With the return of Trump and the increasingly ambivalent messages coming from Washington, the transatlantic relationship is facing serious challenges in areas such as trade, climate policy, multilateral cooperation, and defence. How does Portugal view this changing relationship? And how has the country’s foreign policy changed since the second Trump administration?

To discuss the latest developments in Portuguese attitudes towards the U.S., TEPSA, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon (FLUL), the Portuguese Institute of International Relations (IPRI-NOVA), and the Centre of Philosophy of the University of Lisbon (CFUL), co-organised the public debate “Portugal e as relações transatlânticas: uma ponte entre os EUA e a Europa”. The event is took place in the Amphitheatre II of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, on 21 November 2025, starting at 15:00 WET.

SPEAKERS:

• Viriato Soromenho-Marques, Full Professor, CFUL
• Alice Cunha, Assistant Professor with Habilitation, IPRI-NOVA
• José Gomes André, Assistant Professor, CFUL & FLUL

KEY TAKEAWAYS

During the session, the relations between the United States and Europe were discussed, beginning with an analysis of the historical context. Professor Viriato Soromenho-Marques outlined the various phases and dynamics that have shaped transatlantic relations. It was highlighted that these relations have been marked, on the one hand, by a desire for close cooperation but also, on the other, by a degree of strategic caution on both sides, with the historical legacy of the “Monroe Doctrine” standing out as defining distinct spheres of geopolitical influence.

This context changes in the 20th century, with major historical events such as the participation of the United States in the First and Second World Wars, Woodrow Wilson’s internationalist approach, the Marshall Plan, and the redefinition of the U.S. role in global security.

It was emphasised that throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, various Portuguese figures identified Portugal’s potential contribution to these new dynamics, particularly through the strategic use of the Azores as a “bridge” between the United States and Europe.

Professor Soromenho-Marques’s presentation also highlighted contributions from historical U.S. figures (such as Franklin Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and JFK) to a contemporary discussion of transatlantic relations, focusing on three key dimensions:

1. The importance of structuring international relations within a framework of domestic socio-economic sustainability, including the unequivocal defense of democratic values, the promotion of economic well-being, and the proper functioning of financial institutions;
2. The risks posed by the “military–industrial defense complex”; the dangers of accumulating hegemonic power as a temptation toward aggressive behavior on the world stage; and the importance of self-restraint in order to assume a mediating role within a genuinely multilateral framework;
3. The need to avoid rhetorical escalation that could lead to nuclear war; the importance of an institutional approach to geopolitics rather than simple “power bargaining”; the relevance of the EU’s mission regarding environmental issues, technological regulation, and human rights; and the assertion of Europe’s role in a multipolar international order.

The session also included brief contributions from Professors José Gomes André and Alice Cunha. The former analysed relations between Portugal and the United States, stressing the strategic importance of the Azores and the urgency of diplomatically leveraging the significant Portuguese diaspora in the U.S. The latter examined Portugal’s relations with the European Union, emphasising the benefits of European integration within a historical, cultural, social, political, and economic perspective.