed that “nothing has changed in this point of view.”

“I will not comment on the actions of the President of the Republic, it is clear that this is not my business, and I will never do this, so now I will not comment. [mas] To be honest, our position is clear. This is a free and dynamic society, and politically there is room for different opinions, which sometimes are not even very different,” he said.

Despite this, the head of Portuguese diplomacy noted that “the constant of Portuguese foreign policy is [o facto de] the main directions are lines largely agreed upon in Portuguese society and also among the political parties with responsibility for governing.”

“In a free society, no debate is untimely; all debates are relevant now. [mas] then you can have very different views on them. The government has a vision that is consistent with the vision of previous governments,” he further said.

Last Saturday, the government stressed that “there was not and is not in question any process or program of concrete action to” make amends for Portugal’s colonial past, and said it would follow the “same line” as previous leaders .

“With regard to the issue of reparation to these States and their people for the colonial past of the Portuguese State, it is important to emphasize that the current Government is guided by the same line as previous Governments. What is at stake and not at stake is any process or program of concrete action for this purpose,” the executive director said in a statement by the Presidium of the Council of Ministers.

Previously, the President of the Republic argued that Portugal should lead the process of accepting and addressing the consequences of the period of colonialism, and proposed debt forgiveness, cooperation and financing as an example.

The reference is to statements made during a foreign correspondents’ dinner in Portugal on Tuesday in which he said the country must “take full responsibility” for what it did during the colonial period and “bear the costs” that caused criticism from Enough, IL and SDS-PP.