Tue, 9 February 2010
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Madrid –A significant minority in Spain and Portugal back the formation of a federation between their two nations, a poll published Tuesday showed.
Just under one-third of all Spaniards, 30.3 percent, and 39.9 percent of all Portuguese, are in favour of the idea, according to the survey by Spain's Salamanca University which was presented in Madrid.
More than 30 percent in both nations reject the idea of a federation. About 29 percent of Spaniards are indifferent to it compared to just 17.7 percent of Portuguese, whose average incomes are lower than their neighbours.
The poll of 876 people was carried out by researchers at the university in April and May.
Portugal's only Noble laureate for literature, Jose Saramago, sparked controversy among his fellow Portuguese in 2007 when he said it was "inevitable" that the country would end up joining with Spain.
Spain, which was formed out of a patchwork of warring kingdoms, already consists of various nationalities and languages that coexist, he told Portuguese daily Diario de Noticias. Saramago added Portugal could become another Spanish autonomous region like Catalonia or the Basque Country.
Portugal's Foreign Minister Luis Amado swiftly rejected the idea, telling reporters that while he respected Saramago, his own "vision of the relationship between Portugal and Spain over the coming decades is completely different".
Any attempt to unite Portugal with Spain would run into considerable opposition and commentators complain loudly whenever a Spanish firm buys up a Portuguese peer.
A poll published in weekly Portuguese newspaper Sol in 2007 found 28 percent of all Portuguese were in favour of a union with Spain, whose population of 46 million is more than four times greater than Portugal's.
Portugal marks as a national holiday the day in 1640 when the country regained independence from Spain after a 60-year period of rule by Madrid.
AFP / Expatica
Being a part of Spain and entering into some kind of federation are two completely different things. Which one is it and how is asking 800 or so people out of over 55 million even the least bit valid?
And to follow-up my comments above with some other points;
1. Jose Saramago is a joke, he is married to a Spaniard, is a member of Portugals communist party and failed to get elected to the European parlament.
2. After close to 900 years history as a nation why would Portugal join Spain? Like really, to what benefit? Languages are different, culture are different, etc.. Because of income, please the EU is good enough and incomes are lower, but so is cost of living. Everything is relative.
3. Spain did not "rule" Portgual from 1580 to 1640 during the Iberian union, they happend to have the same king due to rules of succession. Portugal and its territories were independently governed and maintained until Phillip the fourth of Spain known as Phillip the third of Portugal started to change things to his own detriment.
4. No referrendum would ever lead to this, because Portugal as a nation would fracture and it is and has been more stable then Spain. Spanish civil war anyone vs Portugals which lasted a day, anyone?
Cold day in hell when my country of birth Portugal would be part of
Spain.
Our History is like no other and I'm proud to be nothing else but Portuguese. A fight to the death . Let sleeping dogs lie!
It will be a cold day in hell and over my dead body when Portugal is EVER a part of Spain. Besides, the Spanish already have their hands full with the Basques.
Viva Portugal..Viva Salazar!
1. What was the wording of the question people in Portugal where asked? Surveys are very easy to manipulate or mis-read. Because Portugal and Spain are in a federation, it is called EU.
2. Out of the 876 people in all asked, how many where in Portugal, where in Portugal and are these people actually Portuguesse? If they asked only 250 people in Portugal, just in Lisbon, where almost all of Portugual's immegrants live, something like 30% of Lisbon is not Portuguesse, it makes a huge difference. There was a very direct question a couple years back about this in the North, something like 4% where favourable. The North is where over half the population is. Lisbon is around 10% only.
3. What about the millions of Portuguesse abroad, ask them what they think. Hell, I will do a poll of over 1000 of them and doubt a single yes to "joining" Spain would be said. And yes, they would have a say.
4. In what world are we living in? Countries are splitting up or splinterring right now. No countries are joining together. Hell, have a referendum in Catalan, Gallicia and the Basques region, ask them if they want to form their own country. Bye by Spain.
spain and portugal have alot in common. economic ties are vital but to say portugal will actually be consumed and be a state or city of spain is a joke. look at portuguese history we gained independence once if we had 2 do it again we would. Spain have alot of power nowadays just like they did back then and we still gained independence. there are countries in worse position economically so its a joke to think we need help.
I will take up arms agains it .Saramago is and has always been a damn comunist, Salazar made a mistake not getting rid of him. Two distinct societies, it is a dumb idea ..even to bring it up
I agree with everybody in this forum.We have enough problems in Spain with our "nationalities" that a kind of federation with Portugal would seem to me impossible, if not irreal completely .Although the language seems more o less the same as well as the landscape, nowaday Spanish people is very different from the portuguese, and our culture, history and problems too.
Obrigado y hasta otra
Would never work,could never work.There is no nationality in the world that are as proud as the PORTUGUESE are of there culture and heritage.
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