Anyone who doesn't understand this, understands absolutely nothing

Afonso Almeida Brandão"

What does it mean to be patriotic in 2025? What does it mean to love and defend Portugal in today's world? Clearly, it is no longer—nor can it be—the same as in 1965 or 1985. In a globalized world, marked by diffuse risks, nearby enemies, and technological threats that ignore borders, the defense of our freedom and our culture can only be done within a robust European framework. To be patriotic in 2025 is to understand that Portuguese sovereignty can only be preserved through the strategic strengthening of European power. This comes in light of the almost total abandonment of Europe by the United States, evident in the document published two weeks ago by the White House, the National Security Strategy. It states, in black and white, that Europe must take care of its own security, while simultaneously requesting that European markets remain, or become even more, open to American products. The message is clear: leave the defense to yourselves, let us handle the consumption. The same document harshly criticizes European immigration policies and measures associated with the regulation of digital space, such as the fight against hate speech and disinformation. Washington interprets these as unjustifiable limits to “freedom of expression,” ignoring that Europe seeks to balance individual rights with democratic protection. Even more surprising is the explicit reference to the rise of far-right parties in Europe, which the White House describes as a reason for “optimism,” considering them natural allies of the current American strategy. There could be no greater warning. Given this, what should Europe do? What does a continent do when the American administration wants, on the one hand, to stop supporting European defense and, on the other, to support political forces that intend to destroy the European project itself? The answer cannot be complacency or naiveté. It is evident that the United States does not want a strong Europe: it would be yet another economic, political, and military competitor. And that clashes with its strategic interests. They don't want a partner, they want a docile continent. But we're not asleep, obviously... Meanwhile, on this side of the Atlantic, we remain happily settled in our condition as a cultural colony. We consume American brands, American series, American films, American music, and American social networks, as if the world only existed in the cultural projection of the USA. This childish admiration, inherited from the post-war period and reinforced by American media hegemony, is so ingrained in us that simply pointing out this dependence immediately triggers accusations of censorship or primitive anti-Americanism. That's not the point; it's about lucidity. It is time for Europe and Europeans to awaken to the need for continental patriotism. A patriotism that does not deny homelands, but protects them through unity. Just remember that the European Union has approximately 450 million inhabitants, compared to the 330 million of the USA. And that, counting all of Europe without Russia, we surpass 600 million. A possible European federation would be the third largest country in the world in population, after India and China, with an economy comparable to that of the USA and with unprecedented scientific, technological and cultural capacity. This is what worries Washington. Any doubt? It is also no coincidence that the US has never looked with enthusiasm at the Euro and deeply distrusts federalism. Within Europe, there are even those who play the combined game of Washington and Moscow, attacking European integration for reasons ranging from electoral opportunism to pure short-sighted nationalism. Russia, too, does not want a strong Europe: a politically capable, militarily robust, and diplomatically assertive Union would be an obstacle to any Russian ambition on the continent. The answer to the almost ultimatum implicit in the National Security Strategy is simple and urgent: more Europe. More integration. The natural path, which should have been initiated immediately after the creation of the Euro, is clear: a Federal Union of Europe. We did not move forward because European leaders lacked courage, always fearful of public opinion and immediate electoral calculations. But a leadership that fears the electorate does not deserve to lead. It is urgent to democratize the Union: elect a European President; have a European Government resulting from European elections; create a European Senate where all States have a balanced voice; move towards European Armed Forces capable of guaranteeing common defense; and finally establish a European Ministry of Foreign Affairs that speaks for the 27 with real authority. This architecture does not eliminate States, it strengthens them, protects them and empowers them in a world where no one, in isolation, is worth much. And each of us has an individual responsibility: we must consume more European products, read European authors, watch European films, listen to European music. We need to counteract a cultural conditioning that has been imposed on us since the end of the Second World War. To be a patriot today is to fight for a sovereign Europe, respected and capable of defending itself. Anyone who doesn't understand this, understands absolutely nothing.

2025/12/3