The EC President appeared to have forgotten Portugal’s location as the most western geographical point on mainland Europe when he told MEPs: “Equality between its Members, big and small, East and West, North and South. Make no mistake, Europe extends from Vigo to Varna. From Spain to Bulgaria.
East to West: Europe must breathe with both lungs. Otherwise our continent will struggle for air.”
Portuguese MEP Marisa Matias did not take kindly to the words contained in Juncker’s written speech.
In posts on both Twitter and Facebook, which have since been abundantly shared and commented on, the Left Bloc MEP asked: “Europe stretches from Spain to Bulgaria. Does this mean that he has already assumed we are out?”
But despite his speech not going down well in some quarters here in Portugal, both the President and the Prime Minister congratulated the EC chief on his address.
Prime Minister António Costa tweeted: “Congratulations. Portugal, a nation of navigators is ready to help Europe sail in the right direction in the future.”
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in an official statement, said: “Allow me to congratulate him [Juncker] on his speech of the State of the Nation. I also believe the winds have once again started blowing into our sails and we should seize them to build a unified, strong and democratic Europe.”
Despite these comments of support, Jean Claude Juncker might not be the most popular politician among ordinary Portuguese. Many will recall him stating last year that France was being subjected to different treatment than Portugal over its budget deficit, because in Juncker’s words, “it’s France.”
Another European politician not too popular in Portugal in recent times is Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the chairman of Eurogroup.
The Dutch Finance Minister came under fire last summer after an interview in a German newspaper, in which he accused Southern European countries of wasting money on “women and drinks”.
Portugal at the time called for the Dutch Finance Minister to stand down and said he was completely out of tune with reality.
Dijsselbloem has to this date refused to apologise, and has stood by his comments that countries like Portugal should “also have duties and can’t spend their money on women and drinks and then ask for help.”
Portugal’s Prime Minister, António Costa, subsequently called for Jereon Dijsselbloem to resign and said his comments in a newspaper interview about southern European countries were “absolutely unacceptable” and “very dangerous”.