Through the Portuguese Window Europe Can Also Be Seen
As he put it, President Leonid Kuchma visited Portugal to learn from its experience in European integration. Without doubt, this is a far from trivial thing, considering that Ukraine seems to be looking not only for its own way to Europe, but also for the right door to open and enter. Portugal is one of the youngest EU members, not so much in terms of years as in terms of other indices. It has much to show and learn from. There was probably little logic in official Kyiv having up to now displayed such little interest in Portuguese experience — or that of Spain or Greece for that matter. The fact remains, that such experience cannot be gained anywhere else in Europe — not in Germany, France, or Scandinavia.
Greece, Spain, and Portugal joined the European Union, having experienced all the charms of dictatorial rule. In all three countries the living standard was hardly any higher than the Soviet one at the time. And there were serious problems with democracy. The economy largely depended on tourism, fruit, and fish exports. Many families lived at the expense of migrant workers. It is safe to assume that Portugal and Greece still look like anything but equal partners in the Western public eye. In France there is still a mafia of Portuguese migrant workers, totaling about one million, mostly holding inferior jobs.
Still, the West was psychologically prepared to accept the three countries as European states. This and strategic considerations proved especially important at a time of confrontation, along with the chance to do business there after the countries were admitted to the Union. Plus there was their new political leadership that actually demonstrated willingness to provide adequate conditions for massive capital injections and establishing a democratic political system, given European support. Incidentally, in each case society retained private initiative as its key underlying principle. Despite all this, given considerable European budget subsidies, Portugal’s road to integration was anything but easy.
In fact, the discovery of Portugal is interesting precisely because some luck finally came its way. Ten years after the fall of Salazar’s regime it was recognized as being prepared for maximum possible integration. However, its experience at the time requires quite some adjustment. European Commission functionaries, regardless of their post or country of origin, agree that no such conditions will ever be provided for any prospective EU members. Everything will have to go the hard way, abiding by far more exacting criteria. Apparently, there will never again be such massive support as in the case with Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Ireland. Just as it stands to logic that all these countries will not be happy to see huge funds channeled to support other neophytes like Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. In other words, Portugal’s currently favorable attitude toward Ukraine’s European idea may well turn out not to be stable value.
Thus adjustments should be expected in this attitude. After all, we have diplomacy, do we not? As for Portugal becoming yet another window to Europe for Ukraine, this is doubtless good for the Ukrainians. This window simply had to be opened sooner or later.
