The President of the Republic recalled on Saturday that April 25 “is for everyone” by emphasizing the “political stability” and the functioning of democracy in Portugal, even in “periods of very serious crises”.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa presided at Monte do Sobral, in Alcáçovas, Viana do Alentejo, the ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Captains Movement, an initiative that marks a new stage in the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the 25th of April and attended by the Prime Minister, António Costa.
After the unveiling of a tile panel and the intervention of the choral group of Trabalhadores de Alcáçovas, who sang “Grândola, Vila Morena”, the head of state emphasized that “no one discusses the historical importance of April 25 anymore.”
“April 25 belongs to everyone, even those who were against April 25 on that occasion and survived it, and even those who today are against April 25 or think they are against April 25,” he said in his intervention, emphasizing that “On April 25 de Abril, what was fundamental to build in Portugal” was built, namely democracy.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa opined that April 25 is “never over” because it is “a permanent challenge” because the world has changed.
In his speech, the president also stated that the essential of democracy and freedom is the existence of “space for all”, while in dictatorships there is none.
“Dictatorships only have room for one or a few, in democracy there is room for everyone and when freedom is born, it is for everyone.” necessary, as it is “legitimate for those who made April 25 to look back on their dreams and find that one part has been fulfilled and the other part needs to be fulfilled,” as well as “those who have lived April 25 for almost 50 years , have the same feeling.”
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said these feelings are “a sign of progress, of progressivism that April 25 brought” and of “dissatisfaction with wanting more and better, depending on the circumstances and challenges that are becoming more and more complex.”
The President of the Republic also emphasized that “there is no perfect democracy”, even the most perfect democracy “has produced some of the worst examples of democratic fragility in recent years”.
“A democracy that is built every day, every week and every month. A democracy that demands the unity and independence of Portugal, territorial integrity, the exact vision of where our borders lie. All this is a wealth of democracy, which is political stability. Look around you and see the political and party, economic and social systems, what they have changed and how they have weakened over time, and compare them with Portugal “, he said.
According to the head of state, “there were crises of various kinds”, but Portugal is “an example of dual political and institutional stability”.
“It is a democracy that has functioned as a democracy in periods of very strong crises,” such as economic, financial and social crises, as well as during the pandemic and war, he said, highlighting the armed forces as another “fundamental pillar.” from April 25 and that must keep pace with the demands of the new era.
On September 9, 1973, more than a hundred young soldiers managed to meet clandestinely at Monte do Sobral, in Alcáçovas, which was the first plenary meeting of a movement of dissatisfaction with the situation of a military class and which grew into a revolutionary revolution that changed the country and end 48 years of dictatorship about seven months later.
Source: DN
