French Republic

França

Capital: Paris

Official Language: French

Population: 67 391 587 (2020, World Bank)

Government type: Unitary Semi-Presidential Republic

 

Bilateral Relations:

Bilateral relations between Portugal and France are rich and multi-secular, having been punctuated by some historical periods of special political and diplomatic proximity, along with a strong French cultural influence.

The intense Portuguese emigration to France and, later on, Portugal's European integration process gave an additional impulse to old relations, which have been densifying and, in more recent years, have reached a level of excellence, at the political, economic and cultural levels. 

Date of recognition of the country: On November 10th, 1910, France recognizes de facto the Portuguese Republic.

On April 30th, 1974, the French Republic recognizes de facto the new Portuguese regime.

Date of establishment of diplomatic relations:

In 1485, João II of Portugal and Charles VIII of France celebrated a Treaty of Alliance and Commerce. In 1536, a Treaty of Friendship and Alliance was signed between João II of Portugal and Francis I of France. Diplomatic relations were severed in 1704, due the War of Spanish Succession, and re-established on August 18th, 1715.

First diplomatic mission: In January of 1641, the first Portuguese Embassy was sent to France, led by Francisco de Melo and António Coelho de Carvalho, with João Francisco Barreto serving as Secretary. The French Crown had supported the Portuguese Restoration, which led the Portuguese Diplomacy to seek a “formal league” in the context of the Thirty Years War, and the conflict between France and the House of Austria.

Portuguese diplomatic and consular representation in France: Embassy of Portugal in Paris. Ambassador José Augusto de Jesus Duarte was nominated on October 7, 2022 as Ambassador of Portugal in France. Portugal also has 5 General Consulates, 1 Vice-Consulate and 1 Consular Office, as well as 9 Honorary Consulates in France.

Portuguese Consulates in France:

  • General Consulate of Portugal in Paris
  • General Consulate of Portugal in Bordeaux
  • General Consulate of Portugal in Lyon
  • General Consulate of Portugal in Marseille
  • General Consulate of Portugal in Strasburg
  • Vice-Consulate of Portugal in Toulouse
  • Consular Office in Nantes

Portuguese honorary consulates in France: Ajaccio, Clermont-Ferrand, Lille, Montpellier, Nice, Orleans, Pau, Rouen, Tours and Saint-Barthelémy

  • Jeanne Pantalacci is the Portuguese Honorary Consul in Ajaccio.
  • Isidro de Jesus Fartaria is the Portuguese Honorary Consul in Clermont-Ferrand.
  • Bruno Cavaco is the Portuguese Honorary Consul in
  • Nathalie Pinheiro Deguette is the Portuguese Honorary Consul in
  • Joaquim Pires is the Portuguese Honorary Consul in
  • Anne Marie Mouchet is the Portuguese Honorary Consul in
  • José Afonso Soares Stuart-Torrie is the Portuguese Honorary Consul in
  • Ilídio Luís Balenas Palheta is the Portuguese Honorary Consul in
  • Albino Neiva da Silva is the Portuguese Honorary Consul in Saint-Barthelémy.

 

Consular Registrations (2021) 1 551 776
No. of CC holders with address registered in France

610 772 

Visas issued by the office (2021) 54
Consular presences (2021) 0
Nationals arrested (2021) 242
Portuguese associations 694
Financial aid granted to the associations (2020) 241 204,10 €                                                                                             

 

 France’s diplomatic and consular representation in Portugal: Embassy of France in Lisbon. Ambassador Florence Mangin presented her credentials on June 7th, 2019, as France’s Ambassador to Portugal. France also has 3 Honorary Consulates in Portugal, in the cities of Coimbra, Funchal and Tavira.

 

 French community in Portugal 24.935 people

Historical note: Portugal and France have a long history of diplomatic relations due to the geographical proximity of the two nations. Afonso Henriques, the founding monarch of the Kingdom of Portugal was a paternal descendant of the House of Burgundy, itself a cadet branch of the Capet dynasty, which ruled the Kingdom of France for over 8 centuries. Both nations would come to possess two of the largest global empires, with the French Colonial Empire and the Portuguese Empire competing frequently throughout their history. In 1485 Portugal and France signed a Treaty of alliance and trade, the first between the two nations.

Between 1640 and 1668, France was an important Portuguese ally in the context of the War of Restoration against Spain. However, during the 18th century the two countries would find themselves on opposite sides of several conflicts, namely the War of Spanish Succession, the Seven Years' War, and during the Fantastic War - the result of Portugal's historic alliance with the United Kingdom, France's rival power during this period.

Relations between Portugal and France reached a low point in 1807 when Portugal refused the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's demand of joining the 'continental system' and denying British access to Portuguese ports. As a result of this refusal, an invasion force under General Jean-Andoche Junot was sent to Portugal, inaugurating the period of French invasions in the Peninsular War in the context of the Napoleonic Wars. As a result of the imminent French invasion, the Portuguese monarchy transferred its court to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which was to remain the Portuguese capital from 1808 to 1821 (Lisbon would regain its status as the Portuguese capital in 1822).

British intervention in the Peninsular War, as well as the evacuation of the court, allowed Portugal to maintain its independence, with the last French troops leaving Portuguese territory in 1812. The legacy of the war was the question of Olivenza, de jure Portuguese territory, but that continues, until today, under Spanish administration, remaining a point in dispute in the Portugal-Spain relations.

During World War I, Portugal remained, in a first moment, neutral; however, in 1916, it joined the Allies (which included France) and entered the conflict, where the action of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps (CEP), in French territory, can be highlighted. During the Second World War, Portugal remained neutral.

During the 20th century, Portugal and France would forge closer political ties, with France gaining a greater relevance in Portuguese foreign policy issues. Besides the aforementioned contributions of Portugal in World War I, in which the CEP actively participated in the conflict on French territory, the relations between the two countries would see a new phase in the post-World War II period. In fact, Portugal and France were among the founding members of several international organisations, such as NATO and the OECD, which would play a decisive role in the reorganisation of the world order and the post-war reconstruction of Europe.

Following the Portuguese democratization process, Portugal and France have maintained friendly relations under the aegis of the various international organizations to which both countries belong. It is estimated that the largest Portuguese diaspora community in Europe today represents approximately 1.7 million people (including Portuguese-descendants and Portuguese citizens).

 

Bilateral Agreements (text in Portuguese):

 

Official and State Visits

  • In 1917, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Bernardino Machado, carried out a visit to France, where he inspected the troops of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps.
  • Between June 4th and 7th, 1975, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Francisco Costa Gomes, carried out an official Visit to France.
  • Between July 19th and 21st, 1978, the President of the French Republic, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, carried out an official visit to Portugal.
  • Between October 8th and 11th, 1979, the President of the Portuguese Republic, António Ramalho Eanes carried out an official visit to France.
  • Between May 8th and 10th, 1984, the President of the Portuguese Republic, António Ramalho Eanes carried out an official visit to the Council of Europe, in Strasburg, France.
  • Between July 6th and 9th, 1986, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Mário Soares, carried out an official visit to France, where he visited the cities of Paris and Strasburg, and gave a speech in the European Parliament.
  • Between April 6th and 8th, 1987, the President of the French Republic, François Mitterrand, carried out an Official Visit to Portugal.
  • Between July 12th and 19th, 1989, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Mário Soares, carried out an Official Visit to Paris, due to the 2nd centenary of the French Revolution, following an invitation from his French Counterpart.
  • Between October 16th and 21st, 1989, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Mário Soares, carried out an official visit to France.
  • On May 29th, 1994, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Mário Soares, visited Bordeaux, where he inaugurated a bust in homage to Aristides Sousa Mendes, as well as a plaque that marks the building where the Portuguese Consulate was located at the time.
  • Between September 21st and 24th, 1996, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, carried out and official visit to the Council of Europe in Strasburg, due to the 20th anniversary of the accession of Portugal.
  • Between November 24th and 26th, 1996, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, carried out an Official Visit to France, where he met with members of the Portuguese Community in the Region of Paris, and visited the headquarters of UNESCO.
  • Between May 10th and 12th, 1998, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, carried out and official visit to Paris, due to the commemorations of the 5th centenary of the Voyage of Vasco da Gama to India.
  • Between November 2nd and 4th, 1998, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, carried out an official visit to Strasburg, where he visited the European Court of Human Rights.
  • Between February 4th and 6th, 1999, the President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac, carried out a State Visit to Portugal.
  • On March 16th, 2000, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, carried out a visit to Bordeaux, France, due to the inauguration of the “Carrefour des Littératures”
  • Between December 13th and 15th, 2001, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, carried out a visit to Paris, where he participated in a ceremony in homage to Manoel de Oliveira.
  • On June 7th and 8th, 2002, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, carried out a visit to Paris.
  • On May 1st and 2nd, 2004, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, carried out a visit to Paris, due to the Founding Congress of United Cities and Local Governments.
  • Between April 11th and 14th, 2005, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Jorge Sampaio, carried out a State Visit to France.
  • On March 16th and 17th, 2015, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, carried out a visit to Paris, where he visited the headquarters of the OECD.
  • Between June 10th and 12th, 2016, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, carried out an official visit to Paris, due to the commemorations of the Day of Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities.
  • On July 19th, 2016, the President of the French Republic François Hollande, carried out a working visit to Portugal, where he was received in the Belém Palace by the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, with whom he held a meeting.
  • On April 8th and 9th, 2018, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, carried out a visit to France, due to the Commemorations of the Centenary of the Battle of La Lys.
  • On November 10th and 11th, 2018, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, carried out an official visit to France, due to Commemorations of the Centenary of the Armistice of the First World War.
  • Between February 10th and 12th, 2022, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, carried out an Official Visit to France, to participate in the One Ocean Summit in Brest, and in the opening ceremony of the Portugal-France Season 2022, in Paris.

Economic Relations

In 2021, trade in goods between the two countries amounted to 13,835 billion euros (corresponding to 8,321 billion euros in exports and 5,514 billion euros in imports). In 2021, France consolidated its position as the second destination for Portuguese exports (13.1% of the total), which last year alone grew by €1,020 billion. More than 5,400 Portuguese companies exported to that country.

In terms of investment, France was the first foreign investor in Portugal between January and September 2021, and the fourth in terms of accumulated stock, with more than €13,000 billion. Between 2016 and 2020, French investment in Portugal grew by 86%. Around 750 French companies are established in Portugal, with their subsidiaries creating the most added value in our country.

In the tourism sector, France was in 2021 (January to November) our second market in terms of guests, third in terms of overnight stays and first in terms of revenue (€1.759 billion). It is important to note that, being an area particularly affected by the pandemic, the tourism sector showed a strong recovery last year (compared to 2020), with a growth of 60.9% in the number of guests and 61.3% in French overnight stay values (January to November period). In 2019, before the pandemic, there were 1 623 200 French guests, and this number fell to 725 100 in 2021.

Cultural Relations

Due to the significant Portuguese community living in French territory, as well as the geographic, cultural, and historical proximity between the two countries, Portuguese language and culture are significantly present in France. Portuguese is taught as a non-native language in all cycles of French public education. The teaching of Portuguese, still on an experimental basis, begun in the 1960s and definitively entered the curricula of French education, as a foreign living language, in 1970, when the first recruitment for Portuguese teachers was opened by the French Ministry of Education.

Today, Camões - Institute for Cooperation and Language, I.P. coordinates the activity of teachers of Portuguese Language and Culture abroad and the coordination of Portuguese teaching in France is one of the 11 teaching co-ordination units of the network “Teaching Portuguese Abroad” (EPE) of Camões I.P.

The cooperation between Portugal and France in matters of language and culture is sustained through bilateral agreements between the two countries. The first of these agreements, the Agreement on Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, was signed in 1970. More recently, in 2006, the Protocol on Educational Cooperation was signed between the Ministry of National Education for Higher Education and Research of the French Republic and the Ministry of Education of the Portuguese Republic.

The teaching of Portuguese has been supported by the Portugal since the 1970s, at all levels of education, with emphasis on the ELCO courses (Teaching of the Language and Culture of Origin), created by France and taught by teachers placed by Portugal, which, at its peak (school year 1982/83), were attended by 55,333 students. In 1989, Portuguese was introduced in primary education as ELVE (foreign living language teaching) and was provided by teachers placed by the Portuguese Ministry of Education. In 2016/17, ELCO courses gave way to EILE (international teaching of a foreign language) courses, following a protocol concluded between the two countries.

In French higher education, the Portuguese language has been present for over 100 years, dating back to 1919 the creation of the first Course of Portuguese Language and Culture at the Sorbonne University. Later, in 1921, a course of Portuguese language and culture was also created at the University of Rennes. Portugal sent the first Reader of Portuguese, the engineer F. Leite Pinto to the Sorbonne, in 1930. 

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