At the historic Palácio de Belém, where the weight of Portuguese democracy meets the quiet gravity of history, the newly convened Council of State gathered under the leadership of António José Seguro—its first session since his inauguration. Among those present was José Manuel Bolieiro, carrying with him the voice of an archipelago that has long stood as Portugal’s Atlantic threshold.

The meeting, devoted to the theme of “security and defense,” unfolded as a broad and layered reflection on the vulnerabilities and responsibilities of a nation situated between continents and currents. From internal security and civil protection to cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and national defense, the Council undertook a sober assessment of the present moment—one marked by both visible tensions and less tangible, emerging risks.

The conclusions, as later shared in an official note, traced a landscape of concern that is at once immediate and expansive: the intensification of severe atmospheric phenomena, the rise of hybrid threats, and the growing complexity of safeguarding essential systems in an interconnected world. Against this backdrop, the Council emphasized preparedness—not as a static condition, but as an ongoing act of coordination, vigilance, and renewal.

Equally central was the call for deeper articulation among institutions, a weaving together of capacities that might ensure not only response in times of crisis, but resilience in their aftermath. Prevention, reaction, recovery—these were not presented as isolated stages, but as a continuum of national responsibility.

Beyond its borders, Portugal’s position was considered within a shifting geopolitical frame. The Council underscored the enduring importance of international cooperation, the honoring of commitments within global alliances, and a steadfast adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. In this wider theater, stability emerges not as a given, but as a shared construction—fragile, negotiated, and constantly in need of reaffirmation.

Within this dialogue, José Manuel Bolieiro’s intervention carried a particular resonance. He affirmed the essential role of the Autonomous Regions in strategic reflection, noting that the Azores, by virtue of their Atlantic position, occupy a space of singular importance in the architecture of national security. His words suggested not only geography, but responsibility: that the islands are not peripheral, but central to Portugal’s capacity to see, to anticipate, and to act.

In this convergence of voices, one truth became quietly evident: that security, in our time, is no longer defined solely by borders or by force, but by the ability to connect knowledge, territory, and community into a coherent vision. And in that vision, the Azores—suspended between horizons—remain both sentinel and bridge, a place where the nation looks outward, and, perhaps, understands itself more fully.

In Correio dos Açores- Natalino Viveiros-director

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.