It is an achievement that deserves recognition. In a world where administrative efficiency and digital capacity weigh as much as economic stability, this rise is not just symbolic. It is strategic.

The index assesses digital maturity, technological integration in public policies, intelligent use of data, people- and business-centred services, and innovation capacity. Portugal stood out precisely in what matters most today: simple and integrated digital public services, interoperability between systems and strategic use of information to improve decisions.

Those who undertake, invest or work with international markets feel this evolution. Starting a business, submitting declarations, dealing with licenses or interacting with the public administration has become, in many cases, significantly faster and more transparent than a decade ago. For foreign investors, this efficiency weighs on decisions. For national companies, it reduces costs and uncertainty.

But it would be intellectually dishonest to paint an exclusively rosy picture.

Structural digitalisation does not, by itself, eliminate human and organisational problems. In many public offices, there are still chaotic situations, queues, delays and mismatched responses. In some cases due to a lack of qualified human resources or adequate training to fully operate digital systems. In other situations, by something more delicate: an administrative culture that does not always keep up with the speed of technology.

We all know episodes in which, when faced with an objective question, the answer comes in the form of "it's not like that", "the law says otherwise" or "it's not us, you'll have to talk to another colleague". When responsibility is diluted, the process gets stuck. And when the human factor does not keep up with digital transformation, modernisation loses impact.

All digitisation becomes partially obsolete if human power does not keep up with it or, even worse, if it resists it. Systems can be efficient, but execution always depends on people. Technology accelerates, but organisational culture defines the real citizen and company experience.

Still, it's important to keep perspective. Portugal is objectively on a good path. There are countries in the European Union where, in the middle of 2026, they continue to require fax communications for certain administrative processes. The international comparison helps us to understand that the Portuguese evolution is not trivial.

What this ranking demonstrates is that digital architecture is built. The challenge now is to consolidate skills, reinforce training, demand responsibility and align culture with technology. The modernisation of the State does not end with the implementation of platforms. It is concluded that when the user experience is coherent, efficient and predictable at any branch, physical or digital.

Portugal climbed to the digital podium. That should make us proud. But the real ambition shouldn't just be to be in the top 3. It must be to ensure that this excellence is felt on the ground, in the daily service, in the response in line with the law and in the deadlines met.

We are clearly better off than we were. And, looking at the European panorama, we are ahead of many. Now it's about transforming digital leadership into operational consistency. This is the natural next step for a country that wants to continue to assert itself as modern, competitive and prepared for the future.