Speech by King Willem-Alexander at the state banquet during the state visit of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal, Royal Palace in Amsterdam
Mr President,
Bem-vindo!
Welcome!
Seven years after our state visit to Portugal, the Queen and I are finally able to welcome you to the Netherlands. We are pleased and honoured to have you here with us. And in December no less: not exactly the most pleasant month for a trip so far north …
But your home country is closer than it might seem. You may not have noticed, but you walked over a piece of Portugal today as you entered the Royal Palace. The cobblestones on Dam Square, just outside, come from a quarry near Porto. They say there are two-and-a-half million of them – though I admit I haven’t actually counted them myself.
You are always welcome in the Netherlands. But a state visit this year is an especially festive occasion. Because this year Portugal celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution.
A revolution that brought us closer together, and that we in the Netherlands also see as a milestone in modern European history.
In 1974, you and your compatriots summoned the courage to throw off the yoke of dictatorship. For too long, Portugal had been a flower still in bud, unable to bloom, because it lacked water, light and nourishment. After the Carnation Revolution, that flower finally opened, and Portugal revealed its true colours to the world.
Your nation embraced a new constitution, with freedom, human rights and democracy as its guiding principles. After you joined the European Union in 1986, our two countries grew even closer.
Portugal’s story is an inspiring one for us all. A story of how freedom, tolerance and cooperation can blossom and flourish. And we are grateful to you for it. At a time when values like these are under threat in many places around the world, Portugal’s example offers a beacon of hope.
Over the past 50 years your country has achieved an astounding rate of development. What strikes me is how true you have remained to your cultural heritage, even as you have moved forward.
Tonight, I’d like to express my admiration for one of Europe’s greatest poets: Luís de Camões, who was born 500 years ago in Lisbon. Mr President, you are a passionate reader – I’ve heard it said that you get through several books a week. So I’m sure you’ll be familiar with these lines in which Camões describes the most universal of all human emotions: love.
Love is a fire that burns unseen,
a wound that aches yet isn’t felt.
I’m sure it sounds even more beautiful in Portuguese.
No doubt you also know the work of Baruch Spinoza, a child of Portuguese parents, who lived and worked in Amsterdam, just a kilometre away from here. He was a pioneer, paving the way for freedom of thought, and freedom of speech. A peace-loving explorer who refused to settle for entrenched ideas or easy answers.
In these modern times, sometimes I think we need a little more Spinoza…
Portugal and the Netherlands share historic ties. Your state visit, Mr President, is a chance for us to make our future cooperation even closer, with respect for the past. And where could we hope to find better opportunities for that, than in the element that has always united us: the sea.
‘Ligados por mar’: it’s almost a cliché. But actually, it’s a perfect description of our common ambitions.
Strengthening the ‘blue economy’ is a priority for us both. And that includes not just offshore wind farms but also the ongoing development of our ports and our shipbuilding industries. And, of course, ocean research as well, to explore the incredible richness of the marine environment. Portugal excels at this, and the Netherlands is keen to work with you in this area.
But you don’t need sea legs to appreciate our ties. On land, too, we have outstanding opportunities to step up our cooperation.
Portugal is becoming a top location for tech companies. You’re leading the way in the transition to green electricity. And thanks to your historic tradition of craftsmanship and design, you are a crucial partner for our manufacturing industry.
We admire the extraordinary resilience of your country. Fifty years ago, you overcame dictatorship. Over the past decade, you have navigated major financial and economic challenges. And in the years ahead, Portugal will continue to show the world that it can achieve great things.
Nothing would make us happier than to face that future at your side. As two transatlantic-minded – and open-minded – countries. As close allies within NATO and the EU. And as trusted friends in the global arena.
Mr President, in a couple of days, on the 12th of December, you will celebrate your birthday. It’s bad luck to congratulate someone before the big day. So I won’t do that.
Instead, I will congratulate you, and all the people of Portugal, on the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, which enabled your country to bloom and prosper!
May I now ask you all to raise your glasses with me.
To your health, Mr President!
To the friendship that unites Portugal and the Netherlands!