"Nobody is eternal in government in a democracy"

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, president of Portugal, made a state visit to Mozambique, between 3 and 07 this month. On the agenda, the man who danced, played and distributed allocated made room for an interview with The Country and Stv. Marcelo speaks of passion for Mozambique, democracy and reconciliation, as well as the economy and the future. The Mozefo, which was one of the main speakers, not lagged behind, even as the statesman argues that "all Mozambique should be a giant Mozefo". Next, the most significant parts of the conversation with the fifth president of Portugal after the "Carnation Revolution".

 

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is the first time in Mozambique as President of the Republic of Portugal. How it is that Mozambicans can feel your appreciation for Mozambique?

I was not born today and Mozambicans know how I like Mozambique for many decades. In fact, I was in Mozambique in early December to participate in the Great Mozefo Forum. I come very often. I came here to teach, conduct surveys, hold academic examinations at Eduardo Mondlane University, the Law School. For decades and decades I know very well and Mozambique this biography means I have a fondness and affection for Mozambique. No one visits often and a land deals often with people of this country do not like this land and these people. Second, it is no coincidence that, as president, I will this almost the beginning of my presidential term. It also means he wanted to give a signal, leave a symbol of affection, because life is made of signs.

What will change now is president of the Republic of Portugal?

What changes is that the president, of course, have responsibilities, and these responsibilities also means greater attention to what a friend of Mozambique should be available to do, if you really understand that this is good for Mozambique.

With all that wealth acquired over Mozambique prior to his visit as president of Portugal, which hopes to bring in terms of message to Mozambicans?

First, the message that I have said, which is affection. Second, hope, Mozambique has great potential. It has a natural potential, it has a human potential. Mozambique should not waste that potential. It's what we want friends. Should value it permanently, it is a third message. A fourth message that is my experience as President of the Portuguese Republic. I made a call from the start, that the Portuguese would exceed that which is not essential in the relationship between them to divide them and think that what unites them is much more important than what divides them. They can be of different parties, can be of different religions may have different opinions, but there are national realities that are more important than the divisions. That's exactly what I think in relation to a friendly country like Mozambique. Another thing I say there Portugal: talk. Even if they can not understand from the outset, to speak, to define the terms in which they will talk next, to see if you understand. And then life is much richer than we think. There are areas where people think there is no consensus, there can be no consensus, but in practice there is consensus, they are happening. And besides being possible, they are indispensable and we must take steps accordingly. And all these are messages of hope that I give, basing myself on the Portuguese experience. Another Portuguese experience that we live every day: international institutions are very aware of what is happening today in the economy of the countries, so we have a fundamental role, which is not to give arguments for these suddenly institutions formulate judgments that do not be good for us.

This message brings Mozambique, which somehow also is already shared with the Portuguese, the need for unity, dialogue, feel you can be useful and contribute to Mozambicans to resolve this dispute, which undermines the peace that all human being craves?

Mozambique is a sovereign state. It is a reality as with States were sovereign and divided into pieces, which require that there be external intervention to compose these pieces. Who should, first and foremost, to solve this are nationals, all of them. They can hear advice from friends, but depends on them. Now, can much less should those who are outsiders, come a day, hit the door and say 'do not mind, I think the solution to your happiness is this and I want to play a key role in the discovery of your happiness '.

To be invited, how Portugal can help Mozambique out of the political crisis?

Portugal is every day to help, in that it cooperates with Mozambique in various fields of education, culture, social, health, economic, financial, stimulating investments in Mozambique, to military cooperation. Is working. On the other hand, there is a very important issue. Let's imagine this reasoning, there are those who ask opinion. The opinion should be given in private. It is probably wiser to hear opinion in private to be heard in public. The opinion heard in public creates more difficulty actually help solve the problems. It is more negative than positive. There is here a matter of common sense, weighting, which leads to recognize this. It is up to Mozambicans the decisive word about Mozambique.

 

President Marcelo spoke to give opinion in private and in public. An invitation was addressed to him to formulate an opinion on Mozambique in private?

Not that they have asked me opinion, but if they came to ask me or come ask me, the wisest course is not immediately rush me to the microphone and say today called me a friend who has a problem in his life, is to a debt that can not afford, is with a family disagreement problem, I will announce to you all and to all friends that I'm helping to solve this problem. It is halfway to not help solve the problem.

Mozambique is a young country such as Portugal, has a young democracy. How does the experience of Portugal can help Mozambique in consolidating strong institutions and a civil society interventional towards development?

It is very important to have, next to the State, alongside the political power, civil society institutions. Looking at the experience I have, I have lived, Mozambique has had periods of great difficulty, and turned over. And one of the forces was to gradually go building a civil society, as in Portugal, where civil society was also traditionally very weak. It is very difficult to build a civil society when it inherits a very strong statehood. It is the pulse that builds a civil society. But another force that there was to recognize a democratic transition, with a multiparty and pluralistic concern, which is difficult. democratization processes are complex, require patience and capacity for dialogue. It is not good policy guidance that idea that those in government or dazzle or think the country die if not forever in government. No one is ever in government in a democracy. Therefore, not the terrible idea that the best opposition is one that goes to the point where it is good to happen the worst for the country because it's good for the opposition a day later. Neither position to close your eyes to reality.

What paths can go Mozambique to consolidate the institutions?

Democracy is done doing. It's the little gestures that build democracies. Now, there must be gestures, small and grandesgestos, like everything in life. The major changes are made small and large gestures.

Mozambique is witnessing a gradual reduction in development aid. What role can Portugal, given that is the leadership of the G14?

The international community, when acting together, there are internal debates about which is the best way, moment to moment, act for an economy. There are ones that are harder, there are others that are less hard. And it depends on the scale. If you are more or less hard because they consider that the situation is deteriorating very quickly begin to gain the lead. Begins to form solidarity on the basis of the hardness, which may or may not go to failure. You can just go to sleep. There are times when there constellation of international factors, then the reaction of those creditors, who are international institutions that monitor the evolution of an economy, it is very hard.

Some countries of the CPLP live also moments of crisis, major challenges are also an opportunity to strengthen the community. As the CPLP community with weak expression - and is even perceived as a fictional community - how it can be said to become a strong and expression worldwide community?

I always thought that was nonsense integrate the CPLP as well as integrate other communities and not take advantage of this integration, giving a strategic leap of CPLP. In the complicated world, do not throw away complicities and solidarity, even if limited. But it is clear that the worsening global situation and regional situation has caused financial problems in many economies and societies of the CPLP, and a community is stronger if each of its components are living a good time. If a given historical moment there is a coincidence of critical moments, that, at first glance, is not good for the CPLP. This is a great time to rethink the 20th anniversary of the CPLP, to see where the economies and societies of these various states, what are the problems, what they have in common and how they can overcome them in common.

 

Before being elected, he was in Mozambique to participate in the first Grand Forum Mozefo. What most marked and what motivated him to stop the campaign and come participate in this great forum?

Mozefo was for me a kind of symbol of what I dream to see throughout Mozambique. All Mozambique should be a giant Mozefo. In Mozefo had international prestige, international participation, dialogue, meeting experience, youth, many women, openness to new communication technologies, discuss problems, look to the future, a wave of hope, a bet civil society in new behaviors, generational and operational forms of all changes. It was a magical moment. And so, I left with a conviction that Mozambicans, looking for Mozefo, say, in particular those who have had contact with this reality, that this wave should go across the country. Let's make an effort to see if we can overcome what seems insurmountable.

Traveling across the country, how would project Mozambique in the coming years?

Mozefo can and should have poles across the country. This spirit of stronger civil society, younger people, new behaviors, not to get stuck in old ways of the elders give way to younger, the have an intergenerational relationship, all to be lived, not just in Maputo, but throughout the country and be contagious. The great advantage of reformist change from the radical breaks is that the social costs, political, economic and human are much smaller.

President Marcelo spent part of his adolescence and adult life in Mozambique. Witnessed the colonial reality and the reality, too, the post-independence. What memories have to Mozambique from the point of view of places, gastronomy, what are the memories?

I have spoken little of the past because I think that Mozambique has to look to the future, but I can not hide that, being very new, coming here after independence several times during the administration of President Chissano. I can not forget the fascinating it was to know a company that was able at a time when it was apparent to me the end of the colonial period. And although isentamente recognize that my father made in this context, the government was the best possible in the context of what was possible, but in fact was an inevitable way, irreversible and late, decolonization was late, but I feel a wealth natural and human in Mozambique who was prophesying the best. I remember the way you buy at the time, the Coop, the books under the table that were banned by the PIDE. I remember meetings with intellectuals, was when we did my first policy conference almost by the hand of the democratic opposition of the occasion, I met, physically, practically the whole of Mozambique. As fate would much later came to work in Cahora Bassa in Lisbon office as a lawyer. So were along this route several times, it was an emotional connection so strong I know every corner of Mozambique, but I do not like to be a man of the past.

And looking to the future, the president Marcelo spoke along this interview, incidentally, is always evident in their approaches the love and affection with respect to Mozambique. As president, what can be expected from Portugal in Mozambique projection across borders?

Each joy that meeting is a great joy being here or not. I have a sad news and I feel I can no longer speak about it, but as I am very forward-looking and very hopeful, I think we must now see what steps can you take to go further and to overcome problems may exist, and what I can help in solidarity as Portuguese government, I will and I will do not only for the affection I have for Mozambique, but also because I feel that is useful for Portugal, it is important for Mozambique, is important for two people they have every reason to continue the fraternized way.