Please join the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center for a fireside chat with former prime minister of Portugal and president of the European Commission José Manuel Durão Barroso on the legacy of the Carnation Revolution. This event will be livestreamed to a virtual audience on Tuesday, April 23 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET.

On April 25^th, 1974, a small group of Portuguese military officers launched a coup to overthrow one of Western Europe’s last authoritarian governments – the Estado Novo – established in the 1930’s by António de Oliveira Salazar. The April 25^th coup, also known as the Carnation Revolution, launched Portugal toward becoming a thriving and established democracy on the Iberian Peninsula. But in the years immediately following the Carnation Revolution, Portugal weathered social and economic upheaval, political paralysis, additional coup attempts, and rapid decolonization of its overseas territories resulting in large immigration inflows into Portugal, all while being a member of NATO.  Through perseverance and support from its Western allies, Portugal eventually solidified its national democratic process and would join the European Economic Community in 1986.

Against this backdrop, the Atlantic Council is honored to hear reflections about this momentous historical moment and its legacy from former prime minister of Portugal and president of the European Commission José Manuel Durão Barroso. Prime Minister Durão Barroso will not only share his experiences from the time, but also discuss what Portugal’s democratic journey means for Europe and the transatlantic relationship in the years to come.

This conversation will take place virtually on Zoom and will be broadcast on YouTube, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn.