Policy dates back 12 years; refers to bilateral partnership with Russia
Portugal’s parliament has today approved a PS resolution recommending that the government continue revising the Strategic Defence Concept – a document now 12 years old that also mentions the importance of a “bilateral partnership between NATO and Russia”.
The draft resolution – which does not have the force of law – was approved with abstentions from CHEGA, BE, PCP, CDS-PP and non-attached MP Miguel Arruda (formerly-Chega).
In the bill, the PS bench points out that the world has witnessed “a profound change in the international security environment in recent years, with the emergence of new dynamics characterised by intense geopolitical tensions that condition the security and defence of Portugal, Europe and the Atlantic Alliance”.
Faced with a “new global paradigm in terms of security and defence”, the PS considers “a deep, up-to-date, systematic and strategic reflection on Portugal’s priorities for the coming years to be necessary.”
The latest version of the National Defence Strategic Concept still refers to the NATO strategic concept approved at the Lisbon summit in 2010, in which the Atlantic Alliance expresses its “determination to deepen relations with its strategic partners, including the European Union and Russia”.
This document emphasises the “critical importance of the bilateral partnership between NATO and Russia for European stability”, a scenario which, following the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, is completely out of date.
In the draft resolution, the PS parliamentary group recalls that almost two years ago the European Union approved the Strategic Compass – a document that outlines the strategic orientation of the Union’s security and defence policy until 2030 – and that also in 2022, at the Madrid summit, NATO approved its new strategic concept, which replaced the 2010 concept.
The Socialists recall that the previous PS government, in 2022, appointed a board to review this concept, chaired by former minister Nuno Severiano Teixeira, who delivered a proposal for Major Options to the government in January 2023.
In May of that year, the Council of Ministers at the time approved the draft resolution for the strategic concept’s Major Options, which the government then submitted to parliament, since the law defines that this document is “subject to debate and approval in the parliament, at the initiative of the government” and finally approved through a new resolution by the Council of Ministers.
“This whole process was later interrupted however, due to political upheavels that led to the dissolution of parliament in January 2024, and eventually a new government.
For the Socialists, it is unclear whether the current government and the defence minister intend to follow up on the “extensive, complete and productive” work already carried out by the review council, or start a whole new process.
“Having reached the end of 2024 and after nine months of government and a lack of clarity on this matter on the part of the minister of defence, a decision on this matter is becoming increasingly urgent,” say the Socialists, without referring to the fact that today is the ‘first day’ after America seemingly pulled back from its global defence role of the last eight decades.
The Strategic Concept for National Defence is a document that, according to the law, “defines the state’s priorities in defence matters, in accordance with the national interest, and is an integral part of national defence policy”. ND
Source: LUSA
