The Authoritarian Regime of the Estado Novo

The first event of the program included in the cycle of special celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the 25th of April took place at Universidade Lusófona - Centro Universitário Porto, which aims not only to celebrate, but also to promote reflection on the various dimensions of the impact of the "Revolução dos Cravos" in Portuguese society.

Professor Doutor Moisés de Lemos Martins, as will be the practice in all conferences, selects the guest who will speak. For this occasion, he chose Professor António Costa Pinto, a specialist in the subject of the authoritarian regime of the Estado Novo, who has released several books that address this subject, such as the book released in 1992 entitled "O salazarismo e o fascismo europeu” .

Professor António Costa Pinto, in turn, is recognized as an authority in the study of Salazarism, having dedicated a considerable part of his career to investigating related topics.

In his first intervention, he recited a poem by Sophia de Mello Breyner, “Esta é a madrugada que eu esperava”, and highlighted that Portugal at the time of the 25th of April is substantially different from the contemporary country, initiating an analysis of the singularity of the revolutionary process. He also addressed the reasons that led to the coup and the establishment of the Estado Novo.

The 50 years of democracy in Portugal are celebrated with events like this, which aim, above all, to reintegrate into the academic community, in this case, the memory of what was the 25th of April and the process of political transition to democracy in Portugal.