1. PORTUGAL, 25TH OF APRIL: EVERY
DAY SINCE.
Portugal, April 25th: Every day since…
By Guilherme Cruz
The previous Friday marked the fortieth year since the Portuguese Armed Forces (the MFA,
Movimento das Forças Armadas) enacted a military coup and took over the control of the
country subjected to a right-wing dictatorship, the Estado Novo, for almost 50 years. The
revolution was known as the Carnation Revolution because it was carried out with red
carnations in the rifles and fatigues of the military revolutionaries, as well as in some of the
tanks’ main cannons, making it an iconic sight, and this was also added to the fact that there
was no gunfire apart from a few stray shots.
Everyone was happy because they thought things would change for the best. And to some
extent, they were right. Some aspects did improve. However, some didn’t.
So, I intend to compare the April 25th, 1974 with the April 25th, 2014, and express my opinions
to you, the reader.
To begin with, I will tell you what improved. The most obvious of improvements was enabling
the free speech of the masses. A part of the previous regime’s downfall was the oppression that
subdued the people, leaving them with a resentful stance over several subjects, even if they
agreed with the government. Today, anyone can say what they please, for better and for worse,
and no one can be forbidden to say what goes in their mind.
Another improvement was the decrease in the number of illiterates among the adult population.
A stunning 75% and 70% of the female and male adult population, respectively, were illiterate(in
a study made in 1941. Afterwards the percentile was somewhat lower, nonetheless remained
too high, ranging between 30-50% until 1974). This made it easy to control the masses, sure,
but restricted the population’s self-determination and also limited its capabilities so much that
50% (again, prior to the 1941 study. The change in this aspect was significantly smaller than the
one seen on the illiteracy part of the posterior studies) of it lived of agriculture. The main
reasons for this is that there was no compulsory education, and since most high schools were
situated in the cities and other urban centers, few had access to them, so children were put in
the fields working from ages as early as 7 or 8 years old. Numbers shifted to much better shape
(even though this was only made evident a decade or two after the revolution).

2. Other improvements included the quality of the national healthcare system, which was pretty
much non-existent prior to the revolution, and was afterwards made accessible for rich and poor
all alike (albeit the rich always have privileges). The reduction of the child mortality was also
clear, lowering from 37,9 stillborn per thousand births to a mere 3,2.
The national highway (which was just a stretch going from Lisbon to Porto) was also expanded,
going from 43 km of highway in the entire country to over 3.000 km. Road construction and
maintenance works also made access to the inner country (namely to small populations)
relatively easy, fast and comfortable.
All these aspects and many others (although I don’t add those to the list because, in my opinion,
they were not an effect of the revolution, but were destined to happen, whether the Estado Novo
was overthrown or not: Portugal would eventually evolve) were very well received by the
general population and are unanimously acknowledged as a necessary reform.
On the banner, “It was 48 years of terror” can be read.
“Today we live in the sequence of a revolution achieved without blood being spilled”, said
Francisco Sá Carneiro, an iconic and respected political figurehead, to a rally back in 1975,
“which opened up paths towards freedom”, he proceeded, “In order to travel them, it’s
imperative to respect the public freedoms and civic rights, which we, unfortunately, see
questioned.” So, you can see what the idea behind the revolution was. To end those
“questions”.
But, looking back, the political reforms have to be more concrete in terms of tenets and
ideologies. The revolutionaries sought out to create a political atmosphere more suited to the
modern world, one that would throw Portugal into the international community. One that would
create a fair and equal fight for all ideologies. One where everyone had someone to represent
how they thought.
“Did this happen”, you ask? No, I’m afraid not.
For some years, the ruling ideologies were more socialist and communist (left-winged, generally
speaking) than anything else. But, fortunately, the people saw that it wouldn’t work that way, so
the scales were more balanced, in a way. Sadly, though, a more right-winged party took
advantage of this new-found equilibrium, and sought out to share the power with the most
powerful left-winged party by making a cycle: every two turns (8 years), the heads of state
would change between parties, and the worst thing is that this makeshift partnership was made,
even if it was not on purpose. So, for the past 35 years or so, two parties have always, with no
exception, cycled the elections. Some might call it a bipartisan dictatorship, where the parties
and not a person were the dictators. Some, but not me.
And in this power rush that seems fit for no one but madmen, Portugal has succumbed to the
whims of political lobbies and groups. And we’re back to square one, in my opinion: the people
are unhappy, they can’t choose nothing other than the leading parties, emigration is at an all-
time high and the general population is poor.

3. In greater detail, the reason why I say Portugal is at a new low is because of the political, social,
moral and economic context we live in today.
The political context is the one I previously referred: a bipartisan dictatorship (more clever than
the previous century’s dictatorships because the power doesn’t belong to someone, but instead
belongs to certain groups and lobbies, a “ghost”, so to speak. Also, the people are not silenced,
quite the opposite, they’re given the proverbial speakerphone to shout out against any and all
who try to break the cycle).
Part of the reason why I say there is this sort of dictatorship is also the moral reasons: no one
has any ideologies anymore. People get into politics because they know it’s the best way to get
what they want, not because they believe in a certain ideology or, at the very least, that they
can change the country’s fate (for better, preferably). And that is highly visible in the younger
generations: when asked what they would like to become, very few will respond “politician” or
something alike. And that’s because no one likes or respects politicians. In fact, some go so far
as to call them “snakes in the grass”. Mostly because Portugal is 33rd in the Corruption
Perceptions Index (a list that ranks the countries by how corrupt their governments are), with a
“score” of only 63/100. And bear in mind it’s a first-world, European country, which is supposed
to be “liberal” and “democratic”.
Also, politics, in this country, is made only of connections and favors. There is no other way for
someone to go into the political scene unless they’re willing to obey to the heads of the parties
and do as they ask, which saddens me, to be honest, and I’m not one that cares much about
politics or politicians.
So, for this reason, people are discouraged to go into politics for ideologies or sense of duty
(unless you speak of the parties’ foot soldiers, meaning the ones that make protests, reunions
and gather voters, but even those aren’t all in it for the “best of the people”), and this creates a
restricted group of candidates for any political charge. All of them are very willing to do anything
for their parties, so that only feeds the power cycle that was created. And please, do note that
this is merely my vision of the current state of affairs and for all I know, I might either be dead
wrong or absolutely right.
But I shall go onto more factual reasons, beginning with the social.
We all know that the economic crisis took its toll over everyone and every nation. But I can
safely say that Portugal was heavily shell-shocked by it. Why? Well, it’s simple, really. The gap
between the rich and poor is so big it’s unrealistic, meaning that there is barely any middle-
class. But let’s look at something else: the emigration. Since the crash of the Portuguese
economy, too many people have lost their jobs, making 16,7% of the population unemployed.
But that only counts the people that remain in the country. Many left it in the hopes of finding
steady and reliable employment so they could provide for their families. This meant a large
number of the country’s specialized workers and “brains” overall left it, which is never good. The
younger masses also suffer from the same unemployment issue, and leave the country as well.
And we’ve created a society where raising a child is hard, because people can’t afford to take
care of themselves, let alone a child. We will soon see the effects of the drastic decrease of the
active population. And there’s nothing being done to avoid this, which, frankly speaking, angers
me.
“A lot of values were lost since the 25th of April”, says Isabel Jonet, president of the Federation
of Food Banks against Hunger in Portugal, to Correio da Manhã. “In all sectors, too”, she says,
“Be it in companies, education or everyday life. We have been passing on the wrong messages
to the younger generations”.
And last but not least come the economic reasons. As I’ve said previously, this economic crisis
was devastating for the whole world, but Portugal suffered harsh consequences that still go on
today. We have a massive debt that we can’t repay and a state expense that cripples the
existing economy.

4. Beginning with the debt, Portugal earned it getting money to apply social reforms and upgrades
to the infrastructures (all those benefits I listed above). Sadly, though, it was also used for other
more dubious ends. And given that that money we used was both not ours and a large amount,
the debt of the previous generations was left for us to pay
The state expense, however, is a more serious matter. Because the state has to make enough
money to both pay those who depend on it and pay the massive debt it has accumulated, but
the problem is, in a frantic effort to nationalize everything that seemed vaguely profitable at first,
the country was left with too many workers and even more pensioners and retirees, who have
no fault in all of this. So now, when an shocking 60% of the population receives or is otherwise
economically dependent of the state, this means that someone that works on the private sector
has to work for themselves and someone else (because the private sector is the sector that
provides funds for the state via taxes and other assortments), straining the small and medium-
sized companies. So, in sum, the people who receive from the state are pretty much penniless
because too few are willing to subdue themselves to the heavy constraints that the state
imposes on small and medium businesses.
So, I will sum it all up, I believe that, in a more modern and liberal way, Portugal is exactly
where it was 40 years ago, at least in what people’s happiness is concerned, because, make no
mistake, our people is not at all happy or contented with the governments that have been ruling
for the past years. People have lost all faith on politics or politicians, which are corrupt and look
only to serve their own interests. And the younger masses have no choice but to leave the
country because they have no place here, and would-be mothers think twice before having
babies because, truly, this is not a country where raising someone is easy (mostly because it’s
a heavy expense, one that some simply can’t undertake).
An anonymous entrepreneur said to Portugal Esotérico (ptesoterico.wordpress.com, an
independent blog) that before the revolution, there was a “unified, peaceful country” and that
now “there are no values, because countrymen fight against each other”. And, even though I
wasn’t here before the revolution, I think I agree with the latter.
I don’t mean to spout conspiracy theories, just to inspire others to do more than what has been
done so far. And I appeal to you, the reader, if you’re Portuguese, to rise up and fight against
this demented system, and if you’re not, to learn from our mistakes, so you may avoid our
current struggle.