1- We are at a crossroads about the future of Europe, and if there were any doubts, the meeting that took place during the week in Germany, where the Vice President of the United States of America had the luxury of accusing the leaders of the European Union of moving away from “democratic values,” adding that these countries should open their doors to extreme right-wing parties.

2- In other words, we are dealing with political leaders who are not to be trusted because they say one thing first and then come out with another position. It took the German Prime Minister to come out and remind us that the Holocaust was the reason why “the vast majority of Germans are firmly opposed to all those who glorify or justify” the Nazis.

3—As far as we are concerned, the Munich Conference undoubtedly reflects the differences regarding the American political model that will be implemented under Trump’s mandate, as well as the different ways Europe presents itself regarding the future behavior it will maintain in defense of Democracy.

4- Regarding the war in Ukraine in which the European Union is involved, the meeting between Trump’s Vice President and President Zelensky ended with a “search for lasting peace” in which the agreement must be fair and guarantee peace that will allow Ukraine to be rebuilt.

5- As you can see, France and Germany, which are Europe’s two largest economies, on Saturday criticized the statements made by the Vice-President of the United States, who accused European leaders of moving away from democratic values and said that they should open the doors to extreme right-wing parties during a blunt speech, which leads us to consider that the Munich Security Conference did not show the strength that is required of the European Union, in the face of the extremist dangers that have found an open path to spread civil strife among people and democratic countries.

6—The times we are going through appear to be full of dangers, and we need to be prepared for political storms that could appear at any moment.

7- The President of the Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, at the time of the celebrations for the Day of Portugal, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities in Angra do Heroísmo, which focused on the role of the Azores in promoting a sustainable blue economy and preserving the oceans, the President of the Government highlighted the strategic importance of the Azores in Portugal’s maritime dimension and emphasized the efforts of the Regional Government to protect it, recalling that “Portugal is a state with one of the largest exclusive economic zones in the world, being a large oceanic country, and the Azores play a decisive role in this maritime and Atlantic dimension of our country.”

8—This has been our “battle.” We have reminded people whenever necessary of what the Region has done to maintain the sea as the “gold mine” that has given Portugal its dimension since the golden age of discoveries.

9- So far, the region has done what it can to guarantee the value of the Azorean sea. Still, the current situation requires the European Union to understand that the Azores are the bridge that connects Europe to the American continents, including the USA, and that they serve, as they once did, as an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Atlantic.

10- This has risks that must be shared by the European Union and America. For us to show how important we are, a great deal of political work has to be done, starting in Europe and, in a few months, in America and Canada. We need to make policy by showing our value in the middle of the Atlantic. We need to have people qualified for this important project.

11- We can’t cling to tourism and forget about publicizing the importance of the Azores in the political arena until the news arrives that Trump is considering buying the Azorean islands, just as he intends to do with Greenland. In his speech on the Day of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities, the President of the Government ended by stressing the importance of the Azores for Portugal and for Europe: “Portugal gains greater value in Europe with the Azores. And Europe, in the world, gains greater value with the Azores”.

12- We have to spread the word about who we are and how we want to contribute to world peace and strengthen democracy.

Américo Natalino Viveiros is the director of the newspapers Correio dos Açores and Atlântico Expresso. He is a past member of several PSD governments.

NOVIDADES will feature occasional opinion pieces from various leading thinkers, writers, and editorial boards from the Azores to give the diaspora and those interested in the current Azores a sense of the significant opinions on some of the archipelago’s issues.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL).