Dear Portugal,
Caros e Caras Portugueses,
Forty years ago, our European family was reunited. It was a moment of joy. You returned to your rightful place, at the heart of the European family. In those forty years we have grown so much stronger together.
Your beautiful country, “the garden planted by the sea”, has been transformed. From Minho to the Algarve, people are living longer and earning more.
Portugal paved the way for renewable energy in Europe.Together we are building new schools and hospitals, like the new Central Hospital of Algarve. We have developed a nationwide motorway network. And we supported the building of the incredible Vasco da Gama bridge, the longest in Europe.
And Europe has gained so much from Portugal, too. Like fado music, a rich and diverse gastronomy, your unique Azulejo tilework. And your hospitality.
You brought your firefighting expertise to the Civil Protection Mechanism. Just as you ventured the unknown seas 500 years ago, you have pioneered start-ups and innovation. And shared a new way of preserving the oceans.
What a great journey we share! I wish you a very happy 40th anniversary of EU membership. Your Fado, your destiny, is right here at the heart of Europe.
Long live Europe!
Photo by Prazeres, Wikimedia commons.