The Prime Minister claimed that the current more moment will “shape” the future of the European Union in a context set by the war in Ukraine, the conflicts in the Middle East and the rise in global economic competition.

Luís Montenegro advocated that Europe must be “swifter in deciding and more effective in executing”, alerting to the impact of excessive bureaucracy and regulations, which he considered distance the citizens from the European project.

He also indicated two central challenges for the European Union: the excessive red tape and the rising populism and extremism, which, according to his statements, “threaten the democratic institutions and our societies’ cohesion”. The answer, he stressed, lines in reforms that foster competitiveness, economic growth, and an improvement in living conditions.

Portugal is preparing for a new and more demanding European cycle

The Prime Minister upheld that Portugal must prepare for a more demanding European model based on merit, excellence, and competitiveness of projects.

He noted that the country must let go of a logic of dependence on European funds and invest in “credible, ambitious, and strong” projects, taking on the ambition of becoming a net contributor to the European Union.

According to Luís Montenegro, the European funding instruments will tend to privilege projects of a larger scale and economic impact in a more competitive framework between Member States.

Cohesion is still a condition for competitiveness

Despite the paradigm shift, the Prime Minister indicated that the cohesion policy is still essential for economic growth and European convergence.

“Without cohesion, there is no convergence. Without cohesion and convergence, there is no competitiveness”, he claimed, alerting to the fact that weaking this policy may compromise the internal market and the European project itself.

Portugal in the European construction

During his speech, which signalled the 40 years since Portugal joined the European Communities, the Pime Minister noted the country’s role as a “consensus builder” and active participant in the European integration process.

Luís Montenegro claimed that Portugal was “always on the front line” of the European construction, contributing to the project’s development and reinforcing its global dimension.