In an interview with Diário Insular, the former Portuguese prime minister calls for stronger support for the islands, highlights their growing strategic importance, and urges Europe to assume greater responsibility for its defense.
José Manuel Durão Barroso, former Portuguese prime minister and president of the European Commission, believes the Azores should receive preferential consideration in the activities and investments of the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD), describing such support as a moral responsibility arising from the archipelago’s historic and strategic role in relations between Portugal and the United States.
In an extensive interview with journalist Helena Fagundes of Diário Insular, Barroso, now president of FLAD, acknowledged that the foundation could do more for the islands, particularly in scientific research, technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and cooperation with American institutions.
“It is natural, desirable, and I would even say morally necessary that the Azores be given priority in FLAD’s activities,” he declared.
His comments come amid renewed discussions about the benefits the Azores receive from their longstanding strategic relationship with the United States, particularly through the American military presence at Lajes Air Base on Terceira.
The Legacy of the Lajes Agreement
Barroso revisited the 1995 Portugal–United States Cooperation and Defense Agreement, which he negotiated and signed while serving as Portugal’s foreign minister under Prime Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva.
The agreement, negotiated with U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher during the Clinton administration, replaced the earlier model of direct financial compensation associated with the American military presence in the Azores.
Barroso defended the arrangement, arguing that the international political environment had already changed significantly and that Washington was unwilling to maintain the previous compensation system.
He emphasized that military cooperation between allies should not be understood exclusively as a financial transaction, since European countries also benefit from American defense capabilities.
The agreement’s continued existence without substantial renegotiation, he suggested, demonstrates its durability.
Nevertheless, Barroso recognized that the Azores occupy a distinctive position in the bilateral relationship and should receive greater attention through the institutions established to promote Portuguese-American cooperation.
Greater Support for the Azores
Although FLAD’s founding mission is to promote Portugal’s development through relations with the United States, Barroso argued that the archipelago’s geographic position and historical connections make it especially deserving of support.
He acknowledged criticism that the foundation has not directed sufficient resources toward the region but emphasized that additional investment must be connected to viable projects and partnerships.
During his visit to Terceira, Barroso met with the Angra do Heroísmo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, visited the TERINOV science and technology park, and held discussions with Azorean Regional Government President José Manuel Bolieiro.
He expressed particular interest in strengthening the region’s maritime economy, scientific research, and technological development.
Among the initiatives highlighted was FLAD’s financial support for an artificial intelligence academic chair at the University of the Azores. The foundation has allocated €70,000 this year, with funding expected to increase to €140,000 in 2027.
Barroso also praised the potential of TERINOV, where research and technological innovation are being connected to practical applications in agriculture, business development, and employment.
He acknowledged that FLAD has historically concentrated more heavily on education and academic exchanges than on business cooperation, an imbalance he hopes to address.
The foundation, he explained, could play a greater role in facilitating technology transfers, commercial partnerships, and connections between Portuguese businesses and American universities and companies.
However, he encouraged Azorean institutions, businesses, and civil society organizations to develop proposals rather than wait for initiatives to originate in Lisbon.
FLAD’s greatest value, he suggested, lies not simply in its financial resources but in its ability to connect organizations and support partnerships across the Atlantic.
Why Barroso Opposes a Permanent FLAD Office in the Azores
The former prime minister also addressed a recommendation approved by the Azorean Legislative Assembly in July calling for a permanent FLAD delegation in the archipelago.
Although he did not reject the proposal in principle, Barroso questioned whether establishing a regional office would justify the administrative expense.
He argued that selecting one island could generate disagreements among the others, while opening multiple offices would increase operating costs without necessarily improving results.
“What matters is not so much having FLAD in the Azores, but having the Azores in FLAD,” he stated.
Barroso emphasized that Azoreans already participate in the foundation’s leadership, including Carlos Costa Neves and Maria Luísa Rocha on its administration and Miguel Monjardino on its board of trustees.
He believes direct representation, sustained institutional engagement, and funding for concrete initiatives would be more effective than creating additional administrative structures.
The Atlantic’s Growing Strategic Importance
Beyond institutional cooperation, Barroso offered a broader assessment of the Azores’ position in an increasingly uncertain international environment.
He argued that the archipelago’s importance has grown as European security challenges extend beyond conventional military threats to include cybersecurity, submarine communications cables, maritime surveillance, and the resilience of essential infrastructure.
“The Azores already lead internationally in many questions involving ocean sustainability, but they are also extremely important for the security and defense of the region,” he told Diário Insular.
During his visit, Barroso toured the research vessel Azores Ocean, praising its technological capabilities and potential contribution to marine science.
He advocated greater investment in dual-use technologies capable of supporting both civilian and security objectives. Maritime monitoring systems, for example, could contribute simultaneously to environmental protection, scientific research, and defense preparedness.
Such an approach, he argued, would allow limited resources to serve several strategic purposes.
Barroso also pointed to developments in the Arctic, changing maritime routes, Russian submarine activity, and threats to undersea infrastructure as reasons for maintaining a strong European presence in the Atlantic.
He acknowledged, however, that not everyone within NATO shares his assessment. Some defense analysts and policymakers consider threats along Europe’s eastern borders a higher priority, while American strategic attention has increasingly shifted toward the Western Hemisphere and the Asia-Pacific region.
For Barroso, these developments reinforce the need for Portugal and the European Union to demonstrate the continuing importance of the Atlantic.
Europe Must Take Greater Responsibility for Its Defense
The former European Commission president warned that Europe can no longer assume the United States will maintain the same level of strategic attention to European security indefinitely.
He described the American shift toward Asia as a structural development extending across successive administrations, recalling that the Pivot to Asia policy emerged during Barack Obama’s presidency.
Consequently, European countries must invest more seriously in their own defense capabilities and strategic resilience.
Barroso argued that Europe needs to move beyond what he characterized as a period of geopolitical adolescence, developing the capacity to protect its interests while preserving its transatlantic alliances.
He also stressed that relations between Portugal and the United States should remain stable regardless of political changes in Washington.
“In a democracy, by definition, governments change, but countries remain,” he observed.
While acknowledging that Portugal may disagree with particular decisions taken by American administrations, Barroso maintained that the bilateral relationship should be guided by enduring national interests rather than short-term political differences.
He praised the ability of Portuguese and American authorities to preserve constructive relations despite changes in political leadership.
A New Opportunity for Transatlantic Cooperation
Barroso’s remarks place the Azores at the intersection of several major priorities: scientific innovation, ocean sustainability, economic development, and Atlantic security.
His proposed direction for FLAD would place greater emphasis on projects connecting Azorean institutions with American research centers, universities, and businesses, while expanding opportunities for technological cooperation.
He also made clear that the foundation’s commitment would depend partly on the ability of regional organizations to present well-developed initiatives capable of producing measurable results.
For Terceira, where the American presence at Lajes has shaped economic and political discussions for generations, the interview offered an acknowledgment that the archipelago’s strategic contribution should be accompanied by meaningful opportunities for development.
Barroso’s central argument is that the Azores should not be regarded merely as a geographic asset within the transatlantic alliance. Their scientific institutions, maritime resources, businesses, and communities should become active participants in the economic and technological relationships that the alliance makes possible.
As Europe reassesses its defense responsibilities and Portugal seeks to strengthen its relationship with the United States, the former prime minister believes the Azores have an opportunity to assume a more prominent role.
Whether that opportunity produces lasting results will depend on the partnerships established, the projects developed, and the resources directed toward the archipelago.
Source: Based on an interview with José Manuel Durão Barroso conducted by Helena Fagundes for Diário Insular, November 2026. the photos are also from DI. For full transparencyNovidades informs our readers that PBBI-Fresno State receives a yearly major grant from FLAD, that assisits us in many of our ongoing projects, including this platform Novidades.