Portugal chooses symbolic day to ratify the Treaty

Portugal chose May 9, "Europe Day", to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, which was signed in the Portuguese capital last December. The ceremony symbolically took place on the 58th anniversary of the "Schuman Declaration", which in 1950 posed the basis for a "supranational European institution".

During the ratification ceremony, Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva said: "The treaty constitutes a step forward towards the construction of a more unified Europe, one more in solidarity."

MEP Joseph Daul, Chairman of the main group in the EU Parliament - the European People's Party, or EPP-ED - referring to the Portuguese ratification said in a statement: "The success of this vote, with opposition only from the Communist Party and the Bloco de Esquerda, is the guarantee of unequivocal support from Portugal for the reforms laid down in the Treaty, and demonstrates the participation of this country at the forefront of the new stages of European construction."

The Treaty was approved by the Portuguese Parliament in April with a large majority (208 voted in favour, 21 against), but needed the President's signature to be ratified.

One day before Portugal, on May 8, Latvia and Lithuania also ratified the Treaty, bringing to 13 the number of ratifications already occurred.

Portugal joined the European Union when it still was called European Economic Community (EEC) together with Spain, in 1986. Euro-enthusiasm in the country grew with the election of Jose' Manuel Barroso, a former Portuguese Prime Minister, as President of the EU Commission.