Portugal’s accession to the EU changed History – Marcelo

Strasbourg, France – The President of the Republic argued today, in a speech before the European Parliament (EP), that the accession of Portugal and Spain to the then European Economic Community (EEC), 40 years ago, “changed European and Portuguese history”.

“What is truly different and remarkable is that European integration in the 20th century, which culminated in the accession forty years ago [of Portugal], on the same day as Spain, with the leading role of Mário Soares and Felipe González, changed History,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who made his last trip abroad of his second and final term.

“It changed European history. It changed history in relations with the only land neighbor, it changed our History. It changed towards freedom, towards democracy, towards the rule of law, towards development and social justice,” he stated.

Marcelo stressed that, “after centuries of independence based on the oceans and the empire, and the inevitable and late end of the empire, with the formation of the multi-continental and multi-oceanic Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), Portugal, Spain and the States that joined the EU “began a new History”.

“Which has lasted for almost 50 years and which would not have been possible without Europe, outside Europe, against Europe. A unique example of this change is the fraternity between Portugal and Spain, eloquently witnessed here by the two heads of state, representing their respective homelands and peoples,” he said.

The President of the Republic stated that Portugal “never, but never ever,” will give up on Europe.
“Because giving up on Europe would be, for Portugal, giving up an essential and irreplaceable part of Portugal,” he said.

The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, for her part, highlighted the contribution of Portugal and Spain to building bridges with Africa and Latin America, stressing that they helped “shape Europe in a lasting way”.

In a speech at the commemorative session of the 40 years since the accession of Portugal and Spain to the then EEC, which also included speeches by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and the King of Spain, Felipe VI, Roberta Metsola stressed that, when the two countries joined the European bloc, “a page of history was definitively turned and democracy came to stay”.

The president of the EP also noted that, for the peoples of Spain and Portugal, “Europe quickly became part of their daily lives, shaping the way they worked, studied, traveled and imagined the future of their families”. (01/26/26)