Portugal Navigating Europe: An Interview with Pedro Sousa

In this episode, Garrison is joined by returning guest Pedro Sousa from Portugal. After reviewing some of the significance and history of the role, the two discuss Portugal’s priorities and outlook as it serves as rotating President of the Council of the European Union from January to June of 2021. In particular, they discuss Portugal’s response to the pandemic both nationally and in the Presidency role, as well as the focus on an equitable economic recovery and long term resilience framework (contending with debt vs state aid), coinciding with an emphasis on the EU social summit in May. Further topics include the focus of Portugal on EU-Africa relations in advance of this summer’s EU-Africa Summit; Portugal’s focus on connecting NATO and the EU in political-security relationship in light of reset transatlantic relations with the advent of the Biden administration in the US; and the role of Portugal in a world of China tensions with Europe and the West. Pedro Ponte e Sousa is a professor of International Relations at the Universidade Portucalense in Porto, and a researcher at the Portuguese Institute of International Relations (IPRI-NOVA). Garrison Moratto is the founder and host of The New Diplomatist Podcast; he holds a M.S. of International Relations as well as a B.S. in Government: Public Administration (Summa Cum Laude) from Liberty University in the United States. All guest opinions are their own and not that of The New Diplomatist podcast formally.  Please subscribe and leave a review for feedback; join the podcast on Patreon for bonus perks.  Follow The New Diplomatist on Twitter and Instagram. Thank you for listening. (Originally recorded February 18, 2021)