The Portuguese left out of local politics

Costa Antunes

The Portuguese used to constitute the majority in Macau politics, but today few have a prominent voice. Nowadays, having a Portuguese background alone does not necessarily prevent people from going into politics, but they do face a major obstacle: winning the trust of the Chinese community.
João Manuel Costa Antunes is the only Portuguese national who emigrated from Portugal to work in Macau and still holds a position on the board of an institution. For over two decades, Mr Costa Antunes took the helm at the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO). In 2012, he left MGTO to become the coordinator of Macau’s Grand Prix.
“I had to change drastically. Unfortunately I am unable to read Chinese and don’t understand a lot of the language. So I needed to bring on board people who would help me communicate. I have never faced major challenges for not being able to speak Chinese, but we need to be fast in communicating,” he said.
To guarantee the support of citizens, Portuguese nationals wishing to join the public service must prove that they truly want the post that they are pursuing. Mr Costa Antunes recalls a moment, which he believes confirmed his determination to stay in Macau.
Back in 1998, the then-governor Rocha Vieira had invited him to coordinate Macau’s handover ceremony for the following year.
He accepted the challenge, but on one condition: “I work under the framework of the Portuguese administration. I can only coordinate [the handover ceremony] if I become an employee of Macau’s administration. I cannot leave on the same plane the governor will take. No one would believe me. How could I win the trust of the people if I would leave in such a short period of time at such an important time for Macau?”

Leonel Alves

Mr Costa Antunes says he considers himself pragmatic and believes it would make little sense to aim for a wider presence of Portuguese people in Macau politics, especially given that there is currently a lack of commitment from younger generations of Portuguese nationals living in Macau.
“The administration cannot bear the risk of someone saying: My leg hurts, I have to leave. There’s a need to set up a platform, a critical and stable basis. The Portuguese people will have a place here as qualified staff but not in political and administrative posts,” he concluded.
None of the lawmakers in the Legislative Assembly (AL) are Portuguese nationals or have been born and raised in Portugal, but there are still two Macanese who speak both Portuguese and Chinese. Leonel Alves, for instance, has been serving as lawmaker since before the handover and witnessed the changes the AL experienced when the administration also changed.
He too believes that a return of Portuguese nationals to Macau politics is unlikely.
“In the past the Portuguese did not identify so strongly as expatriates. Many people who came to Macau after 1999 already felt like immigrants, whereas when the Portuguese came here in the 1970s or 1980s, it wasn’t the same, it was as if this was one of Portugal’s neighborhoods,” he stressed.
According to Mr Alves, the Portuguese now see their stay in Macau as temporary and that’s “why they do not buy a house or a left-hand driving vehicle.” “They feel they’re immigrants. So that, translated into politics, means that an immigrant might not feel comfortable spending his/her time dealing with public affairs,” he explained.
Other lawmakers, such as José Pereira Coutinho, also stand out. The Macanese was first elected lawmaker in 2005 and today he is considered one of Macau’s most prominent voices.
He acknowledges that his background has its advantages: “Being Portuguese helps. The Chinese community sees me as someone who isn’t linked to any exchange of favors with the Chinese government. [People] tend to raise doubts about the background of a Chinese citizen lawmaker.”
Mr Coutinho said he would only renounce Portuguese citizenship if he were to be elected Chief Executive – a post that requires Chinese nationality.
On the other hand, lawmaker Coutinho acknowledged the challenges he has encountered, as he also had to earn the trust of the Chinese community.
He believes that for a Portuguese to know how to deal with the Chinese community as if they were one of them, they must master Cantonese. “There’s a need to fully master Cantonese (…) How could you build trust if you can’t communicate with [Chinese] people?”
Portugal’s National Day is celebrated tomorrow.  MDT/Lusa