Lisbona
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07 January 2017
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) -
Category: Maison de la Paix (EN)
President Michele Capasso, the members of the Executive Board and the International Scientific Committee, the heads of the Autonomous Sections of the Fondazione Mediterraneo express their deep condolences for the death of Mario Soares, founder member of the institution founded in Naples in 1991.
In particular, President Capasso recalls the affectionate fraternal friendship with the Portuguese statesman that has developed in the context of "socialism with a human face" based on respect for the values of solidarity and human rights.
The political activity of Mario Soares, who died today at the Red Cross hospital in Lisbon - where he was born on December 7,1924 - at 92 years of age, marked the twentieth century and beyond. Exiled by the Portuguese Salazarist dictatorship, he fought not only for the reconquest of democracy at home, which took place in 1974 with the Carnations Revolution, but for the entry of Spain and Portugal into the European Union and for the dream of the Socialist International in the mid-1970s when he in Portugal, Craxi in Italy, Mitterrand in France, Gonzalez in Spain and Brandt in Germany had created a reformist axis.
Twice Prime Minister, from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, twice President of the Republic (ten years at the summit between 1986 and 1996), Foreign Minister and Minister without portfolio in the first government after liberation, Soares - who had returned to Portugal on 28 April, three days after the last dictator's escape, Marcelo Caetano - led the transition from exile to France.
In hiding he founded the Socialist Party, which he led with great passion. Soares had a very complex relationship on the left with Alvaro Cunhal, the leader of the Communist Party. The two popular and democratic forces fought not only ideologically, but also on Europeanism: while Soares advocated a coalition of all the reformist and anti conservative forces, Cunhal resisted in a position of permanent revolution contrary to Berlinguer's euro-communism and to give way between the proletariat. They were both part of the first liberation government, but never fully bound.
Soares went ahead with his inclusion policy, did everything he could for the European treaties and in 1985 signed it to join the EU.
It was impossible - he said one day in his office at Fundaçao, which takes its name, in rua Sao Bento in Lisbon - to stay out; we came from post-revolutionary years that were very difficult from an economic point of view, the solution of a European market, a common currency, was the only one that could lead us to a development that otherwise we would not have had ".
The pro-European commitment of Soares developed in the Strasbourg Assembly, where he held a seat until 2004. He is also responsible for resolving almost all the international crises in Portugal, when African and Asian colonies gained independence from their mother country. Soares led the transition by avoiding further bloodshed.
Graduated in both philosophy and law, Soares has led the Modern College, an important academic institution founded by his father and now directed by his daughter. In the academic field he has held numerous positions in Portuguese and international universities.
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