Portugal, the European Union and the crisis

UID/CPO/04627/2013.As duas crises - a crise nacional e a crise europeia - mudaram os termos de referência do debate estratégico em Portugal e, pela primeira vez desde o Tratado de Maastricht, voltou a haver um debate interno sobre as políticas externas portuguesas. A confiança das elites portuguesas no futuro da Europa (e no seu próprio futuro europeu) foi posta em causa. A integração europeia era vista como um processo irreversível, a moeda única era suposta ser imune às crises e a União Europeia era representada como um dos polos fundamentais do sistema internacional, mas os últimos anos revelaram uma realidade mais complexa. The two crises - the domestic and the European crises - changed the terms of reference of the strategic debate in Portugal and, for the first time since the Maastricht Treaty, a national debate concerning the Portuguese foreign policies was once again set in motion. The confidence of the Portuguese elites in regard to the future of Europe (and their own European future) was challenged. European integration was seen as an irreversible project, the Euro was supposed to be immune to crisis and the European Union was represented as one of the crucial poles of the international system. However, recent years have shown a more complex reality.publishersversionpublishe