Miguel Portas has been MEP since 2004 and is once more head of the electoral list of the Portuguese Left Bloc (BE) for next Sunday's election. He made this interview by phone from Madeira Island during a dinner break (?) amid the electoral campaign.

EL News - According to Eurobarometer polls, personal expectations of Portuguese people regarding their life in general, as well as their financial situation, are decreasing faster than in all other member states (except Hungary), respectively minus 26 and 35 percentage points on the last year. On the other hand, Portuguese people are also the most sceptical about the EU economic situation on the whole. What role does your party think the EU can play in order to help reversing the situation?

MP - This loss of confidence was expected because Portugal is not exactly facing a new crisis; this is already an old crisis dating back at least to 2001/02.

On the other hand, it is clear that in a moment when the unemployed and all those experiencing more difficulties are most in need of Europe, Europe becomes absent. And those results only show this evidence.

Nevertheless, the role of Europe is crucial in many aspects. One of them is obviously the statute and philosophy of the European Central Bank, whose decision making process must become more transparent and subject to political scrutiny. The ECB should focus on growth and employment instead of monetarist policies and the “stability pact”.

The EU must also guarantee the access to credit and international loans in the same conditions for every member state: a “European loan” is needed, and measures must be taken also to restrict and regulate the private rating agencies, responsible for arbitrary, differential, high and unfair spreads that restrict investment mainly in less developed countries, hampering the economical development.

To avoid excessive spreads, external dependency and indeptedness, however, the loans should be connected to the possibility of a “European debt” and thus the emission of “Eurobonds”, which is currently not allowed.
Another decisive point is the need to go beyond coordination of policies. We cannot have an anti-crisis “plan” which is a simple menu for each state to choose from. We need integrated measures at the European scale: for example in the car industry, in what regards a harmonization of subsidies to buy green vehicles.

Finally, we need European responses to social emergencies; therefore a Complementary European Fund for this purpose should be created. It could be financed by tax heavens money…

EL News - Crime is among EU citizens' top concerns also according to the Eurobarometer poll. What preventative measures would you propose to be taken at European level to tackle crime and security issues?

MP - There are several kinds of criminality, not just one. The “small crime” is linked to poverty, misery and urban exclusion. Thus, from the preventive point of view, we should focus on attacking the causes.

Proximity policies, with the involvement of authorities and security forces, also help on deterring this kind of crime.

In relation to other crimes, the use of all mechanisms in what regards the circulation of capital, particularly bank secrecy and fiscal paradises must be implemented.

EL News - Do you see climate change as a serious threat? What are your party's priorities in terms of combating global warming?

MP - This is not a matter of opinion, since the seriousness of the problem is scientifically well established. Everything we don’t know will have to be done later, more expensively and abruptly.

In the framework of international environmental policies, the EU has an ongoing approach, but we are far from having sufficient international agreements to fight climate change successfully.

Finally, the current crisis must not serve as an excuse to reduce targets or put off deadlines. We have to overcome the crisis focusing on qualification and sustainable growth.