On 7 October, IPDAL held another edition of its Political Rentrée, featuring José Luís Carneiro, Secretary-General of the Socialist Party, as guest speaker. Moderated by Paulo Neves, President of IPDAL, the session brought together diplomatic representatives and other guests for a discussion focused on Portuguese political affairs, geopolitical challenges and Portugal’s positioning on the international stage.
At the opening of the event, Paulo Neves highlighted the presence of several Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives, as well as the opportunity to hear the Socialist Party leader’s views not only on domestic affairs, but also on the main issues shaping the international agenda.
In his opening remarks, José Luís Carneiro highlighted the particularly demanding moment facing the international community, stressing the importance of multilateralism, dialogue and cooperation. According to the Socialist Party’s Secretary-General, undermining these principles also poses a risk to peace and to the stability of the international order.
At the national level, he stated that the Socialist Party intends to contribute to political stability in Portugal, framing within this objective the proposal to abstain on the State Budget. He nevertheless stressed that stability is not an end in itself, but should enable the country to address concrete challenges and respond to the needs of its population.
The discussion also addressed current geopolitical risks, from the situation on Europe’s borders to instability in the Middle East, as well as the effects of trade tensions and increasingly inward-looking economic policies. In this context, José Luís Carneiro reiterated his defence of international law as an essential element in preventing relations between States from being determined solely by power dynamics.
Relations between Europe and Latin America featured prominently throughout the session. José Luís Carneiro argued that strengthening European strategic autonomy should be accompanied by structured and mutually beneficial relations with other regions, particularly Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. In this context, he highlighted the potential of knowledge networks, academic mobility and cooperation between educational and research institutions.
The Socialist Party’s Secretary-General also emphasised the importance of triangular cooperation, particularly between Latin American, Central American and African countries, identifying strategic resources, the agri-food sector, health, biotechnology and the blue economy as areas with significant potential for collaboration.
Asked about relations between the European Union and Latin America, José Luís Carneiro expressed a positive view of deepening the opportunities offered by the EU–Mercosur agreement and the modernised agreement between the European Union and Mexico. He also referred to relations with Peru and called for simpler and more effective European cooperation instruments capable of facilitating project implementation and private-sector involvement.
During the debate, José Luís Carneiro referred to the concept of “functional power”, associated with Adriano Moreira, to reflect on the role of small and medium-sized States in the international system. In his view, Portugal can play a role in fostering dialogue and building bridges by drawing on its maritime dimension, its diaspora and its historical relations with different regions of the world.
Language and culture were also identified as important instruments of international projection. In this context, he highlighted the potential created by closer links between the Lusophone and Ibero-American spaces, arguing that Ibero-America should remain a priority of Portuguese foreign policy, alongside the CPLP, North Africa, the Middle East and stronger engagement with Asia.
The session concluded with a reflection on Portugal’s role in the United Nations Security Council, with José Luís Carneiro identifying peace in Ukraine and peace in the Middle East as two central priorities, given the impact both conflicts may have on the international order.
The IPDAL Political Rentrée once again provided a forum for dialogue between the political and diplomatic communities, fostering discussion on the challenges shaping national and international affairs and on Portugal’s role in promoting cooperation, dialogue and multilateralism.
