Over the years, we have become accustomed to less fortunate moments, gaffes and breaches of protocol committed by representatives of the Portuguese Government visiting Macau, regardless of their political affiliation. Among the possible reasons are a lack of knowledge of the local reality and insufficient preparation.
This lack of care is not merely a matter of etiquette. It reflects an attitude that conveys indifference and even a certain disrespect towards the community that lives and works here. Every misstep and every poorly judged gesture reinforces the perception that Lisbon views Macau superficially, without understanding its particular character and importance.
The recent visit by the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation was no exception.
Publicly announcing, during the 10 June ceremonies, that he had invited the current head of the Portuguese School of Macau to take up a post in Angola, without first consulting the School’s governing bodies, which had renewed his mandate less than two months earlier, was an act that not only ignored the local reality but also revealed a glaring contradiction: the Portuguese Government fails to meet its funding obligations towards the Portuguese School of Macau, yet still imposes structural changes without dialogue.
By acting in this way, the Minister created unease and division on a day intended to be festive and to unite the community. He overlooked the fact that this is not merely an administrative matter, but concerns a pillar of the Portuguese cultural presence in the region. The lack of preparation and dialogue reduced the entire official visit to a single issue.
What the community deserves is not only greater rigour in protocol, but above all a change in attitude based on respect, commitment and responsibility. Without that, every visit risks being remembered not as a moment of rapprochement, but as a missed opportunity to strengthen the ties between Portugal and its diaspora.
