Portuguese Decolonisation and the Third Enlargement: Insights from the European Parliament
Eleonora Cappa
University of Turin and University of Genoa
This paper investigates the weight of colonial issues in shaping relations between the European Community (EC) and Portugal from the viewpoint of the European Parliamentary Assembly (EPA)/European Parliament. The research period spans Lisbon's 1962 request for association with the European Community to its 1986 accession. Existing studies on the EPA's role in the relationship between European integration and decolonisation primarily focus on the "particular ties" maintained by funding EC member states with Sub-Saharan Africa, with little attention given to Portugal's colonial empire. Through archival sources, this research explores parties and group dynamics in the plenary and within the internal commission encharged, covering critical moments in EC–Lisbon relations, including the signature of the 1972 Trade Agreement. By comparing debates, resolutions and interrogations, the analysis investigates whether colonial issues were considered as significant as the dictatorial nature of the Portuguese regime. Despite its limited powers, the EPA/EP has been the most active institution in condemning the Portuguese colonial wars. Moreover, it repeatedly denounced the Council's inconsistent stance and the incoherent policies of EC member states in Lusophone Africa, as discussions around the Cabora Bassa project highlight. However, declarations on equality were often accompanied by references to the European civilising mission. Additionally, as founding Member States did with their former colonies, the third enlargement did not come with a thorough discussion on a shared colonial past. This outcome was favoured by the overlap between democratic transition and decolonisation, contributing to widespread confusion over how to address racial segregation in southern Africa.
Portuguese Decolonisation and the Third Enlargement: Insights from the European Parliament
Eleonora Cappa
University of Turin and University of Genoa
This paper investigates the weight of colonial issues in shaping relations between the European Community (EC) and Portugal from the viewpoint of the European Parliamentary Assembly (EPA)/European Parliament. The research period spans Lisbon's 1962 request for association with the European Community to its 1986 accession. Existing studies on the EPA's role in the relationship between European integration and decolonisation primarily focus on the "particular ties" maintained by funding EC member states with Sub-Saharan Africa, with little attention given to Portugal's colonial empire. Through archival sources, this research explores parties and group dynamics in the plenary and within the internal commission encharged, covering critical moments in EC–Lisbon relations, including the signature of the 1972 Trade Agreement. By comparing debates, resolutions and interrogations, the analysis investigates whether colonial issues were considered as significant as the dictatorial nature of the Portuguese regime. Despite its limited powers, the EPA/EP has been the most active institution in condemning the Portuguese colonial wars. Moreover, it repeatedly denounced the Council's inconsistent stance and the incoherent policies of EC member states in Lusophone Africa, as discussions around the Cabora Bassa project highlight. However, declarations on equality were often accompanied by references to the European civilising mission. Additionally, as founding Member States did with their former colonies, the third enlargement did not come with a thorough discussion on a shared colonial past. This outcome was favoured by the overlap between democratic transition and decolonisation, contributing to widespread confusion over how to address racial segregation in southern Africa.
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