The Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro claimed today that "it is fair to acknowledge that there is a Portugal before and a Portugal after Cavaco Silva" during the ceremony to pay tribute to the former Head of Government and President of the Republic on the 40th anniversary of his taking office as Prime Minister.

Luís Montenegro noted Cavaco Silva’s 10 years in Government as "the most fruitful governing cycle in our democracy", which "influenced many generations and, above all, my generation", stressing the ability to benefit from "the opportunities that the country’s transformation enabled in terms of life projects and chasing dreams".

The Prime Minister stressed "the courageous decisions" and the "very wide and coordinated set of reforms" that "built the foundations for a modern Portugal with its eyes set in the future, which was final able to be aligned with the more developed European countries".

The three Governments headed by Cavaco Silva were also "a mark of affirmation and international recognition" of a country that was consolidating its democracy and aspiring to development. Montenegro also recalled that Cavaco Silva was "a politician who had a relationship with the people like no other, who was voted on by the peolple like none other to this day", without overlooking Maria Cavaco Silva’s role, who had a "more discreet political path, yet a very important one".

"It is an honour to be able to say, "thank you" for everything you’ve done, but also for the inspiration you have bequeathed to us — and which requires that we rise to the same responsibility in a different context", he stated.

Drawing parallels with the present

Luís Montenegro also drew parallels between the challenges Cavaco Silva faced and the ones faced by the country today: the need to invest in new strategic infrastructure, to accelerate decarbonisation and to ensure "true equality of opportunities".

To reach those goals, he added, "we need credibility, predictability, confidence, stability" and to give back to the State institutions "their prestige, their indispensable nature to uphold democracy and stake our part in Europe and the world".

Underlining that Portugal is today "a country that is heard and respected, that goes further beyond its territorial and economic dimension", the Prime Minister claimed that "it can stand side by side with any other on the European scale" and that it garners "economic and financial respect above the major Europea powers".

"From the perspective of governing inspiration, way of being, of leading and coordinating the Government, my reference is Cavaco Silva", Luís Montenegro also said, concluding that today we also feel "the responsibility of being a beacon to guide the country on the path we wish to follow with the aim of not leaving any Portuguese person behind and offering everyone the same opportunities".