Latest news and stories about geopolitics in Portugal for expats and residents.
This page has only 1 story and is not indexed by search engines.
In an interview with PÚBLICO, the former Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs argues that European decision-makers must prepare their citizens for a potential conflict with Russia.
In an increasingly volatile world where maritime routes have become arenas of ruthless geopolitical competition, the new European Port Strategy emerges as a beacon of vision. Recently announced by the European Commission, this strategy positions ports as pillars of EU autonomy, proposing an ambitious repositioning that promotes competitiveness, decarbonisation, and sovereignty in logistics and energy flows. For a country like Portugal, with an exposed Atlantic coast and ports such as Sines, Leixões, and Lisbon, this approach is fundamental. As global trade reorganises and logistics chains become instruments of geopolitical power, controlling critical infrastructure has become as important as defending borders. The most transformative element of this strategy is the approach to security, which has been absent from European port policy for decades. It is recognised that ports are no longer merely commercial hubs, but have become battlefronts against hybrid threats, including organised crime and terrorism, especially considering that most drug trafficking entering Europe via Portugal originates in Latin America. In 2024, Portugal recorded a record 23 tonnes of cocaine seized, mainly in its ports, consolidating the Brazil-Portugal route as a structural corridor for drug trafficking. Europol reports highlight evasive tactics, such as high-seas transfers using mother ships and daughter boats, which bypass customs controls and increase the risk of armed violence in coastal areas. This maritime security challenge, however, is part of a broader and more volatile geopolitical context. The war in Ukraine, the intensification of competition between major powers, and the melting of the Arctic—which opens new maritime routes potentially dominated by Russia and China—underscore the urgency for a Europe capable of controlling its own 'entry points'. Chinese state-owned companies like Cosco and China Merchants hold significant stakes in strategic terminals such as Piraeus, Hamburg, or Valencia, as part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Foreign capital, under fair and transparent rules, is part of the solution, but excessive dependence on external actors in critical infrastructure constitutes a risk in times of global uncertainty. At the same time, technological dependence raises new concerns. The Chinese company ZPMC dominates between 70% and 80% of the global market for port cranes, many of which are installed in European ports. In a context where logistics data is equivalent to economic and military intelligence, these dependencies bring risks. There is another dimension often forgotten: ports are central nodes of the European energy transition. Liquefied natural gas terminals, green hydrogen, submarine cables, and offshore energy infrastructure increasingly pass through port zones. This means that port security has also become a matter of energy security. The real question, therefore, is not whether Europe needs a port strategy, but whether it will have the political capacity to implement it with the urgency that the moment demands. In a sea of geopolitical uncertainties, whoever controls the ports controls much more than trade: they control the vital arteries of European economic and strategic power.
Lídia Pereira, a PSD MEP, believes we are facing a “reconfiguration of the international order” and that the new system “must have clear rules,” with the EU “being part of the drafting of those very rules.”
CNN Portugal journalist Rolando Santos details Portuguese air defence capabilities in the current international context.
During the Goa crisis, Salazar threatened to leave the UN and NATO and to suspend the lease of the Lajes Base to the USA.
The President of the European Commission warns that the current geopolitical situation “carries an increasing risk of a prolonged conflict with direct and indirect repercussions for the Union”
The American ally has become a 'predatory and aggressive' power, showing that it can no longer be trusted and leaving Portugal in a delicate position. And the preemptive attack by António José Seguro.
Assunção Cristas, a commentator for CNN Portugal, states that Portugal has few alternatives to minimise the impact of global instability.
CNN Portugal commentator Sérgio Sousa Pinto states that Europe is one of the major victims of the war in the Middle East, given its high external dependence on fossil fuels.
José Azeredo Lopes, a commentator for CNN Portugal, analyses the impact of Donald Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil, specifically the European reaction.
Merz, Macron, Costa, and Zelensky criticise the White House's decision, stating it reinforces Russian funding for the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin highlights that the “interests” of the US and Russia “coincide”.
The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, stated that the United States is trying to divide the European Union in statements to the Financial Times. “What I think is really important for everyone to understand is that the US has been very clear: they want to divide Europe. They do not like the European Union”, said Kaja Kallas, in...
In this Thursday's commentary, Miguel Sousa Tavares criticises the United States' strategy in the conflict with Iran and warns of the economic and political impact of the war, arguing that Europe needs to assert a more independent position.
The conflict initiated by the US and Israel against Iran has exposed the European Union's strategic hesitations. While the EU risks being drawn into the Middle East, the author argues that Europe's future is primarily decided in Ukraine. The piece criticizes the diversion of vital military resources, such as Patriot interceptor missiles, away from Ukraine to support regional objectives in the Middle East, and questions the recent stance taken by Ursula von der Leyen, contrasting it with the views of António Costa on the importance of a rules-based international order.
The article reports that Paulo Rangel has stated that the Base das Lajes in Portugal is not currently a priority or on the agenda. This indicates that there are no immediate plans or discussions regarding the base's strategic or operational status at this time.
Miguel Sousa Tavares analyses on CNN Prime Time Europe's response to the war in the Middle East and the subsequent rise in energy prices, as well as Spain's position regarding the conflict and the attitude of the USA.
Our dilemma is immense. We must align increasingly with European capitals that will diverge from Washington.
The discrepancies within the EU regarding the Middle East are too deep to speak of a blockade. Simply put, there is no position. Many will sleep soundly before the next beheading. Europeans, starting with Von der Leyen, should not...
Spanish Deputy PM Yolanda Díaz argues the bloc's “servile” attitude toward Washington could fuel Euroskeptic sentiment and contribute to a far-right surge.
Home Opinion Dubai Danger, Portugal Peace? — Part 2 Dubai Danger, Portugal Peace?
The President of the European Council stated this Wednesday that the energy partnership between the European Union (EU) and Azerbaijan “has never been more important” due to the conflict in Iran and expressed a desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation. In a statement alongside the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, during his visit...
The ten days of war in the Middle East have already cost the European Union three billion euros, but the President of the Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, reaffirms that in Europe no one mourns the death of the Iranian leader.
In an interview discussing his book 'War, Lies and International Law', legal expert Francisco Pereira Coutinho explores the complex intersection of international law, geopolitical narratives, and the existential nature of the conflict in Ukraine. He analyses the legal justifications used by Russia, the challenges of freezing Russian assets, the erosion of international law by major powers, and the difficulties the European Union faces in maintaining a consistent stance on global conflicts.
The President of the European Commission stated on Wednesday, March 11, that the European Union will “always respect” the principles of international law, two days after facing criticism for claiming it could “no longer continue to be the guardian of the old world order.” In a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU's commitment to peace and the UN Charter. She also strongly criticised the Iranian regime following the death of Ali Khamenei, while maintaining that acknowledging the current state of the world does not diminish the EU's determination to strive for its desired future.
